Lean Tips Edition #314 (#3736 - #3750)

For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips.  It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey.  Another great reason to like A Lean Journey on Facebook.

Click this link for A Lean Journey's Facebook Page Notes Feed.

Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:

Lean Tip #3736 – Help Leaders Recognize their Impact

Being a leader today is high stakes. Managers have a bigger impact on their employees than many of us even realize, so it’s important to help leaders truly understand how much they influence their teams. (Managers are responsible for 70% of the variance in employee engagement, after all!)

When managers feel like they’re a part of an organization that truly understands them, they’re more likely to do their best work. In fact, according to Great Place to Work, people are three times more likely to look forward to coming to work when they feel heard.

Lean Tip #3737 – Turn Employees into High-performing Leaders

Creating opportunities for people to lead projects, initiatives, and workstreams is a great way to develop an employee’s leadership mindset before promoting them into a management position. This gives employees a taste of what it’s like to be accountable for something that impacts and involves others within the safety of their current roles.

To encourage your employees' growth as leaders:

• Give them opportunities to try new things (and fail).
• Be patient with them when they make mistakes; this will help develop empathy within your organization as well as provide valuable lessons learned for future projects/initiatives/etc.

By creating opportunities for people to lead within your organization and empowering them to succeed, you can help them build confidence in their leadership abilities—making them all the more ready to step up into management roles when the time comes. 

Lean Tip #3738 – Provide Ongoing Feedback

Before you can correct and teach others in a meaningful way you need to build a relationship.

The second way to develop leaders within your team is to provide ongoing feedback. But don't just deliver feedback; make sure that you are giving feedback in a way that helps the employee grow and learn from their experiences, while also making them feel respected.

Feedback is an important part of growing as an individual, but oftentimes we only offer feedback when there is a problem.

When we offer constructive criticism we can come across as harsh or unsympathetic. When providing feedback, try not to focus on what the person did wrong—instead focus on their impact and how they could improve.

Lean Tip #3739 – Give Your Employees the Tools to Make their Own Decisions

Equipping team members with tools and frameworks is a great way to set them up to win. As we mentioned above, starting with a mindset adjustment is crucial. But tools are a great way to ensure employees maintain the momentum and keep applying an outward mindset at work.

Using tried and true leadership tools, you can give employees the freedom to make their own decisions while also ensuring they’re adhering to a framework that’s proven to be effective. This gives them more flexibility to problem solve on their own while also evaluating other factors like their impact on others.

The skill of developing accountable people is the most important skill a leader can learn. If we have to hold people accountable, then our people are not being accountable.

Lean Tip #3740 – Invest in Leadership Development and Training

Training and development are important for all teams, but it's especially crucial for leaders. In fact, research suggests that an investment in leadership mindset development can result in a 25% improvement in business outcomes. If you want your team members to grow into effective managers that can make a real impact in your organization, they need to know how to empower others, boost performance, and navigate challenging situations.

Leadership requires a unique set of skills that can be sharpened through training and coaching. Truly effective leadership training will unlock a new level of self-awareness in your team members, helping them to be more effective and empathetic managers. This training and coaching prepares them to tackle the range of challenges and situations they face daily.

Lean Tip #3741 – Emphasize a Personal Understanding of the Philosophy of Kaizen Across All Levels of the Organization.

Instilling an understanding of kaizen as a long-term practice, rather than a management initiative, is important in order to sustain continuous improvement. Continuous improvement is as much about mindset as it is about actions.

Making sure your employees understand the history and philosophy of kaizen will help sustain a culture of continuous improvement that permeates the company. Building a company culture with a steady focus on improvement is critical to maintaining momentum in your kaizen efforts.

Lean Tip #3742 – Document Your Process and Performance Before and After Improvements Have Been Implemented.

In kaizen, it’s important to “speak with data and manage with facts.” In order to evaluate improvements objectively, existing procedures must be standardized and documented. Mapping the process’s initial state can help you identify wastes and areas for improvement and provide a benchmark for improvement. 

Measuring performance against existing benchmarks allows you to demonstrate ROI from your kaizen efforts and keep the company aligned around improvement. It also allows you to identify areas where your efforts are working–or not–so you can make strategic decisions about future improvements. 

In order to measure performance objectively, you should identify metrics that quantify improvements. These may include metrics revolving around quality, cost, resource utilization, customer satisfaction, space utilization, staff efficiency, and other KPIs. 

Lean Tip #3743 – Standardize Work for Improvement to Last 

In order for improvements to last, they must be standardized and repeatable. Standardizing work is crucial to kaizen because it creates a baseline for improvement. When you make improvements to a process, it’s essential to document the new standard work in order to sustain improvements and create a new baseline. Standard work also reduces variability in processes and promotes discipline, which is essential for continuous improvement efforts to take root. 

Lean Tip #3744 – Create Your Own Kaizen Guidelines 

While there are many resources available to guide you through your kaizen efforts, it’s important to personally understand your company’s kaizen journey. Reflecting on your kaizen efforts after improvements have been implemented is an important part of the continuous improvement cycle. 

As you reflect on your efforts, develop your own kaizen guidelines. Start by creating guidelines based on your own experiences improving the workplace. Keep in mind that these guidelines should be for your colleagues, your successors, and yourself to understand the problems you have overcome. These guidelines will ultimately help you as you approach your next challenge. 

Lean Tip #3745 – Enforce Improvements

It’s easy for employees to regress to their old ways. Enforcing the changes you’ve made to your processes is important for the improvements you’ve made to last, and it’s key to sustaining continuous improvement in the long term. 

Documenting improvements, making sure standard work is up-to-date, and training employees on new procedures can help sustain the progress you’ve made in your continuous improvement efforts.

Lean Tip #3746 – Engage the Full Team to Find Improvement Opportunities

Continuous improvement in a facility is almost never going to be made by a single person. This is why you need to have the entire team involved. This starts with the CEO and leadership team and goes all the way to the front line employees. By creating a teamwork environment where everyone is working together to ensure ongoing improvement you will be much more successful in the long run. 

Even when employees propose an unrealistic idea it should still be seen as a positive step. Taking all ideas seriously and trying to find ways to implement them if practical can allow employees to have the confidence in the management team that they need to want to bring new ideas up to the team. 

Lean Tip #3747 – Know Your Processes 

You can’t make improvements on something if you don’t really know what is going on with it. This is why you should have a clear understanding of everything that is happening in the facility. A great strategy for this is to employ value stream mapping. This will help you pinpoint where all the value for your products is added so that you can eliminate any waste that is involved.

Keeping your value stream and process maps updated and accurate is important. Every time a change is made to an area, for example, make sure you know how it is impacting the value add to that area. This will ensure you are always evaluating an accurate portrayal of your facility so you can make the needed improvements on an ongoing basis. 

Lean Tip #3748 – Never Give Up 

Whenever thinking about Kaizen continuous improvement you need to recognize that the ‘continuous’ part of the strategy is extremely important. This is a strategy that should be implemented as soon as possible and then continued indefinitely into the future. As soon as one improvement is made, it is time to start looking at what the next improvement opportunity will be.

It is also important to remember that there will be failures along the way. Some ideas will be tried and found to not produce the results that are needed. When this happens make sure you and your team don’t get discouraged or give up. Instead, start the process of finding and implementing improvements over and you’ll soon achieve the results you were hoping for.

Lean Tip #3749 – Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

The Kaizen philosophy has been around for quite some time and it has been used by thousands of companies. Over this period of time there have been many ideas developed to help facilitate a successful Kaizen environment. If you come up with an idea on improving your facility, take a moment to see if other companies have done something similar and had success with it.

You can learn about what they did and how it worked so you can take these ideas and implement them in your own facility. Even if the concept is not identical to your situation, you can build off of proven ideas in order to streamline the implementation for your facility. Building on the success of others is far more efficient than trying to come up with everything on your own.

There are many resources where you can learn about ways that people in your industry have eliminated waste and improved efficiency. Whether it is trade magazines, conferences, company websites or any other resource, you can learn a lot from how other facilities.

Lean Tip #3750 – Always Think Long Term

In Kaizen, always thinking long-term means focusing on sustainable, incremental improvements that build towards significant long-term gains, rather than seeking quick fixes or short-term gains.

Instead of trying to fix a bottleneck in a process with a temporary solution, a long-term Kaizen approach would involve analyzing the root cause of the bottleneck and implementing a permanent solution that improves the entire process.

Lean Quote: Listen to the People You Lead

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.

"It’s okay to admit what you don’t know. It’s okay to ask for help. And it’s more than okay to listen to the people you lead–in fact, it’s essential."  — Mary Barra

It is hard to know what your employees want and need if you do not truly hear and understand what they are saying. Set aside a designated time to meet one-on-one with each employee at least once a month. During your meeting, actively take notes on what your employee is saying and asking. Your notes will help you to listen more effectively.

Listening to employee feedback and implementing their suggestions boosts morale as it shows that your employees’ voices are being heard and respected and that you listen to and value their opinion.

Let employees have their say on how their job and the business in which they work can be improved. Let them contribute to the decision-making process and direction that the company is heading in.

Employees have first-hand experience of working in your company and the way that it operates so their insights can be some of the most valuable. Listen to and act on these ideas - they may even be able to suggest why morale is so low.

As a leader, the ability to listen is something you must do maximally. As a matter of fact, you should do more listening than talking. It is important that you take your time to listen to your employees. It helps you to know what they think and how they feel. It also makes you approachable and easier to trust. Listening to your employees also gives you an idea of how satisfied they really are, what their pain points are and what to improve to help you work better.

Lean Tips Edition #313 (#3721 - #3735)

For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips.  It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey.  Another great reason to like A Lean Journey on Facebook.

Click this link for A Lean Journey's Facebook Page Notes Feed.

Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:

Lean Tip #3721 – Leadership is a Crucial Driver of Teamwork.

For teams to work effectively, objectives need to be clearly defined. Competing projects and responsibilities pull most team members in different directions.

For example, leaders in the manufacturing industry can often be stationed on the factory floor, where they may not have easy access to company-wide communications. This can lead to a disconnect between their team and overarching company goals.

It’s up to leaders to set the bigger picture so they can set priorities. Ensure leadership is involved in internal comms planning so employees at all levels across multiple teams can understand the overarching company goal towards which they’re working. If all team members understand their place in the bigger picture, it will help motivate and align their efforts towards a common goal.

Lean Tip #3722 – Have a Clear Organizational Purpose

Every member of a team should be clear on what the long-term goals of the company are. This ensures the team projects are purpose-driven and valuable, have clearly defined and measurable objectives, and that everyone on the team moves in the same direction.

Having a purpose-driven team impacts engagement levels, productivity, and innovation. When team members have a clear understanding of why they’re doing what they do, they are more likely to feel motivated and inspired to work towards that purpose.

If your company doesn’t have a clearly defined purpose or mission statement, now is the time to create one.

Lean Tip #3723 – Set Clear Team Goals

When you're talking about improving teamwork in the workplace, the importance of clearly defined objectives can't be overstated. Teamwork is basically impossible in an environment where no one is sure what the team is working toward. You need to be sure that everyone on every team is on the same page.

To help with this, you can establish team processes that guide behavior and decision making towards meeting your goals. Whether that means letting other project members know the status of your work, or always speaking up if you see a problem that could affect the team’s success, setting clear expectations helps team members work better together.

Lean Tip #3724 – Talk Less, Listen More

There will always be give and take on teams, but the giving and the taking eventually has to balance out, or resentment will build up, and work will slow down. Ensure your company culture rewards listeners as much as speakers and sets a good example by being a listener yourself.

You can also give those whose ideas and opinions would ordinarily be drowned out a voice by encouraging people to share outside of team meetings.

Encouraging a culture of listening will not only have a positive impact on teamwork but on the workplace in general as it will make employees feel valued and increase engagement between team members.

When team members feel heard and their opinions valued, they’re more likely to contribute and collaborate effectively. So next time you’re in a meeting or brainstorming session, remember the age-old adage: it’s better to listen than to speak. Your team will thank you for it.

Lean Tip #3725 – Ask Team Members for Feedback 

Knowledge is power, so if you want to know where your workforce is when it comes to teamwork, why not just ask them? Soliciting feedback doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming.

Open and honest feedback is a vital cog in the teamwork wheel, especially for frontline workers. If team members feel they have a safe space to share their thoughts and concerns, even when they're out of the office loop, they’ll likely be more engaged and willing to contribute their ideas in future. This can help to guide future team-building processes and be part of your employee engagement strategy.

Lean Tip #3726 – Lead By Example

Leaders should lead by example, embodying the desired organizational values and behaviors. Their commitment to continuous learning, adaptability and a positive cultural shift serves as a powerful model for employees, inspiring them to do the same. This establishes a solid foundation for leadership development, change management and cultural transformation initiatives.

Lean Tip #3727 – Enable Your Employees

Shift your thinking from “managing” employees to enabling them. Ask them these two questions and evaluate where to go from there. The first is, "What do you need to grow your career to develop as a professional?" And the second, "With the help of your manager, what can be done to lower internal and external barriers that prevent you from achieving your goals, both personally and professionally?"

Lean Tip #3728 – Show Empathy

Cultivating empathy for others is a highly effective way to create a more compassionate and understanding workplace, ultimately leading to better leadership, smoother change management and successful cultural transformation. Building emotional intelligence helps everyone to understand and connect with their team members, understand different perspectives and build trust.

Lean Tip #3729 – Provide Learning Opportunities

If you want to transform your organization, you need to transform individuals. As employers, creating a learning organization is crucial for skills development and business success. The first point is to offer learning opportunities in the flow of work; you can blend formal and informal resources to make sure every learner profile puts their finger into lifelong learning.

Lean Tip #3730 – Create A Psychologically Safe Work Environment

Create an environment of psychological safety where team members feel safe speaking up, disagreeing, making mistakes and taking risks. This leads to a stronger culture of trust, encourages diverse perspectives, minimizes failures and encourages growth. The most effective way for leaders to create a safe team environment is to lead by example—by exhibiting vulnerability and trusting themselves.

Lean Tip #3731 – Support Middle Managers With The Skills And Tools To Lead

Empower middle managers with the right skills and tools to effectively implement change initiatives and act as key influencers in shaping the organizational culture. Their role is pivotal in ensuring that the organization's vision is effectively executed on the ground and that employees understand the why behind it and are inspired to grow and make an impact.

Lean Tip #3732 – Encourage Collaboration

Collaborative teams are more functional and effective. Leaders can encourage collaboration by being transparent and communicating often with their teams. The more information teams have, the more they can align their workplace activities with organizational objectives.

They can also create a collaborative culture by asking for input and listening to what their team has to say. This type of listening environment inculcates innovation and creativity.

Lean Tip #3733 – Stay Adaptable and Open to Change

Today’s business environment is rapidly changing. To be a good leader, you need to be flexible and willing to change course quickly when necessary. This has been especially apparent in the past few years. From the pandemic to generative artificial intelligence (AI), businesses have had to embrace change and find innovative ways of doing business to remain competitive.

Leaders can bring flexibility to their positions by being willing to learn from experiences–both their own and those of others. This characteristic allows them to pivot to better practices as well as identify and mitigate risks others may not notice.

Lean Tip #3734 – Focus on Continuous Learning and Improvement in Your Personal and Professional Life

Society, and by extension, business, is changing faster than ever. Leaders need to be able to learn new skills and continuously grow and develop personally and professionally. To make effective decisions, leaders have to stay updated on industry trends and understand all of the complex issues in their sector. Whether it’s through conferences, courses or advanced degrees, you’ll need to commit to lifelong learning to help your organization remain competitive in today’s marketplace.

Lean Tip #3735 – Take Initiative

Leaders don’t wait to be told what to do. They see what needs to be done and do it. Demonstrating initiative is a great way to be a better leader in the workplace. You don’t have to wait to be officially recognized as a leader to start taking the initiative.

Another characteristic of people who demonstrate initiative is that they recognize opportunities others overlook. Deeply understanding what your organization does will help you turn challenges into opportunities. 

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

For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips.  It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey.  Another great reason to like A Lean Journey on Facebook.

Click this link for A Lean Journey's Facebook Page Notes Feed.

Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:

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.

Lean Tips Edition #311 (#3691 - #3705)

For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips.  It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey.  Another great reason to like A Lean Journey on Facebook.

Click this link for A Lean Journey's Facebook Page Notes Feed.

Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:

Lean Tip #3691 - Use a Fishbone Diagram to See Cause and Effect

The most important part of defining the problem is looking at the possible root cause. You'll need to ask yourself questions like: Where and when is it happening? How is it occurring? With whom is it happening? Why is it happening?

You can get to the root cause with a fishbone diagram (also known as an Ishikawa diagram or a cause and effect diagram).

Basically, you put the effect on the right side as the problem statement. Then you list all possible causes on the left, grouped into larger cause categories. The resulting shape resembles a fish skeleton. Which is a perfect way to say, "This problem smells fishy."

Lean Tip #3692 – Use Analogies to Get a Solution

Analogical thinking uses information from one area to help with a problem in a different area. In short, solving a different problem can lead you to find a solution to the actual problem. Watch out though! Analogies are difficult for beginners and take some getting used to.

Lean Tip #3693 – Ask “12 What Elses”

When faced with a problem, ask yourself a question about it and brainstorm 12 answers ("12 what elses") to that problem. Then you can go further by taking one answer, turning it into a question and generating 12 more "what elses." Repeat until the solution is golden brown, fully baked, and ready to take out of the oven.

Lean Tip #3694 – Hurson's Six-Step Productive Thinking Mofle for Solving Problems Creatively

In his book "Think Better," author and creativity guru Tim Hurson proposed a six-step model for solving problems creatively. The steps in his Productive Thinking Model are:

1.      Ask, "What is going on?" Define the problem and its impact on your company, then clarify your vision for the future.
2.      Ask, "What is success?" Define what the solution must do, what resources it needs, its scope, and the values it must uphold.
3.      Ask, "What is the question?" Generate a long list of questions that, when answered, will solve the problem.
4.      Generate answers. Answer the questions from step three.
5.      Forge the solution. Evaluate the ideas with potential based on the criteria from step two. Pick a solution.
6.      Align resources. Identify people and resources to execute the solution.

Lean Tip #3695 - Use the Kipling Method to Define Your Problem

The Kipling Method, named after Rudyard Kipling's poem "I Keep Six Honest Serving Men," is a popular system used to define problems. It highlights six important questions you can ask the next time need to overcome a challenge. These six questions are:

•        What is the problem?
•         Why is the problem important?
•         When did the problem arise and when does it need to be solved?
•         How did the problem happen?
•         Where is the problem occurring?
•         Who does the problem affect?

Answering each of these questions can help you identify what steps you need to take next to solve it.

Lean Tip #3696 – Clearly Define Roles and Responsibilities for Every Team Member

When team members are unsure of their own tasks and responsibilities, it often creates tension within a team. It is important for each team member to know exactly what he or she is responsible for so that there is no overlap in projects. If multiple employees are working on the same task due to confusion in responsibility, invaluable time and team effort spent on the task are wasted. Each individual should have responsibility in reaching the team goals as well as the tools and mutual support to obtain good results. Setting clear goals for each team member will help keep people aligned on their assigned tasks and responsibilities.

Lean Tip #3697 – Encourage Clear, Frequent Communication

As the saying goes, communication is key! Though this sounds like basic knowledge, it’s often passed over when analyzing how to improve teamwork in the workplace. We know that maintaining clear, frequent communication – especially with large and/or remote teams – is easier said than done. Clear and frequent communication will ensure that all team members are on the same page, leading to more accurate work being completed on a shorter timeline. Strong communication also helps to build trust between team members, thus improving the overall performance of the team.

Lean Tip #3698 – Give Teams Autonomy in Decision-Making

Trusting your team members with making their own decisions is important in building trust and improving teamwork. Oftentimes, if people don’t have the autonomy and power to make decisions regarding their own work, they will begin to resent their work, thus hindering the work of the entire team. In order to keep team members engaged and working hard, it’s important to provide all members with the freedom to make their own decisions.

Lean Tip #3699 – Manage Team Meetings Wisely

Team meetings, however often they happen, should be used to plan, brainstorm, reflect, and share ideas. It’s important to keep team meetings focused and useful, in order to drive productivity. No matter how often teams meet, they should have a structured plan for each meeting. This will help to keep meetings organized and productive, thus driving team performance. Meetings are a time for team collaboration, brainstorming, and creating a plan to move forward with projects.

Lean Tip #3700 – Provide the Team with Learning Opportunities

How can we expect everyone to be perfect team players if they’ve never actually learned how to work on a team project? How to work on a team may sound obvious to some people, but it does not come naturally for everyone. To maximize the benefits of teamwork in the workplace, it is important to provide your team with proper training and guidance. Providing learning opportunities will not only enhance teamwork skills, but will also increase employees’ engagement and job satisfaction. Workshops and qualified guest speakers from outside of the organization are a great way to ensure that all team members understand the importance of teamwork in the workplace as well as how to be an effective team member.

Lean Tip #3701 – Set Clear Team Goals

Setting clear goals is the first step towards effective teamwork. Goals provide direction and purpose, and they help team members understand what they are working towards. It’s important to set goals at both the team and individual levels. Team goals help to align everyone’s efforts, while individual goals help each team member understand their role and contribution to the team.

Setting clear milestones is also crucial. Milestones are like signposts on the road to success. They help you track progress, identify issues, and celebrate achievements. So, don’t just set goals, but also define clear milestones to guide your team’s journey.

Lean Tip #3702 – Make Communication a Priority in Your Team 

Communication is the lifeblood of any team. Effective teamwork requires regular communication that keeps everyone on the same page and fosters a sense of camaraderie. One way to facilitate communication is through daily huddles or standups. These meetings provide a platform for team members to share their completed tasks, upcoming focus, and potential obstacles.

Regular check-ins also enhance collaboration and teamwork. They allow team members to share their progress, ask for help, and offer support to others. So, make communication a priority in your team, and watch as it transforms your team’s dynamics and performance. 

Lean Tip #3703 – Create Psychological Safety for Team Members

Psychological safety is a state where team members feel comfortable taking risks, speaking up, and sharing failures. It’s a culture where people feel safe to be themselves and express their thoughts and ideas. Creating such a culture requires encouraging a safe environment for interpersonal risks and disagreements, embracing failures as learning opportunities, and modeling vulnerability and trust as a leader.

Remember, a team that fears making mistakes will never innovate. So, foster a culture of psychological safety, and watch as your team becomes a hotbed of creativity and innovation. 

Lean Tip #3704 – Disagree Respectfully

Disagreements are inevitable in any team. However, it’s how you handle these disagreements that determines the success of your team. Encourage your team members to disagree respectfully and value diverse ideas and opinions. This not only prevents conflicts but also leads to better decisions and solutions.

Active listening and asking questions instead of making statements can be a powerful tool in this regard. It helps to explore the assumptions behind differing ideas and promotes understanding and respect. So, don’t fear disagreements, but use them as an opportunity to learn and grow. 

Lean Tip #3705 – Celebrate Small Wins

Don’t forget to celebrate small wins and milestones. Celebrations not only boost morale but also foster a sense of achievement and appreciation. Regularly share and celebrate individual and team wins, recognize contributions, and create a culture of appreciation and motivation.

Remember, a team that feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected. So, make it a habit to celebrate small wins, and watch as your team’s motivation and performance soar.