The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation

Our good friend Mark Graban is celebrating two years since his Shingo Award-winning book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, was published. To mark the second birthday of the book, he's offering a special paperback price: just $10.99 (regularly $19.95). This discount is available for a limited time. Check out my review below and get your copy now at Amazon.

We all make mistakes. That’s what makes us human but do we learn from them and how do they shape us to be who we are.

We all have a choice about how we react to our mistakes. We can ignore them and likely keep repeating or we can admit to them, think about what we expected to happen, and learn where we went wrong.

The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation written by Mark Graban dives into embracing and learning from mistakes and fostering a culture of learning and innovation.

I’ve known Mark for many years and this has been a passionate topic for a long time.  I follow him online especially the podcast series My Favorite Mistake which led to this book. He has authored many tremendous contributions regarding Lean and continuous improvement so when this came out it was on my must-read list.

The book is filled with relatable real life stories of many types of people in many different roles who have made mistakes and learned from them. He has organized them into 7 lessons. Each lesson overlaps and feeds into the next lesson.

Lesson 1 - Admit mistakes quickly and honestly. Coach, don't punish, those who report mistakes and use the knowledge you've gained to coach others so a mistake isn't repeated.

Lesson 2 - Be kind. Not the same as nice, kindness is less about forgiving and more about using mistakes as learning opportunities.

Lesson 3 - Prevent mistakes. As a lean student poke yoke is always in my mind. Once you learn use systems to prevent mistakes from reoccurring.

Lesson 4 - Help everyone speak up. This requires a culture change. But this really starts with those you lead.

Lesson 5 - Improve don't punish. Hiding rather than learning from mistakes out of fear is one of the biggest mistakes.

Lesson 6 - Iteration. In order to innovate and create something new you must iterate to see what works and doesn't work. Reminds me of the practice of coaching kata.

Lesson 7 - Cultivate forever. Don't try to emulate someone else. Use your desire to learn and coach up and down to drive through the organization.

In the book, you'll find practical guidance on adopting a positive mindset towards mistakes. It teaches you to acknowledge and appreciate them, working to prevent them while gaining knowledge from the ones that occur. Additionally, it emphasizes creating a safe environment to express mistakes and encourages responding constructively by emphasizing learning over punishment.

The Mistakes That Make Us is a must-read for anyone looking to create a stronger organization that produces better results, including lower turnover, more improvement and innovation, and better bottom-line performance. This book will inspire you to lead with kindness and humility and show you how learning from mistakes can make things right.

I really enjoyed learning from others’ mistakes and the positive lessons that came from them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to change their perspective and their life for the better by cherishing the mistakes we make.

Note: The author, Mark Graban, provided an advance copy for the purpose of reviewing.

Lean Tips Edition #318 (#3796 - #3810)

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 #3796 – Focus on Gradual Small Changes Instead of Major Shifts

The first advice is to focus on small gradual changes rather than large changes. Small changes can be made quickly, on a daily-basis, and are typically inexpensive. By focusing on small changes, you can remove barriers from just starting a continuous improvement process. This focus will allow your team to reap the benefits of their “small wins” right away. As more and more small changes are applied, your team will see an accumulation of benefits from them. This will give them more confidence to suggest more ideas.

Lean Tip #3797 – Prioritize Ideas that are Inexpensive

By going after the ideas that do not require a large amount of investment, you can remove the financial barriers of your continuous improvement efforts. This process can empower the line worker to suggest and implement ideas that can improve their working process because they know that their changes do not need upper management approval. Some ideas such as reducing waste, eliminating unnecessary steps, and re-organizing in the work processes fall into this category. 

Lean Tip #3798 – Gather Ideas from the People doing the Work

In a Lean and continuous improvement organization employees are your greatest asset and should also be the source of generating new ideas for improvement. No one knows the work better than the person who performs it everyday. No one has more “skin in the game” about the working process than that person. As a result, the best person to suggest ideas for improvement and to implement them is the line worker.

Lean Tip #3799 – Empower Employees for Improvement

Although employees play a vital part in the continuous improvement process, it is management’s role to train and empower them. Most workers are unaware of Lean principles and practices such as 5S, the 8 wastes, value stream mapping, visual management, Kaizen, etc. As a result, they may not realize that many of the processes that they perform everyday and the frustration that they feel at work are due to unnecessary waste. Additionally some workers are modest and reluctant to share ideas. It is management’s role to educate their staff on Lean tools and techniques that can be applied to the continuous improvement process and to help their employees overcome any personal or psychological barrier that prevents them from trying out new ideas.

Lean Tip #3800 – Use Regular Feedback for Improvement 

An effective continuous improvement program needs continuous measurement and feedback. Before you can start, you need to understand the baselines of your organization’s performance. Only by understanding and establishing a baseline can you evaluate new ideas for improving upon it. One effective way of gathering feedback on your continuous improvement efforts is to apply the Plan-Do-Check-Check (PDCA) cycle. The PDCA cycle allows you to scientifically test your experiments. The cycle ensures continuous improvement by measuring the performance difference between the baseline and target condition. This gives immediate feedback on the effectiveness of the change. If the idea was effective, the next cycle of improvement will start with the new baseline and your goal is to move towards a new target condition.

Lean Tip #3801 – Shift Belief to Data Rather than Opinions

All too often, decisions are made based on the opinions of those who management deems the “smartest” on the team.  When they say, “I think...,” this causes executives to base their decisions on the esteem with which they hold that individual, rather than the value and integrity of the suggestion itself.

Instead management executive should seek information that begins with, “The data show…,” which allows any team member to make meaningful contributions to improvement while making fact-based operational decisions.

Lean Tip #3802 – Ensure Buy-In Beyond the Initial Launch 

At the outset of the project, everyone is excited and participates, particularly because management of the manufacturing organization shows keen interest. However the lean journey is a marathon and not a sprint. It is key that management continues to assess, evaluate and promote the lean journey with middle management and operational staff.

Make it clear from the outset that progress will be monitored throughout the journey and that the lean champions within the organization clearly play an important role. 

Lean Tip #3803 – Set Clear Rules of Engagement at the Outset

It has been said many times that we should “begin with the end in mind”.  When the senior executives in the business operations decide they want to undertake a lean journey, it is important that they build the fence and allow the staff to build the house. This can only happen if goals, objectives, expectations, roles, responsibilities and authority are properly assigned and delegated.        

Lean Tip #3804 – Set Up for Success

Help the staff achieve success by pre-identifying some “quick wins” as well as provide opportunities for acceptable failure. With this in place, staff can feel wins and not fear losses or mistakes.

It is certain that there will be missteps along the lean journey, so it is important that the staff knows early on how to handle them when they occur and does not feel the need to bury them in order to avoid persecution by management.

Lean Tip #3805 – Train, Train, Train

There is nothing worse than entering a new responsibility without adequate training and development under your belt. Instead, management can allow for basic training at the outset of the lean journey so that all staff understand the goals and ideals behind lean manufacturing. Then, provision of additional, advanced training to key leaders and project participants allows the team to enhance their abilities and to properly evaluate situations beyond just their past experiences.

Identification of either superior trainers within the operation -- such as a sister company or different location -- or procurement of an external resource to provide this training, is ideal. The training should be widely shared within the organization and not provided to just one individual. The more staff who are trained, the better the results will be.

Lean Tip #3806 – Cultivate a Lean Mindset

The first step on the Lean journey is fostering a Lean mindset across your team. Lean isn’t just about tools and processes; it’s a way of thinking that prioritizes value, efficiency, and continuous improvement. Encourage your team to view every task through the lens of adding value to the customer and eliminating waste. This shift in perspective is essential for building a culture where Lean principles can thrive.

Lean Tip #3807 – Identify and Map Value Streams 

Value stream mapping is a fundamental Lean tool that helps visualize the flow of materials and information through your processes. By mapping out current workflows, your team can identify bottlenecks, redundancies, and wasteful steps that don’t add value. Collaboratively develop a future-state map that reflects streamlined, efficient processes. This exercise not only uncovers inefficiencies but also sets a clear path for improvement.

Lean Tip #3808 – Prioritize and Eliminate Waste 

Lean identifies seven types of waste (transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, overprocessing, and defects) that can hinder productivity. Once you’ve mapped your value streams, work with your team to prioritize which wastes to tackle first. Start with the low-hanging fruit—those areas where simple changes can have an immediate impact. As you eliminate waste, you’ll notice improvements in efficiency, quality, and morale.

Lean Tip #3809 – Implement Standard Work Practices

Standard work practices are the foundation of a Lean organization. They ensure consistency, reduce variability, and make it easier to identify problems. Work with your team to develop clear, standardized procedures for critical tasks. Document these processes and ensure everyone follows them. By establishing a baseline of performance, you create a stable environment for continuous improvement. 

Lean Tip #3810 – Encourage Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)

Kaizen, or continuous improvement, is at the heart of Lean. It’s about making small, incremental changes that collectively lead to significant improvements over time. Foster a culture where every team member feels empowered to suggest and implement improvements. Regularly hold Kaizen events to brainstorm and test new ideas. Remember, the goal is to create an environment where improvement is a constant, ongoing process.

 

Leading with Accountability

Accountability is essential for any successful organization. When team members take ownership of their projects and accept responsibility for outcomes, the entire company benefits. In order to foster a culture of accountability, leaders must step up to the plate and model specific behaviors. Accountable leaders don't necessarily have to come from the C-suite. Anybody, at any level can lead through accountability.

In the book Winning With Accountability, author Henry J. Evans of Dynamic Results examines the ways in which individuals can demonstrate accountable interactions. The four pieces to accountability are:

1.     Clear expectations: The request, task, expectation, project and the response must be detailed and clear. One tool that can help with assessing specificity and clarity here is the SMART goals framework.

2.     Specific date and time: The individual commits to delivering something by a specific day and specific time. Align priorities and resources with your biggest goals.

3.     Ownership: The individual takes responsibility for seeing the task through to completion and accepts responsibility for the outcome. One task, one owner.

4.     Sharing: Accountability is created when two or more people know about a specific commitment. It’s crucial to make your team your accountability partners—it’s about declaring your commitment and asking your teammates to hold you accountable.

Accountability is the sauce of successful teams. Not only is accountability an essential quality to have at work, but also in life. Accountability is when you accept a hundred percent personal responsibility for your actions and decisions.

Successful teams and companies can’t thrive without accountability. Accountability in the workplace creates more robust relationships, healthier working spaces, and more productive teamwork.

Accountability is a skill that can be coached in many employees, and it is a value that is truly contagious. Accountable people lead by example, and when they take steps to lead their colleagues towards more accountable interactions, ownership and responsibility will catch on like wildfire. And the best part? Anyone, at any level of the company can step up to be a leader of accountability.

Lean Quote: Courage in a Leader Inspires Commitment from Employees

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.

"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others."   —  Robert Louis Stevenson   

Leadership takes making bold and often unpopular decisions. Effective leadership requires courage - to stand up for what is right, for what we believe in, and to take the necessary risks to be innovative and creative.

The courage of true leadership is revealed while still standing in the midst of controversy and challenging circumstances. It is relatively easy and requires little effort to stay in your comfort zone or to do what is convenient. Courage is not required to stay comfortable. Leaders need essential people skills to get people to work together smoothly even if some compromise may be needed. However, it also takes courage to make a stand on what you believe to be right.

When things are difficult, unknown, and perhaps unattainable we may turn the other direction. We must find the inner strength to overcome these perceived barriers. History has proven time after time that the power of a thought is the beginning for actions that will alter the future positively. Understanding this, and having the courage to keep going even in the face of all obstacles, allows us to accomplish anything we want.

Recognizing these truths about courage will assist you in overcoming any challenge that you face:

1. Courage Begins with an Inward Battle - Courage isn't an absence of fear. It's doing what you are afraid to do. It's having the power to let go of the familiar and forge ahead into new territory.

2. Courage Is Making Things Right, Not Just Smoothing Them Over - Courage deals with principle, not perception. It's knowing when to stand up and having the conviction to do so.

3. Courage in a Leader Inspires Commitment from Followers - A show of courage by any person encourages others. But a show of courage by a leader inspires. It makes people want to follow them.

4. Your Life Expands in Proportion to Your Courage - Fear limits a leader. But courage has the opposite effect. Courage not only gives you a good beginning, but it also provides a better future.

Courage means trusting yourself to overcome your fears and doing what you are afraid to do. Courage increases conviction and inspires others to confront their fears.

Overcoming the Dysfunctions of a Team

In my last post I exposed Lencioni’s five potential dysfunctions of a team. Addressing and overcoming each of the five dysfunctions is a crucial step toward improving team performance and success.

Let's explore each one – and uncover strategies for teams to navigate a clear path to success.

1) Absence of trust

Trust is the foundation of teamwork. Teams who lack trust conceal weaknesses and mistakes, are reluctant to ask for help, and jump to conclusions about the intentions of other team members. It is crucial to establish a team culture where individuals feel able to admit to mistakes and weaknesses, and use them as opportunities for development.

Strategies for developing mutual trust among team members:

1. Facilitate team-building exercises: Such activities can help team members to learn more about each other on a personal level, fostering a sense of camaraderie and understanding that can build trust.
2. Model vulnerability: You can lead by example by being open about your own mistakes and weaknesses. This can encourage team members to do the same, fostering an environment of honesty and mutual respect.
3. Promote open communication: Encourage team members to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns openly. Try making an extra effort to include people who are a little more reserved, and recruit more outgoing members to team occasions where everyone has a chance to speak, can help create a culture of transparency and trust.

2) Fear of conflict

Teams who lack trust fear conflict and are often reluctant to discuss controversial topics and share perspectives and ideas. These discussions are necessary to enable the team to reach a decision, or agree on how to approach and resolve a problem.

Strategies to overcome a fear of conflict:

1. Establish shared rules for healthy debate: Make it clear that disagreement is not only acceptable but encouraged – as long as it's respectful and constructive.
2. Reward candor: if someone has a problem or disagreement, thank them for raising the issue, even if they don’t end up getting their own way. When issues are resolved successfully, consider sharing the story in a more open forum (when appropriate!) as an example of constructive conflict or compromise.
3. Mediate disagreements: When conflicts arise, help mediate the situation. This can help ensure that the conflict stays focused on ideas and does not become personal.

3) Lack of commitment

When teams do not engage in open discussion due to a fear of conflict, team members often feel that their ideas and opinions are not valued. They may become detached or even resentful, and fail to commit to the chosen approach or common goal as a result.

Strategies to overcome a lack of commitment:

1. Involve team members in decision-making: Ensure that everyone feels they have a voice in decisions that affect the team. This can lead to higher levels of commitment.
2. Clearly communicate the team's vision and goals: Regularly remind your team of what they're working towards to keep them committed. Provide the larger context that informs the team’s work. Make it clear how team members’ work contributes to the bigger picture by illustrating dependencies between the team’s tasks.
3. Celebrate achievements and track progress: Recognizing and celebrating when the team meets their goals can help reinforce commitment.

4) Avoidance of accountability

Team members who have not bought-in to the chosen approach or goal will not feel accountable for achieving it.

Strategies to overcome an avoidance of accountability:

1. Set clear expectations: Make sure each team member understands what is expected of them, both by the manager and one another. Invite the team to explicitly define a shared set of standards and collectively commit to sticking to them.
2. Be consistent: Apply rules and standards to everyone equally – if you are always letting certain things slide, the standards are not really ‘a standard’, and you would be better off ‘legalizing’ what you’re currently overlooking.
3. Set team targets and make progress visible: In some types of team, consider setting shared targets and making performance visible. This encourages everyone to pull their weight – some people don’t mind slacking-off on the boss but don’t want to let their mates down.
4. Lead by example: Hold yourself accountable and expect the same from your team. This can help foster a culture of responsibility and accountability.

5) Inattention to results

Team members who are not held accountable for their contributions are more likely to become distracted and focus on individual goals instead of collective success.

Strategies to increase attention to results:

1. Set team goals: Establish clear, measurable goals for the team and regularly check in on progress.
2. Reward team success: Implement a system to recognize and reward the team for achieving their goals.
3. Reiterate the importance of team success: Regularly communicate the value of collective results over individual accomplishments. Recognize and reward people for putting the team goals ahead of their own. Contextualize individual performance through how it impacts the overall success of the team.

Team dynamics play a pivotal role in the success of any organization. The intricacies of how members interact, trust, communicate, and work towards a collective goal can make or break any ‘collaboration’.

As I’ve delved deep into the dysfunctions, it’s evident that addressing them systematically transforms the fabric of group interactions and paves the way for unprecedented success.

Trust, open communication, accountability, and shared vision are not just buzzwords; they are the lifeline of a high-performing team.

So, as you move forward, remember that fostering a harmonious team environment is an ongoing process that offers invaluable rewards. Here’s to building teams that function efficiently and thrive together!

Teamwork: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

One of the most interesting models of team effectiveness was developed by Patrick Lencioni (2005). According to him, all teams have the potential to be dysfunctional. To improve the functioning of a team, it is critical to understand the type and level of dysfunction.

There are five potential dysfunctions of a team in Lencioni’s model:

1. Absence of Trust:

This occurs when team members are unwilling to be vulnerable with each other, hiding weaknesses or mistakes, and not being open to asking for help. This lack of vulnerability prevents the development of trust, which is the foundation of a high-performing team.

2. Fear of Conflict:

Teams where trust is absent are often unable to engage in healthy, constructive debate. They may avoid conflict or seek artificial harmony, which can lead to a lack of clear thinking and decision-making.

3. Lack of Commitment:

When teams fear conflict, they may struggle to commit to decisions and plans of action. This can result in ambiguity and a lack of clear direction, making it difficult to move forward effectively.

4. Avoidance of Accountability:

Without clear commitments and a willingness to hold each other accountable, teams may struggle to address shortcomings or unproductive behaviors. This can lead to a decline in overall performance and a feeling of team members not being held responsible for their actions.

5. Inattention to Results:

When the previous dysfunctions are present, team members may prioritize their own individual needs and goals over the team's overall success. This can lead to a lack of focus on achieving collective results and a diminished sense of shared purpose.

Each of these dysfunctions has the ability to wreak havoc in a team, significantly impacting its members’ ability to work together effectively and achieve their goals. Regardless of the skill or experience, the more dysfunctions present, the less likely a team is to perform.

Luckily, Lencioni posits that if a team acknowledges and addresses the dysfunctions head-on, they can improve their performance. The benefits of that should be pretty clear, but I think Lencioni says it best with this quote:

“If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”

― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

In a future post I’ll address how to overcome the 5 dysfunctions of a team.

Lean Quote: Good Leaders vs Great Leaders

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.

"Good leaders build products. Great leaders build cultures. Good leaders deliver results. Great leaders develop people. Good leaders have vision. Great leaders have values. Good leaders are role models at work. Great leaders are role models in life."   —  Adam Grant   

What differentiates a great leader from good leader?

Great leaders are not just ‘better’ than good leaders. They are a class apart. They inspire to learn and grow, spread positive energy, uproot complacency, and can turn an unproductive group into a blooming one with their effective and powerful personality.

Being a good leader requires you to have your own set of qualities that give you the ‘good’ title.

Good leaders often work toward protecting the current state of affairs. They keep the good ideas going, work around them, and witness gradual growth.

Great leaders, on the other hand, are game-changers. They innovate, generate ideas of their own, and make them work.

You will be lucky to work with great leaders as they motivate you to become one. Talking about the differences, the following are the stark differences between a good and great leader:

Good Leaders Tell You What They Can Do and Great Leaders Make You Realize What You Can Do

Great leaders have magnetic personalities. They make you feel better about yourself, and who does not like to be accompanied by people of this nature?

Leaders who impress you with their capabilities and knowledge are good. The ones who have the ability to make you feel better are considered to be great.

Good Leaders Will Have the Right Attitude, and Great Leaders Make Friends

A good leader comes out to be bigger than life, having huge responsibilities and a different lifestyle.

On the other hand, you will be able to relate to a great leader. They will be someone you can trust and call your friend and do not show the difference between themselves and you, and they work towards diminishing the gap between them and their team.

Good Leaders Say, Great Leaders Make You Believe

Good leaders will tell you that you are doing great, and a great one will appreciate you and motivate you to do even better.

There is no learning limit with great leaders. They are focused on your growth, learning, and efficiency, along with the company’s targets.

Actions of trust and respect by a great leader make people feel included and important.

A great leader goes beyond just managing the team—they inspire, motivate, and create a high-performance culture that drives lasting success.