Daily Lean Tips Edition #62 (931-945)

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Lean Tip #931 - Silos Can Kill Your Business.

Silo mentality is a mindset present when certain departments or sectors do not wish to share information with others in the same company. This type of mentality will reduce efficiency in the overall operation, reduce morale, and may contribute to the demise of a productive company culture. Silos are seen as a growing pain for organizations of all sizes. Wherever it’s found, a silo mentality becomes synonymous with power struggles, lack of cooperation, and loss of productivity.

Lean Tip #932 - Use Collaboration as an Organizational Change Strategy.

Regardless of how creative, smart and savvy a leader may be, he or she can’t transform an organization, a department or a team without the brain power and commitment of others. Whether the change involves creating new products, services, processes – or a total reinvention of how the organization must look, operate, and position itself for the future – success dictates that the individuals impacted by change be involved in the change from the very beginning.

Lean Tip #933 - Focus on Building Trust.

Trust is the belief or confidence that one party has in the reliability, integrity and honesty of another party. It is the expectation that the faith one places in someone else will be honored. It is also the glue that holds together any group. Leaders demonstrate their trust in employees by the open, candid, and ongoing communication that is the foundation of informed collaboration.

Lean Tip #934 – Help Your Team See the “Big Picture.”

Take time to explain to your team how their work and projects fit into the company’s larger goals and overall objectives. This will help demonstrate that every task they complete can have an impact on the company’s reputation, success, and bottom line.

Lean Tip #935 - Create an Environment of Constant Learning and Development – and Include Yourself in this Process.

Encourage your team to explore new methods for reaching their individual goals and those set by the company. Allow them to make – and learn from – mistakes and be sure to reward new and innovative ideas. Accept that you still have much to learn. Be prepared to learn from others.

Lean Tip #936 - Use a Consistent Approach for Projects.

A consistent and structured approach for project identification and execution will provide the organization with the ability to identify, select, and manage continuous improvement projects. The continuous improvement project process should also provide post-closing process steps to continually refine the improvement project methodology and to act upon the lessons learn from the project effort.

Lean Tip #937 - Facilitate Process-Centric Thinking.

Process-centric thinking does not have to be overly complex. Sometimes, all it takes is a thoughtful examination to uncover significant areas for improvement. Rather than tolerating mistakes and repeat errors, facilitate process-centric thinking to continually improve, correct, and overcome execution difficulties.

Lean Tip #938 – Educate Your Employees

Like any business strategy, ongoing education of the workplace is critical in establishing awareness, developing skills, and institutionalizing the needed mindset and behaviors to bring about effective change. It is no different with Continuous Improvement. Expect and overcome resistance to change with ongoing training, reinforcement of expected behaviors, and recognition of those who are learning and doing.

Lean Tip #939 - Establish an Enduring Culture.

For continuous improvement to work, there must be a relentless focus on and commitment to getting things right. Adaptability and an action oriented leadership team are inherent components of a continuous improvement culture. Resistance to change exists in all organizations to a degree and it must be recognized for what it is, an impediment to improvement.

Lean Tip #940 - Ensure a Penalty-Free Exchange of Ideas.

In many organizations, expressing one's opinion on how to do things better may not necessarily be a welcomed activity. Management can feel threatened or pressured to act resulting in immediate resistances. And, those expressing ideas may be viewed as complainers or trouble makers. In such an environment, it doesn't take long for the potential risks of making a suggestion to stifle enthusiasm and participation in improvement oriented thinking. Ensuring a penalty-free exchange of ideas is beneficial to both the giver and the receiver of new ideas and approaches and will ensure a safe two way exchange of thoughts and ideas.

Lean Tip #941 - Promote a Culture of Learning.

In today’s fast-paced economy, if a business isn’t learning, it’s going to fall behind. A business learns as its people learn. Communicate your expectations that all employees should take the necessary steps to hone their skills and stay on top of their professions or fields of work. Make sure you support those efforts by providing the resources needed to accomplish this goal.

Lean Tip #942 - Apply Learning Straightaway

If you are planning on training employees in a certain skillset that will not be used until a later date you run the risk of wasting your time and funds. Failing to apply what you have learned in the immediately future could result in the loss of retention of that information. Save those skills training classes until you are ready to implement them.

Lean Tip #943 - Analyze The Skills That You Want Your Employees To Develop.

Cross training employees on any aspect will not work since some disciplines and skills are suitable for specific types of people. Hence, you need to analyze your employees’ core skills and search for any related skills to form groups of compatible training within a range of genres. This way, your employees will be able to apply what they have learned from the training provided to them.

Lean Tip #944 – When Training Employees Focus on Results.

In many companies, the training and development processes aren’t aimed at producing targeted results. A certain training program may seem like a good idea, but without defined expectations, measurable results will be impossible to achieve. Clearly consider and define how you’re going to get a return on your investment by analyzing your company’s needs before starting the training process.

Lean Tip #945 – Find the Right Trainers

There are plenty of adequate trainers out there, but it’s up to you to find one who can help you achieve your specific business goals. A trainer’s resume may seem impressive, but their style of training is much more important than a piece of paper. If they can’t transfer knowledge in a fun, practical manner, they’re probably not a good fit.