Perception is a Funny Thing

“To be an innovative company, you have to ask for innovation. You assemble a group of talented people who are eager to do new things and put them in an environment where innovation is expected. It’s that simple and that hard”

                                                     -  Paul M. Cook, Founder and former CEO of Raychem Corporation

Guest article by Karin Lindner, to learn more about Karin visit  http://www.wspsolutions.ca/

   

Just recently I spoke with a young VP (son of the owner) of a manufacturing facility in Mississauga. At one point during our conversation he said, "Karin, I honestly think that most of my workers are stupid. Some people have "it" and some people don't. Most of the ideas we get from the workers (which are not many), I find to be stupid ideas."

Then, he said to me "Seriously how creative can a guy on the assembly line really be? They want to spend the minimum time in the plant and they want to get the most possible pay. That's it."

I then asked him, "How many managers and supervisors do you know who make a sincere effort to bring out the best in their people? I don't think people are stupid. They need guidance, leadership and support on how to become better at what they do and how to become better individuals. I have met more open-minded people on the production floor who willingly adapt to change, than I have met in managerial positions. What actions do you take to address this issue?"

He couldn't really answer my questions but if he thinks that his workers are stupid, I wonder what his workers think of him.

There is a difference between dumb and stupid. Dumb is ignorance - which can be corrected through education and training. Stupidity is a lack of intelligence, understanding, reason, or wit.

I don't even want to imagine how motivated his workforce is. What is the quality rating in this company? What's their health and safety record? How competitive can this company be in this fast paced and global market? Can it really be that people like this lead organizations? Does he really think his company will continue to grow if he does not have his people on board? Bosses who think that they're superior and treat their employees as second class citizens have a lot to learn about leadership.

I certainly don't think that this VP is a bad person. He is a nice guy, he just doesn't know any better, and sadly, he is one of many. I actually think that unconsciously he may be looking for assistance but you can only help someone who has an open mind and is ready and willing to accept some advice.

I have a simple philosophy. If you have a problem in your business, you have to first acknowledge that you have a problem. If you don't acknowledge that you have a problem, this is a real problem. Most of the time we are not aware of our (re)actions and the way we think and speak. How can we change something that we are not aware of?   

Unfortunately, in many cases there is a huge disconnect between the management team and the workforce. Both have challenges to deal with but there is no shared reality. Ignorance is bliss when you don't understand each other's worlds but this is the biggest obstacle in getting to the next level. Lack of communication, lack of information and lack of dignity and respect make the worker appear stupid but in reality it may simply be his or her unwillingness to help the company succeed because he or she is not emotionally connected to the business. Why would the workforce want to use their brain if their input is not appreciated in the first place? It is a vicious circle. If you think your workers are stupid, then that's what you will get.

For those of you who know me, you know that I always try to find the positive in every challenge. Have you ever thought that STUPID could also stand for Smart Talented Unique People In Demand? It is always a question if and how you label people, and the perspective you have.

It is sad to say but I know many managers who think down, look down and talk down to their individual contributors. They think their position of power has earned them the right to do so. Many leaders seem to miss the critical leadership skills of respecting people, increasing their self-worth and encouraging them to add value to the business. Letting go of the "command and control mindset" takes courage and trust but it is essential if you want your people to rise to the challenge and learn to suggest great ideas. Most people learn by doing, so why not expand the mindset of your people from generating ideas to implementing their own ideas?

To be a successful leader, please keep these 4 things in mind:

• Believe that your people want to help you and your organization to succeed
• Choose your words wisely - they can either make or break a person
• Focus on what they do right instead of putting them down
• Each day think how you can help the individuals on your team to get better and better and better.

So what is your perception of your workforce? Is there room for improvement? Do you lift them up or tear them down? In the words of John C. Maxwell: "To see how the leader is doing, look at the people."

   

Be the BEST You Can Be!

To engage your workfoce in improvement, visit http://www.wspsolutions.ca/

What is the Cause of Success?

Guest article by Karin Lindner, for more information about Karin visit http://www.wspsolutions.ca/

How easy would it be for you to define the cause of success? Well, I guess first we would have to define what success is, and obviously success means different things to different people. At this point I will leave it up to you to discover your own definition of success.

One of the things that I have noticed in the corporate world is that everyone is constantly searching for causes of failure, so I have to ask myself, why isn’t anyone searching for the causes of success?

It all comes down to mindset. Unfortunately, we are conditioned to look for the negative rather than the positive. If we evaluate why something didn’t work out, it gives us a chance to complain. On the other hand, it would come as a surprise to most people if you were to ask them to please share the causes of their success with the group.

There are, of course, companies out there who are consciously on a journey to success, but they are the minority.

A mindset of targets, profits, numbers, and facts is the norm in most workplaces, and most leaders seem to forget that in order to get the numbers, they have to have their people on board. Many people in manufacturing have a very analytical and logical mind, and it is in their nature to require proof in order to believe that something is possible.

Don’t get me wrong, facts are important -- as long as they don’t dominate the workplace and don’t destroy people’s desire to make things happen. In my opinion, FACTS can stand for “Fear And Complacency Threaten Success”. Sometimes we refuse to believe things we don’t understand, but this is also how we create our own limitations.

Just think about Henry Ford when he decided that he wanted to build his now famous V-8 engine. He worked against the odds, and all the experts told him that it was impossible. Henry Ford’s formal education was limited, but who can say that only book-smart people are smart people?

Ford’s desire, his strong will, and his persistence helped him to succeed even when people told him countless times that it could not be done. That’s exactly the mindset we have to develop, and we have to teach this mindset to the people we work with.

Recently, I facilitated a workshop for a group of shop floor employees. It continues to amaze me what is possible when you show a sincere interest in a person and not only listen, but hear what he or she has to say. It is all about genuinely paying attention to their challenges and concerns and finding out the real reasons for their frustration because that’s when the energy in the room starts to shift.

The same applies on the shop floor, and that’s what you want. You want the energy to shift and to be able to develop a success-oriented mindset within yourself and your team.

Why don’t we think that the pursuit of perfection is everyone’s job? Why have we settled for mediocrity? Why are we trying to secure the right answers instead of pursuing the right questions? How do you think your bottom line is impacted when your employees are negative, frustrated, and stressed?

If you want to succeed, do not label people and do not give them the feeling that they are inferior, stupid, and offer no value just because they work on the factory floor. They are the cause for success because that’s where the money is made. These are the people who have to ensure that a quality product leaves the door; these are the people who give 100 percent if you don’t take their self worth away; these are the people who are the specialists in what they do and can offer incredible assistance and support in the area of continuous improvement and innovation.

Unfortunately, most shop floor employees are still seen as bodies and not as minds. My shocking observation is that most employees are not used to using their brain. And what’s even worse is that they are actually not allowed to use their brain. Isn’t it our responsibility to teach them and to help them look at their job with different eyes?

How do you view your workforce?
If you want to explore the cause of success, go to your people, talk to them, build trust, and listen to what they have to say. It is the secret recipe for success to make them a part of your success.

To learn more about workforce innovations in the daily work, visit http://www.wspsolutions.ca/

Is the Status Quo System the Default in your Work?

“There is no instant pudding.” – W. Edwards Deming

We often hear it said that the problems in the daily work are largely ignored. Solving these problems would seem like the logical thing to do. Yet they seem to go unseen. The status quo is a powerful force. The workforce is lulled into believing that this is the way things are because they have always been this way. Learning to see the problems is not something management spends much time on until they become full blown fires, then fire fighting mode kicks in. Once out, the fire is left to smoulder away, only to reappear in the future.

Accepting the status quo is a form of complacency in believing that change is not possible.

Learning to see the problems in the daily work is an important first step in being able to recognize the problem exists. Take for example; a hospital where nurses work hard every day doing their best to care for the needs of the customers. The nurses for the most part are extremely dedicated and caring. Yet, at day’s end they feel frustrated in not getting enough of the right things done.

A study at one hospital revealed, nurses were only spending 30% of their time with patients.  After the problem was identified and work was redesigned, nurses were able to spend 90% of their time with patients.  This led to a significant improvement in the quality of care provided and on the job satisfaction. Learning to see the problem as the low amount of time spent with patients and then accepting that the status quo could be changed was the secret to this success.

Yes the change involved hard work. Yes the change was not accomplished overnight. The effort and the dedication of all involved did provide a significant benefit for both patients and workers.

What kind of joy and satisfaction does your workforce experience in the work they perform?

Want to learn more about how to see the problems hidden in the status quo?

Visit www.wspsolutions.ca or  email me at leanthoughtstarter@gmail.com

Want ideas? –Ask your workforce!

“These are all common-sense ideas that anybody with half a brain could have figured out years ago. Instead of spending beaucoup bucks on consulting and design, the hospital administrators could have done what they should have done in the first place, and simply asked the nurses for their suggestions.” – Unknown

The best solutions to problems encountered in the daily work can most often be found with the experts involved in actually performing the daily work. We spoke of constraints and standards. Now we need to consider trust for a moment.



How many managers would trust their workforce to design the daily work?

Would you be comfortable in allowing a front line worker to alter a process?
How would you feel about having a component design altered by an assembler?
What if a material handler redesigned how the warehouse was laid out?

Chances are the concept has some fear attached to it for you. To make these kinds of changes, we would typically rely on experts, like; consultants, suppliers or process/design engineers. Truth is they may offer some excellent ideas. To do so though, overlooks the expert resources right there in your own organization. The people, who perform the work every day, probably have some creative insights.

That material handler may prefer to have the fastest moving items close at hand to make picking and stocking faster.
The assembler may have recognised a small change to a component can eliminate the need for an additional fastener, making assembly less complex, reducing the number of parts and speeding the process.

Before the workforce starts changing things, there needs to be some learning, procedures, disciplines and trust.

The workforce will need some tools, standard disciplines to trial changes, communicate results with all affected, obtain test results, analyse the effectiveness and impact of the proposed change; all before implementation. In this way the downstream customers will know that care has been taken to ensure any change implemented has been well thought out.

Management doesn’t really need to do the thinking for everyone. Think of the weight off your shoulders if the entire workforce has a shoulder to the wheel and is working daily to create and deliver the highest possible customer value through relentless innovation.

Want to learn more about fully engaging your entire workforce?

Email me leanthoughtstarter@gmail.com

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Standards – are they the foundation for kaizen and employee engagement?

“Today’s standardization…is the necessary foundation on which tomorrow’s improvement will be based. If you think of “standardization” as the best you know today, but which is to be improved tomorrow-you get somewhere. But if you think of standards as confining, then progress stops.” – Henry Ford

We looked at how constraints defined the sand box you play in; now let’s examine the role standards play in the daily work. Way back in 1926 when Henry Ford was writing about standardization in his book, Today and Tomorrow, he was pointing out that to improve a process you need to have a repeatable process to begin with. We refer to this as a standard. The standard identifies the sequence and timing of the work, as well as the tools and components necessary for the defined outcome. You know everyone who follows the standard will arrive with the same result. The standard is a training aid and reference guide. Many think the standard is restricting in that it restricts creativity. No doubt the standard is controlling, however it is the foundation for change in this way:

Create a standard
Follow the standard
Improve the standard

Repeat endlessly

This is Kaizen, continual improvement.

Who best creates the standard? The people who perform the task
Who best follows the standard? The people who perform the task
Who best improves the standard? The people who perform the task

When the front line workers are actively engaged in improving the standards of the daily work amazing events will begin to occur. Many, many small improvements at the front line of the work will elevate how your organization creates and provides customer value to the highest possible level.

To facilitate this, some learning will need to take place and some trust will need to be provided.

Would you like to see this level of engagement at your workplace?

To discuss or learn more Email me at www.leanthoughtstarter@gmail.com

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Constraints, are they helping you innovate?

‘Art consists of limitation. The most beautiful part of every picture is the frame.” - Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Your job has specific areas of responsibility. These will define where your work begins and where it ends. Inputs are provided and outputs are produced. Your outputs are for an internal or external customer. In some cases you may provide outputs for both internal and external customers.

This is your sand box. In this framework of limits is where you will look for problems that need solutions.

But where do you start?

Start with the problems that affect the daily work. What wastes can you identify and eliminate.  Do you want to look for things that can be done better? No. You want to create a vision of perfection and then remove those problems one by one that prevent your vision of perfection being reality. Consult with your internal and external customers; they should have no problem telling you what problems they see inside your constraints that are impacting them.

You may have heard it said that necessity is the mother of invention. In your world the constraints you must deal with will motivate a higher level of problem solving. The goal is to find no cost, low cost solutions to your everyday work problems. It is unlikely you will get any support or resources to make the changes you see are required. This will help kick your innovation abilities to a new level.

The more defined this frame of constraints is, the better.

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What role does innovation play in your job?

For many of us, innovation is just not on the daily agenda. First there are all those important meetings that you must attend. This is followed by priority interruptions. Then the unexpected, but consistently appearing, emergency fire fighting. By now the day is shot and you are staying late to review correspondence, read reports, write reports and prepare for tomorrows important meetings.

You begin to feel like a hamster on a tread mill, running faster and getting to the same place you started the day before. You tell yourself tomorrow will be different, and then it comes, and then it goes with no change.

What would happen if you went to the boss and asked if you could block out a portion of your day to work on improvements for your daily work?  Let me know how this works out for you.

Now you have a block of time to begin the review of your own daily work or not. If you do, ask:

What do you do all day?

Why are these things necessary to do?

                Why is that?

                Why is that?

                Why is that?

                Why is that?

Who are your customers?

What problems do the jobs you perform solve for your customers?

You may have questions of your own, please include them. As you gather answers you are investigating your job. The activities that you do daily as part of the routine are now being questioned.  You are breaking out of your complacency and looking at what has become routine over time with fresh eyes.

With all of this investigation, problems will begin to appear. Choose a problem that affects the daily work and document it as clearly as possible. If others perform the same job as you, review what you see as the problem with them. Ask them to help clarify the problem with you. Ask your boss if the problem has been clearly defined and understood. You may choose to include your customer in the conversation if the problem impacts the outputs you pass on to them.

Why start with what you do? Typically you have the highest level of knowledge and insight into the work. After all you are performing the job.  Making changes to your own work by applying creative ideas will provide the experience of innovating. Implementing many small innovations that impact the daily work will form the basis of a discipline of continual improvement. You will learn how to apply the tools we will talk about in future blogs through firsthand experience.  Your confidence will be bolstered by your own successes. Hopefully your boss will also recognize the effort and improvements you have implemented.

Now you can begin to visualize the ideal solution to that problem you have selected to resolve.

Ask yourself; what would perfection look like?

Please comment on this blog, you can also email me; leanthoughtstarter@gmail.com

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