Archive for the 'lean' Category

Opinions…everyone has one…including me. Industry Week quoted Marshall Fisher, a Wharton School professor on When Not to Go Lean, by David Blanchard. The professor said you might be better off carrying excess inventories based on the nature of your product and the marketplace. Specifically, he spoke about supply and demand mismatches indicating that running out of a high margin item in a fashion market would result in lost profits for good. I wonder how he would reconcile that with Zara. This fashion clothing company intentionally runs out. And then they replace it with the next fashion item. They do that in very short design and production cycles. I wonder how the good professor would explain that? Read the rest of this entry ¶

I frequently say to myself, "I've got to read this book again." But I usually don't make the time to do it. That's not the case with The Dip, by Seth Godin. I have to admit that not only have I been waiting for the book, I would be anticipating any book by Seth. Call me a groupie. I'm ok with that. This guy has an uncanny way of bringing an idea from the edge to mainstream. But still I was surprised. While Seth promoted his book about quitting, the book is really about mastery.

For my money, there's no better book about mastery than George Leonard's Mastery. He describes both his journey to embracing mastery and the nature and practices of mastery. However, Seth presents the choice we have of mastery. You can quit or you can stick, it's your choice. The earlier you decide the better.

Seth's examples are palpable. Read the rest of this entry ¶

Jeffrey Liker has a new book on Toyota, Toyota Talent, Developing Your People the Toyota Way. I've got my copy. I'll be reading it closely this week while traveling to SFO.

It's my pleasure to speak again at a meeting of the Puget Sound PMI Chapter. Two years ago I gave a rather long and complicated presentation on obsolete theory, Fayol, Flores, and what can be learned from construction project management. This time I'll be attempting a much shorter and less complicated talk. Originally I titled it "An Update on Obsolete Theory", but I've reconsidered. Read the rest of this entry ¶

Toyota can't stay out of the press. If you've been reading the prior stories you know why. Well, I couldn't help myself. I just had to pass along one more story Why Toyota Is Afraid Of Being Number One appearing in Business Week.

"Chrysler communications chief Jason Vines said, "The thing I resent is Toyota wrapping themselves in the American flag." "We still employ more people and contribute more to the economy.""

Read the rest of this entry ¶

If you haven't read From 0 to 60 to World Domination, then do so quickly. It's a New York Times Magazine article; they could pull it off the general readership at any moment. Better yet, make yourself a copy. Even the Toyota critics will have to admit that the NY Times did a great job with this article. They answer the question, "How do they do it?" Read the rest of this entry ¶

While others are writing about Jet Blue's Passenger Bill of Rights I'll continue writing about Toyota. Toyota is in the news…the news everywhere. The NY Times wrote two stories about Toyota last week. I don't generally refer to NY Times articles because the Times makes their news articles unavailable after 7 days except to subscribers and for those people who are willing to pay. However, the NY Times got their stories right and I just had to write about it.

The most interesting thing for me in their articles is that Toyota takes the time to make sure employees learn the Toyota Way. I won't go into the Toyota Way. It's well described in Jeffrey Liker's book, The Toyota Way. What is the Acme Way? Or the Big Auto Way? While you and I might not know, the firms can't afford that their employees don't know. Read the rest of this entry ¶

Glen Alleman took me to task for yesterday's posting Misunderstanding Project Planning as Anticipation. He wrote a rather comprehensive rebuttal to my claim that the general understanding of planning is as anticipating a future. Glen makes a good case that best practice — at least in DoD projects — doesn't misunderstand planning. Since I've only worked at one defense contractor, I won't contradict him. I will say that my experience of the everyday practice of planning is as I described. Project managers/planners usually take an approach that limits alternatives concluding with "the plan". The plan is then represented as a CPM schedule. I don't argue with Glen that this is inadequate, nor am I saying that some people know better AND do something different. I am saying that the usual practice is to have a smart experienced person create a plan that is then represented as a schedule for others to follow. That is a practice that must change if we want better project performance. Read the rest of this entry ¶

I am cautious writing this post. Some people have been calling attention to an elephant in the room. KT Cat is one of those people. I don't know KT Cat. I read his weblog, The Scratching Post. KT writes anonymously. He writes with an attitude. That often makes for good reading. In his recent posting, A Lean Six Sigma Slogan, KT wrote,

"It's better to have your employees wonder if you're a complete idiot than it is to send them to Lean Six Sigma training and remove all doubt."

I think he speaks honestly. I'm not saying I agree with what he says. Nor am I saying that he's saying what is inherently true about Lean Six Sigma. But I do think he speaks from experience. Read the rest of this entry ¶

Facts are in. Not speaking on projects is a key contributor to project failure. Worse, it's also leads to failed careers. Three years ago Greg Howell and I authored a paper Two Great Wastes™ which we presented at IGLC-12. The paper was somewhat speculative. We had observed teams that just weren't making the progress that knew was possible. After studying a number of teams we noticed a pattern. Many of the poor performing teams were composed of people who didn't speak up and/or leaders who weren't listening. We coupled those observations with some research into some big disasters. We concluded that project deterioration was a function of not listening and not speaking. We named those behaviors the Two Great Wastes.

Teams that can't or don't speak up are doomed to fail.

The Concours Group validated our conclusions with their study. Read the rest of this entry ¶

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The CBS follow-up story to Katie Couric's interview, One Doctor's Crusade For Hospital Reform is a good read. CBS highlighted the everyday benefits of high capability processes on our lives. The interview opens this way with Dr. Berwick saying,

"Hospitals are very dangerous places. I don't know how to explain this to the public in a way that doesn't create too much fear. But they need to be realistic, and the technologies that help you can also hurt you — and they do it every single day."

Improving process quality and safety creates more time for engaging with people.

Studies indicate that 15 million patients are injured or get some sort of insufficient care each year. Some where between 44,000 and 96,000 die unnecessarily. Dr. Berwick and the 3,100 IHI partner hospitals have set out to change that. They are making their improvements in the same way that Toyota and other high-capability companies make their improvements. IHI is adopting Lean Six Sigma. Dr. Berwick goes on to say, Read the rest of this entry ¶

Let me start by saying I'm not taking a shot at doctors. In fact, I'm writing about IHI because I think we need to deliberately set out to learn from people outside our industry. Thanks to doctors like Dr. Berwick we are making great strides in the delivery of safe medical services. I'd like to reference tonight's CBS broadcast of IHI's initiatives. Unfortunately, the CBS website is way behind the times. Not only can't I find the broadcast video, but the site doesn't display correctly in either Internet Explorer or Firefox. Still, I hope you caught Katie Couric's interview. Dr. Berwick and IHI lifted my spirits; I'm sure it will lift your spirits too. Read the rest of this entry ¶

Don Berwick is on a mission to eliminate deaths from medical mistakes in hospitals. His 100k Lives campaign at the Institute of Healthcare Improvement is making great headway. And along the way many people are noticing., including Katie Couric. On Tuesday evening CBS News will showcase Dr. Berwick and his lean approach to healthcare improvement. Here's the CBS announcement:

"The Institute of Medicine recently estimated that nearly 100,000 people die every year due to medical mistakes. Couric profiles Don Berwick, a Harvard-trained pediatrician and public health expert, who is trying to make American healthcare safer. Read the rest of this entry ¶

LPSThe Last Planner System® is a lean approach to planning and delivering projects. It is based on a hierarchy of planning: should, can, will, and did. LPS is not a computer system. It is a set of protocols corresponding with the four above items: pull planning, look-ahead planning, task planning, and daily coordination. The Last Planner System is a registered trademark of the Lean Construction Institute. Last Planner SystemThe Last Planner System® is a lean approach to planning and delivering projects. It is based on a hierarchy of planning: should, can, will, and did. LPS is not a computer system. It is a set of protocols corresponding with the four above items: pull planning, look-ahead planning, task planning, and daily coordination. The Last Planner System is a registered trademark of the Lean Construction Institute.

Ralph Bernstein writing at Lean Insider for Productivity Press posted his proposal for 10 Lean Resolutions for the New Year. I've not been able to keep more than two resolutions. So, here are my two favorites from his list of ten (but do visit Bob's list.):

1. (For managers:) I will step back and not try to substitute my judgment for the team’s.
2. I will try to learn about lean from other industries, not just my own.

Step out from your usual project setting to learn from others.I like the challenge in these two resolutions, particularly for the highly successful manager. The successful manager knows what contributed to success. Just do more of the same and one will be more successful. Right? Maybe not!

The lean approach celebrates the wisdom of the team. Read the rest of this entry ¶

I read the following quote from Walter Bagehot in Time Magazine's end-of-year farewell to John Kenneth Galbraith.

"One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea."

The quote reminds me of the theory-trap we are in with projects. So with this posting I am updating my Notes on the Underlying Theory of Project Management is Obsolete.

While our tools are ever more sophisticated and there is more project management training, our project results languish. The new idea — projects are conducted in an unfolding network of commitments — challenges the very nature of what people do today in the project setting. The PMI is going to great lengths to teach people the old ideas.¹ In essence saying, "Just get good at doing what we've been telling you to do all along and your projects will come out just fine." Following that teaching with certification is producing a world-wide paradigm that is having the affect of blinding practitioners to alternative ideas (theories). In the face of that, the agilists are dealing with the pain of their new ideas; so are those adopting lean construction. Read the rest of this entry ¶

1. The PMI is succeeding. Membership has swelled from under 100,000 in 2002 to over 300,000 going into 2007. Attendance at conferences is at an all time high. And a cottage industry including top universities has grown to prepare project managers for the certification, CPM®. [ ⇑ back ]

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Bullshit. Sorry, it's my reaction to the quotes in today's NY Times article, Toyota Is Poised to Supplant G.M. as World’s Largest Carmaker in the coming year. Read on and decide for yourself.

"If Toyota overtakes G.M., that is a very big deal," said Mark Hawkins, chairman of the United Automobile Workers union local at G.M.'s Flint truck plant.

Wake up Detroit! It's time we all learned from Toyota.

G.M. and the union need to work together to at least try to prevent Toyota from displacing G.M., Mr. Hawkins said, because he worries G.M. would never be able to take back the top spot after losing it. "Right now they've got a lot of momentum," Mr. Hawkins said of Toyota.

Representative John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who will probably become chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee next year, said Toyota's strength came in part because it did not have to pay the full cost of health care coverage, a major burden for Detroit companies, and because it has benefited from the strength of the Japanese yen.

Read the rest of this entry ¶

Ford might come to mind. Not only have they paid people to leave, so many have left that they now have to make new hires. Training will cost. Quality may suffer. But Ford is not the auto maker I'm writing about. It's Toyota.

No Satisfaction at Toyota is a story about Toyota's relentless attack on complacency. Charles Fishman writes,

"Improvements aren't "projects" or "initiatives." They are the work, (the employees') work, every day, every week. That's one of the subtle but distinctive characteristics of a Toyota factory. The supervisors and managers aren't "bosses" in any traditional American sense. Their job is to find ways to do the work better: more efficiently, more effectively."

In short, the work of everyone is kaizen. And then some…

Read the rest of this entry ¶

Innovation can seem like such a big idea…just out of the reach of every person on your team. Matthew May wrote a book and a ChangeThis manifesto of the same name where he shares another of "Toyota's (lean) secrets." Everyday innovation is not only available to every team, it is the skill and practice that will separate you from your competitors. Read Elegant Solutions manifesto; share it with your team; and begin your own practice of innovation on your project.

 … or read the book.