Podcast: Why Quality Professionals Should Consider Kaizen

I recently wrote an article for Quality Magazine on Kaizen where I explain why kaizen is a valuable tool that probably not enough companies take advantage of. If you want to be able to look at your process, if you want to uncover what pains you, these are the kinds of things that Kaizen allows you to do. 

A few weeks ago I sat down with Michelle Bangert, Managing Editor, for a podcast to introduce the article.

Michelle: So much has changed with lean and Kaizen, but is there anything you think today that quality professionals should know about Kaizen?

Tim: Yeah, I think it's a really valuable tool. Probably not enough companies do that. I think it's kind of a concept that maybe is foreign to a lot of people, but it's really just an improvement idea that allows us to get a group of people together, continually look at opportunities for improvement. So if you want to be able to look at your process, if you want to uncover what maybe is, it pains you, if you want to be able to do that, these are the kinds of things that Kaizen allows you to do. So it allows us to challenge the status quo, things that we take for granted, get the right people in the right room and come up with a new process to do things better, more efficiently in the future.

Michelle: I love that you said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it policy. It's still, let's keep fixing things and make it better because someone's doing that. And so we have to keep up. So that was very smart. That's probably the better way. Definitely. So can you remember the first time you were involved in a Kaizen event or one of the early ones you did?

Tim: Yeah, one of the earliest ones I probably did was on the shop floor. You know, I think there's a difference between doing it in the office and doing it on the shop floor. And certainly on the shop floor, you can do things that are physically transformational, you can pick up the machinery of the cell and move it around. So those are very exciting. So I did a Kaizen event that was around changing the physical layout. So we did things that were very, I guess, traditional where you might pass the product along to an area. And we wanted to do a change where we would consolidate the footprint of the cell and do more U-shaped manufacturing cell and parts would be provided from the back of the cell and you would do a certain amount of the work content and you would pass it to the next operation instead of what was more traditional manufacturing. So that was the first Kaizen I ever did and I think you know you probably can read lots of stories online about the U-shaped cells and doing that kind of configuration. But for small piece parts, that's a very common approach to do that. But different than you might tackle in the office, first office guys than I ever did was a value stream mapping activity. Typically in the office, you can't see the waste, the same that you might see in a factory. So you have to map out the processes and you might walk it visually. You pick a process and try to walk that from a customer standpoint and understand all the processes that occur there. So typically a value stream map might be a way to do that technique.

Michelle: Definitely a lot of value, regardless of which approach you're doing. Makes sense. Can you think of any that were especially memorable, whether in a good way or a bad way where one worked really well or maybe didn't work the way you wanted?

Tim: I think the ones that are most memorable are the ones that I think people say that something couldn't occur there or somebody might be challenging. So certainly when I was at wire mold, we had that Kaizen area that They said the group leader was really resistant to change and you know this couldn't be done and I took it as a personal challenge to see what we could do there. So I think people felt that somebody was adversarial there. The group leader was somebody that was against change and it really wasn't the case. It was trying to get to understand like, where they came from. And it wasn't that they were against continuous improvement. They actually had suggested lots of ideas for improvement. They didn't want to be changed. They wanted to be heard. So I went in there with the tact of, well, why don't you just try it, you know. If I prove me wrong kind of mentality, right? You know, let's just try it this way. If I'm wrong, then, you know, but then, you know, so be it. We'll try it your way. So I always took that mentality, like try to listen to what they have to say, because they're making the product. I'm certainly not the expert in making the product. And so if you can get them to listen to what you have to say, and you can listen to what they have to say, generally that compromise will get you a solution in the long run. But I was able to get their ideas incorporated in the design. Obviously, it's a much better Kaizen that way. That one success led to three or four different Kaizens in that area, and we were able to make significant change that way. But I like it when someone says that we can't do it, or that they're really against continuous improvement. Those are the challenges.

 

Listen to the rest of the interview here:

https://www.qualitymag.com/media/podcasts/2594-quality-podcasts/play/317-why-quality-professionals-should-consider-kaizen

Lean Quote: Great Leaders Inspire Greatness

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.

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires."  —  William Arthur Ward

Great leaders inspire greatness in others. They create an environment in which people are able to expand and evolve, with the support and encouragement to become successful in whatever they pursue.

So how can you develop others for greatness? Here are the core attributes:

Hold high standards. Great leaders set high standards for themselves. They lead by example, knowing that a demonstration of character is the best way to lead others to develop their own high standards and work ethic.

Lead from within. One of the most important ingredients in the formula for success is having a great leader stand alongside you, believing in you, supporting you, guiding you. Commit now to becoming that great leader for your people.

Stick to your commitments. Great leaders know the strength of being responsible and keeping their word. If they tell someone they’ll do something, they do it. They’re honest about their limits; they understand that when people fail it’s most often not because of a lack of desire but a lack of commitment.

Show how to make failures part of success. Great leaders teach that successful people aren’t born but made, through all kinds of experiences, and that studying failure and learning from it is a key feature of all successful people.

Encourage imperfection. Great leaders know you don’t have to be perfect to inspire others. They inspire people with the way in which they deal with their own imperfections—they accommodate and work around and focus on what they can accomplish.

Provide a safety net. Great leaders encourage others to try new ideas without fear of repercussion or punishment if they don’t work out. They know the more you try the more you’ll succeed, because calculated risks can pay off in the long run. The very best leaders encourage their people to take every risk and drop every fear, because only those who are willing to risk going too far can find out how far they can go.

Some believe inspiration is just something leaders need to provide on big occasions. They see it as the yearly speech where leaders get up in front of the employ¬ees to get them revved up and encouraged. However, inspiration is much more than this. Everything a leader does, every day, impacts their employees. If a leader would take even a few minutes to ask people how they’re doing, thank them and encourage them to do more; that effort counts. In fact, everything counts. Likewise, everything employees do, on every level, counts within the organization’s results as a whole.

Meet-up: 5 Questions from Within the Lean Community With John Hunter

In May 2024 A Lean Journey Blog turned 15 and as I look back on how I got started and who influenced my journey I wanted to revisit a previous series I started in 2012 called the Meet-up. One of the things I am so fond of in the Lean community is the general wiliness to share with each other.  I have learned so much from my very experienced colleagues since I have been an active contributor.  Every month I roundup the best Lean related posts and articles I found particularly valuable from these fellow bloggers and contributors. Each one has their own story and opinions to share.

The goal of Meet-up is provide you an opportunity to meet some influential voices in the Lean community.  I will ask these authors a series of questions to learn about them, their lessons, and get their perspective on trends in industry.

Today, we Meet-up with John Hunter who I first met when I started blogging. The idea for the round-up series started with John. He used to do a management carnival series highlighting posts from other bloggers on management that I really enjoyed. It included several of my posts. I turned that idea into the monthly round-up you see today. Beyond John's management expertise his knowledge in Quality and the people aspect of Lean is profound. I'm sure you'll find John's answers to these questions will offer insights that will help you on your journey.

Here are his answers so you can learn more: 

1. Who are you, what organization are you with, and what are your current lean-oriented activities?

John Hunter

I have authored the Curious Cat Management Improvement blog  https://management.curiouscatblog.net/

for 20 years.  See more on my professional history https://johnhunter.com/professional_life

I recently created the Curious Cat Management Improvement Institute   https://ccmii.org/   to help those that want to improve the practice of management.  This is where I am focusing my lean related activities now. If you have suggestions, ideas or questions please let me know. 

2. How, when, and why did you get introduced to lean and what fueled and fuels the passion?

My father introduced me to these ideas when I was a kid.  I learned about data, variation and how to seek evidence supporting beliefs as a young child. I remember lessons my father taught me when I was in grade school, including my father presenting at my 2nd grade class on data and variation (with a bit of on the fly process improvement and child psychology)  https://engineering.curiouscatblog.net/2007/12/05/playing-dice-and-childrens-numeracy/

Lean ideas were used to examine what was and wasn’t working in relation to, for example, how we did our chores. We would collect data on what worked and didn’t as we tried to improve.  It seemed like a natural way to do things, though I could see that others didn’t operate this way.  You can read more on my experiences growing up http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2015/01/22/who-inspires-your-management-thinking-and-action/

I attended a management seminar, during the summer, that my father gave to the City of Madison when I was a high school student (related: Doing More with Less in the Public Sector

 https://williamghunter.net/articles/doing_more_with_less_in_the_public_sector ).  And a few years later I started to use the ideas at work, where I learned how challenging it was to help people to: use data effectively, think systemically, focus on continual improvement and work on improvement of the management system.

3. In your opinion what is the most powerful aspect of lean?

Most misunderstood is that the way lean is done most often (very poorly) is accepted as what “lean” is. In some sense this is right, as most efforts are not very well done and really focus on cutting costs without understanding most of what lean is about.

But in another sense that situation creates the belief that lean doesn’t have respect for people at the core, which of course it does if you listen to any of the lean people I think you should listen to.

4. In your opinion what is the most misunderstood or unrecognized aspect of lean?

The biggest problem is trying to solve everything at once. The whole emphasis of process improvement is to sift through all the noise of the symptoms and causes to get to the root cause – that Red Thread, which if you pull will make a major impact on your process. Instead, we brainstorm and diagram our way to a list of causes and fail to narrow them down to a singular focus – fix one thing at a time. The inherent basis of Lean is to standardize, measure, and then take a single step up, improving one thing. Then, we standardize and measure again. This is what continuous improvement is all about.

The problem with trying to chase all the symptoms and causes at once is that process improvement efforts take way too long! Business owners, expecting immediate and measurable returns do not see results. The effort is seen as a waste, and the entire effort is killed before it’s finished. 

5. In your opinion what is the biggest opportunity for lean in today's world? How can that be accomplished?

The same that it has been for decades: to improve the working lives of millions of people and to improve products and services used by billions of people. The biggest opportunity is the widespread adoption of these ideas that will lead to better results for everyone: employees, customers, investors…

> How can that be accomplished?

It is really hard to transform your organization to think systemically, focus on continual improvement and actually build management systems using respect for people principles.  I think it can be accomplished by people learning more deeply about lean thinking so they can keep making improvements that will increase the ability of the organization to keep moving in the right direction.

Related: How to Lead From Any Level In the Organization

https://management.curiouscatblog.net/2021/06/22/how-to-lead-from-any-level-in-the-organization/

How to Get a New Management Strategy, Tool or Concept Adopted

http://management.curiouscatblog.net/2010/12/06/how-to-get-a-new-management-strategy-tool-or-concept-adopted/

Through their answers to these questions hopefully you will get a sense of the thinking behind those who are shaping the Lean landscape.  I continue to keep learning and thankfully with the willingness of these practitioners to share I am positive you will, too.

Lean Roundup #184 – September 2024

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of September 2024.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.  

 

When You Do Lean, You Copy Toyota - Bob Emiliani explains that is not about copying Toyota but rather thinking and learning to come up with new ideas and methods to elevate their management practices.

 

The Process Improvement Stool - Bruce Hamilton talks about the connection between behaviors, systems, tools, and results with the analogy of a stool to illustrate how you need equal parts.

 

Effects on Efficiency—Takt Time - Christoph Roser discusses the factors that affect the percentage of value-adding time with examples from recent automotive factory visits.

 

Lean Means Don’t Be a Dumb-Ass - Pascal Dennis gives a simple explanation of Lean thinking that we all can embrace.

 

Using Regression to Improve Quality - Michel Baudin provides explanation and application for regression technique to improve quality in your process.

 

How Micro-Goals Helped Me Conquer a Hill (And Can Help You Too) - Ron Pereira explains how breaking down difficult challenges into smaller goals is powerful technique to reach your milestone.

 

Understanding the Difference Between 5S Workplace Organization and Housekeeping - Alen Ganic explains the difference between 5S organization and simple housekeeping which have two distinct purposes.

 

Agile Process Improvement Efforts - John Knotts says in order to adopt a more agile and focused approach to process improvement you should focus on three things: better problem statements, faster frequency of data, and selecting one root cause at a time.

 

GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp on CNBC: A Little Better Every Day - Mark Graban highlights some recent points from Larry Culp’s show on CNBC about focusing on problem solving and psychological safety culture in wake of GE Aerospace problems.

 

Keeping Quiet About Lean - Bob Emiliani explains why he think CEOs have an unspoken public  proclamation of dislike for Lean.

Lean Quote: Inclusive Leadership is Not a Destination, Six Traits of an Inclusive Leader

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.

"Inclusive leadership is not a destination. It's a journey that requires humility, curiosity and courage."   —  Thais Compoint

Thoughtful organizational missions, policies and practices are essential for inclusivity, but it ultimately comes down to individual leaders. Managers’ words and actions have the most impact on employees. People who feel genuinely included collaborate more effectively and are more inclined to share ideas and opinions. 

Research by Deloitte University found that inclusive leaders share six core traits:  

1) Make visible commitments 

We need to be visibly talking about inclusivity and diversity, and go beyond the rhetoric. Challenging the status quo is an important mindset to have if we are going to make inroads against the way things have always been. 

2) Have a degree of humility 

We cannot know all the answers, and there is no disgrace in saying we need help. If you make a mistake or don’t know, ask others for help and really listen deeply to those who may have ideas for us. 

3) Be aware of any unconscious biases that may exist 

We all have blind spots, so becoming aware of them helps us and others to deal with issues without them staying in the background. If we can identify what may constitute our biases, we stand a greater chance of moving away from poor judgement and getting better results. 

4) Maintain a curious nature 

Being open-minded and great listeners embody a good quality inclusive leader, and it’s vital that these aspects turn into strengths for us. Show empathy on a regular basis, building quality learning attributes that allow you to show quality attributes at all times. 

5) Be sensitive to differences 

Our workforce is comprised of varying genders, ages, religions, races, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds We need be sensitive to our cultural difference and adapt to accommodate and include them. 

6) Encourage effective collaboration 

People who feel genuinely included collaborate more effectively and are more inclined to share ideas and opinions. Inclusive leaders empower teams by encouraging diversity of thought, psychological safety and team cohesion.  

Just these six won’t make you an overall inclusive leader. But they will go a long way in assisting you to develop the awareness that’s needed to create a mindset that is driven towards that kind of mindset.

8 Common Reasons Organizational Change Fails

It happens time and again. I’m sure you’ve either witnessed it or suffered through it — the failed attempt of a large change at an organization. Maybe it was with a new process or switching over to a new technology. Maybe it was a change to the structure or the metrics. Whatever it was, it was difficult and painful for everyone involved. The people who were impacted by it will not soon forget. If you were the one that was trying to implement the change, the tinge of failure is salt in the wound after all your hard work. All your dedication and efforts to try and make a great improvement — and for what?

If this has happened to you, it’s time to do some reflecting to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Allow yourself to be brutally honest and analytical. If you haven’t yet, ask for feedback. This is incredibly important because, with each failure, the inertia of change grows. People may be less willing to buy in as they lose trust in the ability to change. And while the result isn’t always so bleak, if you’re not learning from your failures, then you’re doing yourself (and those around you) a major disservice.

Here are some of the top reasons I’ve seen initiatives fail time and again.

1. Poor Planning for Change

Often, leaders are so focused on getting their results that they dive right into the solution phase of organizational change without adequately doing the upfront planning work required. This sets the effort up for failure right from the start. Instead, identify all the conditions and activities that must occur early to set the project up for success, like: 1) change roles, governance and decision-making, 2) stakeholder engagement strategy and communications, 3) timeline, resources and capacity, and 4) key initiatives and how to integrate them for maximum speed and efficiency. Without a well-designed change process plan, a likely outcome will be a false start, resistance, and/or eventual failure.

2. Inadequate Support from Leadership

Organizational change does not succeed without leadership support. And lip service is not enough. Leaders must champion and model the change for the rest of the organization, in both what they say and do. They must be active, consistently supporting the change teams as they design and implement changes. They must be out communicating the benefits of the change to stakeholders and listening to and responding to their concerns. If your leaders are not prepared to stay actively involved, perhaps it isn’t the right time for them to launch a major change effort. Unsuccessful change initiatives often have executives who describe the desired outcome of the change project but do not instruct managers on how to implement it.

3. Lack of Resources

Lack of resources is one of the most common reasons why organizational change fails in most organizations. Adoption and sustainment of change are long term investments. They don’t occur just because an awesome solution was designed. It has to get implemented, and then tested, refined, and reinforced. This generally is a longer, and costlier endeavor than most change leaders realize. If you don’t plan and resource the latter phases of change, you’ll not realize the full benefits you set out to achieve.

4. Priority Focus on Systems vs. People

Leaders often focus more on the system changes than the people that have to make and live with them. Don’t forget that while you need to have systems in place, it’s the people who matter most. Too many transformation initiatives fail to focus on the development of the capabilities required for people to be successful in the new organization. This is a mistake for two reasons. First, organizational transformation always alters the nature of “the work” that must be done. Second, one of the biggest reasons people resist change is the fear that they won’t be able to be successful in the new organization, that “what got them here won’t get them there.” So, an upfront commitment to investing in helping people be successful reduces resistance.

Be sure that your leaders equally prioritize and attend to the system changes AND the people.

5. Inadequate Change Leadership Skills

One could easily argue that this is the #1 cause of failed organizational change. Why? Because every issue or problem within a given change initiative either gets prevented, solved, or caused by the skill of the change leaders in charge. And the truth is, we don’t adequately train our leaders to become competent change leaders. Leadership development is a part of virtually all large organizations but change leadership development is sorely missing. The net is that leaders tend to run change initiatives like they run their organizations, and the two are vastly different.

6. One Way Communication

Change leaders often make mistake by having one-way communication with employees and other stakeholders. They fail to engage their employees.

Change doesn’t happen when message is only coming from top. If organizational culture fails to exchange ideas and share experience, then it’s hard to implement transformative change. People learn by acquiring and applying the information and not just by absorbing it.

7. Lack of Effective Monitoring

It’s very crucial to check on progress being made on implementation of change. So an effective and efficient monitoring system is required to track progress on change. When organizations lack effective monitoring mechanisms, they actually put their change initiative at risk.

A good monitoring mechanism doesn’t mean identifying problems but taking corrective actions and finding solutions. Monitoring provides valuable information and insights about what is working and what is not. And many a times this kind of monitoring system is missing in change initiatives and organizations have to pay heavy price for this.

8. Ignoring the Human side of Change

Our brains are hardwired to resist change. With the mere suggestion of change a fear response is triggered in our brains. This is why most of us are resistant to even the idea of organizational transformation, we are resistant to our familiar world changing from what we know to the unknown. We need to embrace the human side of change to effectively manage resistance to change and we need to understand that, whilst all change is not bad, it is a natural human response to have a defensive reaction to the unknown. 

Avoiding these pitfalls doesn’t guarantee success, but it will vastly increase your likelihood. Winning starts with clearly defining the case for change and ends with an effective effort to build the new competencies the organization needs.