Lean Six Sigma Academy

I remember the night well…

I was sitting on my couch half watching TV while surfing the Internet. I had just visited one of the only blogs I consistently read back in those days – Gemba Panta Rei – which as many of you know is written by one of my mentors, Jon Miller of Gemba Research.

Jon was actually working on a series of posts that really made me realize how powerful blogging could be. Here is the exact post I read that night.

Blogger Here I Come

Well, after a few moments of contemplation I decided to see how hard it would be to start my very own blog. Since I could barely spell HTML I knew I needed a simple solution.

After about 30 seconds on Google I found my way to Google’s Blogger platform. A few minutes after that the longest URL in the history of lean and six sigma blogging was born – leansixsigmaacademy at blogspot dot com. What was I thinking?

Here We Are

In any event that night started me on an amazing journey that has culminated in 401 published articles to which the coolest readers in the entire blogosphere (that would be you all) have gone onto leave 1,477 comments to.

Technically some of these comments are from me replying to comments… but hey, we do get our fair share of interaction here on LSS Academy so I am not complaining!

A Look Back

Anyhow, as a sort of walk down memory lane I thought I’d share a few articles that mean a lot to me.

In other words, these may not be the most popular or the most commented posts here at LSS Academy… instead they simply make me smile whenever I read them.

And as I’m sure you’ll soon see these articles were strongly influenced by a group of very special (little) people. Here goes.

• Riding a Bike: “When was the last time you laughed like a child after achieving something so wonderful?”
• Learning to Swim: “Finally, last night she just put her face in the water and swam. And just like that she had it.”
• A Lesson in Courage: “I couldn’t see her face… but I could hear her laughing hysterically. In fact, she made similar sounds last summer when she learned to swim.”

In closing, I’d like to thank all LSS Academy readers for your participation and encouragement over the past two years. This blog is ultimately meant for you. I’d also like to thank all of my blogging pals including Kevin, Mark, Pete, Mike, and Jon. God Bless!

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Just as we did last year, we’re going to share a few of our favorite articles from around the blogosphere this past year.

To see more of these “best of 2008″ style posts be sure to check out John Hunter’s blog where he has linked to a number of blogs who have done the same.  Alrighty then… are you ready?  Here we go.

Evolving Excellence

• Japan Kaikaku Experience - The Summary:  Kevin took us on the journey of a lifetime as he toured the best lean plants Japan has to offer.
• Is a No Layoff Policy Really Wise?: “I think a ‘no layoff from lean improvements’ policy is acceptable and necessary, but a fundamental ‘no layoff for any reason’ policy is a bit disingenuous and downright dangerous.”
• Accountability Wins… For Now:  “Yes this will be painful, as the markets clearly told us after the vote.  But creating a perception that there’s no accountability for poor leadership and even worse management will be even more painful in the long run.”
• Fun With Statistics, Carbon Footprint Edition:  “Most of us know by now that the carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are created when a product is created, shipped, stored, and eventually used.   But is it a reliable gauge?”

Gemba Panta Rei

• Jedi Kaizen: Is the Force with You?:  “Somewhat cryptically and in unusually clear language, jedi master Yoda said, ‘You will find only what you bring in.’ As in any endeavor, what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.”
• Kaizen and the Way of the Ninja: “The young ninja was taught to leap tall buildings by first jumping over a sprouting seedling. Easy, sign me up for ninja school, you might say. Well, each day this seedling grew taller until one day the ninja master required that you leapt over the giant spruce.”
• How to Sustain Kaizen?  Follow Up with the Tenacity of the Terminator:  “If you don’t yet have the tenacity of the Terminator when it comes to kaizen follow up, now is not a bad time to start practicing.”
• The Hard Sell for Cells: “Cells and flow lines are superior to disconnected processes, even with these disconnected processes are individually technically superior. The reason is that the connection of processes removes work in process inventory and other delays, resulting in shorter lead-times and improved on-time delivery.”

Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog

• Motivate or Eliminate De-Motivation:  “The danger is not in calling things motivation. The danger is so many managers think in a theory x way. That is the attitude that needs to change.”
• CEOs Plundering Corporate Coffers:  “I must say I am amazed at how brazenly those participating in looting companies from within are; and how it is accepted. It is a shame such unethical behavior is tolerated.”
• Better Meetings:  “Meetings are perennial problems. People sit through meetings and then complain about how big a waste of time it was. Here are a couple very simple tips to try and actually improve (instead of just agreeing that meetings are wasteful, but doing nothing to improve).”
• Righter Incentivization:  “Using extrinsic motivation less badly is possible but the correct answer is just don’t do it.”

Lean Blog

• To Layoff or Not To Layoff — That Really is a Question:  “I wish more leaders got creative and found ways other than starting the “death spiral” of layoffs and shrinking themselves into oblivion.”
• Explaining Lean at a Bar:  “The bartender asked what we do and I got the job of explaining. I told her we apply methods from Toyota, called “Lean,” for improving quality and efficiency in hospitals. She asked some questions and I tried relating it to her job.”
• No Loyalty or Responsibility from Dell - Don’t Call Them “Lean”:  “I’m angry. I try not to blog when I’m angry, so I’ll try to watch my words carefully. Probably won’t succeed.”
• Lean or ‘L.A.M.E.’ in a Hospital?:  “Then, the comments start shifting into wild accusations and potential hyperbole.”

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Once again, I have the privilege of hosting the latest edition of the Management Improvement Carnival. So without further delay here are some of my favorite posts from around the blogosphere over the last 30 days or so.

Are we Cowboys or Not? by Mark Graban.

Anyway, I’m not trying to start a “Liker v Bodek” battle, but it’s an interesting contrast in perspectives.

Competing in the Afterlife by Kevin Meyer

I don’t disagree that executive compensation is more than a little unreasonable at times, but I am also starting to see, slowly, the free market reigning in such excess.

Why I Love $7.41 per Gallon Gasoline by Jon Miller

That’s what I paid recently to fill up the tank of a rental car in Europe. I look forward to the day when we will have $8 per gallon gasoline in the U.S.A.

Necessary but Insufficient by Pete Abilla

Motorola (MOT), the inventor of Six Sigma, is in big trouble. Even though it invented Six Sigma, this is a clear example that shows how Lean or Six Sigma are not a cure-all for corporate woes…

Continual Improvement by John Hunter

Dr. Deming used to use the term continual improvement (rather than continuous improvement) later in his life because that would include continuous and dis-continuous improvement (innovation, etc.).

Relentless Pursuit of Kaizen by Mike Wroblewski

Jumping into firefighting mode was literally what happened to us this past week a mere 30 minutes before our scheduled kaizen event was to start.

Numb3rs by Sue Kozlowski

Now, part of the reason for this hyperbole is that exciting headlines get more people to buy the paper, and so you may think that the exaggeration is just a way to get people to read the accompanying story.

Eight Reasons Your Lean/Six Sigma Could Fail by Ron Pereira

Programs, by definition, end. Conversely, the ancient origin of the word philosophy (philosophía) means “love of knowledge” or “love of wisdom.” And true love, as the good book tells us, never ends.

The Management Improvement Carnival is one of my favorite aspects of John Hunter’s Curious Cat blog.  John asked me to host the carnival this month and I gladly accepted.  So without further delay here are some of my favorite posts from around the blogosphere.

People, Diapers, and Kegs by Kevin Meyer from the Evolving Excellence blog.

They become assimilated, Borg-like in nature. Some of us with more enlightened organizations may occasionally ask about their previous experiences, and tap into some of it at kaizens or other activities.

The Toyota Secret: Constant Change And Growth by Norman Bodek from Industry Week.

How did Toyota go from making junk, to making a Lexus and becoming the world’s largest and most successful automobile manufacturer? They improved every single day.

Why You Need A Tatakidai by Jon Miller from Gemba Panta Rei.

But I will humbly submit that there is one more that should be added to your list, even at the expense of bumping one other out of your Lean vocabulary list (kamishibai is a candidate for removal). The word is tatakidai (叩き台). Tatakidai literally means “beating board” or chopping block.

An Error Proofing Challenge by Mark Graban from the Lean Blog.

If you absolutely needed to ensure that the pallet wasn’t double stacked, can you think of a way of error proofing that?

The Importance of Management Improvement by John Hunter from Curious Cat Management. 

As I continue through life I realize that this management improvement stuff really can matter if done right.

The Gemba is the Dojo by Pete Abilla from the shumla blog.

The Gemba is the Dojo — precisely because the heart and mind need to be ready for teaching; the student must be humble enough and teachable enough to be taught.

Will Medicare Force Hospitals to Go Six Sigma? by Michael Cyger from the iSixSigma Blogosphere.

To me, it’s clear that Six Sigma - tied to the hospitals operating budget - is the answer. What has been done until now has not worked. It’s time for a change.

Lying to your customers by Seth Godin.

It turns out (at this Home Depot, anyway), that whenever they don’t feel like using the saw, they pretend it’s broken.

China 911! by Matthew May from the Elegant Solutions blog. 

Toys. Tires. Pet food. Cars. Calling all quality engineers: China needs you! This is not a case of errant manufacturing glitches. This is end to end, designed-in danger stuff.

Six Sigma Control Phase in Not Anti-Lean by Ron Pereira from LSS Academy. 

Finally, after some thought and reading Jon’s comments I also learned that I must personally work to promote more of a continuous - kaizen like - mindset when teaching six sigma.

If you have ideas for future submission please submit them to the next carnival by clicking here.

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Here are some of my favorite posts from around the blogosphere this week.

John Hunter, in response to one of my more controversial posts, offered an excellent take on how bad management results in layoffs.

Over on the iSixSigma blog Michael Marx shared an inspiring story of how the US Army nears $2 billion in Lean Six Sigma savings.

Mark Graban told us about how Nike plans to just do it with Lean.  It will be interesting to watch this story.

GM made the news (again) as they boasted of nearly matching Toyota in productivity.  Kevin, of Evolving Excellence fame, responded with a polite “who cares.”

Next, Seth Godin wrote an interesting piece on being coachable.  Very relevant stuff for many of us.

My favorite non Lean or Six Sigma post came from the coolest Alaskan blogger around.  Michelle, a gal with serious writing skills, offered some excellent housekeeping tips for those of us that blog.

And last, but certainly not least, Jon Lennon… I mean Miller, left us with a potential Grammy winning performance with his remake of the Beatle’s classic: hey-juneka. 

There was some awesome blogging this week.

I especially liked Jon Miller’s take on standing in the circle. I nearly fell off my chair laughing at the story Kevin, of Evolving Excellence, had today regarding the heavy heads of consultants. Michael Marx, of iSixSigma fame, shared an excellent letter the folks from Sigma Breakthrough Technologies, Inc. wrote to the nice people of the Wall Street Journal after they blasted Six Sigma. I doubt the stats the SBTI guys shared with WSJ will show up anytime soon. And of course, the beer launching machine video I posted seemed to be a popular topic considering the traffic it brought to the site.

Until next time, I wish you all the best on your journey towards continuous improvement.