Will you select the right one?

In every conversation with senior leadership I’ve had during the past two weeks this one truth stands out loud and clear:  Acquiring, orienting and deploying the right new talent is an expensive business to get right, and even more expensive to get wrong.  Just think of all that muda!

With each passing day, recruiting and retaining the right executive talent to lead Lean & Six Sigma efforts and Green & Sustainability initiatives poses a greater challenge…

Today’s most experienced Lean leaders hail from those industrial sectors which were pioneers in continuous improvement.  As still greater numbers of companies venture into lean and Six Sigma, the demand for this expertise is beginning to outweigh overall supply. So where and how do we seek out the best of these individuals?  

On the other hand, the challenge in recruiting the right Green leaders is different, but no less daunting. Can we even agree about what makes an executive Green? How do we deal with imprecise definitions and varying skill sets?  How can we focus on targets which are moving due to the evolving nature of executive backgrounds?

In both situations you’re hiring change agents, quite often the executives who will outline a new vision for your company, and then inspire your team to make that vision a reality.  So what does it take to recruit the right Lean & Green executives for your organization?

In this special report from Adam Zak, a top executive recruiter of Lean, Operational Excellence and Sustainability leaders, you’ll quickly learn:

• The key principles and goals underlying lean, Six Sigma and green and why these are important to business success.
• How to identify and differentiate among the various stages through which companies ascend on both their lean and green journeys.
• How to then determine where your own organization currently stands on these two ladders – and evaluate the lean and green status of the companies from which you want to recruit.
• How to identify the common characteristics among the lean and green leaders who really stand out from the crowd—the qualities they bring to the table to deliver impact for their companies, and
• FIVE KEY STRATEGIES you must understand in order to attract and retain the best-in-class Lean and Green Leaders
• FOUR ideas you can implement TODAY to make your own recruiting processes more lean and green… 

To receive your complimentary copy of this timely special report, please email Adam Zak with:  your name, title, company company phone number and business email address  zak@LeanRecruiter.com

If you happen to be an executive or manager with strong Lean or Lean Sigma expertise (in other words, someone who can demonstrate the ability to make Operational Excellence happen in Corporate America), dust off that resume and get ready to take advantage of  the developing talent war for professionals just like you. Oh, and if you’ve also had a chance to help incorporate a Green focus into the Lean equation, then we should probably talk right away…

And the message for all you hiring executives -  CEOs, Presidents, and Vice Presidents of Human Resources  -  start planning now how you’ll go about filling your talent pipeline with the people who can bring these strategic and tactical principles, processes and techniques into your organization.  Because that’s what your competitors are doing right about now.

Way back in May, 2009 this ominous news from  BusinessWeek:  ”In the midst of the worst recession in a generation or more, with 13 million people unemployed, there are approximately 3 million jobs that employers are actively recruiting for but so far have been unable to fill. That’s more job openings than the entire population of Mississippi.”  No statistics, unfortunately, on how many of these unfilled positions were at the executive or managerial level. 

My own unscientific research project over the weekend, focusing on Lean Leadership vacancies, turned up these well-known corporate names in search of Manager, Director or Vice President level candidates:  Genzyme; Medtronic;  Tyco Electronics;  Florida Power & Light (FPL Group);  Siemens Energy;  Pentair Corp;  Textron Systems;  B/E Aerospace;  Johnson & Johnson;  Cooper Industries;  Accenture;  Merck;  Ecolab;  Baxter.  

And of course Marvin Windows & Doors, for whom we seek a new Vice President of Manufacturing.

Whether as a potential new job-seeker or prospective hiring executive, will you be ready for this rapidly-approaching and dramatic shift in the American executive recruiting picture ? 

I am.

This is Adam Zak, and that’s how I see it…

Attracting talented Lean managers and executives is a challenge which will only grow more significant as we begin our economic recovery in North America. So make sure you apply a Lean-focused results and value approach to hiring, developing and retaining the best possible leadership for your organization.

•   Make some ONE accountable – because if it’s not in anyone’s job description or performance review, don’t expect to see anyone doing much about searching out, developing and looking after the best of the best.
•   Define those jobs which are strategic to your organization in terms of leadership development and retention – because a talent-management strategy without this focus is no strategy at all and will fail you.
•   Think about and strive and reward to implement these key leadership practices for maximum results within your organization:

Build trust and candor. Great people are inspired by great leaders, and great leaders are honest and trustworthy. Know the potential successors to all direct-reports and make positive connections as frequently as possible. Too often leaders kill trust and candor by being judg¬mental, or more concerned with looking good than acknowledging others. Being a control freak or, on the flip side, avoiding control and blaming others, is a sure way to turn off your talented employees. Yes, it’s the Toyota Way, and it works.

Be accountable for talent. Every individual on your management team must consider identifying and retaining your best employees as “Job One” (with apologies to Ford). All of your HR strategies should be integrated throughout the organization. As with continuous improvement initiatives, you get what you measure. Hold people accountable for hiring well, and for suc¬cession plan execution. Integrate your plan with your corporate strategy and evaluate quarterly. All the top organizations with whom we’ve worked have a talent “war room.” Do you?

Actively protect and promote future potential. You’ve got high-potential players. Why should senior leadership keep “the list” of key employees a secret? After all, we’re not talking Skull & Bones here. Particularly if you’re trying to build a culture of trust and respect for people. Make sure that your top talent knows who they are and then help them to develop. Invest more heavily in the growth of already-excellent talent and extraordinary leadership; almost no amount of spending on “C” players will ever get you a solid ROI.

CEO is the Chief Talent Acquisition Officer. CEOs must take a leadership role in attracting top talent from other organizations. Be a visible evangelist; develop a personal brand beyond your role in the company. Be the kind of leader for whom people want to work. As a leader, be personally accountable for attracting a few key people regularly and serve as a sensei to some of them. Expect the same of other top executives.

Demand only the best. Create tough standards for new talent, and cut your losses when they don’t measure up. When people are performing in an outstanding manner, continue to increase expectations of per¬formance. Strong performers thrive on recognition and ever-increasing challenge, and the opportunity to show what they’re made of. Don’t disappoint them.

Morning mail brought a reminder that it’s that season again. Yes, time to hit the Lean conference circuit until you can’t stand (afford?) it anymore.   Not to single out AME (Association for Manufacturing Excellence) for any particular reason, but it was AME’s 12-page color brochure which outlined  five key benefits I would receive (and you too!) by attending their 2009 Lean Conference.  Of the five, networking only placed third. Hmm?   

Quoting AME (emphasis added) on the benefits of networking: 

“Building a social network of like-minded people is an important part of the Lean journey.  It’s well established by over 30 years of scientific research that the best performers and the most profitable companies invest in social capital.  In the world of Lean, establishing relationships is the catalyst for success.  A company with rich social capital produces outstanding business results  - higher sales, better quality products, more satisfied employees and greater profits.  To accelerate your Lean efforts you must continually meet new people, leverage trusted resources and build stronger relationships.  Having the right people included in your sphere of influence will help you cut your way through all of the noise about Lean and provide not only ongoing support but the right support. It’s not just what you know and who you know that counts  –  but also who knows you that is important to your success.”

I’ve got to find out who writes their advertising copy! As an executive search guy who specializes in recruiting Lean Executives for the Sustainable Lean Enterprise, I couldn’t have said this better myself. Networking makes major sense for every Lean Executive, including you.  

Incidentally, the AME flyer specifically did NOT mention that networking is an ideal way to position yourself for long-term career advancement.  Sure, your current employer may not be struggling with layoffs, salary reductions or other recession-induced  issues – now. More about this below. Just remember, “who knows you …is important to your success.”

So, how to maximize the benefits to you from conference networking?  A few observations and suggestions.  Not by any means a comprehensive list, but maybe enough to get you energized.

Plan. Before getting on that plane, think about why you’re attending the conference. What is your purpose?  What objectives and expectations do you have? What outcomes do you hope to achieve? I personally believe that in today’s world of “The Brand Called You,”  building your personal network should be a key purpose in and of itself. But beyond that, is it professional development? Is it soliciting input about a specific business issue you’re facing, and information about how others have tackled similar problems? What will you need to accomplish at the conference so that you receive true value-added for your time and your employer’s financial investment? Get clarity on this.

Prepare. Who do you think you’ll want to meet, and speak with, and why? What will you say to them? Think about what insights and perspectives you can offer your prospective conversation partners. What ideas might you be able to share about Lean, your company’s business challenges and successes, yourself personally and professionally? You don’t need a prepared “sales pitch” but make a few notes in advance.  Most effective of all, think about some questions to ask of the people you’ll meet.  Powerful conversation starters.  Have some.

Bring tools. As the Amex folks say, don’t leave home without…business cards! Your business card is valuable currency because you can exchange it for the other person’s business card. That way you’ll have contact  info so you can follow-up after the conference.  And you’ll want to do that. I am absolutely amazed at the number of people I meet at virtually every event who don’t have a business card. Why did they bother showing up?

Show up; no…really, show up.  You’re at an off-site for a reason. If not for that reason you could have spent less time and money at a Webinar instead. That reason does not include responding to emails and phone calls from colleagues back at the Gemba;  or fine-tuning a future-state map; or sneaking out for a round of golf. Go on the plant tours and to the workshops you signed up for. Attend meals, coffee breaks and cocktail hours. Come early, mingle, and chat (see below). Stay late.  Yes, you can eat too. But only with other attendees.

Mingle.  AME indicated that Northrop Grumman is deploying a team of 30 to this year’s conference. Wow, 30 people!  Here’s some advice for those NG participants and you as well:  Don’t all sit at the same table. Networking isn’t about dancing with the partner you brought; it’s about learning new steps from the guy or gal snapping their fingers to an unfamiliar beat out there on the dance floor.  So meet and talk to people you don’t already know. Then, you’ll get to know them, and they you. 

Say hello. Take the initiative to start a conversation with the unknown colleague sitting next to you at the supply chain workshop or a few of the Medtronic folks lining up at the salad buffet across the room. You might ask the person walking alongside you on the Miller Brewing tour why they chose it instead of the one over at Proctor & Gamble.  Or, even start a chat about the weather (just kidding) with that executive over there wearing a name badge from a customer’s or competitor’s plant. What might you learn? What else might you learn? Go ahead, engage.  

OK, I know what else you were thinking about… If you are indeed actively seeking a new position, stay below the radar.   Even if you followed my advice and you’re NOT sitting at the same table with the gang from back at the office. Latest statistic I find from the Department of Labor is that 64% of all jobs found last year were through contacts. You’ll be making good LeanConnections, but be discreet about  your job search. That dance is a three or four-step affair, not the one-step typical at professional conferences.  It’s unlikely anyone you’ve met will actually be able to offer you a job. Contacts will lead you to information, other resources and still more contacts. There’s a time and place for everything. For job search discussions that would be during your post-conference follow-up.   More about how to do that in another post, coming soon. 

Oh, and don’t bring resumes; almost no one bothers with paper any more, and it’s the very definition of not being discreet. 

A final conference thought.  Many conference promoters invite you to bring along a spouse and even schedule “significant other” activities.  OK, if it’s winter and you, like I, live in Chicago, and the conference is in Maui, well…  But I’ve been attending conferences for almost 20 years now and for pretty much every situation other than the Maui thing I have one word of advice: don’t. Focus on your purpose, avoid distractions. And treat your significant other to a great dinner upon your return home. 

Post-conference follow-up. Much as Lean must become part of your company’s corporate culture in order to deliver sustained benefits, networking must fuse with your DNA to live up to its greatest potential for you.  

Decide who you want to reach out to after the conference, then do it (rule of thumb: sooner is better, later may as well be not at all). Who will you call? Who will you email? Who would it make sense to meet with in person? after that initial connection, how will you continue to stay in touch?   

Remember that networking is a long-term process which leads you into building mutually beneficial relationships. But  not in just a few days.  You have to work at it continuously and, eventually, you’ll form the networking habit, along with an awesome professional network at your disposal.  That’s how you’ll wind up getting the inside info on all the best Lean ideas, innovations and industry trends before you read about them in Industry Week  or Manufacturing Engineering.  Not to mention those great career opportunity leads.

A final, final note.  I’ve just been Googling on the words “conference +Lean +Six Sigma + TPM” +…(well, you get the idea) and count at least 16 in the US alone before Thanksgiving.  Get crackin’ and happy networking!

Adam Zak

How are you changing the world today?

I’ve long been an advocate of Jim Womack’s Lean Transformation principle that “you’ve got to change the people, or you’ve got to change the people”  in order to achieve and sustain dramatic improvment in your business. And, as a corporate Executive Recruiter, I get involved when it’s the second of the two changes which becomes necessary. But is moving Mr. Wagoner aside only to replace him with the affectionately named “Fritz”, a long-time GM insider, really all that much of a change? And assisting Fritz (will they also work with Toyota, Honda and Nissan?) will be the D.C. all-stars profiled below. 

My friend and fellow Lean Thinker Mark Graban blogged earlier in the week regarding this Obama auto industry bailout team.  Mark is obviously critical of the individuals selected for this difficult task.  I’m less so, but I do see some humor in the obvious political connections with at least three of them. So in honor of April Fools’ Day I’m taking the liberty of quoting Mark’s blog verbatim. You can read the original by clicking on the link below.

***

Three Bankers and a Campaign Aide Walk Into an Auto Industry…

But Lean Leaders cannot allow a purely free market to exist in executive compensation when CEOs of certain American companies are receiving taxpayer (spelled: MY) dollars via U.S. government welfare handouts!

LEAN is about performance.  And rewards, any way you’d like to define them, should go to those who perform well. And those who do not deliver performance should also receive a strong message: NO rewards.  President Barack Obama was quoted earlier this week in the New York Times:

“This is America,” Mr. Obama said on Wednesday. “We don’t disparage wealth. We don’t begrudge anybody for achieving success. And we believe that success should be rewarded. But what gets people upset — and rightfully so — are executives being rewarded for failure. Especially when those rewards are subsidized by U.S. taxpayers.”

So let’s silently visualize the news headlines of the past few of months.  Are you thinking of a company or two that has failed miserably in the market place?  Even if you can’t remember the CEO’s name?  We all know about at least some of these folks (though we may not yet know ALL of them).

Now, think for a moment about some of the concepts which define LEAN performance-driven companies, and see if  any of these all-star concrete-heads (automotive, financial services, transportation, etc.) looking for a hand-out could ever be connected with ANY one of these principles or practices. 

Leadership? Value-added activity?  Accountability? Employee engagement? Respect for people? High quality, fewer defects? Flow (well, I guess there was some cash out-flow in the form of toxic mortgages, but that doesn’t count)? Customer value? Continuous or constant improvement? Lower cost?  Going to Gemba (as in, knowing what the hell is going on in my business)? Corporate social responsibility? Transparency?  And how about just good old-fashioned plain honesty?

See many (LEAN) connections? Neither did I.  Many of our “modern” executive compensation systems are built around rewards and incentives that simply don’t do what they were supposed to do. That in itself is a performance issue, and a topic for another day.  I’m sure we could apply loads of LEAN improvement strategies and practices in the compensation arena.  But how about doing something right now?

Solutions?  Well, I’m not an economist and I’m not a political activist, but I’ve sure met a lot of top-performing executives who’ve gotten LEAN religion, then transformed their organizations and their corporate cultures. And then delivered performance, and been well-rewarded for it.

So in the spirit of LEAN I offer a simple suggestion which can be implemented right now: Every company receiving assistance in the form of our tax dollars MUST send its Chairman, CEO, CFO and all business unit (division, subsidiary, etc.) leaders to an intensive (say 3-5 days, perhaps 10 for the CFO)  hands-on LEAN EXECUTIVE training. 

I’ve got a short list of appropriate Senseis in case anyone’s interested.