The KaiZone

Improving the business of life

Giving Thanks by Giving Back with Lean (+ Free Book Giveaway)

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The KaiZone Community Outreach

This Thursday, November 24th marks the Thanksgiving holiday in the US.  I’d like to wish The KaiZone Community a very Happy Thanksgiving!  And a belated Happy Thanksgiving to all of my friends in the Great White North!

How will YOU give thanks?

We all have much for which we can be thankful.  For faith, family and friends.  For health and happiness.  And for the truly fortunate, for wealth and prosperity.  The Thanksgiving season provides us with an opportunity to reflect on all of the things for which we are grateful.  But how many of us take the time to express that gratitude to others?  After all, shouldn’t a holiday named Thanksgiving be about actually giving thanks?

This Thanksgiving – instead of mulling over that third helping of mashed potatoes or who is going to win the big game – find time to add real value to your holiday.  Commit to show your gratitude in the year ahead for all that you have by giving back to those who are in need.

And what better way to give back to others than through Lean? [Read more…]

 

Accountability & Lean, Part 2:
The Paradox of Accountability

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lean, leadership, blog

TheKaiZone is back with the second post of our three-part series on the dynamics of accountability in Lean organizations (read Part 1 here). 

Accountability.  We all want it.  In fact, we DEMAND it, especially when things go wrong.  Yet, few of us understand what it is and how it works. Could it be that our misguided attempt to hold others “accountable” is the root cause that underlies our seeming lack of accountability?  And if so, can this accountability paradox be reversed?

Lisa’s Story: A Case Study in Holding Others Accountable

Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to read is true . . . and – to our great dismay – all too common.  The names and titles have been changed to protect the “accountable” parties. [Read more…]

 

Accountability & Lean, Part 1:
The Accountability Myth

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lean, leadership, blog

TheKaiZone is back!  And we’re kicking things off with a three-part series on the dynamics of accountability in Lean organizations.  Accountability, while critical to progress and success at a very fundamental level, is a concept that is not well understood in the practice of modern management today.   Learn why others cannot be held accountable, how our efforts to do so actually reduce individual accountability and how Lean’s Respect for People principle effectively reverses the accountability paradox. 

“We need to hold them accountable!” ~Every Awful Manager Ever

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It’s a universal mantra of modern management.  Master this phrase, and you too could become management material.  Here’s how . . . [Read more…]

 

What Top Lean Thinkers Want You to Know About Putting People First

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2014 Northeast Regional LEAN Conference Logo

“BOOM! Down goes Muhammad Ali.”  Billy Taylor’s powerful voice echoed throughout the halls of the Mass Mutual Center as a room full of onlookers jumped in their seats.  A gripping image on the screen showed the greatest heavyweight champion in boxing history splayed out lifelessly on the canvas.  Would he admit defeat? Or would he continue to fight on?  And what does this have to do with lean?

This story was not really about boxing; it was about perseverance, and the message was clear.  Becoming lean is not easy, and organizations looking for a quick win are sure to be knocked out of the fight in the blink of eye.  Lean is a struggle, and it’s precisely that struggle that builds within us the strength to carry on.  We must realize that whether it’s boxing, lean, or life in general, everyone – even the great ones – eventually fall.  It is the great people and the great organizations, however, that find the will to get back up.

The 2014 Northeast LEAN Conference

This was just one of many powerful messages delivered last week at the 10th annual Northeast LEAN Conference hosted by the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (GBMP).  For two days, some of the top lean thinkers in the world gathered in Springfield, Massachusetts to share their unique perspectives and success stories along the theme of this year’s conference:  Putting People First.

Couldn’t be there in person?  No worries.  The KaiZone has you covered!  I’ve sifted through my copious collection of notes – thanks again, OCD – to bring you some of the key messages and golden nuggets from a few of the many outstanding lean thought leaders that presented. [Read more…]

 

What is a Lean Leach? Understanding the Two Dimensions of Lean Systems

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Puzzle Pieces

 Joel, you see with one eye closed.  Your world is flat.  Your thinking has no depth.  Next time, open both eyes so maybe you see the people, too.”

Ouch!  My sensei’s assessment of my first kaizen event was not quite as positive as I had hoped.   Outwardly, I thanked him for his feedback and vowed that I would learn from the experience.  My internal dialogue, however, contained of a litany of four-letter words, insults, and the vow that my first kaizen event would also be my last kaizen event.  Thankfully, my cooler head prevailed, and I thought it a good idea to seek out my sensei and better understand his teaching before I swore off this “stupid lean stuff” forever.

I learned two very important lessons from that follow-up conversation.  The first being that lean senseis can be quite brutal in their criticism; if I was going to learn anything from the man, I needed to swallow my ego.  A little humility can go a long way.

The second lesson came in the form of a quote that still echoes deep in the catacombs of my mind to this day.  He said, “Joel, you need to understand that . . .

[Read more…]