Top 10 Posts of 2023

The end of the year is traditionally a time to look back and reflect. One way to reflect is to evaluate popular blog posts. I have been taking time to reflect on the year that was and as part of that reflection I have flipped back through the 150 blog posts I have written so far this year and compiled a list of my Top 10.

What were some of your favorite Lean posts from 2023? Any recommendations for next year?

10. 5 Ways to Build a Strong Team - Here are 5 ways that you can develop your team and earn yourself some kudos at the same time.

9. Management by Wandering Around is Not a Thing – There is a better way to mange then randomly sampling the shopfloor, learn more about purposeful Gemba walks.

8. Personal Habits All Leaders Should Nurture – Guest post from Luke Smith shares 5 personal habits all leaders must take the time to nurture to be the best they can be. 

7. Empower Your Employees With the Right Mindset – To empower employees get them in the conversation so they can see the bigger picture.

6. Helping Improve Employee Engagement Through Sustainable Practices – Guest post from Luke Smith about improving employee engagement by tapping into a commonly held value: sustainability.

5. 6 Mistakes to Avoid When Problem Solving – Avoid these common problem solving mistakes if you want to find the best solution.

4. The Communication Soft Skills You Need At Work & How To Use Them – Guest post form Nancy Howard discovering some of the most important communication soft skills you need at work and how to use them.

3. Got to the Gemba with a Plan and Purpose – 5 tips to make your next Gemba walk more effective from experience.

2. Management’s Responsibility for Leadership - You can think of Action Centered Leadership as being a compass to help you determine where and how to spend your time so you can build a high-performance team, which delivers the right things in with the right behaviors.

1. Four Essentials for Developing Employees – There are four essential elements to consider when developing employees in the workplace.

Thanks for your continued readership in 2023. I hope you enjoy the holiday season and go on to achieve Lean success in 2024.

Lean Quote: Keeping Christmas Spirit All Year Round

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.

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."   —  Ebenezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol

One thing I love about Christmas is the “Christmas spirit” that often surrounds us during the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We tend to be more worshipful and our interactions tend to be infused with extra excitement, joy, and generosity.

During the holiday season our smiles are just a little wider, our handshakes a touch heartier, our purse strings a tad looser, and our creative juices overflow. We expend a lot of energy towards making this festive season memorable and enjoyable. Wouldn’t it be nice to spread some of the cheer throughout the year?

Staying in a Christmas state of mind for twelve months of the year is probably unrealistic. Let’s be honest: we can’t be carol-singing, gift-giving little elves all year long. But there are a few elements of the holiday season that we can keep with us throughout the year, giving every day a chance to have just a bit of the magic that comes along with Christmas Day. Here are some of the best ways to keep the spirit alive every day of the year:

Focus on what you have.

The holiday season often reminds of all that we have to be thankful for: our friends, family, and the collective joy many of us experience at this time of year. If we keep that feeling of appreciation with us all year long, we’ll prolong the wonder of Christmas on a daily basis. The trick is to focus on what you have, not what you want. Through the year, whenever you find yourself thinking, “I wish I had…” replace that with, “I’m so thankful I have…”

Know what really matters.

At Christmas—at least on Christmas Day!—most of us prioritize matters most: spending time with those we love and celebrating a season that means something to us. During the rest of the year, it can be hard to keep our priorities straight with all of the various aspects of life vying for our attention, but when you bring yourself back to what matters most, you make the most of every day.

Treat strangers with kindness.

At Christmastime, people are often a bit kinder, merely based on the fact that it’s Christmas. Treating others with kindness—especially those you don’t know, and especially those who don’t necessarily treat you with kindness—is a wonderful way to keep the spirit of Christmas alive every single day of the year. When someone bothers you, imagine how you would treat him or her if it were Christmas Day.

Look for the good.

Christmas is a time for taking note of things we love—the people we care about, the gifts wrapped just for us—and it’s also a time for noticing special things—the little traditions, the pretty, glittery decorations. The season brings out a sense of childlike wonder. Trying to embrace that wonderment all year long, by looking for good bits in every day, is another great way to keep the spirit of Christmas alive.

Fortunately for us, the hectic schedule of the holiday season only lasts a little while, but the best parts of the holiday can last all year long.

This time of year is meant to remind us of how we should live our lives every day. The season is a celebration of values that are too important to be celebrated for only one or two months.

In A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge says, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”

Even though the hustle and bustle of the holiday season ends when the new year begins, the heart of the holiday can last all year long.

The Power of Year End Reflection

Every year, I like to close the year by reflecting on my past year. I find it to deepen the learning I’ve made, plus it makes me more appreciative of the power of a year.

By definition, self-reflection involves deliberate thinking about your own behavior and beliefs. When you engage in this deliberate kind of thinking, you will develop awareness of your mental and emotional states and awareness of your actions. Developing this awareness is the basis for personal growth.

We learn by experiences and mistakes. But, unless we question ourselves about what our experiences mean and think actively about them, research has shown that we won’t make any changes. Self-reflection enables you to move from just experiencing, into understanding.

Self-reflection:

·        Encourages a level of self-awareness and consciousness about practice

·        Enables you to identify areas for improvement and also areas where you are strong

·        Allows you to recognize what works and what doesn’t with students

·        Enables you to think deeply about students reactions to your teaching

The Process of Self-Reflection

This is a simple guide to the process of self-reflection:

• STOP: Take a step back from life or a particular situation.
• LOOK: Identify and get perspective on what you notice and see.
• LISTEN: Listen to your inner guide, the innate wisdom that bubbles up when you give it time and space to emerge.
• ACT: Identify the steps you need to take moving forward to adjust, change or improve.

 

Five Habits that Enhance Self-Reflection and Personal Growth

• Be honest with yourself. You don’t do yourself any favors if you aren’t 100% honest with yourself about how things are going and how you are behaving.
• Notice behavior patterns. We are all creatures of habit. Some of these habits are helpful and others are not. It’s good to be aware of your habits so you can actively weaken the ones you don’t want and strengthen the ones you do want.
• Be able to articulate your core values. If you don’t know what’s important to you, how can you ever grow and manifest your best self? Take time to consider what’s most important to you so that you can better evaluate whether or not you're living those values.
• Be forgiving. Change is hard and old habits are hard to break. Be gentle with yourself when you don’t get it right. It’s okay. We’re all human. We all make mistakes.
• Keep track of your self-reflection. Start a journal where you record your observations and monitor your personal growth. This will help you when looking back at your year to remind yourself of where you’ve been and where you want to go.

Top Five Questions for Self-Reflection

1. What are my values?
2. In what ways do my words and actions reflect or fail to reflect my values?
3. What are areas in which I’m doing well and what are areas in which I could improve?
4. How am I caring for myself so that I am mentally and physically at my best?
5. What have I learned about myself today (this week, this month, this year)?

If you can engage in self-reflection, you will develop insights about yourself and put yourself in a great position for personal growth.

Reflecting on what’s going on in your life can simply serve as a reminder of what you do on a daily basis. Most of our days end up blending into one another, so regular reflection can be an opportunity to show you that the days are different. On the other hand, it can encourage you to think about how you can add more joy and fun into your daily life.

Powering through periods of intense stress to get everything done may seem like the path of least resistance. However, if you can spare the time, the respite from stress can increase long-term productivity, help you maintain your priorities, and ultimately strengthen your team.

Lastly, self-reflection can positively influence other soft leadership skills such as feedback, positivity, creativity, motivation, and communication. With consistent practice, self-reflection will become an essential component of your daily routine. Looking inward at how you lead and actively sharpening your soft skills will elevate your team’s performance, leading to more significant areas of self-improvement.

 

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

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 #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.