Tag Archives: Lean

All Green is Red

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Following on from my blog post ‘Red is Good’, this post takes a look at the role the colour green plays in business in terms of Lean. The colour green is associated with all things positive –  go, start, progress, energy, growth, environment, finance etc. 

We use green in the Lean world to highlight when a target has been met, when something is on track, when a task has been completed, when we are happy with an outcome. As green is associated with positive outcomes, it would be normal to think that all green is good.

This is not always the case.

Problems exist in all processes and if all we are seeing is green then these problems are not visible.  In this case then ‘All Green is Red!’. Problems will be invisible if your measures are too high level, too low level or if your measures are not the correct measures.

Taiichi Ohno’s well known saying ‘No problem is a problem’ is so true. If you are not seeing problems in your process than this is a problem.

How do you make problems visible in your workplace?

Does your culture support problem identification, discussion and solving?

Thanks for reading, you might like my previous post on ‘Red is Good’,

Siobhain

x x x

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Alive At Work

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This fascinating book starts with some scary statistics from global and US Gallup surveys,

 – 80% of workers don’t feel that they can be their best at work

 – 70% are not engaged at work and 17% of this group are actively disengaged

 – 87% of the US workforce is not able to contribute to their full potential as they don’t have passion for their work

 

 

The author, Daniel M. Cable suggests that employees lack of engagement isn’t really a motivational problem but a biological one. Daniel explains that many organisations are deactivating the part of our brain called the Seeking System. Our Seeking Systems create the natural impulse to explore our worlds, learn about our environment and extract meaning from our circumstances. When our Seeking System is activated, dopamine is released and we feel more motivated, purposeful and zestful, we feel more alive. Daniel continues to explain that exploring, experimenting and learning is the way we were designed to live and work!

I can’t help but draw comparisons between activation of the Seeking System and the ‘Respect for People’ element of Lean Philosophy. One of Lean’s core principles is Respect for and Development of People. This is achieved through embedding a culture of systematic problem solving (exploring and experimenting) and continuous and supported learning and development.

Daniel explains that most organisations deactivate their employees Seeking Systems and activate their fear systems which narrows their perception and encourages their submission. Under these conditions, people become cautious, anxious and weary even though they want to feel lit up and creative. This can cause ill health effects which in turn causes disengagement. Disengagement is our bodies way of telling us our human potential is being wasted reminding me of the 8th Lean Waste ‘Underutilised Talent’ which for me is the most wasteful of all the Lean wastes.

More than ever companies need employee’s innovation, creativity, insights, new ways of working and enthusiasm. Daniel explains that to activate the Seeking System in our teams we must first understand the 3 triggers for the Seeking System which are Self-Expression, Experimentation & Purpose.

Self-Expression – Self-expression is described as bringing the best version of yourself to work. The Oxford Dictionary refers to Self-Expression as ‘The expression of one’s feelings, thoughts, or ideas, especially in writing, art, music, or dance’. The more we express who we truly are the happier we will be! I wonder how many workplaces support true self-expression?

Experimentation  – Experimentation is described as exploring and learning – the agility, resilience and willingness to experiment – this is what most employees want and what effective Leaders want for their teams. Problem solving is the perfect example of experimentation. Teams must have time and space to evaluate their problems, think about solutions and experiment with implementing these solutions. There is no company free from problems which makes it so important to train employees in problem solving and utilise their limitless capabilities.

Purpose – The feeling of purpose ignites when we see the cause and effect of our roles and how our unique roles are necessary to other people. We all like to think we are part of something!

– purpose helps employees experience the impact of their work

– purpose is energising and increases our dopamine

– purpose increases our enthusiasm, intrinsic motivation and resilience

– purpose helps employees focus on the joy of their work

I’m always pleasantly surprised when I read a book that mentions Lean especially when it is discussed in the correct context of Lean as a growth Strategy and Culture. In chapter 5 Daniel introduces us to a company where the implementation of Lean activated employees Seeking Systems through experimentation.

Daniel starts the story as a company faces closure due to increasing defects, customer complaints and the rising costs associated with these. A few months after the news, the company introduced the manufacturing team to ‘Lean Manufacturing’ through a series of workshops to reduce defects and keep the plant open. The teams were unhappy, sceptical and apprehensive before the workshops which is in stark contrast to what they felt after the workshops.

The Lean concept of ‘Pull’ was explained and demonstrated to the team members by two facilitators. These facilitators didn’t just divulge information to the team, they asked the team for their input and listened to what they had to say.  Over 2 days more concepts of Lean were introduced to the team and the cycle of shared learnings, involvement and listening continued. At the end of the workshops the new and improved process built by the team delivered outstanding results – increased productivity, fewer defects, less stress, lower inventory with the added benefits that the team were enthusiastic about the changes. They were playful, energised and were very much looking forward to seeing how their new process would work.

The story of how this new and improved process was implemented is uplifting and really goes to show if you involve teams in the process of improving their own work, there are no limits to what they can and will achieve.

Chapter 7 is my favourite chapter of the book. In this chapter, Daniel speaks about servant Leadership and how Leaders should see themselves as humble servants. Daniel uses an example of a humble servant Leader who transformed the people and profits of a Chinese Bank. This example of humble and servant Leadership highlights the following truths,

  • Leaders who lead by experimenting, being humble and learning from employees are much more effective than Leaders who lead through hierarchy
  • employees do not move much by KPIs and reward/penalty – these cause small changes. Employees move in larger ways by noble purpose, emotional connection, experimenting with new things and leading by example
  • imposing authority is not the way to engage employees in positive company change
  • humans are not perfect but must explore, fail and practise in order to improve and learn
  • when Leaders show they don’t have all the answers and that they too are learning, this creates a learning culture
  • humble Leaders help others seek their potential and experiment towards that potential
  • humble Leaders model how to grow and develop by acknowledging mistakes and limitations and being open to listening, observing, and learning by doing

One of my favourite quotes in the book sums up what servant Leadership is all about,

‘Managers do not create value unless they are serving the employees who create the value’

This is an incredible book jam packed with wisdom. I highly recommend it if you and your colleagues want to feel ‘Alive at Work’!!

Thanks for reading, check out my free e-book ‘The A-Z of Effective Change’ by entering your e-mail address below,

Siobhain

x x x

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Red is Good

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Photo Credit: Olav Ahmen Rotne (Unsplash)

The colour red is associated with energy, passion, action and feelings of warmth, vibrancy and intensity. Red is also associated with danger and most warning signs we see on our roads and in our workplaces are red for this reason.

In a Lean culture red usually means something has failed, that there has been a deviation from standard, that a target has not been met – in short there is a problem of some kind.

A company that does not have a healthy culture of problem-solving assigns blame to those who find problems, which in turn drives employees to remain silent and not speak up about problems with their processes and work environment. This fear of speaking out and associated silence has a detrimental effect on companies and their employees as not only do the problems get worse and more frequent, the employees get frustrated, disengaged, disillusioned and spend more time covering up problems than solving them.

In this culture, the colour red associated with problems becomes a colour of danger, a colour to be avoided, a colour that no-one wants to be associated with.

In stark contrast, a company with a healthy Lean culture of systematic problem solving encourages problem identification, discussion and investigation into why problems occur and implementation of sustainable solutions. Blame does not exist in this company as everyone is aware of and understands that problems are caused by ineffective, outdated, broken, unsuitable, non-standardised processes. This culture ensures that processes are monitored and improved, and people are developed and rewarded – two of the key principles of Lean.

[tweetthis]’Problems are treasures, reward the messenger’ Pascal Dennis [/tweetthis]

In a Lean culture of systematic problem solving when we see red we,

  1. Know we have a problem
  2. Have open and honest conversations about what the problem is
  3. Investigate how the problem occurred
  4. Brainstorm solutions to solve the problem
  5. Work together to implement sustainable solutions to ensure the problem does not reoccur
  6. Monitor and continuously improve the process
  7. Reward and recognise excellent problem solving and teamwork

How is red perceived where you work? Is red a colour that is welcomed or does it mean danger?

I hope you are lucky enough to have a culture where ‘Red is Good’!

Thanks for reading,

Siobhain

x x x

Not sure what Lean is?

Check out my previous blog post ‘Meeting Art and Understanding Lean’ where I share Art Byrne’s keynote speech that I attended at the 2013 Lean Enterprise Academy Summit.

This video sums up exactly what Lean is and how important it is to business. 6 years later I continue to refer to this video all the time – so much wisdom!!!

Photo Credit: Alana Harris (Unsplash)

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The Virtual Gemba Walk in Barcelona

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Photo Credit – Mink Mingle (Unsplash)

Last year I attended the UK Lean Enterprise Academy Summit. This Summit is always an amazing event – 3 days packed with presentations, learning sessions and masterclasses solely focused on Lean and the immense business and personal benefits a Lean culture brings.

My 2 favourite sessions were from industries both based in Barcelona.

The first learning session introduced us to Augustin Tena Leon (Head of Sales, 365 Cafe) and Oriol Cuatrecasas (Founder and Lean Development  – Instituto Lean Management).

Augustin and Oriol held our attention throughout the presentation with their high energy, obvious passion for Lean and pride in what they have achieved through their Lean journey with Cafe 365. Augustin and Oriol made it very clear that culture change was at the heart of their Lean transformation as they spoke about

‘The most important part of our company is our people’, ‘The joy never has to be lost’ and ‘Customer first’

Their presentation took us through their Lean journey starting with their factory where their delicious products are created through to their shops where their products are sold. They involved us all in a hilarious simulation of the bakery shops pre 2009. This simulation highlighted the chaos, waste, unhappy customers and unhappy employees that used to be part of the daily operations of Cafe 365.

In contrast to this chaos Augustin and Oriol invited us to see what their business is like now that they work in a Lean environment. I expected a presentation or maybe another simulation but no….in true genius style  Augustin and Oriol connected us to one of their shops in Barcelona via web link! And so a virtual Gemba Walk in Barcelona began!

Photo Credit – Leon Ephraim (Unsplash)

The staff of Cafe 365 in Barcelona were as excited to be part of this virtual Gemba Walk as we were, they welcomed us to their cafe and introduced us to their Standard Work, Kanban system, Audit system and their problem identification, escalation and resolution system. They showed us their storage area which was tiny but hugely sufficient and their refrigeration area  that was also tiny but hugely sufficient.

This was a most impressive Gemba Walk – to see the simple tools of Lean implemented into a bakery and cafe environment instilled in me more confidence that Lean can be used and taken advantage of in absolutely every area of business no matter what the industry is.

The tools and principles implemented were obviously making Cafe 365’s business more profitable and sustainable and set them up for growth of which they have enjoyed at an exponential rate. More than this and what really stood out for me was the positive culture we were lucky enough to be witnessing.

As we moved from one area to the next of this virtual Gemba Walk it was the employees who spoke to us, it was the employees who answered all of our questions and it was the employees to whom gratitude and recognition was given by Augustin and Oriol and each other. Everyone was so proud to  show us how they work for the company and for each other.

Photo Credit – Kari Shea (Unsplash)

Cafe 365 is a supreme example of what a Lean culture is. Lean tools and principles can be learned from any of the many amazing books available on Lean, however it is the deep respect that is shown for each and every employee that will bring the real sustainable and transformational change that is required for a business to fully embed and enjoy a Lean culture.

When asked if there was any employee currently in the shop that was also there pre 2009 (pre Lean implementation) and what the transformation had meant to them,  one lady stepped forward from the back of the crowd of employees and with a beaming smile and said

‘Before things were difficult and hard, now they are enjoyable and simple’ .

These words were softly spoken, however the message was profoundly loud.

Augustin and Oriol left us with this statement

 ‘Lean brought us one of the most extraordinary and radicle changes we have witnessed in a  business’

This learning session with Augustin, Oriol and Cafe 365 left me with confidence that the career path I have chosen is completely the right one for me and that Lean is even more powerful than I had previously envisioned.

Could Lean transform your business?

Keeping it Simple,

Siobhain

x x x

 

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Meeting Art and Understanding Lean

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Oprah calls it an ‘Aha’ moment – the moment when something falls into place, when the penny drops, when a lightbulb goes off in your brain and you understand something with an immense clarity that you previously didn’t have.

I experienced this ‘Aha’ moment over 6 years ago when Art Byrne delivered his keynote speech at the 2013 Lean Enterprise Academy Summit. As well as a great guy, Art is a powerhouse of Lean knowledge having lived Lean with it’s highs and lows for many decades. I have read Art’s wonderful book ‘The Lean Turnaround’ many times and knew I was in for something special as Art took to the stage.

My ‘Aha’ moment came in as short a time as 4 minutes into Art’s talk. I had always known that Lean enabled a better, more efficient, more inclusive way of working however after listening to and understanding Art’s simple explanation of Lean, the power of this methodology was finally clear to me. Key elements from these short 4 minutes of Art’s talk that helped me understand the power of Lean are as follows

  • Lean is not a bunch of tools
  • Lean is not a collection of projects or belts (Art in his fabulous honesty makes it clear that in running a business you are not running a karate class!!!)
  • Lean is ‘the biggest strategic business weapon you can ever have’  – a business being ‘a collection of people and processes trying to deliver value to a set of customers and always the best team wins’.
  • Lean is a growth strategy not a cost cutting strategy.

Art continued by explaining the key elements required to be successful at Lean which are having Lean and Operational Excellence are your core strategy, that Lean is led from the top and that people are transformed. Without these elements, Art explains very honestly,  failure will be the outcome!

As Art spoke about transforming people, he explained that people are the only asset you have that appreciates and you want them to keep appreciating, that you also need to respect your people because the best improvement ideas come from the people doing the work. To do this you need to create a learning environment where people are learning every day and are excited to come to work. This then becomes your culture, the way things are done around here – this is Lean.

Art summed up all of the above by simply saying –  Lean is a people thing!

[tweetthis]’Lean is a people thing’ Art Byrne[/tweetthis]

I met Art at one of the break out sessions. He was gracious, humble and generous with his time. I spoke with him around challenges I was having in implementing Lean in my role as I  did not have the influence of a CEO for Lean to ‘come from the top’. He smiled and gave me some of the best advice I have ever received. He said ‘be the CEO in your area’, excellent advice for anyone trying to make things better when it’s not coming from the top!

Art signed my copy of his book ‘The Lean Turnaround’ by using a popular phrase synonymous with Guinness – it was Art’s way of saying how much he loved Ireland and how much he respects Kaizen. And yes, I totally agree with him, Kaizen is good for you!!!!

I left the 2103 Lean Enterprise Academy Summit energetic, enthused and looking forward to the next steps on my Lean journey.

Over 6 years later my Lean journey continues to experience highs and lows, I’m happy to say more highs than lows these days and always, always learning lessons which is at the core of what Lean is about – continuous learning!

Thanks for reading,

Keeping it Simple,

Siobhain

x x x

 

 

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