Lean Tips Edition #312 (#3706 - #3720)

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Lean Tip #3706 – Appoint a Strong Team Leader

A team has no direction without an elected leader. It is vital that this person is efficient and switched on when it comes to delegating tasks to the appropriate team members.

Leaders of effective teams will also prioritize team goals over individual goals, ensuring the whole team is committed to getting the job done. Finally, they must be capable of showing direction and increasing the morale of the team.

Lean Tip #3707 – Foster Open Communication

Encouraging team members to be forthcoming with their ideas and concerns is very important for the success of the team. 

When team members feel that they can freely contribute ideas, there is more scope for creativity and innovation. It is also important to establish two-way communication of information between both the members within the team, as well as between team members and their manager. This ensures that everyone is always appropriately informed and no topics of conversation are avoided.

Team members should also feel comfortable to address concerns and issues with the team. When different points of view exist, being able to resolve conflict positively is enormously productive, and a hallmark of effective teams.

Lean Tip #3708 – Be Willing to Help Others

In a team project, although you are assigned personal tasks you must remember that your overall goal is to contribute to completing the project. This, therefore, means that if you have finished your workload, you must be willing to help out where needed. This may mean contributing to tasks that are perhaps below your level or outside your usual responsibilities, but the overall goal must be kept in mind.

Lean Tip #3709 – Set Common Goals

Each team will be comprised of people with diverse backgrounds and skillsets. It is therefore important to set common goals in which the team is working towards so that the focus always remains on the finished product. 

Each team member must understand that personal goals must be set aside and team goals must remain a focus throughout the project. As the well-known saying goes, ‘There is no I in team’. If conflicts arise, refer back to these original goals and make decisions with a primary focus on them. 

Lean Tip #3710 – Leaders Must Follow Through on Teamwork 

Employees will lose their motivation to work together if nothing ever comes from their efforts. It’s not enough to simply foster a creative environment. You need to take the good ideas your team generates and actually follow through with them. After all, the whole point of developing ideas and setting goals is to actually achieve them. 

Follow-through is vital for other aspects of teamwork as well. For example, if a team member raises concerns about a lack of team cohesion and expresses difficulty collaborating due to technological barriers, leadership should take those issues seriously and course-correct. Employees will be less inclined to work together if leaders only discuss collaboration in theory and don’t ensure it’s possible in practice.

Lean Tip #3711 – Change Requires Transparency

One of the tricky parts about organizational change is that it will often arrive in phases, or will involve a level of confidentiality on the part of the management team or certain individuals. However, especially when the change will be a major one, it's helpful to be as transparent as possible with your employees. Even if you can't give them a full, detailed plan, being upfront about the pieces you can share (and clearly explaining their impact) will go a long way towards helping your staff feel more comfortable.

Lean Tip #3712 – Tell the Truth About Challenging Circumstances

This is an easy rule to follow when the change in question is positive; when the change is in response to challenging circumstances or will result in short-term negative outcomes, this becomes trickier. However, being honest with your staff to the extent that you're able to is usually the best route: sugarcoating, presenting things in an overly optimistic way, and promising unrealistic outcomes will just make your staff suspicious and distrustful of your motives. While it's important, as a manager, to present an optimistic front to your team, do so in a way that acknowledges potential challenges and drawbacks.

Lean Tip #3713 – Invite Participation and Provide Training

Although this won't always be possible, giving employees the opportunity to participate in or give feedback on decisions can be a really positive change management strategy. Employees will be grateful for the chance to make their voices heard, and it can also be a great way to get different perspectives and understand impacts you might not have thought of otherwise.

When the change involves shifts in technologies or processes, provide adequate training for your employees to help them master the new way of doing things. And make sure that you convey that this training will be available when the change is announced, so as to avoid employees feeling like they'll be left behind due to lack of skill or experience.

Lean Tip #3714 – Don't Expect to Implement Change Overnight

A longer, more strategic rollout is almost always the best option, rather than a hasty shift in direction. Not only will you give your employees a chance to adjust to the change, you'll be able to answer questions and address any issues well in advance of the change going into place. Additionally, people are generally slow to adopt new habits, so this will give your staff a chance to familiarize themselves with the new way of doing things and gradually phase out old practices in a more natural way.

Lean Tip #3715 – Demonstrate Strong Leadership

Once the change process is in motion, it's important to maintain consistent oversight over implementation and rollout to ensure that things go smoothly and that you'll ultimately be successful. Keep a close eye on potential problems, and address any issues in a timely manner. Define metrics to measure success, and continually monitor them to make sure that you're staying on track. And continually touch base with key stakeholders to gauge their perceptions and get any relevant feedback.

Above all else, remember to go back to basics and focus on maintaining and exemplifying the qualities of a great leader. Inspire your team; demonstrate strategic thinking, be open-minded and flexible, and show your team that they can depend on you to have their best interests at heart. A strong leader can help their team weather the storms of change with confidence and clear-sightedness, no matter how challenging they might be.

Lean Tip #3716 – Leader Should Focus on Optimism

The most admired leaders are known for their optimistic outlook. They can stay positive in the face of adversity, and they genuinely believe that the organization will continue to improve over time.

While optimistic leaders can look on the bright side, it's important to note that they do not necessarily ignore negative experiences or frustrating setbacks. They acknowledge these situations, but they can look at them through a positive lens. They recognize a challenge but view it as an opportunity to grow and improve.

As an optimistic leader, you can inspire your team to adopt a more positive outlook and focus on the best aspects of any situation.

Lean Tip #3717 – Decision-making is a Critical Component of Great Leadership

Decision-making is a critical component of great leadership, and the best leaders can swiftly make clear and fair decisions. The fact of the matter is when you are in a leadership position, your team is relying on you. You are the person that they look to for guidance. As a result, they expect you to be able to make a decision that will benefit the team and allow the group to accomplish organizational goals in the shortest amount of time.

Those who have honed other leadership qualities, such as integrity, trust, and courage, are generally better leaders and decision-makers who feel more confident as they make choices for their organization.

Lean Tip #3718 – Integrity is One of Most Critical Leadership Qualities

A leader with integrity is honest and relies on their own moral compass and values to make decisions for the organization. An individual with a strong sense of integrity is motivated to do what is right simply because it is right. They will make that same decision whether they have an audience in public or whether they are working in private.

People known for having integrity are also generally considered to be respectful, approachable, fair, honest, and trustworthy, which is another reason why it is essential for truly effective, strong leadership.

Lean Tip #3719 – Transparency Instills Confidence in the Team

Transparency has long been an important aspect of leadership. A transparent leader makes decisions without secrecy and is willing to explain why a specific plan has been put into place. In addition, a transparent leader is willing to accept feedback from those around them and take the actions needed to adapt accordingly.

Transparency instills confidence in the team at large, as they know why certain decisions have been made and what the plan is for moving forward. When you try to be transparent, you are more likely to earn the trust and respect of those working under you.

Lean Tip #3720 – Resilient Leaders Adapt to Challenges

Resilience is one of the most essential leadership qualities for those who aim to navigate challenges successfully. A resilient leader stays determined and optimistic in the face of setbacks, adapting to changes and leading their team through difficult times.

Demonstrating resilience, a leader shows their team that challenges are opportunities for growth as opposed to reasons to give up. This attitude helps to maintain team morale and keeps everyone focused on long-term organizational goals, even during periods of uncertainty. Resilient leaders inspire their teams to be strong, resourceful, and adaptable — qualities that are key to overcoming obstacles and achieving success.

Five Factors for Managing Productive Change

For virtually everyone change means hard work, risk, and the need to learn new ways for unproven benefits. Change is one of the most difficult things for humans to readily accept. Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change” which holds true for culture change.

Fortunately, there is a formula that provides insight into how to successfully facilitate change:

Where:

V = Vision: How you would like things to be in the future, this is the “True North” thinking.

S = Skills: Learn the skills necessary to facilitate the change. Find a change agent. Understand and disseminate the lean knowledge.

I = Incentive: Communicate the why and how of the vision to inspire people to want to try to achieve it. As you gain momentum you need to expand your scope. Apply strategy deployment (Hoshin Kanri) to facilitate horizontal and vertical alignment.

R = Resources: Change cannot occur unless the proper resources (like time and tools) are provided. Dedicate time and allocate budget necessary to focus on process improvement and implement suggestions for improvement. 

AP = Action Plan: Actions and strategies needed to move the organization toward the vision. It is important to begin as soon as possible with visible activity. Often, a great start is to identify and map your value streams.

All these elements are needed for a productive change. If an element is missing you won’t get change but rather something short of that as shown below:

When you lack the vision part of this five-factor model, you create confusion for people throughout the organization.

When you lack the skills part of this five-factor model, you create anxiety for people throughout the organization.

When you lack the incentives part of this five-factor model, you create resistance throughout the organization.

When you lack the resources part of this five-factor model, you create frustration throughout the organization.

If you lack the action plan part of this five-factor model, you create false starts throughout the organization.

To ensure a successful change it is necessary to use influence and strategic thinking in order to create vision and identify those crucial, early steps towards it. In addition, the organization must recognize and accept the dissatisfaction that exists by listening to the employee voice while sharing industry trends, leadership ideas, best practices and competitor analysis to identify the necessity for change.

There is no quick solution for creating a lean culture. You will only succeed if you have a clear vision, the necessary skills, motivated employees, vital resources, and a solid action plan.

Lean Quote: Appreciation Can Make a Day, Just Remember to Thank You

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary."  — Margaret Cousins

If you want your employees to be happy and productive, you need to give them recognition for a job well done and let them know their work is appreciated and important. In a workplace committed to creating an attitude of gratitude and employee recognition on a daily basis.

Research has shown that recognition and appreciation is the top driver of employee engagement. Perhaps it seems elementary, but if you want employees who are fully engaged, you need to ensure they are recognized when they do great work and that they know you appreciate their contributions to the organization. Motivated employees do a better job of serving customers well. Happy customers buy more products and are committed to using your services. More customers buying more products and services increases your company's profitability and success.

Thank you may be among the first words, our parents teach us, but as we get older we seem to forget how to say them. Many managers usually recognize the major achievements--they celebrate the completion of a successful project; they honor an employee of the month. But how often do managers recognize the little steps their employees complete along the way?

Employees need to be thanked…a lot. So says “guru of thank you” Bob Nelson, author of the bestselling 1001 Ways to Reward Employees—and he should know. Bob said, “The number one reason people leave their jobs today is that they don’t feel recognized for the job they’re doing.” We have all heard the adage “you get what you reward.” So if what you want is more outstanding work from an employee, say thank you the very next time that employee performs an iota of outstanding work.

The best recognition is thoughtful, happens daily, and has a personal touch. Even better, it's usually free.  Demonstrate appreciation!  Write a note, take them to lunch, acknowledge the work in a staff meeting…whatever seems right.  Just remember to say thank you.

Lean Roundup #189 – February 2025

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of February 2025.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.  

 

Getting the Right Things Done in a Digital World – Pascal Dennis shares his learnings from Lean innovation and mindsets in Tech startups and what it means for progressive organizations around the world.

 

Where Should We Start With Lean? - Alen Ganic explains if you’re considering Lean for your organization, start by securing leadership buy-in and making sure everyone understands why it matters then Lean tools will help you solve real problems, sustain improvements, and drive meaningful change.

 

Why Is So Important for Managers to Listen! – Christoph Roser says listening to your operators and employees is an undervalued but very beneficial skill that will help you to improve your system.

 

All Unit Tests Passed – Christopher Chapman discusses an anti-pattern in software development that happens when automated tests are engineered to pass in spite of the product not working as the customer expects.

 

Assuming Your Team Doesn’t Care? Think Again. – Katie Anderson says it’s time to challenge your assumptions about your employees and examine how your limiting beliefs are leading to missed opportunities to build a more engaged and innovative team.

 

Building Operational Excellence Culture – Maggie Millard outlines the essential leadership behaviors for building and sustaining an operational excellence culture.

 

Whose Fault Is It Anyway? The Case for Learning Over Blaming – Mark Graban explains mistakes should lead us to reflection and positive change–it's about building trust, fostering innovation, and creating a workplace where people feel empowered to learn and grow.

 

How Internal Politics Kill Lean Transformations—And What to Do About It – Damon Baker talks about why organizations can’t get out of their own way—and what it takes to finally break free.

10 Ways to Boost Empowerment in the Workplace

An empowered workforce is something that is highly desirable in an improvement culture. Your employees are the backbone of your business. Empowering your employees will help ensure they remain engaged, and willing to perform to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, just because we want it, it doesn't make it so.

Empowering your employees involves providing them with a level of trust as well as permission to make certain decisions on their own, in order to fulfill their responsibilities within your organization and to further your company’s goals. Empowered employees are more confident in their role within the company as well as their longevity with your organization. This increases motivation and productivity – it can also help lower turnover. An employee who feels empowered in their role tends to be more satisfied in their position and more loyal to their employer.

Leaders of the organization must create the conditions for empowerment.  Here are 10 ways to boost empowerment in your workplace:

1. Be clear in your communication. When you express goals or explain projects, be sure the employees really understand what you are asking for. If the goals are unclear then the employees are not sure what they are being asked to do.

2. Eliminate barriers, restrictions and layers of protocol. The more steps, individuals, policies and departments employees have to work through to get results, the more frustrating and disempowering things actually are. Use cross-training, multi-department teams and projects, and trainings to help break down the boundaries and barriers that may exist between employees and departments.

3. Allow employees to suggest better ways of getting their jobs done. Ask for employee suggestions for other ways of getting the task or project accomplished. Listen and be willing to really hear the employees' comments. Employees hate to have no input and be told exactly how to perform their jobs, leaving no creativity.

4. Show you have trust in your employees. Allow them to make mistakes as a form of learning. Show that it is really OK to make mistakes. Trust that people have the right intentions and will make the right decisions, even if they are different than your own. Let them know you really support their decisions.

5. Encourage and reward improvement and innovation. Employees may be afraid to offer insight and new ways of doing things because the company culture doesn't support them. If you really want to empower employees, you'll need to create a company culture that encourages and rewards innovation. You may start by asking individuals to look for ways to improve efficiency, output, safety, etc. in the tasks they perform every day.

6. Listen. Listen. Listen. Do you do most of the talking? Be open to communication and ask your employees questions. They can demonstrate what they know and grow in the process.

7. Share leadership's vision. Help people feel they are a part of something bigger than themselves or their job by sharing your company's overall vision. Tell your employees the most important goals for your organization and let them know of the progress towards those goals

8. Allow employees to actively participate in team and company goals.  Look for every opportunity to include employees at every level of the organization, in being active participants. Employees can't be involved with one-way directives.

9. Be a coach. The best way to empower employees is not to manage them. Coach them to success. This is a process of developing their skills and providing them specific feedback to meet high standards. Employees want to be on the same team with their bosses. Be their coach and lead the team to success!

10. Communication. The key to empowerment is communication. Give every employee equal and direct access to information. Many companies have developed a trickle-down style of communication that alienates those employees who may not be "in the loop." The more informed employees are and the more communication is open, honest, direct and complete, the more likely employees are to feel empowered and connected to the daily operations and overall goals of their company.

Employee empowerment is at heart of any transformative journey—an essential element of today’s dynamic workplace culture. By entrusting employees with authority, resources, and responsibility, organizations unleash their full potential, inspiring them to take bold initiatives and make impactful decisions.

Empowerment takes time. Empowerment requires patience as we help develop and advance people’s skills. Empowerment means turning your stakeholders into shareholders by allowing them to take ownership and invest in the vision.

Lean Quote: What Gets Recognized Gets Done Again, and Even Better

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"What gets measured, gets done. And what gets recognized gets done again, and even better."  — Robert Crawford

Data, metric, measures, assessments, evaluations, scorecards, progress reports… Many of us have been faced with a whole host of measurement opportunities. Seems like some of the performance measurements are moving targets that we seldom hit. Some measurement processes come and go like fog. I shared the quote from Peter Drucker last week: “What gets measured gets managed.” Are we measuring what really matters?

We should be very careful about what gets measured. Albert Einstein reportedly had a sign on his office wall that stated: “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”

“Without a standard, there is no logical basis for making a decision or taking action,” according to Joseph Juran. As we consider what to measure, we must have a standard or a goal to attain. We must measure current performance as compared to that standard and take intelligent, consistent actions (standardized work) to eliminate problems. But what we measure must be important to both the business and those who directly and indirectly impact what is being measured. Keep in mind when something is measured but it isn’t important, it probably won’t get done.

Measure the wrong things and you will likely get the wrong behaviors. Improving performance, in most cases, means changing the behaviors of those who operate and maintain, those who budget and control, those who design and install our equipment and facilities. When we look at changing behaviors, we must always consider the people who must do things differently. Do they have the skills and ability to change? Do the rewards and recognition processes encourage and reinforce the desired behavior changes?

Robert Crawford’s quote “What gets measured, gets done. And what gets recognized gets done again, and even better.” speaks to sustainable gains in performance improvement through behavior change. We should remember that “measuring things” is not about the numbers but rather about guiding and monitoring improvement toward a measurable, observable goal. It is about understanding the cause and effects of problematic performance as well as successes and then leading human performance improvement in our organizations. It’s a known fact: Our equipment and facilities will deteriorate without proper, timely and intelligent, human intervention.

Foster a Culture of Accountability in a Lean Organization

Lean leadership emphasizes a culture of accountability where individuals and teams are empowered to take ownership of their actions and outcomes. This fosters a continuous improvement mindset within the organization, driving efficiency and effectiveness.

Lean management is a leadership approach that supports continuous improvement through collaborative problem solving. Rather than leading from the top down, Lean managers strive to actively engage their teams in the improvement process in order to promote personal and organizational success.

The basic components of Lean management are:

• Standard work (SW). Tasks are broken into a series of steps that are followed by all team members. Standard work is continuously adjusted to decrease waste and add value until a state of perfection is reached.
• Visual controls. Team members have an opportunity to track their own performance in real time and adjust.
• Daily accountability process. The group comes together to review progress, refine processes and chart next steps.

Daily accountability throughout the organization, especially at the leadership levels, is the key to sustained transformation. Here are four reasons why accountability is so important to Lean management.

Accountability Builds Trust

Perhaps the most important result of accountability is trust, which is essential in any relationship.  Being accountable to something means that you’re willing to make commitments and be responsible for your own actions. This promotes trust between you and the people around you. When you allow yourself to be accountable to this trust, you’re effectively telling people that you’re going to admit it and make amends when the trust is broken.  In effect, you’re emphasizing how important and committed you are to the strategy.

Accountability Improves Performance

Accountability eliminates the time and effort you spend on distracting activities and other unproductive behavior. Research shows that some people have the tendency to engage in ineffective behavior. Without accountability, you may only catch these behaviors when mistakes and errors have already been made and your organization has already suffered the loss. By building a culture of accountability on the onset, you rid your organization of ineffective behavior, put the right people on the right jobs, and send the message that you’re serious about excellent work.

Accountability Promotes Ownership

When you make people accountable for their actions, you’re effectively teaching them to value their work.  Through positive feedback and corrective actions, they learn that their behavior and actions have an impact on the team. They’re not just floating members without clear roles to play – they’re important to your organization. When people know that they’re valued and important, they’re more driven to work hard. They learn to have a sense of ownership in what they do.

Accountability Inspires Confidence

When done right, accountability can increase your team members’ skills and confidence. Don’t mistake accountability for controlling behavior. The key is to provide the right support – give constructive feedback, improve on your members’ suggestions, give them freedom to decide, and challenge them to think of better solutions as a team.  When people know that you’re listening and concerned about their performance, they’re more likely to step up and do their best.

Given these reasons, it’s important that you build a culture of accountability from the start.  Remember that accountability is building a culture of trust and not fear.  Your goal is not to punish and look for errors and mistakes. Instead, you seek to open multiple feedback mechanisms, fill in gaps, improve on solutions, reward productive behavior, and remove unproductive ones. As a leader, you yourself should hold yourself to the highest level of accountability.