Lean Connections

I coined the term “Kaizen Kowboys” a few years ago (Lean Culture: Collected Practices and Cases).   Since Bill Wadell was kind enough to reprise its use in his blog yesterday I thought I’d provide a little historical background.

The company involved was a new executive search client and they were running into problems with their Lean implementation.  Turns out they had been working for over a year with an outside consulting firm to assist them in the transformation process, but they didn’t seem to be making any real progress.  And they weren’t really sure why that was the case. My client contact, the CEO, called me in to discuss the problem and propose solutions.

Part of the standard work I do when beginning a new search (I created a trademarked search methodology called pdcaSearch(R) in which we use Lean principles to drive the executive search process) is to uncover the root cause of the problem I’m being asked to solve. In this case it became very clear that there were ”multiple internal owners” of the Lean initiative, but there was no clear accountability for its success or failure.  The VP of Manufacturing had a small team of the outside consultants assigned to his “projects” and so did the VP Engineering. As did the VP of Supply Chain; and the VP Finance, and so on. 

The CEO had given each executive broad latitude and they were running with it. But all too often it seemed that an “improvement” in one area of the business soon became undone as another “improvement” elsewhere changed the overall operational dynamics of the organization. What Manufacturing improved became “unfixed” by the latest Kaizen event conducted in Engineering the following week. So naturally, Manufacturing Kaizen teams came back to the same area in subsequent weeks for a do-over.  This had been going on for almost a year and had devolved into an embarassing “Keystone Kops-like ” effort which I initially dubbed “catch-and-release Kaizen.”  The trout fishing devotees among you will immediately know what I mean.

Well, I fixed the company’s problem by recruiting a new VP of Continuous Improvement, an individual skilled in the principles of operational excellence and policy deployment. He quickly helped align objectives, resolved competing priorities and turned the focus of the improvement initiative onto value streams instead of functional silos.  Kaizens became more strategic, value-added events.  The new Lean VP continued to rely on a select group of outside advisors who could complement his own expertise, but he very rapidly sent the majority of the Kaizen Kowboys packing back to the ranch from whence they had come.

And that’s the way I see it.  Adam Zak

I finished a new book over the weekend and wanted to share my thoughts with you. No, it’s not your typical Lean leadership-focused manual.  But it does address what in my mind is one of the most critical aspects of sustainable Lean:  actually doing something about the information we obtain when listening to the “voice of the customer.”  

The people we do business with constantly tell us that our ability to deliver customer service is critical to their experience of satisfaction with our companies, our products and our services.  BAM! Bust A Myth – Delivering Customer Service in a Self-Service World,  by Barry J. Moltz and Mary Jane Grinstead, clearly and effectively communicates how each organization competing in today’s market place can develop its individual definition of “good customer service” and then put into practice those systems and processes which help make it a reality.  

Barry and Mary Jane demonstrate that no matter what our business, be it manufacturing energy saving solar panels, flying passenger airplanes, or conducting executive searches for Lean CEOs, delivering customer service which is appropriately tailored to the needs of each of our unique customers is at the core of our long-term viability and success.  

In this quick and easy-to-read text (just over 200 pages),  the authors dispel many of the common customer service myths that many early entrepreneurs, and even Fortune 1000 companies, often cling to  -  many times because the fog of anecdotal “evidence” overwhelms the truth.  Some examples I like are:  Myth #2: The customer is always right;  Myth  #10: Unhappy customers tell their stories to more people than happy customers do;  Myth #12: Customers don’t care about great service -  they just want the lowest price possible; and perhaps my personal favorite, Myth #17: Customer service systems should focus on trouble shooting – if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

This last Myth personally hit home because of my own strong belief in the Lean & Six Sigma principles which are at the core of  continuous improvement philosophy and culture so necessary today if our companies are to thrive in this competitive market place.   In fact, Barry and Mary Jane strongly advocate at every turn that you go see for yourself  what’s really happening on the front lines of your business (in Lean terminology, “go to the Gemba, or workplace”), a concept so  familiar to Lean practitioners all over the world.  

In summary, BAM!  is: well-written with a light touch of humor, offers good insights into situations to which we can all relate, and presents practical suggestions for solving a broad range of customer service issues.

And that’s the way I see it.  Adam Zak

Recruiting Strategic Leadership for the Lean+Green Revolution, from Adam Zak

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