Lean Quote: You're in Charge, Develop a Growth Mindset

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"You’re in charge of your mind. You can help it grow by using it in the right way."   —  Carol Dweck

To keep on growing in life you have to keep on learning from things that happen around you. Many people are of the opinion that learning stops after you complete your education. But it is not so! You are learning and growing every moment. 

Carol Dweck, a professor at Stanford University coined the theory of growth mindset. This theory categorizes human learning and intelligence patterns into two categories – fixed mindset and growth mindset.

Fixed mindset is when individuals consider that their abilities and talents are constrained to a fixed set. On the other hand, when individuals believe that they can improve their abilities, intelligence and talents through their efforts, it is termed as growth mindset.

How to Deliberately Create a Growth Mindset Culture

Establish Trust

Firstly, you need to establish trust through open and honest communication within your team. Speak openly about every success and failure in a blameless way. Trust allows a team to communicate freely and respond to change more easily in a blameless manner.

Make it Safe to Fail

As a team you should collectively agree to expose your ideas and reasoning to scrutiny, despite the risk to yourselves. Egos must be left at the door. Recognize that your knowledge isn’t perfect and that things may not go as planned. With each success or failure recognize that progress has been made and then focus on the learning outcomes. Thomas Edison famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” He viewed every mistake and setback as a learning opportunity.

Take an Experimental Approach to Information Discovery

The “Build-Measure-Learn” loop is a core component of the Lean StartUp methodology. It encourages a feedback focused approach to building a product by testing assumptions and measuring the results in a systematic way with users.

By taking an experimental approach to information discovery you don’t simply build features in priority order from your product backlog and chuck them at users to see if they stick. Instead we shift focus from a feature factory to a laboratory.

It’s important to define what will be measured as part of each experiment and what success looks like before a line of code is written. Figure out the proper "exposed population" before you get going and once an experiment is underway avoid the temptation to change it in any way as this will skew the results.

Regularly Brainstorm for New Experiments

Run regular brainstorming sessions to encourage new ideas for experiments within the team. Run some risky experiments that you think are stupid—these may yield interesting results.

Scrutinize Every Failure for Its Learnings

Each failed experiment uncovers new learnings. These need to be scrutinized and shared freely with everyone. Analyze what happened, what can be learned from each experiment and figure out what impact this new learning has on the backlog and the underlying the assumptions for the product.

Since our childhood days we've been programmed to perceive failure in a negative light. In many organizations failure in the workplace is unforgivable and a culture of deflecting and concealing mistakes pervades. In order to innovate and build better products we must try new things and experiment with the expectation that some will fail. In a growth mindset team failure is most definitely a result to be proud of, and the quicker we can fail and learn from our failings the faster we innovate.

7 Tell-Tale Signs of Leadership Mismanagement

Business managers are constantly asked to assess if employees are performing to expectations. If employees are not, managers must take steps to remedy the situation.

But what happens if lousy management is to blame for underperformance?

 There are obvious signs that a company is on the wrong management track, such as declining sales and revenue, the loss of major customers and, with public companies, a falling stock price. Yet some red flags go unnoticed. Whether the warning signs are apparent or not, directly and aggressively addressing them is the way out of company mismanagement.

 Check for these 7 tell-tale signs of leadership mismanagement:

 Negative Feedback From Customers

The most important stakeholder in any business is the customer. Disgruntled customers will find a way to complain, negative feedback is inevitable. Nonetheless, when the negative feedback is on an upward trend, you are bound to lose business. If you are unable to deliver improvements and address those concerns, this can be detrimental to the reputation and business over time.

Management should identify those improvements or make strategic moves to improve your business processes and customer satisfaction.

 Micromanagement and Excessive Oversight

Micromanaging is when a supervisor not only examines but also nitpicks everything, from the tiniest tasks to day-to-day procedures. A manager who micromanages might stand over employees’ shoulders as they work. Employees are regarded employees as cogs in a machine instead of as members of a team who share a common goal – to get the job done.

Positive recognition and appreciation go much further than micromanagement, which results in a lack of trust. People work best when managers trust them.

Stubbornness and Unwillingness to Listen and Adapt

A manager who is unwilling to listen to feedback and adapt to change isn't a manager who will lead a thriving team. A willingness to evolve has always been important for business – especially now, because technology moves forward faster than ever before. Managers need to listen to employees’ suggestions and to be honest about where the company needs to go. When managers have too much pride to listen to their employees, then the business will lack innovation, and the business will suffer financially, as innovation is the only way to move forward.

The Management Team is in Denial.

When managers pretend a business is doing fine when it's not, that's a problem. It's important to ensure issues are addressed and solved rather than playing Pollyanna and ignoring the realities of business trends. This has a huge impact on a public company if a management team is ignoring major issues presented by investors and continues to underperform. Not only will near-term company financials suffer, but an unrealistic management team can cause long-term damage to reputation and trust.

New Ideas are Dismissed.

When employees' ideas and suggestions are ignored, it could be signs of a complacent and unsupportive team. This could lead to stagnation in growth potential, especially if management is saying, 'This is the way we've always done it.' Any company, organization or manager that defaults to the past as gospel will get hurt in the long run. You'll miss key changes in trends and lose out on new opportunities.

Instead, promote project innovation and new ideas. Set up a team focused on this initiative. Encourage open dialogue across the organization, and reward staff for new ideas. A company that does not do this could lose talented people who feel their value isn't appreciated.

Employees are Fleeing.

One big sign of company mismanagement is low retention. Employees will occasionally quit even a well-managed company, but if a company has difficulty keeping a full staff and is constantly hiring, that's a sign there's a problem. High employee turnover puts a massive drain on your internal resources. First, there's the monetary cost of searching for, hiring and training new employees. Inexperienced staff is also less efficient and more likely to make mistakes, so your overall productivity drops if you're constantly needing to fill holes in the team roster.

Your company culture isn’t a one-and-done deal. Even after you address these 7 signs of bad culture (mismanagement), you should routinely check in on your organizational culture and see what improvements can be made. You can gauge the strength of your company culture by measuring employee engagement and regularly asking your team for feedback. Remember that your hard work will pay off in the long run, so don’t shirk your company culture responsibilities.

Focus on Outcomes Rather Than Outputs With These 6 Strategies

So many businesses miss a key point to achieving their goals. It is easy to think that what you need to attain extraordinary success is to focus on results and use these results to measure your progress. There is more success to be had by focusing on outcomes rather than output.

Dr. Deming, Dr. Wheeler, and others have famously said “Managing a company by means of monthly results is like trying to drive a car by watching the yellow line in the rear-view mirror.”

I have a young driver at home and I’m always saying to look forward. It’s the same in business. And while it may sound like common sense, it’s amazing how many executives and operating managers are doing just the opposite by the way they operate their performance management process.

Instead of focusing on your goal, the key may be to focus on process – and forget the result entirely. The road to any goal is a matter of taking one step after the next. The process will take you right where you want to be. Results are the enemy that distract and prevent us from seeing this.

When you focus on the process instead of the result, you will start to be more in control over the current work you are doing, instead of delaying till the milestone is achieved. Here are some strategies to help you be more process focused:

Build Confidence

Start small with something you know you can achieve. Self-confidence is your perception of your ability; the more you do, the more you believe you can do. That will help you set loftier goals. If you can’t achieve what you set out to do, start with something easier.

Make a Commitment, Not a Promise

After a few weeks of working toward a goal, it can be easy to let yourself off the hook. A commitment is non-negotiable: when you get married, you commit to your partner; when you have to be at work between certain hours, you are committed to it. There is no “well, maybe I won’t be committed today because I don’t feel like it.” Cut off excuses the moment they start.

Be Specific to Create a Framework

For example, say: at this time, this many days a week, I will do x for this many minutes. Put it in your calendar so you see it regularly and have already allocated time. It’s harder to opt out of something scheduled.

Habit Stacking

It’s easier to stick to a habit when you add it on to an existing habit. Some examples would be flossing your teeth after you brush them or doing core work before your run.

Getting Off Track

You made a commitment with the best intentions but sometimes you make mistakes. Say you are trying to lose weight and swore off chips… and you “accidentally” eat a whole bag! One mistake doesn’t mean you have to start over. Simply pick up immediately where you left off in your process. Examine what triggered you to break your new habit so you can course-correct. To achieve your goal, you don’t have to be 100% perfect with your process but you do have to trend in the right direction. Practice self-compassion but don’t let yourself off the hook.

Is it Working?

Create a support network around you with like-minded individuals to help keep you accountable and motivated. Measure your progress by looking back at what you have accomplished each week instead of looking forward and seeing how far you have to go.

When you start focusing your attention and energy less on the results but rather on the processes or the techniques involved you discover that you learn faster, are more successful and even happier at the outcome. Altogether you gain more in life when you focus on the process rather than the results.

Lean Quote: Learn Through Experimentation and Failure

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"It is only through failure and through experiment that we learn and grow."   —  Isaac Stern

Building a new solutions and products is a highly innovative and creative process. Things simply don't go to plan all the time, setbacks and failures are inevitable along the way. What makes a difference is how a team deals with them. Each failure is an opportunity to reassess, make a change and try a different approach. In order to succeed, teams must become resilient to failure and focus on the learning outcomes that they present. When we feel that it is safe to fail we are more likely to try risker experiments, and sometimes these riskier experiments have huge payoffs.

The concept of the growth mindset was developed by the psychologist Carol Dweck and popularized in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Dweck proposes that people deal with failure in two very different ways depending on their mindset. Some people have a fixed mindset and others with a growth mindset.

People with a fixed mindset believe their intelligence and talent are fixed traits. They believe that talent alone creates success without effort. They don't deal well with setbacks and they try to hide their mistakes.

In contrast people a growth mindset believe that their abilities and talents are just a starting point and that they can be developed through dedication, hard work and learning. They are keen to learn from the people around them. They respond positively to failure and are best described in one sentence: "I can't do that...yet".

 

Growth Mindset	Fixed Mindset
Failure is an opportunity to grow I can learn to do new things I like to try new things Inspired by the success of others Embraces challenges	Failure is the limit of my abilities I'm either good or bad at something I stick to what I know Threatened by the success of others Gives up easily

Teams that operate with a growth mindset have a much more malleable view of success. They do not view failure as a reflection of their ability but rather as a starting point for experimentation and testing of new ideas. They have a passion for learning and improving themselves and their team. They strive for continuous improvement and never give up.

Lean Tips Edition #174 (#2821 - #2835)

For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips.  It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey.  Another great reason to like A Lean Journey on Facebook.

Click this link for A Lean Journey's Facebook Page Notes Feed.

Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:

Lean Tip #2821 – Culture Change: Mind the Change Curve

So you’ve developed your change strategy. Once you roll it out, employees should be expected to get on board immediately, right? Wrong. This is a common fallacy that many leaders fall victim to because the decision-makers guiding change have already been over the “change curve.” This is the process of questioning, processing, and ultimately accepting the need for organizational change.

Some people are able to get over the change curve quickly, others need more time. But all too often, employees are not given even a remotely acceptable amount of time to come to terms with changes that leaders have had months to process. As you roll out your changes, consider what your employees are experiencing. Where possible, avoid forcing your workforce through abrupt changes by building in time for them to process and ask questions, and be proactive about participating in these conversations.

Lean Tip #2822 – Culture Change: Focus on the People

As you’re trying to build these new processes and structures throughout your organization, don’t forget to keep your employees in the loop. Make sure that they are kept up-to-date on training and have all of the knowledge they need to be successful within the new company culture. Also, don’t be afraid to bring in new employees who can fit within this new culture and bring a fresh perspective. New employees can be help reinforce the company culture change, and keeping your existing employees trained and enthusiastic about the changes will foster change and cooperation.

Lean Tip #2823 – Culture Change: Reward Employees for the Behaviors You Want

You’re trying to drive change, so why not reward your employees for displaying the behaviors that will help be catalysts for change within your organization. Changing your company culture will require buy-in from your employees, and there’s no better way to get them want to change the culture, then by rewarding them for helping them change it.

Lean Tip #2824 – Culture Change: Have Proponents at the Top

For change to be well accepted by employees, it must be visible from the top. A culture change will only stick when it is the priority of the board of directors and the chief executive officer. Therefore, your role as a human resource officer is to develop a framework that shows the board of directors the importance of company culture in your organization.

Senior executives are always looking to support something that has a positive impact on the company’s performance. Therefore, your role is to come up with a plan that shows the contribution of company culture to the organization’s output.

Lean Tip #2825 – Culture Change: Have a Feedback System

Developing a feedback system also changes your workplace culture significantly. But, what does a feedback system entail? This system allows employees to give views about various things in your organization.

The advantage of this system is that it highlights the areas that need improvement in the company. When the suggested issues are sorted out, employees tend to develop a positive culture that takes the company forward.

You will be surprised to find out that employees also give positive feedback. Doing so enables them to appreciate the good things that are happening in your organization that makes them develop a culture of gratitude.

Lean Tip #2826 – Praise Your Employees Often

It’s true that your employees are paid to do their jobs. But that doesn’t mean you should take their efforts for granted. Regularly recognize your employees’ efforts, and do so in a way that’s meaningful to them. Employees are happier when they know their superiors and colleagues notice their work.

Lean Tip #2827 – Brainstorm Ideas With Your Employees

Your employees are geniuses, so pick their brains. Great leaders understand that they are not the only people capable of making good decisions or coming up with innovative ideas. To increase office morale, tell your employees you’re always open to hearing their ideas. And turn the right ones into reality.

Lean Tip #2828 – Train Your Managers to Become Better Coaches

Teaching your managers to seek out the unique talents of their employees will foster an environment that builds on those attributes, which also helps businesses remain agile during challenging times. Managers can put this approach to practice by helping employees create job descriptions that align their passions with the company’s why. This naturally increases employee morale, engagement, and productivity.

Effective managers don’t just push for high performance, they value helping people discover their natural talents and seek out opportunities to utilize those strengths. Not only does this tap into a deeper, more intrinsic type of motivation for employees, but it also allows managers to increase the capability of their teams.

Lean Tip #2829 – Learn From Each Other

When managing a group of people, it’s crucial to remind your team that it’s made up of individuals who bring diverse skills to the group. This, of course, applies to workplace skills—Excel, PowerPoint, public speaking—but don’t forget about the perhaps underutilized creative talents of your employees.

Every few weeks, try hosting a rotating “skillshare” where a team member presents an untapped skill to the entire group. You never know—you might have a secret wine connoisseur, art history buff, or mini golf champ among you! Encouraging people to share their talents and interests will not only give them a chance to work on something they’re really excited about, it’ll also help the group to unwind together.

Lean Tip #2830 – Request Feedback From Your Employees

Consider being open to suggestions for improvement from your employees. You might implement employee surveys or hold a monthly discussion to hear what your teams think and what they see as successful, needing improvement or changes they think should be made to improve the overall growth of the company. Offer ways for employees to collaborate on improvement plans or change implementations. Not only can this allow your staff to feel included in the decision-making process, but it can also allow employees to have more impact on the processes within the business.

Lean Tip #2831 – Focus on the Solution, Not the Problem

Neuroscientists have proven that your brain cannot find solutions if you focus on the problem. This is because when you focus on the problem, you’re effectively feeding ‘negativity,’ which in turn activates negative emotions in the brain. These emotions block potential solutions.

I’m not saying you should ‘ignore the problem,’ instead, try to remain calm. It helps to first, acknowledge the problem; and then, move your focus to a solution-oriented mindset where you keep fixed on what the ‘answer’ could be, rather than lingering on ‘what went wrong’ and ‘who’s fault it is’.

Lean Tip #2832 – Simplify Things

As human beings, we have a tendency to make things more complicated than they need to be! Try simplifying your problem by generalizing it.

Remove all the details and go back to the basics. Try looking for a really easy, obvious solution – you might be surprised at the results! And we all know that it’s often the simple things that are the most productive. 

Lean Tip #2833 – Have the Right Mindset.

Attitude is everything; it's simple cognitive psychology. How you psychologically approach a problem is linked to how you view the solution. At the most foundation level, if you believe there is a solution there is a solution.

Problem solvers are playful, curious and inquisitive and choose to have a positive outlook and use positive language. If you think something is impossible, it becomes impossible. Likewise, if you think something is possible, it becomes possible. Your outlook frames everything so choose it actively and wisely. Doing just that is an action plan of its own.

Lean Tip #2834 – Get Good at Making Decisions, Even If You’re Admittedly Lukewarm on Your Choice.

Decision-making is a skill in itself and also a problem-solving strategy when you can actually make choices. That’s partly because making an important decision can be daunting and pressure-filled. A key piece of problem-solving is coming up with an idea for a solution and running with it. If it doesn’t work, you pivot. The point is to get comfortable driving to — and actually making — a decision.

Lean Tip #2835 – Change Your Mindset.

When you view a problem as burdensome, you avoid it. Who actually wants to deal with something that's frustrating, overwhelming, or seemingly impossible?

However, if you change your mindset to view challenges as a way to grow, you'll be less stressed about finding a solution. What's more, your mind will break down and analyze the problem more easily, you'll be more flexible, and you'll be better suited to take care of future issues.

While changing your mindset to start viewing problems as opportunities doesn't occur overnight, it helps to first realize that problems are inevitable. The sooner you come to terms with this, the better you'll be able to approach any dilemma with open-mindedness.

The Importance of Lean in a Post-Pandemic World

Since March 2020, every person on the planet has had their life shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic in some way. Every aspect of life has been impacted. Our everyday routines were brought to a stop, and any sense of normalcy was lost.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on supply chains. The spectacle of empty supermarket shelves during the early part of the pandemic served as a stark reminder of what can happen when inventory and service levels are out of sync.

It seems like every time there is an inventory problem, lean manufacturing or lean principles get the blame. Lean has gotten a bad rap during this pandemic. Let’s face it, the current COVID-19 pandemic is a pretty rare occurrence! If anything, crises like this one illuminate the continued lack of understanding of what Lean is. This is unfortunate.

Even though Lean has become foundational to supply chain management, it is still subject to misinterpretation. A common misconception is that this management philosophy is essentially about taking people out of business operations. While this can be an outcome, it is far from the primary purpose of Lean.

In essence, Lean maximizes value to the customer by eliminating waste from processes. Another interpretation is that the model strives to meet customer needs with as much precision — and hence as little inventory — as possible.

Excess inventory is a form of business waste that ties up capital and consumes organizational resources that are better deployed elsewhere. Over recent decades, companies have made considerable strides in reducing inventory volumes while maintaining high service levels.

However, COVID-19 delivered a shock to the system that gave companies pause about their ability to unerringly fulfill customer demand during surges when product stockpiles had been cut to the bone. The crisis has sparked much discussion about the need to revisit approaches to inventory management.

While these last 15 months have not been what most companies had hoped or planned for, it provided manufacturers with an opportunity to utilize lean manufacturing to address the shortages and problems caused by the pandemic. COVID-19 has drastically shifted the regularity of demand—with forecasts changing daily, sudden influxes of work, and order cancellations—which has emphasized the need for manufacturers to be flexible. Lean manufacturing encompasses many different aspects, and the pandemic has given manufacturers who embrace Lean an opportunity to analyze weaknesses and address them head-on.

This pandemic showed manufacturers perhaps more than ever before that Lean manufacturing is about being flexible. Flexibility in your machine capabilities, capacity to adjust production schedules, availability for quick changeover of techniques, and cross-training of employees will all help ensure your ability to be responsive and adapt when it becomes necessary to do so. A highly-responsive manufacturing operation will in turn allow you to create an agile customer service platform that will stand out to both your current and prospective customers.

Disruptive, stressful experiences (like COVID-19) are often opportunities for growth. Research has shown that crises can change the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mantra that pervades many organizations, creating new opportunities for people to voice their ideas on how to do things better.

There are two main mindsets that shape our lives (impacting not only our attitudes but learning as well) especially true in a challenging situation: fixed and growth.

• A fixed mindset – Learning is a waste of effort – even if it was useful there is no time or nothing to learn that would help right now; learning is impossible – even if there was, learning is too hard and asking too much; the only way to succeed is to play your cards right, always look smart, never look dumb.

• A growth mindset – Learning is useful – what we learn will make things better; learning is possible; we can learn what we don’t currently know; setbacks are learning experiences and obstacles will be overcome.

Adopting a growth mindset isn’t only important at an individual level. It is also vital for businesses at an organizational level. A growth mindset leads consistently to better results.

Practicing Lean Thinking means reinforcing our belief in better outcomes where achieving apparently impossible things we learn by doing. As we make things better we unlock solutions to problems that were never apparent first off (although they seem obvious in hindsight). It’s precisely when things feel hopeless that warm hearts and cool minds make a difference – and Lean Thinking is most relevant.

In varying ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every single business across the globe. It’s ample time for all manufacturers to reevaluate their strategies and make improvements. Companies that already suffered from low productivity, waste, and inefficiency before the pandemic will likely continue to struggle the most. More than anything, COVID-19 has shown how important it is to practice innovation and resilience. To ensure long-term survival, many businesses are focusing on their productivity and performance, reducing errors, and utilizing available resources as much as possible.

Even during times of crisis, efficiency is important. To survive, many businesses are pivoting the way they offer their products and services to adapt. Using Lean manufacturing techniques, you can identify what your customers need the most right now and consider new ways to efficiently match those needs. Whether your business is reopening or your employees continue to telework, the pandemic requires us all to innovate and adapt.

It is clear that Lean Manufacturing is more essential now than at any other time, giving companies a system for navigating a global landscape that has been forever altered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing Lean can help businesses iterate, solve problems and adapt to keep up with the unprecedented pace of change. Use Lean to ensure long-term success.

Lean Quote: Build a Culture of Empathy

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"You can only understand people if you feel them in yourself."   —  John Steinbeck

It has been said, “You can’t truly love another before you learn to love yourself.” Organizations are no different. If we don’t love and respect and admire the people we work with every day, we can’t collectively give our customers the love they deserve. Empathy is an inside-out job.

Empathy is the ability to put yourself in another’s shoes and walk a mile.  It’s the ability to imagine what it might be like to experience and relate to the thoughts, emotions, and experience of the other person. Empathy is more than simple sympathy, which is being able to understand and support others with compassion or sensitivity.

Some people naturally exude empathy and have an advantage over their peers who have difficulty expressing empathy. Most leaders fall in the middle and are sometimes or somewhat empathetic. Fortunately, empathy is not a fixed trait. It can be learned. If given enough time and support, leaders can develop and enhance their empathy skills through coaching, training, or developmental opportunities and initiatives.

In the workplace, showing empathy can help you to understand an employee’s situation and recognize the outside factors that may or may not be contributing to their performance. It is essentially the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, think about how they might feel or react to a given situation, and adjust your actions and responses to connect with them on their level.

Build a culture of empathy. Empathy is an essential component of caring about your customers, your employees, and your company, and its absence signals larger problems in organizational culture. Empathy can’t be plastered on like a fake smile, but it can be cultivated from within.