Lean Tips Edition #213 (#3406 - #3420)

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Lean Tip #3406 – Gather the Right People for Kaizen

Carefully selecting the team members is crucial. The meeting should encompass diversity in terms of their areas of expertise. With analytical and creative skills, they can contribute innovative ideas that enhance the processes.

Including personnel who are not directly related to the current goals, but have not yet experienced Kaizen, provides an opportunity to train more staff on these dynamics.

The invited team should consist of representatives from all areas relevant to the goals, including supervisors and managers. If necessary, external experts, customers, or suppliers can be added, considering their potential interest in the process.

Lean Tip #3407 – Assign Roles and Responsibilities on the Kaizen

Assigning specific roles and responsibilities in organizing the meeting is fundamental. Designate a team leader to guide the meeting, an individual responsible for documenting progress, and someone to present ideas. This allocation helps maintain order during the meeting.

It is also important to involve managerial personnel who can approve improvement proposals since Kaizen aims for small but rapid changes. This way, the presented ideas can be transformed into tangible actions to improve company processes.

Lean Tip #3408 – Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Properly preparing the work environment is crucial since achieving results necessitates substantial planning. Ensure it is a space conducive to comfortable gatherings and provides access to the necessary tools and materials for the event.

The work environment must be pleasant and devoid of distractions, allowing participants to focus on the discussions at hand. It is common to temporarily suspend all deadlines and projects, enabling attendees to maintain their concentration on the designated task.

Lean Tip #3409 – Train the Staff for the Kaizen Event

Another aspect to consider is providing training for the employees. The team should receive instruction on improvement management tools and their application before, during, and after the event. This training reinforces the comprehension of the topics discussed during the meeting.

Take the time to provide guidance on what to expect during the event and which improvement tools will be used. It is also crucial to communicate the expectations for the event.

Lean Tip #3410 – Celebrate Progress and Improvement

Recognizing and celebrating the team’s small accomplishments is essential. It is worth noting that no one within the company possesses a better understanding of its operations than the teams and responsible individuals. In order to encourage outstanding suggestions, incentives must be provided, as employees may exhibit disinterest in change without them.

It is vital to acknowledge and reward team members who have contributed to the meeting, particularly when employees may be hesitant to alter their working methods. In summary, celebrating achievements plays a pivotal role in the sustainable growth of any company.

Lean Tip #3411 – Keep Your Shop Floor Clean and Organized

Process quality is critical to increasing the quality of products and other outputs, but the way your team manages its workspace is also important. Quality control in manufacturing isn’t complete without quality control inspections that consider the organization and cleanliness of the shop floor.

Inspections should:

• Look for overall cleanliness. A clean shop floor keeps workers safer by ensuring spills are cleaned up right away and other items that might cause trips and falls are put away. A clean working environment allows people to take pride in what they do, and that transfers to the quality of the work.
• Checking for proper use of tools and equipment. Quality inspections should ensure people are using resources correctly and that employees are well-trained on the equipment they use.
• Ensure specific safety rules are followed. Quality audits might note whether employees were wearing the proper safety gear, for example, or that machines and tools were being used in the safest way. 

Lean Tip #3412 – Set Standards for Manufacturing Quality

Find out what external stakeholders, including customers, vendors, or business partners, expect and whether there are contracts and service level agreements defining those requirements. Your quality control standards must at least meet these requirements.

You can, however, aim for quality that exceeds external requirements. Consider business needs, costs and what might be a challenging but possible goal for your manufacturing teams. You may also want to consider building room in your manufacturing quality standards for failure that doesn’t impact customers.

Lean Tip #3413 – Utilize Manufacturing Quality Metrics to Grow and Improve Your Operations

Once you’ve defined your quality control process, including standards you can use to identify success, continue to gather metrics on quality. Consistently looking at your quality metrics helps you understand whether your quality control processes are working. They also help you identify continued areas for improvement.

Continuous process improvement initiatives — such as Six Sigma — note that perfection isn’t achievable. However, manufacturing organizations can use quality metrics to drive continuous process improvement initiatives to move ever closer to perfect.

Lean Tip #3414 – Ensure Proper Quality Control Training and Resources

The best outcomes from quality programs come when you have the right resources. That includes using quality control software for manufacturing and ensuring everyone who uses that software (and other resources) is appropriately trained. Visual Planning helps you achieve those goals with ongoing support and consulting, ensuring you and your employees are trained to use our software to improve quality and scheduling in your organization.

Lean Tip #3415 – Utilize Technology To Enhance Quality Control

The right technology simplifies complex processes so you can meet production needs without getting bogged down in the details. Visual management supports everyone from ops managers to shift leaders on the shop floor. Leverage your expertise in manufacturing to create tools that let you see process data in real-time and make on-the-fly changes to keep up with demand while supporting quality.

Lean Tip #3416 – Show Empathy in the Workplace: Approach Challenges From a Different Perspective

Imagine the problem or situation from your team member's perspective. This can help you better understand their propositions and point of view. Even if you reach a different conclusion from them, you may have a better understanding of their thought process, which can inform future discussions.

Lean Tip #3417 – Show Empathy in the Workplace: Ask Questions to Understand

Ask what experiences have led to a particular conclusion. Consider the potential underlying factors that caused the person to feel the way they feel. For example, if you're speaking with a buyer who's unhappy with a product, you can ask about their expectations of the product and the specifics of their experience. If you don't understand the situation, keep asking questions until you do. Empathy comes with a deeper understanding of what has happened.

Lean Tip #3418 – Show Empathy in the Workplace: Offer to Help

Ask colleagues if they need help with projects and offer assistance when possible. This can help team members feel like you support them and empathize with their challenges at work. It may sometimes be challenging to determine when a coworker is struggling, so part of empathy is observing your environment and taking the initiative to offer help before someone asks.

Lean Tip #3419 – Show Empathy in the Workplace: Avoid Assuming You Know What Others are Thinking or Feeling.

Another way to practice empathy is by avoiding assuming that you know what others think or feel. This can be a difficult habit to break, but it's important to remember that we can never really know what's going on in someone else's mind. Instead of making assumptions, try to ask questions and listen openly to what the other person has to say. This will help you gain a better understanding of others' perspectives.

Lean Tip #3420 – Show Empathy in the Workplace: Be Aware of Your Own Biases

When trying to be empathetic towards others, be aware of your own biases and preconceptions. Everyone has unique experiences and perspectives shaping how we see the world and its people. Think about how your own biases might affect how you view someone else's situation and then try to set those feelings aside to see or feel things from their perspective.

Lean Quote: Success is the Product of Daily Habits

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.

"Success is the product of daily habits – not once-in-a-lifetime transformation."   —  James Clear, “The Atomic Habits” 

Establishing a positive daily routine is both a self-investment and a way to do your best for the rest of the world. It also provides additional benefits, such as giving you structure, building forward-moving habits, and creating momentum that will carry you on the days when you feel like you don’t have the strength to carry yourself. 

Following a daily habits can help you establish priorities, limit procrastination, keep track of goals, and even make you healthier. It lowers your reliance on willpower and motivation because habits are action[s] that you take on a repeated basis with little or no required effort or thought. 

I admit it though; it isn’t always easy to create good habits. As Brian Tracy says, “Good habits are hard to form but easy to live with. Bad habits are easy to form but hard to live with.” 

Here’s something really important to remember: what works for someone else, might not work for you. That’s why it’s important to pick the activities that resonate most with you, the ones that push you to become the best you that you are capable of being…and to keep doing those. 

Don’t be afraid to try new habits and see how they work for you. If they leave you feeling energized and inspired, keep doing them…if they don’t, keep trying new ones until you find ones that do. 

8 Tips For Solving Problems

How much of your day do you spend problem solving?  It could be responding to requests from senior leaders, helping team members work through an issue, or just figuring out where to park in the morning. 

If you’re anything like me, it seems like every day is a stream of problems waiting to be solved (or prevented). 

Problem solving is the bread and butter of all leaders – it’s what we do and where we shine.  Not only do we tackle problems directly, we are charged with empowering and coaching others to solve continually more challenging problems. 

There are many ways to go about solving a problem. Some of these tips might be used on their own, or you may decide to employ multiple approaches when working to figure out and fix a problem. 

Tip 1: Know When You Are Stuck 

To solve a problem, we need to know that we have a problem. This may be a frivolous point but it is not always obvious. Key signs that you are stuck: 

I do not know how to proceed. 

I haven’t got a clue. 

Why is this not working? 

However, it can be more subtle than that. Repeatedly trying over and over again without progress is also being stuck. To know that we are stuck, we have to realize a solution is not immediate. To get better at this, I recommend saying out loud “I am stuck” whenever it is relevant. So to summarize: identify you have a problem, be aware the solution is not immediate, state that you are stuck. 

Tip 2: Understand The Problem 

Often a problem is hard because we are unsure what we are being asked, or asking ourselves, to do. Poorly defined problems rarely lead to quick “ah-has!” Spending time to understand the problem is a neglected part of the problem solving process. Typically, there are many strategies for demystification. One way is to rephrase the problem in several manners, each time using simpler and simpler language. Another is drawing a picture or diagram. I often ask myself: Do I have enough information to move forward? Finally, refactoring a problem can be useful; that is, changing the structure of the problem to make it more understandable.  

Tip 3: Picture The Solution 

Even if you found the solution, would you know it? Drawing a picture of the solution can be surprisingly insightful. It does not matter if the solution ends up being different to what you draw it can still be useful. Picturing the solution helps us know when we have found the treasure. It also facilitates backward problem solving.  

Tip 4: Think Like A Scientist 

Despite not all problems being scientific ones, thinking like a scientist can be rewarding. As a (good) scientist you generate hypotheses about your problem. For each one, rank them by how plausible they might be. Begin with the simplest avenues and eliminate those that are unreasonable or unlikely. Finally, have a plan and execute it. Know what you are going to do and have a reason for doing it. 

Tip 5: Try and Verify 

We can simply be paralyzed by not knowing which direction to take. First, return to tip 4 before trying anything else. If we are still stuck, then let us just try something at least. Trying something we have little confidence in can raise uncomfortable feelings. Be prepared to feel uncomfortable or silly – a bad answer can still be useful. We may miss the mark but then we can orient ourselves around this. Once you have taken a guess remember to check if we have made any progress – have we learnt anything new about the problem? 

Tip 6: Recall Your Past Experiences.  

When a problem needs to be solved fairly quickly, heuristics may be a better approach. Think back to when you faced a similar issue, then use your knowledge and experience to choose the best option possible. If you succeed via trial-and-error, you're more likely to use those same actions and ideas that led to your previous success when you face the problem again. Your past experience can inform and shed light on the problem you face now. Recall. Explore. 

Tip 7: Don’t Jump to Conclusions 

It’s easy for us to exhibit cognitive bias or have preconceived ideas about both problems and potential solutions. Be sure to back up any problem statements or potential solutions with facts, research, and adequate forethought. 

The best techniques ask participants to be methodical and challenge preconceived notions. Make sure you give enough time and space to collect relevant information and consider the problem in a new way. By approaching the process with a clear, rational mindset, you’ll often find that better solutions are more forthcoming.   

Tip 8: Ask for Help 

Getting opinions from your peers can expose you to new perspectives and unique solutions. Friends, families or colleagues may have different experiences, ideas and skills that they can contribute to help you find the best solution to your problem. 

Consider asking a diverse range of colleagues or peers to share what they would do if they were in your situation. Even if you don't end up taking one of their suggestions, the conversation may help you process your ideas and arrive at a new solution. 

Solving complex problems may be difficult but it doesn't have to be excruciating. You just need the right frame of mind and a process for untangling the problem at hand. Luckily for you, there are plenty of techniques available to solve whatever problems come at you in the workplace. 

The Foundation of Lean Organization – Purpose, Plan, People, Process, And Performance

The Lean business process improvement methodology is a way of planning and measuring the long-term success in our organization, focused on improving safety, quality, delivery, cost, and employee morale. It seeks to eliminate waste and streamline the delivery of value to the customer. There are dozens of tools associated with the practice of Lean, such as value stream mapping, Kanban, and Gemba walks, all of which are useful and effective.

However, it is important to keep in mind that these tools are deployed within the context of purpose, people, and process. True innovation and value-creation in execution are powered by sharing purpose, careful planning, creative mindsets, dynamic processes, and proven performance. Together they enable both agility and adaptability in today’s complex environment. Together they drive execution excellence.

Purpose: (Task Vs. Mission Driven)

Task driven environments are very checklist heavy, compliance oriented and top-down leadership centric. Purpose driven environments are where team members are inspired by a common mission, vision and values.

Plan: (Individual vs Alignment)

To be successful we need a clear, well-defined plan that everyone knows and knows how their efforts towards that plan will drive success and meaning for themselves and the business as a whole. 

People: (Collaborative vs. Competitive)

Collaborative environments are highly integrated team efforts. Competitive environments are highly independent. Lean starts and ends with people. We seek to create the conditions under which people can achieve their maximum potential. We recognize that great ideas for improvement can come from every level of the organization and that everyone should be provided with the tools that help them contribute.

Process: (Status Quo vs. Innovate)

Status Quo environments live by the motto, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. These environments are highly predictable and stable. Innovative environments on the other hand are highly flexible and encourage failing fast. Innovative cultures understand the importance of quickly adapting to change.

Performance: (Results focused vs Process Accountability)

Performance is what your team must do to delight customers, both external and internal. We must make sure everyone understands what’s expected, how we’ll measure and monitor it, celebrate the successes and hold ourselves accountable when we fall short.

Purpose, plan, people, process, and performance are the best assets to develop and focus on to drive execution excellence. Purpose drives commitment. Plans fulfills our purpose. People's mindsets and behaviors determine the effectiveness of collaboration. Processes guide interaction forward towards meaningful objectives. Performance is how we hold ourselves accountable and deliver on our commitment to our customers, shareholders, and employees.

Lean Quote: Positive Feedback is How We Learn and Improve

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.

"We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve."   —  Bill Gates

Receiving regular, actionable feedback is crucial for your employees’ growth and development. Delivered in the right way, feedback can positively impact your company through improved performance, increased employee engagement, and greater levels of trust. But giving constructive feedback still makes many of us uneasy.

I recommend using the framework of the three Cs — Clarity, Contextual Meaning, and Composure — as a guide for turning every performance review into an opportunity to demonstrate empathy and help employees achieve lasting growth, learning, and improvement.

With practice, managers can use the three Cs to deliver constructive feedback that provides transparent direction (Clarity), emphasizes employees’ goals (Contextual Meaning), and negotiates employees’ affective reactions (Composure).

Clarity: The “Content”

Effective feedback provides specific information on two elements of an employee’s performance. The first element focuses on the employee’s past actions and behaviors. This presents managers with a golden opportunity to be specific. Rather than speaking in broad, general evaluations (e.g., “the presentation was not compelling enough”), communicate how the employee’s specific actions and behaviors contributed to them exceeding, meeting, or falling short of expectations.

The second element of effective feedback focuses on the future. Give the employee precise directions about what they should do to improve their performance next time.

Contextual Meaning: The “Why”

No conversation exists in a vacuum. Rather, our interactions are rich with contextual meaning that flows from our backgrounds, relationships, experiences, and, crucially, our goals.

During a performance evaluation, employees implicitly want to hear, “What does this feedback mean for my bonus, promotion, or professional reputation?” Managers who successfully identify and connect their feedback to each employee’s unique goals will deliver a more impactful and longer-lasting message.

Composure: The “Response”

Managers who wish to deliver effective feedback must leverage their emotional intelligence. Before a performance review, identify the emotions the employee is likely to experience during the conversation. Then craft your message with the relevant feeling in mind. For example, understanding how an employee will interpret feedback about their career goals, and then shifting the conversation to how their goals can still be achieved, can help disarm anger or anxiety.

Delivering feedback is among a manager’s greatest challenges. The three Cs provide a practical, psychology-based framework that will help managers deliver more effective feedback. By leveraging Clarity, Contextual Meaning, and Composure, managers can adapt their feedback conversations to the unique needs of each employee and provide an actionable roadmap for improved learning, growth, and performance going forward.

Lean Roundup #174 – November, 2023

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of November 2023.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.  

 

Understanding Misunderstandings – Bob Emiliani talks about his life work to advance progressive leadership and management.

 

The New Competencies - Christopher R Chapman discusses management competencies, in particular those that frequent Deming collaborator Peter Scholtes outlines in his excellent 1998 book, The Leader’s Handbook.

 

Systems Thinking–More than the sum of its’ parts – Andy Carlino shares the benefits to individuals and organizations of Systems Thinking.

 

Is Process Improvement Certification Right For Me? – John Knotts answers the question about whether it is desirable obtaining a process improvement certification.

 

Harmonizing Organizational Excellence: A Fusion of Agile, Deming, and Toyota Principles – Steve Kane explores the core elements of these frameworks, so we can distill a set of simplified guiding principles that encapsulate the essence of organizational excellence.

 

What Exactly Is Overburden (Muri)? – Christopher Roser takes a deeper look at overburden, including plenty of examples as well as the effects of overburden on your people.

 

Continuous Improvement vs Process Improvement: Spelling Out the Important Differences – Danielle Yoon provides a detailed comparison that clarifies the distinctions continuous and process improvement.

 

How Lean Agile Methodology Can Help You Avoid Waste - Maggie Millard introduces the Lean Agile methodology for project management and addresses the specific types of waste the approach targets.

 

Gemba vs. Genba — Different Spellings or Different Words and Meanings? – Mark Graban talks about all things Gemba, Japanese word that means, basically, “the real place” or “the shopfloor”.

 

The Sustainability Myth – Bob Emiliani talks about challenge of sustainability and advocates to commit to never-ending hard work of learning and practice.

 

     

Understanding the Exodus: Why Younger Generations Are Leaving Your Workplace

Image Source: Pexels

Whether you’re a new leader or an experienced one, there’s always more to learn. This is especially true if you don’t get formal leadership training — which most leaders don’t.

In one study, almost half of leaders with 10 or more years of management experience said they’d had nine total hours of training, and 43% of new managers with less than a year of experience had no training at all.

As a leader, it’s important to understand that many times, overcoming key challenges in your leadership style is up to you. The good news is that there are many ways to identify and address challenges as you move toward leadership excellence.

Here are some key challenges to watch for and how to overcome them.

Identifying Your Natural Tendencies

Everyone has a default way of responding to situations. For example, some people respond to stress with confidence and even aggression, while others think things through before acting, and others freeze and struggle to manage their emotions.

Interestingly, your genetics may have a lot to do with your default reactions. Studies have found that hereditary traits can impact everything from aggression and anxiety to risk tolerance. Knowing your natural tendencies in different work situations allows you to know where you’re starting and what changes you might want to make.

Of course, you’re not stuck with what you inherited — you can always work on your default behaviors to improve your responses. However, it takes intentionality and practice, so be patient with yourself. Overcoming these built-in reactions is challenging!

Balancing Confidence and Humility

Many leaders understand the importance of seeming confident — it inspires confidence in their teams. However, too much confidence without humility can turn people off. You don’t want to come off as an arrogant leader.

How can you balance confidence with humility? Start by understanding your strengths but also your weaknesses. It’s important to know your limits and surround yourself with people who are strong in the areas where you are lacking. People will trust you more when you’re honest about what you can do and what other people are better suited for.

In recent years, employers have witnessed a growing trend — younger generations, specifically, millennials and Gen Z, are leaving their workplaces at an alarming rate. This phenomenon, also referred to as the “Great Resignation,” demands the attention of business leaders who must start enacting more effective changes if they hope to retain their top talent.

Why Millennials and Gen Z Are Instigating the Great Resignation

Though one can argue that every generation has had it hard and that we all have our burdens to carry, millennials and Gen Z have been pushed beyond their limits with stagnant wages, longer working hours, the global pandemic, and skyrocketing inflation.

This younger generation is burnt out, and unlike previous generations, they are not of a mind that one just has to keep their head down and continue working hard because of societal conventions. Instead, millennials and Zoomers have a much more philosophical view of life that prioritizes mental health and demands more from their employers.

Self-care and Prioritizing Mental Health are Top Priority

Because millennials and Gen Z are much more mindful of their mental health, they prioritize self-care. While self-care might seem like something they can do in their personal time when they aren’t working, it actually includes being cognizant of how their job is affecting their mental and physical health.

If the workplace is toxic or if it doesn’t allow for a healthier work-life balance, then they are more than happy to leave and find a better situation elsewhere — and they’re just as happy to do so if they’re feeling stagnant without room to grow.

Empower Employees with Training and Growth Opportunities

Millennials and Gen Z employees want to learn and grow in their careers, and they are prepared to leave employers that don’t offer these opportunities. According to Lorman Education Services, “86% of millennials would be kept from leaving their current position if training and development were offered by their employer, and over 70% of high-retention-risk employees will leave their company in order to advance their career.”

To top that off, Zippia’s statistics indicate that “45% of workers would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development,” and that 59% of employees report no formal workplace training at all.

As such, employers can turn to edtech and VR solutions to continuously uptrain and empower employees to do their jobs better. E-learning modules and gamified training mean that these opportunities are accessible to everyone, no matter where they are located. In manufacturing, one might even turn to VR to simulate on-the-job training without the risks or costs involved in real-life on-site apprenticeships.

Millennials and Zoomers Want a Job With Purpose

Finally, younger generations want more from the companies they work for. These generations tend to do things to derive more meaning from life. This is in part achieved by traveling more, indulging in hobbies, and again, prioritizing self-care, but it’s also about seeking purpose-driven employment.

Millennials and Gen Z aren’t trying to leave the workforce entirely, but if they do have to work, they want their jobs to be more meaningful or impactful. A study from Deloitte found that younger generations are more likely to stay with a company that has a more positive societal and environmental impact, and that makes an effort to create a more diverse and inclusive culture.

How Employers Can Improve Retention Rates with Zoomer and Millennial Workers

One of the best ways to entice younger employees and effect meaningful changes is to go to the source and ask them what they want.

One way to accomplish this is by conducting exit interviews. If your employees are leaving, take the time to sit down with them on their way out and ask them what you could have done differently. A few examples of specific questions you could ask can include:

●       Why are you leaving the company?

●       How do you think the company could improve?

●       How has the company helped you accomplish your professional growth and career goals?

Even if you want to, don’t ask personal questions. Keep it professional and seek answers that will genuinely help you make meaningful changes.

Address Burnout

Another way to improve employee experience and keep up retention rates is to address stress and burnout, or the cause of it. Understandably, there could be any number of things causing burnout, which could vary from one person to the next, but there are typically a few main things that are the cause: a lack of flexible work options, long hours, a lack of benefits, and a lack of boundaries. 

This is where self-care can come into play. To help employees prioritize their physical and mental well-being, you likely need to make some changes, which can include:

●       Encouraging breaks and taking time off when needed

●       Making sure employees are clocking out on time and not working overtime

●       Offering better pay and benefits packages

Focus on Engagement

Employee engagement is one of the best ways to provide more value to employees and the work they are doing. When employees are more engaged, they tend to be more productive and have higher job satisfaction. Employee engagement myths might have you thinking otherwise, but numerous studies have shown that employee engagement matters.

Provide them with more opportunities to learn and grow. Do things that remind your employees that you appreciate them and recognize their hard work. Create a more positive work environment that values open communication, diversity, and inclusion, and aligns with the mission of the company.

Final Thoughts

The Great Resignation isn’t a phase or a passing trend. If employers don’t do more to create a more positive and healthy work environment, millennials and Gen Z will continue to leave workplaces at higher rates. So if you want to avoid losing your top talent to those jobs, you must start making more substantial changes that hold more meaning to today’s generation of workers.

About the Author: Luke Smith is a writer and researcher turned blogger. Since finishing college he is trying his hand at being a freelance writer. He enjoys writing on a variety of topics but technology and business topics are his favorite. When he isn't writing you can find him traveling, hiking, or gaming.