Straight Talk: Avoid the Con of Quick and Easy Lean March 29, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, lean.Tags: culture, lean
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Lawrence Miller, writing at IndustryWeek, makes the case that lean is a multiyear process more akin to a lifestyle change than a diet. Some lean gurus present lean as if it was a system of quick, painless fixes. Lawrence provides some helpful hints about how to avoid such false promises. Among them, saving money comes at the expense of trimming the workforce. Lawrence also provides some truthful information about lean, including the need for active leadership.
For Lawrence Miller’s informative article, please head here.
Culture vs. Strategy Is A False Choice March 29, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, strategy.Tags: culture, strategy
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According to Bob Frisch at FastCompany, the growing trend in business literature has been that culture is a greater determining factor in success than strategy. But Bob contends that this is a false set of choices. Both matter. Bob provides a number of case examples, including Southwest Airlines. Sure, their workers are friendly, funny, and encouraging, but their strategy of a young fleet and short flights is an important and successful strategy.
To read Bob’s article, please go here.
If Your Company’s Culture Needs A Shot In The Arm, Do The Huddle February 27, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, personal productivity, workforce.Tags: culture, personal productivity, workforce
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A FastCompany article by Eric Ryan reveals that huddles can be a great way to motivate a company. A huddle is a company meeting that keeps everyone connected to the culture and the business. Things like objectives, sales wins, financial challenges, and personal success stories, births, birthdays, and other individual accomplishments are discussed and heralded. This builds trust, communication, and camaraderie between coworkers. Eric also offers some huddle tips, such as allowing a different person to lead the huddle each time.
Check out the rest of Eric’s suggestions here.
So You Want to be a Change Agent: Are You Weird Enough? January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, leadership.Tags: culture, leadership
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Lonnie Wilson, the founder of Quality Consultants, has penned an interesting article over at Industry Week. In it, she discusses how those seeking to change a company must be a mix of two things: different enough to change the company, and credible enough to change the company. A simple, yet logical and credible way of being both, is asking questions about the company’s culture. By asking challenging questions, one can be viewed as both objective and “weird”.
Read Ms. Wilson’s article here.
Sharpen Your Focus by Selecting the Vital Few Breakthrough Objectives with Hoshin Kanri January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, lean.Tags: culture, lean
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Tim McMahon, writing at A Lean Journey, talks about the two kinds of changes that occur: small, incremental changes, and large, dramatic changes. While both matter, sometimes the larger, more dramatic changes are what lead to real breakthroughs.
Check out Mr. McMahon’s informative post here.
How to Change a Culture: Lessons from NUMMI December 19, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in automotive, culture, Lean Thinking, Workplace Design.Tags: automotive, culture, Lean Thinking
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In an excellent article at Sloan Review, John Shook analyzes the joint-GM/Toyota factory endeavor (the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc.) which totally changed the workforce there. The Toyota Production System was employed, getting people to change how they behaved. Training, the way things are done, and organization all influenced a cultural change at the plant. The workforce there wanted to prove they could turn out quality products, so among the changes made was to use the stop-the-line andon process.
For a link to purchase the complete article, head here.
Financial Incentives Won’t Deliver Culture Change December 18, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, workforce.Tags: culture, workforce
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In an interview at IndustryWeek, lean expert and writer Lonnie Wilson explains that cash incentives are not always the best way to handle changing culture. Often, cash incentives are actually short-term fixes, and don’t properly address poor management. Often, finding ways to make work meaningful in order to give workers a sense of accomplishment works far better. An environment to encourage creativity and productivity must be properly maintained.
Check out the IndustryWeek article here.
13 Ways of Looking at a Story June 2, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in change management, culture.Tags: change management, culture
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Mark McGuinness, writing at Lateral Action, provides a list of thirteen ways of looking at a story. A story is a shortcut to the emotional brain, for example, by using passionate language and relating personal experiences to have a profound impact on an audience. A story is like the Trojan Horse –it gets an audience to lower their defense to get a point across. And stories can also be rallying cries for greater causes and action.
This post is especially important for leaders and change agents!
For these and other ways of looking at a story, check out Mr. McGuinnesses’s post here.
That’s the Way We (Used to) Do Things Around Here April 20, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, customer focus.Tags: culture, customer focus
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With a desired endpoint in mind, leaders must transform their company to meet that goal. To do this, people working at the company must change their behavior and their practices. To change culture, ingrained practices of how things were once done must be set aside. But how? A number of case studies are presented in this article. The agriculture company Cargill, for example, sent representatives to its customer industries. One of those companies, a packaged-foods manufacturer, said that Cargill continually sent people out to them who never sought to understand how they used Cargill’s ingredients. By bringing those people together, much more could be offered. Cargill did just that, by having its employees collaborate.
Read more in the Strategy+Business article here.
(Complaining About) Resistance is Futile April 20, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, leadership, workforce.Tags: culture, leadership, workforce
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Mark Graban highlights a common problem on his Lean Blog. He speaks of how leaders complain that their employees are resistant to change. Quoting writer Stephen Parry, Mark explains that resistance to change is due to a lack of leadership. Indeed, he notes, blaming others for lack of change is a convenient excuse. Instead of complaining about resistance, leaders should seek to understand specifically why their employees are resistant.
Check out Mr. Graban’s post here.
Six Questions for Company Transformation April 20, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in change management, culture, workforce.Tags: change management, culture, workforce
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The difference between businesses that have and have not been able to handle the recession of 2008 has been their ability – or inability – to evolve. David Shaner, writing at IndustryWeek, says if you have one last shot at change, do it. If you are going to change, you must first answer six questions. For example, you must be able to answer the question of just whose culture it is that is changing. You must be able to make your people believe that their culture is theirs to own.
Check out Mr. Shaner’s article here.
Learning Zone vs. Comfort Zone April 20, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, personal productivity, workforce.Tags: culture, personal productivity, workforce
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In a guest post on lean thinker Jamie Flinchbaugh’s blog, Shawn Patterson (who manages continuous improvement at DTE Energy) writes about how workers he observed, facing change, consistently seek a return to “normal”, or the comfort zone. But to a company seeking excellence, employees will constantly be challenged in a learning zone that doesn’t always resonate with normality. Mr. Patterson explains that while a good part of the day should be spent within a comfort zone, there should also be a push into the learning zone.
Read his post here.
Individual NFL Player Incentives: Why Are They Necessary? Do They Distort the Game? February 21, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, leadership.Tags: culture, leadership
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Mark Graban over at Lean Blog has taken to analyzing an ESPN discussion about individual NFL player incentives. Some maintain that individual incentives are necessary for performance, but others maintain that they distort play and corrode the intrinsic worth of the game itself (winning and making it to the playoffs).
Check out Mr. Graban’s analysis here.
Managing Risk in the Era of Behavior February 4, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, workforce.Tags: culture, workforce
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In an article at Businessweek, David Greenberg asserts that rules and regulations can hamper risk-taking and corporate culture changing. So averse have leaders been to risk-taking that they have constructed an elaborate system of safety –to avoid catastrophes. But the problem is that such methods take away the risk factor in human behavior. The trick is engendering preferable behavior.
Check out the Bussinessweek article here.
7-½ Steps to Innovation January 22, 2011
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Creativity & Innovation, culture.Tags: Creativity & Innovation, culture
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Because innovation has become such a popular word, Roy Luebke has offered a handful of thoughts about the innovation process. They’re worth taking a look at. For example, doing what is natural to the company. Companies, Mr. Leubke explains, have histories and cultures, and it is important to respect those when solving a customer problem.
Check out Mr. Luebke’s Innovation Weblog article here.
Americans Don’t Have a Clue About How to Save Energy September 24, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, green business.Tags: culture, energy, green
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Ariel Schwartz over at FastCompany has analyzed a study of the energy conservation habits of Americans. The study discovered that most Americans aren’t up to par on their energy saving ideas. For example, 20% of all respondents believed that turning off lights was the best way to save energy. 3.2% believed better appliances meant saving more energy, as well as 2.8% who believed efficient cars meant saving energy. The reason why is because energy conservation isn’t high up on the lists of concerns of most people. Better information delivery would help make people more knowledgeable.
Check out the FastCompany analysis here.
Top 10 Signs You’re in a Fear-Based Workplace September 24, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, workforce.Tags: culture, workforce
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Work drive by fear is harmful and counterproductive. It crushes individual motivation and leads employees to be adverse to risk taking. Mark Graban over at Lean Blog writes about fear-based workplaces, drawing on an article from MSNBC and BusinessWeek. Some of the signs you’re working in a fear-based workplace? Appearances are everything. Numbers rule. Everyone talks about who is rising and falling.
Check out Mr. Graban’s analysis here and the original MSNBC/BusinessWeek article here.
Define Success as Learning, and the Culture Will Follow August 12, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, Lean Thinking, workforce.Tags: culture, Lean Thinking, workforce
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Michael Balle at The Lean Edge talks about success, failure, and learning. Dr. Balle has found that while some people tend to learn naturally, others refuse to do it, despite the consequences. Lean successes are garnered by improving processes in specific ways, and in teaching every person in the process the ability to better understand their work. Dr. Balle states that, over time, this brings about better results. But for this to happen, each person needs to accept that he or she needs to learn.
Check out Dr. Balle’s informative article here.
Innovation and Change: What Are You Afraid Of? July 16, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in change management, culture.Tags: change management, culture
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Mark Swiecichowski over at Innovation Weblog relates how the biggest fear people have is having to change. Self-interestedness in doing things a certain way and responsibilities for specific tasks can lead those needing to change to resent having to change things. Yet Mr. Swiecichowski lays out a brief list of things to keep in mind when overseeing change. Among them, expect resistance, and demonstrate to people why the change needed is better.
Check out Mr. Swiecichowski’s article here.
Act Your Way To A New Culture July 16, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, Lean Thinking.Tags: culture, Lean Thinking
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Jeff Liker over at the Lean Edge explains how there is no structured way to change culture. Trying to change culture directly usually leads to failure. Rather, culture change is outcome –and the process for getting there varies. It depends on things like leadership behavior, and how employees are selected for certain positions. Mr. Liker recounts how, at the Toyota plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, a metrics board noted employee errors. When errors were found, the employees are retrained, and errors are eliminated. Such action depends on active leadership seeking to correct problems, rather than punishing or ignoring errors.
Check out Mr. Liker’s Lean Edge article here.
What Employees Need From Leaders June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, leadership, workforce.Tags: culture, leadership, workforce
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The Arizona branch of Cox Communications, in 2000, was in dire straits financially. Yet today, it is Cox’s most profitable region. The cause of this dramatic turnaround was the product of Steve Rizley. Unlike a traditional leader, Mr. Rizely was transformational –rather than simply exchanging money for labor, Rizely challenged his employees to grow as people. Love and loving, the need to grow, the need to contribute, and the need for meaning –all fulfilled by the relationship between the leader and employees –yield incredible results.
Check out the Harvard Business Review Article over at Bloomberg Businessweek
Continuous Improvement June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, Lean Thinking, workforce.Tags: culture, Lean Thinking, workforce
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Lee Fried once visited a company where everyday, the leaders shut down production for a 30-minute improvement session. What Mr. Fried thought was continuous improvement in action was revealed by the leaders as their company just beginning continuous improvement in their process. Continuous improvement, it was explained, could only be achieved when improving the process was no different than completing the process task.
For Mr. Fried’s reflections on the experience, check out his blog post here.
Toyota From the Inside? June 18, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, Lean Thinking, workforce.Tags: culture, Lean Thinking, workforce
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A book published in 2008, called “One Team on All Levels: The Story of the Toyota Team Members” –written by Toyota employees –collects together stories of leadership, teamwork, values, and principles. Michael Sinocchi at Lean Insider finds it to be a vastly interesting book, because unlike other studies of Toyota, this account is not analytical or explanatory. What is more, the profits from the book go to a fund aimed at helping Toyota employees in need.
Check out Mr. Sinocchi’s Lean Insider post here.
The Emerging Importance of Nemawashi by Connor Shea March 23, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, Lean Thinking.Tags: culture, Lean Thinking
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The Japanese term “nemawashi” translates as “preparing the soil for planting a tree.” In other words, options are considered, decisions are made slowly, with input and consensus, and then implemented. Nemawashi was written about by Jeff Liker in his book, The Toyota Way, and others have written about it, as well. Consensus is important. Connor Shea, at Daily Kaizen, notes that the inability of an organization to make common an understanding of a problem failed to create a consensus against the problem –something sometimes learned much too slowly.
Check out Mr. Shea’s excellent article here.
Is THIS Lean Process Improvement? March 23, 2010
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, leadership, Lean Thinking.Tags: culture, leadership, Lean Thinking
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In the past, efficiency and the old Taylorist approach involved a separation between thinking and working. Managers or supervisors hovered above workers, studying and planning. Lean, says Mark Graban at Lean Blog, is “about engaging the people who do the work.” NPR hosted a guest who hinted that he was a lean expert, but never actually said it. He informed the listening audience that he was sent to study things with a stopwatch and find out ways to save money, and then changes were made without consulting the workers. The NPR guest said at one point that he was physically threatened for moving a desk. Hardly sounds like the reaction a true advocate who understands the heart of lean would get! What do you think?
Check out Mark’s thoughts here.
