Todays post is about wasted movement and just how much wasted movement we as individuals infuse into our processes. While at work this week I have been observing this precept of a Lean lifestyle, which is to eliminate wasted movement and infuse every movement with value added motion to the end product. Wow, my eyes were opened again.
I've always considered myself a keen observer, with hobbies and such that require fine attention to detail, this cowboy thought he knew it all. Well folks I'm here to tell you once again I don't, and will promptly admit fault to it. My personal Yoda has challenged me quite a bit this week in the process aspect of my operations, and in true form I was enlightened when I observed.
My team and I have been doing 60 hour weeks now for about 4 months due to customer demand outstripping supplty provided by a 40 hour work week. All "senior team" hypothetical managment questions aside, it is our job to produce a quality product while driving out all waste possible. This is difficult when faced with potential burnout and fatigue. So what does the Lean Cowboy due to combat this. He observes each and every process, looking to drive out the small bits of waste first. The small bits of waste add up in seconds, seconds add up to minutes and minutes add up to hours.
When we decided to use screw aprons to hold our screws instead of bending over each and every time to get a hand full of screws, shoot them with an pneumatic screw gun, drop some on the floor, pick them back up with a magnet, etc. We drove out quite a bit of waste. No we didn't totally elimante dropping screws on the floor, but we significantly reduced it. We also eliminated the constant need to reach into a box of screws below waist level. Hence we reduced fatigue somewhat and eliminated movement. Is this a huge win, not in the big scheme of things; yet it is a win none the less which drives out waste and increases our productivity.
On our journey I'm learning something quite important, it isn't the homeruns you hit in the ninth inning that win the game. It is the singles you hit during the game, it is the practice you put into the game during off time, it is the future vision you have of your workspace. These are the things I'm learning that truly help one win the game. The bonus to this is change and shift in culture. My team is becoming engaged to look for these base hits and recognizing the value they are adding to the process of being a team of continious improvement zealots. The small ideas we implemet and the results we are seeing improve morale, and that is what needs to maintained during 60 hour weeks.
Well folks that is what I bring to the table this week from my time on the front line. The small improvements we continue to make today, add up to improved overall processes in the future. I'm not a Lean Jedi like Yoda, but my team and I are learning.
Thanks for stopping by
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
The Senior Team
Out here on the front line of Lean implementation is an exciting place to reside. The objectives are clear cut. The results are grand. The people so willingly embrace each and every idea we have as gospel truth. Senior management worships the ground we walk on. Yeah, if it were only that easy and we as implementers lived in utopia. Alas, we live in the real world and our results are sometimes not so obvious. They take time to germinate, grow, flower, and then bear fruit.
Today's post will be the art of upward mentoring and coaching. Some of you who are reading this may look at me in utter confusion when I speak of upward mentoring. Well buckaroo's I'm here to tell you that sometimes we as individuals on the front line, need to help those who are in roles above us see the bigger picture. My team and I are just infants in our Lean journey and we do not claim to be experts, jedi knights, masters of waste removal, etc. Yet, we are making forward and demonstrable progress that has been noticed by senior leadership of my current organization.
One of the biggest obstacles we are finding is that senior leadership wants instant results. I believe we all want instant results, but that is not always possible. What we have to do as Lean leaders, in my humble opinion, is bring the Senior leadership to gemba. Ohhh... there I go once again using words that make me appear as if I'm some expert. It is our responsibility, meaning myself and my team, to demonstrate to the senior team we are seeing results. The icing on the cake is that these results we are seeing due to change, they are sustainable. This is what makes me smile. My team demonstrating their improvements that they have implemented to upper management. Walking the senior leadership over to our pick board, showing them how we on the floor generate ideas, how I as a leader discuss these ideas with them. Then we decide on a plan and implement. Followed by the recording of our results to demonstrate this adjustment in standard work etc. is valid.
These are the lessons my team and I learned this week out on the shop floor. We are learning that when individuals can't see instant results we are obligated to show them our processes and help them learn to see. The added benefit to this interpersonal communication would be that my team has face time with senior leadership and in doing so, bonds are formed. Once again it goes back to People, Processes and Culture.
Our journey this week was one of upwardly "mentoring" and "coaching" those above us to see how our processes work, how our people respect not only each other but the standard work, and how building a Lean culture is an evolutionary process that just doesn't happen overnight.
Thanks for stopping by,
Cowboy
Today's post will be the art of upward mentoring and coaching. Some of you who are reading this may look at me in utter confusion when I speak of upward mentoring. Well buckaroo's I'm here to tell you that sometimes we as individuals on the front line, need to help those who are in roles above us see the bigger picture. My team and I are just infants in our Lean journey and we do not claim to be experts, jedi knights, masters of waste removal, etc. Yet, we are making forward and demonstrable progress that has been noticed by senior leadership of my current organization.
One of the biggest obstacles we are finding is that senior leadership wants instant results. I believe we all want instant results, but that is not always possible. What we have to do as Lean leaders, in my humble opinion, is bring the Senior leadership to gemba. Ohhh... there I go once again using words that make me appear as if I'm some expert. It is our responsibility, meaning myself and my team, to demonstrate to the senior team we are seeing results. The icing on the cake is that these results we are seeing due to change, they are sustainable. This is what makes me smile. My team demonstrating their improvements that they have implemented to upper management. Walking the senior leadership over to our pick board, showing them how we on the floor generate ideas, how I as a leader discuss these ideas with them. Then we decide on a plan and implement. Followed by the recording of our results to demonstrate this adjustment in standard work etc. is valid.
These are the lessons my team and I learned this week out on the shop floor. We are learning that when individuals can't see instant results we are obligated to show them our processes and help them learn to see. The added benefit to this interpersonal communication would be that my team has face time with senior leadership and in doing so, bonds are formed. Once again it goes back to People, Processes and Culture.
Our journey this week was one of upwardly "mentoring" and "coaching" those above us to see how our processes work, how our people respect not only each other but the standard work, and how building a Lean culture is an evolutionary process that just doesn't happen overnight.
Thanks for stopping by,
Cowboy
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Pictures, Pictures, Pictures.....
Here we are again folks, the Lean Cowboy speaking from the frontline of Lean implementation and blogging his journey for the world to see. This topic I will be discussing today is of significant importance to not only my team, but to myself as well.
It all started with my personal yoda asking me, "Are you taking pictures to document your progress?" At first I shook my head and wondered, "Why on earth do I need to take pictures and document our progress? Our results will be the monuments we shall stand upon and shout, WE WIN". Wow, I was wrong once again.
What was my aversion to taking pictures? Well for one it took time, time I didn't want to invest. I just wanted results. Then I really started to think about the reasoning I was questioned to take the pictures. Being a results based fast and hard charger, wouldn't it benefit my team and I to show where we came from and where we are going? Yes another aha moment in this Lean journey that my team and I are taking together.
I have now seen the light. To demonstrate progress and continuous improvement, we need to show the before, the work, and the after. This is what it is all about... People, Processes and Culture. We engage our people to improve our process and effectively change our culture.
I'd like to thank you for stopping by for this installment of The Lean Cowboy and the documentation of our journey. Until next time, Happy Trails.
It all started with my personal yoda asking me, "Are you taking pictures to document your progress?" At first I shook my head and wondered, "Why on earth do I need to take pictures and document our progress? Our results will be the monuments we shall stand upon and shout, WE WIN". Wow, I was wrong once again.
What was my aversion to taking pictures? Well for one it took time, time I didn't want to invest. I just wanted results. Then I really started to think about the reasoning I was questioned to take the pictures. Being a results based fast and hard charger, wouldn't it benefit my team and I to show where we came from and where we are going? Yes another aha moment in this Lean journey that my team and I are taking together.
I have now seen the light. To demonstrate progress and continuous improvement, we need to show the before, the work, and the after. This is what it is all about... People, Processes and Culture. We engage our people to improve our process and effectively change our culture.
I'd like to thank you for stopping by for this installment of The Lean Cowboy and the documentation of our journey. Until next time, Happy Trails.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
The kerfuffle
Howdy folks, yes it has been a few days since my last entry due to the holidays and travel. So let's get to the not so stellar moments in this Lean journey my team and I are on. Thus far all I have written about are the wins, yes wins are great and we all would love to think every decision we make will lead our team to victory. Unfortunately this is not the case and I'm going to tell of a story on Tuesday that tested my patience to the limits. Granted I've never been considered the most patient guy in the universe, but I have gotten better. What I'm about to write is how I failed on multiple fronts and how I came to realize just possibly, I was the problem. Yes, I was the problem. So without further adieu let's look at what I did wrong and what I've learned coupled with what I'll do different next time.
Let me set the scenario here, We have a table that is a one person assembly station, this station is composed of 5 components that are assembled into one complete part. What I noticed were multiple parts strewn about in various states of assembly. Yes, the old envelope lesson all of you wise and learned Lean sages have told me about multiple times. I thought to myself, "Wow, I've talked about this same scenario countless times in my Wed morning talks and here this individual is going against the grain doing his own thing." I figured this was a prime time to put the Lean thinking cap on and address this situation promptly. Mistake one, I walked over to the area without the proper mindset. A mindset of "how dare you break the laws given to us from the Gods of Lean". I didn't ask any lead in questions, I asked "How do you plan on assembling all of this?" Yeah I didn't lead in with a "W" question it went directly to the "How do/did" and it set the tone for this individual to be on the defensive vs looking at this as a problem we can both solve together. The lack of listening skills displayed by myself was sad. It was downright pitiful. I didn't listen as I had all the answers to this problem and I was going to wield them like the staff of justice, because I am the boss and I know best and I know because I read all these books and watched the videos and talked to my personal Master Jedi and I and I and I and I. See the pattern here I have an "I" infection. It is all about me and not about the people what work for me. doing the work. This bickering went on for approximately 15 min between my direct report and myself. I even opened Paul Akers 2 second Lean book and read to him aloud this very problem he had with the Laser Jamb product Fascap manufactures. Yes I started to sense things were going south and I needed to step back and reign myself in.
This is what I call a self-introspective moment in time where I was looking at how I had turned Lean into a weapon to browbeat someone. Talk about a major mistake. Me, the champion of Lean, a student of a recognized Master Jedi and I was making these huge errors. How did I turn it around?
This is where it gets good. I had to humble myself, yes kids I had to HUMBLE myself and apologize for acting this way. I felt about 3 inches tall. For a guy who is 6'4" and 225lbs with a minimum body fat composition due to my uhhh hobbies, yeah I was feeling like a total and utter jerk. This is good, as I learned once again the hard way that Lean is a lifestyle and within this lifestyle the katas that we practice need continuous improvement.
After my apology and another stab at the initial problem, my direct report informed me the Why of what he was doing and What he needed to accomplish the task in a more timely fashion. The end result of a now 30min session yielded a redesigned table. Yes a redesign from direct operator solicited input in which he even drew up the sketch so I could take it to our SWAG, (Special Work Assignment Group). Later that very day, the table came and he was a happy camper.
I really failed my team this week due to my own stubbornness and residual push vs pull mindset. I know better, yes but at least I recognized what I did wrong. See all the "I's", note to self make that Optometrist appointment and get the "I" infection looked at.
Thanks for stopping by,
Happy Trails
Let me set the scenario here, We have a table that is a one person assembly station, this station is composed of 5 components that are assembled into one complete part. What I noticed were multiple parts strewn about in various states of assembly. Yes, the old envelope lesson all of you wise and learned Lean sages have told me about multiple times. I thought to myself, "Wow, I've talked about this same scenario countless times in my Wed morning talks and here this individual is going against the grain doing his own thing." I figured this was a prime time to put the Lean thinking cap on and address this situation promptly. Mistake one, I walked over to the area without the proper mindset. A mindset of "how dare you break the laws given to us from the Gods of Lean". I didn't ask any lead in questions, I asked "How do you plan on assembling all of this?" Yeah I didn't lead in with a "W" question it went directly to the "How do/did" and it set the tone for this individual to be on the defensive vs looking at this as a problem we can both solve together. The lack of listening skills displayed by myself was sad. It was downright pitiful. I didn't listen as I had all the answers to this problem and I was going to wield them like the staff of justice, because I am the boss and I know best and I know because I read all these books and watched the videos and talked to my personal Master Jedi and I and I and I and I. See the pattern here I have an "I" infection. It is all about me and not about the people what work for me. doing the work. This bickering went on for approximately 15 min between my direct report and myself. I even opened Paul Akers 2 second Lean book and read to him aloud this very problem he had with the Laser Jamb product Fascap manufactures. Yes I started to sense things were going south and I needed to step back and reign myself in.
This is what I call a self-introspective moment in time where I was looking at how I had turned Lean into a weapon to browbeat someone. Talk about a major mistake. Me, the champion of Lean, a student of a recognized Master Jedi and I was making these huge errors. How did I turn it around?
This is where it gets good. I had to humble myself, yes kids I had to HUMBLE myself and apologize for acting this way. I felt about 3 inches tall. For a guy who is 6'4" and 225lbs with a minimum body fat composition due to my uhhh hobbies, yeah I was feeling like a total and utter jerk. This is good, as I learned once again the hard way that Lean is a lifestyle and within this lifestyle the katas that we practice need continuous improvement.
After my apology and another stab at the initial problem, my direct report informed me the Why of what he was doing and What he needed to accomplish the task in a more timely fashion. The end result of a now 30min session yielded a redesigned table. Yes a redesign from direct operator solicited input in which he even drew up the sketch so I could take it to our SWAG, (Special Work Assignment Group). Later that very day, the table came and he was a happy camper.
I really failed my team this week due to my own stubbornness and residual push vs pull mindset. I know better, yes but at least I recognized what I did wrong. See all the "I's", note to self make that Optometrist appointment and get the "I" infection looked at.
Thanks for stopping by,
Happy Trails
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