KAIZEN

People hold Kaizen events to move a particular problem along quickly. As I had mentioned in a previous post, I had mentioned the importance of having a good project management scheme intact to accelerate the implementation and/or execution. However, what makes certain types of companies good at implementation or for that matter, even certain individuals? Franklin Covey in their 4 Disciplines of Execution course does a great outline of the basic structure need for execution.executioner 1

Discipline 1: Focus on the Wildly Important (Their Thinking – A goal that makes all the difference. Failure to achieve this goal renders any of our other achievements inconsequential.)

Discipline 2: Create a Compelling Scorecard (Their thinking – You are not really serious about the goal until we start keeping score.)

Discipline 3: Translate Lofty Goals into Specific Actions (Their Thinking – Goals will never be achieved until everyone on the team knows exactly what they’re supposed to do about them.)

Discipline 4: Hold Each other Accountable – All the time. (Maintaining commitment to the goal requires frequent team engagement and accountability.)

This is one of the best descriptions of how an execution system should be developed that I have come across. However, the one quality that I have found in successful organizations that can implement a new process is a company that is already committed to continuous improvement.

Continuous improvement companies understand that not everything is right to begin with, it is just the beginning. They realize market conditions, new information that is uncovered, external and internal conditions will all affect the process of implementation. They are not looking for perfection. They know that it will come in time. These types of companies are very adaptable and seek to improve the process in small loops or in mini-PDCA cycles.

As you develop, your Kaizen plan, make sure that you look at two deliverables. One of course is the project or the problem that you defined. The other is the process. If you look and separate the process from the product, it will be much easier to make decisions. It also will allow you to continuously improve the process you use for future Kaizen events.

When holding a Kaizen Event have you ever really taken the time to think thru the event and how you will hold people’s interest and more importantly how you will get them engaged? Managers may think that everyone has the same level of interest and are willing to participate and share openly. I think that is what separates the professional facilitator from the average manager; the ability to engage in conversation with the entire team. Without doing this you may leave the best idea lying on the table, never to surface and be implemented.

I believe the best way to get the team engaged is by delivering a “Holy Shit” moment. That’s right, don’t try to loosen them up with small talk or a joke but go right for the throat and bring importance to why they are there. If you can, wheel in the issue, show why the improvement has to be made but do it in a visual manner. Maybe, even start the event at Gemba or maybe even downstream from that. Add some realism to the problem by bringing in several customers to describe how they interpret or how the problem affected them. You need to set the stage, before Act 1 is over, you want everyone on the team to be muttering; “Holy Shit.”

The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience

Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations

The Back of the Napkin (Expanded Edition): Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures
Another great resource I would recommend is Patrick Lencioni Death by Meeting: A Leadership Fable…About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business and Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators.