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5 Whys Folklore:
The Truth Behind a Monumental Mystery

August 19, 2014 by Joel A. Gross 15 Comments

Root cause analysis, 5 whys, 5 why's, memorial, monument, root cause, cause analysis, birds, spiders, 5 whys example

When you think of the great individuals in lean history, what names come to mind?  W. Edwards Deming.  Taiichi Ohno.  Shigeo Shingo.  Don Messersmith.  Oh, you’ve never heard of Don Messersmith?  Perhaps, you’re not familiar with the name, but I can almost guarantee that you are familiar with his work.

Don Messermith is an esteemed professor emeritus at the University of Maryland.  His accomplishments in the field of entomology – the scientific study of insects – are many, as evidenced by the extensive list of distinguished titles, prestigious awards, and publications that bear his name.   But among his comprehensive catalog of contributions, one study in particular stands out above the rest.

Although the work predated the Google search by nearly a decade, and despite never warranting an official publication, there are more than 140,000 pages on the internet which reference the study.  As a matter of fact, it’s quite likely that there is only one surviving copy of the work still in existence today.    So, why should we care about some little-known, unpublished report from a study on insect behavior performed almost 25 years ago?  Because sitting in a file folder in the desk drawer of Don Messersmith resides a report on perhaps the single, most famous problem ever solved: [Read more…]

 

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Filed Under: The KaiZone Way, The Lean Learning Journey Tagged With: 5 whys, don messersmith, problem solving, root cause analysis

How to Find More (and Better) Improvement Opportunities

August 8, 2014 by Joel A. Gross Leave a Comment

Ask The KaiZone Coaches Logo - 2

Move over Stooges!  Make way Musketeers!  ¡Adiós Amigos!  Kevin, Mike and Joel are back for the latest edition of ‘Ask The KaiZone Coaches’.  Each month, The KaiZone Coaches answer the most challenging and thought-provoking Lean and continuous improvement questions submitted by you, The KaiZone Community.  While certainly not the most well-known (or best-looking) bunch, you will not find a more passionate, personable or practical group of Lean thinkers on the interwebs today.  

This Month’s Question

Submitted by The KaiZone Community member Linda:

My Lean program is struggling to get off of the ground.  Our performance suggests we’ve got no shortage of problems, but my staff struggles to identify opportunities for improvement.  And the handful problems we have solved haven’t made much of an impact.  How can I get my staff to identify more – and better – improvement ideas?”

[Read more…]

 

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Filed Under: Ask The KaiZone Coaches, The KaiZone Community Tagged With: hoshin kanri, kaizone coaches, problem solving

Problem Solving: Why Skill-Based Learning is Harder Than You Think

August 4, 2014 by Joel A. Gross Leave a Comment

This article was originally featured on The Lean Post .  Special thanks to Lex Schroeder for her tireless work in helping to refine this piece.  

What if surgeons learned the skills necessary to operate in the same way we attempt to develop problem solving skills in our people?

“Good morning. My name is Dr. Gross and I will be operating on you today. Don’t worry, you’re in good hands. My day job is in accounting, but I was recently hand-picked by my management to pursue a Green Belt in surgery because I’m told I’ve got ‘potential’. I have completed more than two weeks of classroom training where I learned from some of the most expensive surgical consultants in the world.  Rest assured, I am willing and able to use each and every tool in the surgical toolbox.

Today, I’ll be using the standard, 5-step surgical framework known as DMAIC, which stands for Don’t-Move-And-I’ll-Cut. Unless, of course, something goes wrong in which case I’ll insist that we follow PDCA – Please-Don’t-Call-Attorney! That’s just a little surgical humor.  You look tense. Shall we get started?”

Developing strong problem solving skills throughout the entire organization is critical to building a lean culture. Yet, most organizations never come close to achieving this “everybody, every day” ideal. One reason is that most of us know little about how people develop complex skills like problem solving.  How learning works is a black box in which we find ourselves feeling around in the dark, looking for a way out. 

Thankfully, cognitive development scientists do know something about this.  Research illuminates our core learning mechanisms for processing new information and developing new skills. We can think learning as something we’re already quite comfortable with in the lean community: as a process that can be continually refined and improved over time.

[Read more…]

 

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Filed Under: Leading on the Path, The KaiZone Way Tagged With: brain, learning, mindsets, problem solving, the lean post

Leanable Moment #5: Bedtime Bedlam!

July 21, 2014 by Joel A. Gross Leave a Comment

Bedtime Bedlam

I take a deep breath in as I close the door behind me.

Quietly, slowly, I release the door knob and feel it catch.  I exhale as I tip-toe down the dark hallway.  I can feel the tension in my muscles start to relax.   With a growing confidence, I bound down the stairs, into the tranquility of the family room.  I pause for a moment, taking in the sweet sounds of . . . nothing.  I smile to myself.  Finally, some much needed peace and qu-

I must not have heard the door open, or the pitter-patter of little feet coming down the stairs.  I did not, and could not, however, miss the shrill sound of my youngest daughter, as her frantic call pierced the evening air.

“Daddy!!!”

For a moment, I try to ignore it, hoping maybe it will go away . . . but it never does.  Not last night.  Not the night before that.  Certainly, not the two other times this scene had already played out this very evening.

“DAAAAA-DDY!!!”

I feel the tension slowly crawling up my back and into my neck.  I turn slowly, and smile an exasperated smile.  “Yes, dear, ” I mumble through clenched teeth.

“I DON”T HAVE MY SNUGGIE!!!”  Her eyes swell with tears.  To a three-year-old, this is a real tradgedy.

With that, I scan the room frantically, until my eyes lock on the pink, fuzzy, frilly, shimmery, rose-adorned pile of fabric massed unassumingly in the corner.   In one fell swoop, I leap across the room, seize the blankie, scoop up the teary-eyed toddler and carry the dramatic duo back into the bedroom.

With snuggie tightly in her grasp, she curls up and finds a comfy position on the mattress while I tuck the blanket firmly around her.  I kiss her on the forehead, as the whimpers fade.  I head for the exit.

I take a deep breath in as I close the door behind me.  It’s like déjà vu . . . all over again. [Read more…]

 

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Filed Under: Leanable Moments, The KaiZone @ Home Tagged With: habits, leanable moments, problem solving, problem solving with kids, routines

Leanable Moment #4: The Baby Feeding Frenzy

June 16, 2014 by Joel A. Gross 6 Comments

Completed Problem Solving A3 Report for Feeding the Baby

WARNING: The following content contains graphic images of a baby eating dinner, which may be disturbing to anyone planning to some day start a family.  Reader discretion is advised.

After nearly 2 months, Leanable Moments are back, taking you inside my family life to show you how I apply Lean problem solving to take the waste out of life.  Today’s Leanable Moment examines one of the most frustrating experiences in the life of being a parent: feeding solid foods to a six month old baby.

[Read more…]

 

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Filed Under: Leanable Moments, The KaiZone @ Home Tagged With: children, lean at home, leanable moments, problem solving

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