Here is a quick tip for selecting team members for a kaizen blitz or rapid improvement event.

It’s called the rule of thirds. The basic idea behind this rule is to choose team members based on the following split.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/3 rd  of the team should be people who have Day to Day association with the project area.

In other words they should work in the area and have an intimate knowledge of the tasks and processes under review. They should be able to perform most of the job functions in the area at an acceptable level of performance. People who know the job can have great ideas about how to improve the job.

1/3 rd of the team members should have a Functional association with the project area.

 

These functional specialists should understand the jobs and processes within the project area at an overview level. They should understand how the area relates to their particular function from a customer / supplier perspective .Their input can help maintain the big picture and keep the team grounded on the impact for other departments in terms of local project area improvements. They can help remind the team that we are trying to improve the overall end to end process and not just one link in the chain.

1/3 rd  of the team members should not be connected with the project area

Not connected with the project area at all? How can that help?

When reviewing an area it can sometimes be difficult for people who know the job in and out to initially ”see” improvements. They have been the job for so long that they already think that they are doing it the best way. It cannot be improved.  A fresh pair of eyes can be helpful in this regard.
“Why do you do that?”; What is that for”  ;”Where do you get the information from”; ”Why do we need that form” People filling this “I know nothing” role need to be coached ahead of time as to how they should contribute. This will give them confidence to probe and ask questions. A word of warning. Asking “why?” can be quite annoying to other people in the team, if not done in the correct tone. We need to make sure that people understand that we are questioning the process with a fresh pair of eyes and not their ability to the job.

It can work well to invite a person from out with your organisation for this team member role. This can often have a really positive impact on the overall team performance.

The rule of third, in kaizen blitz team selection needs to be used as a guide rather than applied verbatim. The basic idea works very well but you need to adjust the numbers based on availability and the actual project selection.

Here are some other general characteristics that you should consider when pulling a team together.

Potential Participants should:-

• Understand the target area or be willing to learn about it
• Be willing to get involved
• Be Good Communicators
• Bring knowledge that will help the team