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Continuous Improvement Culture
I would like to explore with you the culture required for Continuous Improvement to be truly effective.
Is your head in the right place ? .. ....and I don't mean between your
shoulders
A few years ago I attended a Continuous Improvement Conference at the University of Twente in Enschede, Netherlands, where Masaaki Imai one of Japan's kaizen gurus was giving a talk.
(Masaaki founded the Kaizen Institute in 1986 and has written several books on Continuous Improvement,
"Gemba Kaizen a commonsense, low-cost approach to Management" is worth a read )
During his talk Masaaki made reference to Dr Edward Deming, who is looked upon as the godfather
of the Quality movement in business improvements.
He mentioned one of Demings approaches to Quality Improvement called PDCA.
where P is Plan, D is Do, C is Check, and A is Act.
Masakki made a joke during his presentation that still resonates in my ears to this day.
He said that PDCA in most organisations actually stands for:-
P - Please D - Don't C- Change A - Anything
People often ask me "What is the best kaizen blitz event?"
The answer of course is "the next one"
I'm always amused when individuals say we've already been kaizened !
If you think like that then your head may be on your shoulders, but it may not yet be in the right place.
The very essence of continuous improvement is to keep improving until you reach perfection...
What's in it for you ? ..... I'm just a small cog......
We spend many of our waking hours in the work place.
I don't know about you' but I think we all have choices about how we spend that time.
We can come in, do our job to the required acceptable standard and then go home again.
We can come in, do our job to the required acceptable standard and then go home again.
We can come in, do our job to the required acceptable standard and then go home again.
If anyone has seen the film "The Shining" with Jack Nicholson then you should be getting slightly concerned at
this point - sorry if you haven't seen it, as the above will make no sense whatsoever.
As Albert Einstein once said "The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"
Of course we need to do our "normal" work, but by getting involved in actively trying to improve the way we do
things,we may actually have some fun, get a greater sense of worth, eliminate unnecessary tasks, and make our Organisation a "healthier" place to work in.
So by getting involved "What is in it for you ?"
The chance maybe for the first time to help eliminate tasks that are a complete waste of your time, and that
don't add any value to your customers.
Working in an improved office environment where we don't waste time constantly having to look for "things"
Feeling proud of your personal contribution and that you have made a positive difference to the efficiency of
the office, for you, your colleagues and your customers.
It's the thought that counts ...
Sometimes when I do kaizen training I have a bit of fun with the participants
by placing a paper cup on the table and then ask them to collectively think about getting the cup to move.
"If we all think really hard at once we can try and get the cup to move.."
Of course the cup never moves.
I then ask an individual to get up and physically pick up the cup.
It moves ....
How many times have you had a great idea but because you are not fully involved you have kept it to yourself
.....It's your little secret.
And guess what happens .. absolutely nothing..that's what.
Continuous Improvement requires individuals to collectively take responsibility for their current condition and then take ACTION to improve things.
A Continuous Improvement Culture requires a structured approach
To be truly successful we need a Systematic approach to encouraging a culture of continuous improvement.
Leankaizen Consultancy has three key phases to support culture change.
Phase 1 Initial Assessment Phase
During this phase I learn about your current condition and your main business drivers and
challenges
Phase 2 New process visioning and recommendation phase
During this phase, we identify the biggest opportunities for improvement and plan the activities that need to be
completed to maximise the improvement potential.
Phase 3 Physical transformation phase
During this phase, we take collective action to physically improve things and maximise the opportunity to get
people involved and deliver sustainable improvements.
Peoples attitudes are key
Lean is all about people.
80% of all improvement is about attitude, showing leadership, and having the fire in your belly to actually make a difference.
We need to believe that we can succeed.
About 20% in my experience is about technical excellence and applying the principles with confidence.
So is the glass half full or half empty ?
In kaizen terms we usually say that the glass is too big in the first place !
You can make a positive difference to your own workplace.
It's just a case of getting involved and taking action ..every day.
Hope this helps.
Best Regards,
Graham Ross
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