Lean Six Sigma Academy

If you had one story to “sell” lean or six sigma to over 1,000 employees what would you say?

Well, that’s precisely the situation our friend Gail is facing Down Under. To get the full history of Gail’s story please check out part one of this mini series.

I’ve thought about this question for the better part of two days. It’s an interesting situation to say the least and I’ve actually started and stopped this article several times.

Beyond Storytelling

Rather than explaining how to write a story I’d actually prefer to speak about some other aspects of a lean or six sigma deployment that are, at least to me, far more important than well written prose.

Please don’t take me wrong, I do think communicating before and during a lean or six sigma deployment is very important. So, for storytelling or writing tips I’d recommend Gail study the works of Plato and Hollywood. Both are masters at crafting and telling stories.

The Successful Deployment

Assuming an organization has someone able to write a story the most important question is what should this story be about? Well, here are some of my personal thoughts and I’d love to hear yours.

1. Respect for People.

First of all, no matter where you live or work being respectful of people must become a priority. Does this mean we must all sit around and sing kumbaya all day long? No. Of course not. But it does mean listening to our employees and challenging them to be the best they can be.

2. Results is a Four Letter Word.

Next, while respecting people is very important getting results – real results – from any continuous improvement deployment is mandatory. And in the end, the word results could be summarized with fours letter – cash.

I’ve actually written about this before when I contrasted activity based programs with results based programs. Sadly, most organizations are trapped in activity based program hell. If this is you… please save yourself before it’s too late!

3. Go to Gemba.

The thing that separates the pretenders from the contenders is the willingness of management to get up from their big office and comfy chairs in order to head to the place the actual work is done.

This place, called the gemba, is where real value is added. As such, the leaders of the organization must be there are often as possible.  So, when there is a problem the leadership should go to the gemba to help solve the problem.  And when things are going great, the leadership should go to the gemba to see how to make it last.

And even better yet, whenever a kaizen is occurring the leadership should be right down there on the floor with the employees helping out.

And here’s a tip for Gail. When your leaders are out there helping snap a picture and include that in your story. This normally catches the attention of a few skeptics.

4. Go Slow to Go Fast.

Ah yes, my favorite – go slow to go fast. I’m actually being sarcastic as this is not my favorite part of lean leadership. But it’s something I’m working on and plan to work on forever.

What does go slow to go fast mean? Well, it means to realize that all of our problems won’t be solved overnight. No ridiculous bail out program will solve the big 3’s issues. And no lean or six sigma program will take you from last to first in the next 60 days.

Toyota has been at this for over 50 years and they are far from infallible. But last time I checked no Toyota representative was flying in on private jets asking for their allowance to be increased. Private jets? Are you kidding me? I digress.

5. Be Speedy.

Now this, my good friends, is indeed my favorite leadership aspect! And while it may seem to contradict the previous point of going slow to go fast it really doesn’t. Let me explain.

You see, to be speedy means to make things happen fast. In other words, instead of attempting to improve on time delivery for your entire plant… try to break this project up into 5 or 6 smaller, more manageable pieces.

This is precisely why there are two types of kaizen – system kaizen and point kaizen.

This is the Story

So, I suppose my best advice for Gail is to start focusing on these five aspects of leadership before worrying about writing  the story. After all, the best stories are true stories… so win a few battles before attempting to explain how we plan to win the war.

I’m curious if you have any other advice or thoughts on the matter.  If so, please share.

Today is my wife’s birthday.  To celebrate we went to dinner at the Cheesecake factory.

“Mana” (what my kids call their Grandma) came over to watch the kids so we were able to just relax and talk.

We, of course, love our kids with all our hearts… but it is nice to go out “on a date” once in awhile.

Awesome Menu, Drinks, and Service

If you’ve never been to the Cheesecake factory you need to go.  The menu is massive, the drink selection amazing, and the food out of this world.  And the cheesecake, well, it’s about as good as it gets.

The service, at least for us, was also great.  Our waiter was nice, quick, and very helpful.  He also made a mistake.  In fact, one could argue he made a huge mistake.  Read on and I’ll explain.

We’re Stuffed, Can we Have a Box?

As I mentioned the portions are huge and we just couldn’t finish our meals.  So, being the great waiter he was, he offered to take our plates and box them up so we could take the left overs home.  Meanwhile we transitioned into dessert mode (we did manage to save a little room).

After doing our very best on our desserts (I got cherry cheesecake and my wife got this cheesecake/chocolate combo thingy) we were ready to pay and be on our way.

Hey, Where’s our Boxes?

Then I realized something… our waiter never brought our boxes back.

When he came for the check I asked him about it.  The poor guy, who you could tell was an excellent waiter, got this panicked look on his face and ran for the back.

A few minutes later he came back… his head was hung low as he explained how he made a mistake and our food was accidentally thrown out.  The guy was truly devastated.

Making it Right

After explaining what happened he insisted on refunding us for our desserts.  He was quite forceful in fact.  My wife and I told him it was OK.  There was no need for a refund.  He wouldn’t stop insisting… but we wouldn’t listen.  We had just had an awesome meal and weren’t interested in a refund.

He finally gave up and thanked us for understanding.  OK, his exact words were, “You guys are so cool.”

Here Comes the Manager

We thought this was the end of the story until the manager of the restaurant came to our table.  She went on to explain how the waiter approached her and explained what had happened.  She also explained how this young man was one of their best waiters and that he felt terrible.  She then started in on the whole refund thing.  She quickly realized we weren’t interested and she gave it a rest.

Real Leadership

Here’s the thing. Not only did this waiter admit to making a mistake - he could have easily blamed someone else - he tried to make it right with a refund.  When that didn’t work out he went to his manager and admitted his mistake!  He didn’t have to do this.  No one would have ever known.  But he did it anyhow.

It’s small life lessons like these that remind me what real leadership is.  You see leadership has nothing to do with your job title or salary.  Instead, authentic leadership is all about doing your best at whatever God has called you to do.  And then when you make a mistake, which are inevitable, real leaders stand up and take responsibility and do everything in their power to make it right.  Just like this young man demonstrated tonight.

The End of the Story

Once we had paid and collected our dessert boxes we were on our way to the door.  We were just about there when we heard someone yelling, “Sir!”  We turned around and guess who it was?  Yep, the waiter.  He was holding a bag and had a smile as big as Texas on his face.

He went on to say how he found our boxes.  It ends up someone else boxed them for him and put them behind some things so he couldn’t find them.  Well he found them just in time.  His last words were, “See, I knew I was a good waiter.”

Indeed he is.  Indeed he is.

Right, so as long time LSS Academy readers know I am a huge Ohio State University football fan.  I grew up in Ohio and was watching the Buckeyes play football before I even knew what football was.

Well, as my American friends probably know my beloved Bucks lost to Penn State Saturday night.  It was a close game and one mistake, a fumble, by our true freshman QB Terrelle Pryor may have cost us the game.

Devastated

After the game Pryor was obviously devastated.  He’s always saying the right things but honestly, in the past, I wasn’t quite sure how authentic his words were.  But after watching this interview it’s finally clear to me that this young man takes responsibility for his actions.  When asked if he felt he lost the game he replied with a resounding yes.

Part of me wonders if being this hard on yourself is healthy.  After all, the defense could have played better, our special teams (Maurice Wells absolutely KILLS me) could have played better, and our offensive line definitely could have played better.

Personally Accountable

But Pryor didn’t mention any of this.  He explained how he personally let the seniors down and how the loss was on him.  In a world full of people like Pac Man Jones and other selfish - it’s never my fault - athletes it’s refreshing to see a young person take personal accountability for their actions.

Do you agree or do you think Pryor’s attitude is self defeating?  Would your answer change if the situation was not sports based?  Again, here is the video if you want to watch it.

Go Bucks, beat Michigan!

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”
- Thomas Edison

When it comes to my work I probably land more towards the perfectionist side of the spectrum.

Of course I’m far from perfect… but I still try to be. Oddly enough, the more I reflect about it the more I realize this attitude is probably more counter-productive than productive.

First, let’s look at a definition of perfectionism. Here’s what we find on Wikipedia.

Perfectionism, in psychology, is a belief that perfection can and should be attained. In its pathological form, perfectionism is a belief that work or output that is anything less than perfect is unacceptable. At such levels, this is considered an unhealthy belief, and psychologists typically refer to such individuals as maladaptive perfectionists.

So, besides being called maladaptive… here are some reasons I think perfectionism can be dangerous.

1. You’re scared to try new things.

A perfectionist may plan and plan and plan the improvement idea, or new business, or new anything… only to find themselves frozen with fear in such a way as to never actually give it a try.

2. You may lose focus of what really matters - long term perfection.

Some of you may have read Dr. James Womack’s good work. If this is the case you probably know his fifth step of lean implementation is to pursue perfection.

So, does this mean he’s saying we should all become short term perfectionists? I don’t think so.

Instead, I think Womack is saying to keep our eyes down field. He’s saying that the “ideal state” we’re all aiming for doesn’t really exist since better is always possible which, in this case, makes it the perfect target for us continuous improvement practitioners.

3. You may just lose your mind.

If nothing but perfection is acceptable you may end up losing your mind. You may read and re-read every email, document, or blog entry hundreds of times only to skip over the fact that you meant to say “morale” and not “moral.” And when someone calls you on it, in front of thousands of others, you may feel like curling up into the fetal position and dying. Of course I’m not speaking from actual experience here or anything.

What to do?

So, if short term perfectionism is bad, what’s a person aiming for long term perfection to do?

Simply put, my advice, and something I’m trying to do myself, is to not worry about short term perfectionism as much as I used to. Instead, I think it’s best to obviously plan and think about things… but once you have some ideas give them a try.

In some cases you’ll fail. So what. Try again and fail better.  To be sure, this takes courage. But if people like Thomas Edison didn’t exude this type of courage who knows where we’d be?

So, while it’s a great thing to aim for long term perfection… short term perfectionism, in my opinion, is not the way to get there.

Do you agree?

From time to time a blog article absolutely knocks me out of my chair.

This morning was one of those occasions. One of the blogs I always, without fail, read is Evolving Excellence which is written by my friend Kevin Meyer.

Today, Kevin had to write the type of post no one wants to write.

Yesterday I got the 5am call all of us dread: one of my manufacturing team members had lost her life in a car accident on the way into work.

I was inspired by Kevin’s words and how he, as President of the company, reacted to this tragic situation.

I was also inspired how Kevin reminded us that the folks we work with – often times just some number in our massive ERP systems – also have dreams and families and aspirations.

One of the reasons I’m so passionate about authentic continuous improvement is its focus on the person. Stated another way, authentic continuous improvement practitioners don’t just talk about respecting people – they actually do it.

Kevin obviously gets this and I truly admire him for it.

I’m going to kindly request that you not leave a comment here on LSS Academy in response to this particular post… instead I’d really appreciate it if you would take the time to visit Evolving Excellence and then leave a comment there, if you so wish.

I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. ~Abraham Lincoln

I’m severely addicted to learning new things.

I haven’t always been like this. As a young boy school stressed me out. This probably explains why it hasn’t been until the last 5 to 10 years that my desire to know more and more has nearly become an unquenchable thirst.

Some “friends” and I have begun to work on an extremely exciting project that has allowed me to learn about something I knew absolutely nothing about a year ago. I can’t say much more about this right now… but rest assured it’s going to be something special and you all will be the first to hear about it when the time is right.

It’s new projects like this that keep me awake until 3:00 AM in the morning. Heck, its things like blogging – which again I had no idea how to do (and am still obviously learning about) a few years ago – that has me reading, studying, learning, etc.

And while I know not everyone feels the need to constantly learn about new things I do feel it’s extremely beneficial to learn about something new every once in awhile.

Here are just a few ways I have succeeded at increasing my knowledge.

1. Read Blogs

I religiously follow 26 blogs using Google Reader. While I don’t read every new article word for word I’ve learned so much from the blogosphere.

2. Read Books and Trade Magazines

I read a lot of books. Lately I’ve been so busy with the aforementioned “project” that my reading has slowed as of late. But just sitting down with a good book has been an excellent method for me to learn more.

3. I Blog

I blog. Believe it or not, there is a tremendous amount of work involved in maintaining a blog. Once an idea has come up we bloggers still need to find the words to communicate it. And as any blogger will attest to… no one wants to make a blatant error in what they are writing about.

So, as you might imagine, a lot of research and study goes into most blog posts here on LSS Academy. And the fact that this is article number 366 tells me I’ve probably done more research for this blog than my entire time in graduate school.

4. Try and Fail

I try new things. While reading and writing are excellent learning techniques there really, in my opinion, is only one sure fire way to learn something and that’s to try, try, try.

You can read and research and plan ‘til the cows come home. But until you get up on the saddle and attempt to ride the bull you’ll never actually learn how to do it.

What About You?

I’m very curious to learn (hmmm, imagine that) how you go about sharpening your skills. Do you also like to read? Or do you have other techniques I’ve not listed above?

With all the news of our struggling economy (in America) and massive bail outs I couldn’t help but think of two people – Tim Ferris, author of The Four Hour Workweek and Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV fame.

Four Hour Dream is Bogus

Now, I’ve written about The Four Hour Workweek before. In case you missed those articles let me cut to the chase and say that while Ferris does offer up some great ideas for simplifying our lives and being more productive… I personally think his whole pitch of striving to only work 4 hours per week is dangerous. I’ll explain why in a second.

Work Your Face Off

Conversely, Gary Vaynerchuk preaches a very different doctrine. If I were to narrow Gary’s approach down to a few words I’d fall back on his famous quote of “you must work your face off.” Check this video out when you have a few minutes to spare to get a better idea of what I’m talking about. Please note that there is some bad language used during the video.

Contrasting the Two Approaches

So to contrast the two styles, we have Ferris waving this carrot of the easy life in front of us… you know only working a few hours per week while our virtual assistants slave away for far more than that… and we have Vaynerchuk telling us to work our face off as the way to true and lasting success.

Now to be fair Vaynerchuk also preaches to stop doing things we hate while searching for the things you love. But once you find this love he recommends pouring your heart into it.

No More Teachers

The main problem I have with Ferris is this. How does he expect, for example, the school teacher making $36k per year (who also works 50+ hours per week) to profit from this approach? The only way I can see it happening is for this school teacher to stop being a teacher! Obviously this presents a problem if all teachers decide to essentially “outsource” the instruction of our children. I’m not certain, but I don’t think Ferris has any children so perhaps this isn’t high on his list of importance.

And what about the construction worker or even the employees at any manufacturing company? Are they supposed to walk away from their jobs as they set up some automated money making system? If so, who builds our houses, cars, microwaves, and just about anything you can imagine?

Best of Both Worlds

As I said, I do believe Ferris has some great ideas for being more productive. But, at least for me, Mr. Vaynerchuk’s approach to success is far more meaningful… not to mention beneficial for society overall.

Perhaps the best solution is to combine the best of Ferris with the best of Vaynerchuk. In this case, we’d all work our faces off while being wickedly efficient and productive at the things we’re truly passionate about. Now this sounds like a decent plan if you ask me.

What About You?

Where do you land on the spectrum? Do you aspire for the 4 hour work week or want to work your face off doing something you’re truly passionate about? Or is it somewhere in between?

I believe René Descartes may have gotten it backwards when he said, in Latin, “Cogito, ergo sum.” When translated this famous saying means “I think, therefore I am.”

I contend he should have said, “I am, therefore I think.”

Now, before the Philosophy police come for me allow me to make one thing clear…. I’m not attempting to enter into a philosophical debate here.

And while we could easily enter into a morale discussion about when life begins, or how we know we actually exist (Descartes contended that because we think, we are)… I won’t.

An Amazing Gift

No, instead of all this, I want to keep it real simple. You see, I contend each of us have been given an amazing gift. In fact, we’ve been given many gifts such as life itself. But the gift I’m talking about is the gift of thought and contemplation.

It’s this gift that can, so to speak, make or break us. It’s this gift that enables men and women to do astonishing things like brain surgery, invent the cell phone, and fly people to the moon.

And it’s precisely because of this gift of thought that companies such as Toyota have re-written the rules related to running a business.

The Real Secret

Contrary to what many assume, it’s not the tools of lean or six sigma that make companies like Toyota great. And, while it’s very important, respecting people isn’t the key driver either.

No, in my humble opinion, it comes down to one thing and one thing only. Those who master the ability to think and solve problems will ultimately win the game, set, and match.

My Maker Made Me to Think

So, yes, I think Descartes got it backward. I believe God is the first cause of life which means He’s ultimately responsible for me sitting here this evening typing this sentence. I also believe this same God gave me the ability, and I contend the responsibility, to think.

Stated another way, “I am, therefore I think.”

Do you agree?

I just skimmed through a short white paper that attempted to provide a checklist to help an organization decide if they were ready for lean.

It was written by a person who works for a “human capital management solutions” company. Yeah, you can probably guess where I’m headed.

Rather than tell this person what I really think about the fancy technology they are pedaling… which wouldn’t be practicing respect for the individual… I’ll instead offer my own checklist to help people decide if they are ready for lean. Ready? Here goes.

1. Are you ready to admit you are sick?

First off, chances are, if you are operating as a traditional mass producer you probably have inventory piled up everywhere. You probably live by your forecasts, which are never right. And you probably spend most of your time in meetings talking about how you are going to make things better. Problem is you are always in meetings talking instead on the shop floor making things better. In short… you are sick and you must admit it.

2. Are you ready for some pain?

Getting lean isn’t easy. Once you begin to bleed down all that inventory inefficiencies you never dreamed existed will begin to appear.

Further, if you get to the point to where you are implementing one piece flow… oh dear me… get ready. You are in for real pain my friends. You see, the minute an operator pulls the andon and the whole line stops… yeah, that’s when the real fun begins. Oh, and this is also precisely when deeply seated and real improvements begin to happen.

3. Do you hate the status quo?

Finally, before you decide to go down the lean (or six sigma) journey you must develop a deeply rooted hatred for the status quo.

You should get sick to your stomach when you watch Cindy take those 12 extra steps each time she assembles that part. Why can’t we reduce it to 8 steps?

You should despise the fact your lead time is 12 weeks while your chief competitor offers their solution in 10 weeks. In summary, you should hate the way things operate today.

So that’s my list. What would you add or subtract from it?

Here’s a question for you. Is the mission control center of your organization centered on a set of dashboards or balanced scorecards?

In other words, when a crisis is about to hit (or has already hit) how do you react? Do you run to the dashboard to see what’s happening?  If this even remotely describes you or your organization I come with good news… it’s never too late to change!

Go to Gemba

Instead of having a “go to dashboard” mentality, a lean leader attacks problems by having a “go to gemba” mentality.

The Japanese word gemba means the place the work is actually done. It could be the shop floor, or the front office, or zone C in a restaurant. It’s where the action is.  And it’s precisely where we, as leaders, must be as often as possible - most especially in times of crisis.

Dashboards Are Fine

Don’t get me wrong, dashboards and scorecards are fine. I’ve used them, and continue to use them, with a lot of success. But nothing, and I do mean nothing, can replace actually visiting the place the work is done.

After all, the last time I checked… balanced scorecards and fancy conditional formatted dashboards rarely offer suggestions for how to get out of the crisis at hand.

Do you agree?

Subscribe to LSS Academy

If you enjoyed this article please consider subscribing to our full feed RSS. You can also subscribe by email and have new articles sent directly to your inbox.