Are We There Yet? When Does Preparation Stop & Improvement Begin?

Transitioning to the Cultural Kaizen Cycle©

The common question that I am tasked with answering is how much preparation is required before transitioning from the Cultural Katalyst© phase of the life cycle to the Cultural Kaizen© phase. Unfortunately, there is not an easy answer to give, because every organization is unique in terms of form, fit or function.

Short annoying, cryptic in the voice of Kane from Kung-fu Answer: It takes as much time as is required to properly lay the foundation for improvement.

Uber Short Answer: 2-6 Months

The real answer is dependent on the following characteristics:

• Organization Size
• Which Cultural Katalyst© is used
• Strength of the training system utilized
• Relative enthusiasm of the leader
• At what point your first lean leader is identified
• Initial level of management buy-in
• Initial level of frontline associate buy-in

The rest of this chapter will reference the following diagram:

For those who have taken Intro to Marketing and have so perceptively noticed that this is the Product life cycle: Good Job! I have another text that equates the PLC to almost everything; history, war, marriage, and many other benign topics follow this same model. Additionally, the skilled entrepreneurial manager learns how to stack S-curve on top of S-curve. Steve Jobs built a legacy by stacking S-curves to feign exponential growth (Yes, logarithmic would be a better description fellow techies... seriously though- stop trolling!)

Back to topic... Given the following constraints:

• The first kaizen event is the knee of the curve
• Starting the Cultural Kaizen© Cycle too early will prevent the team from getting enough lift and, like other flavor-of-the-week programs, will fizzle out or be seriously diminished.
• Starting the Cultural Kaizen© Cycle too late will stifle the creativity and excitement. Its the equivalent of having a cannon with too long of a fuse; people eventually unplug their ears and get disinterested.

How do you ensure that you start at the right time? The same way that a nurse checks you in at the ER. They read vital signs that are mainly objective (except the "What is your pain-level on a scale of 1-10") and make a judgment call based on available information. Sometimes patients get mis-triaged (I don't know if thats even a word), but the large percentage fall with in the mean. Additionally, starting your first kaizen is not like flying a jet; there is a reasonable room for error.

CK Triage© is the process of evaluating whether or not your organization is ready for the first kaizen.


First things first: CK Triage© is an art, not a science. I am going to list the guidelines for the two basic parts of the CK Triage© process, but there is no checklist or spreadsheet that will give you the exact nano-second you should be in transition. It will take practice to get yourself able to accurately determine the pulse of your organization.

Part I: Is There a Leader in the House?

There are two possible scenarios that will take place for your first kaizen event:

1. You will identify a leader in your organization who will run the event
2. No leader will be present and you will have to run the first kaizen yourself.

Ideally you will find a leader in your existing organization to run the kaizen, because the change will be more profound if it comes from the grassroots of the organization rather than the Cultural Katalyst©. You want the rest of organization rooting from the sidelines and cheering on their home grown kaizen team.

So what are the criteria for evaluating potential suitors?

This is a qualitative ranking chart only. I could have done something nifty like assign a weighted point value to each and made some ranking table, but it would not get you a better perspective on suitability.

• Lean Tool Utilization: Throughout the Cultural Katalyst© portion of the transformation, the team will be exposed to training on the different lean tools. During this endless fissure of training, a potential leader will want to to take a good idea and run with it. Do not stop them!
• Kaizen Event Enthusiasm: This one is fairly self explanatory; what you are looking for is someone who is excited about the unknown. Running a kaizen event can be a bit intimidating (It certainly was for me when I ran my first event).
• Existing Cultural Integration: The bottom line with this category is that you need a leader who already has some level of respect from the team that is not generated by positional authority.
• Bias for Action: Lean Leaders take action. They realize that there is very little that can't be undone if a bad call was made. The take the seeds of knowledge you give them and scatter the lands with them... and they bear fruit.
• Ownership: Your lean leader takes ownership of their area. You do not have to tell them to get something done. They take care of these things by themselves because it is the right thing to do.

Note: Many of these traits can exist in a member of the organization, but they can be blocked out by years of bad culture. As you start to turn the culture around, these leaders will let their true colors show, but it will be subtle at first.

Part II: Can Someone Take my Organization's Temperature?

Getting the pulse of the balance of your organization is a little bit more tricky. You have to recalibrate your thinking about ten degrees. You have to turn every communication with your team members into a datapoint. Roaming the shop-floor/cube farm/warehouse has to be strategic. You should continue having conversations with all of your team members. 

Note: Do not print a list of everyone in your organization and make rounds with a clipboard. Most people get uncomfortable when someone is talking to them and making notes. It must make them think about the last time they were pulled over.

And the criteria are: 

• Kaizen Knowledge: I use a multi-faceted approach to my kaizen training because people learn in different ways. At a minimum, every associate should have kaizen overview training and lean tools training. In your ubiquitous communication meetings, you can try quizzing associates about different topics. There responses will let you know:
• The strength of the organization's buy-in to the transformation.
• Where you need to spend your time teaching.
• If there are any barriers to change
• Associate engagement during interactive training: I call this the dental exam. If you have to pull-teeth to get answers/interaction... its not going so well.
• Reception to lean tools implementation on the shop floor: 
• How is the team feeling about the small process improvements you are making?
• Are you getting comments such as:
• "This material handler replenishment system really helps us now"
• "I like having tools available at every workstation... searching for 20-30 minutes is so frustrating"
• Kaizen Kard© Submission: How many associates have turned in a suggestion regarding a process improvement for their or another area?

By looking at these few characteristics, you will be able to determine whether or not your organization is primed. Again there is no cookie cutter system of right and wrong. However, you can feel the inertia building in an organization as the transformation takes on a life of its own.

Part III: Emergency CK Triage© Action Items

Most how to chapters are written with no contingency plan in mind; so I wanted to leave you with some tangible actions incase you really can not feel the inertia building.

1. Break Bread with the team: There is something special about taking time out of the day to eat with the team. Have a catered lunch for each shift team and just spend time with them. People will start to ask you questions regarding kaizen and lean tools. Answer them quickly and then try to drive the conversation back to what people do when they aren't at work

Tactical Plan of the Cultural Katalyst(c)

Ok, so the last post kind of left you wanting for more, because, quite frankly, I have read plenty of text talking about the strategic aspect of, or theory of, organizational culture. I have also read very in-depth models of organizational behavior such as Situational Leadership that are, in my opinion, overly contrived for day-to-day applications.


Let us review the overarching Cultural Kaizen(c) improvement model:

As we previously looked at the strategic aspects of the Cultural Katalyst(c) required to turn the tide, now its time to dive into the nitty gritty!

So the model might look menacing at first, but we will break it down piece by piece. There are a couple of guidelines to keep in mind:

1. While the front-line will generally embrace changes that improve the quality of their workplace, your managers can feel alienated if you don't include them in the development of the strategy. This can be alleviated by doing the following:
1. Weekly leadership/management team meetings discussing the process.
2. Have one of the management team become the first kaizen leader on-site.
3. Keep an open-door policy with your management team.

Strategy of the Cultural Katalyst(c)- The spark that lights the fire

I have read in countless management books that having the right culture is key to getting the strategic vision of the company off the ground. Other gurus talk about the key to succeeding is facilitating a "culture of trust." I have yet to read any text that gives a concrete set of action steps to develop this kind of culture other than nebulously stating "First you must define your ideal culture."

The other quote that I have heard is, "Company cultures are like country cultures. Never try to change one. Try, instead, to work with what you've got.” Mr. Drucker makes a valid point, but what do you work with if you have a culture of:

• Missed deadlines
• Lackluster productivity
• Mistrust
• Compliance, not commitment
• Bias for inaction
• Lack of innovation
• No backbone 
• Overtly Political
• Low Standards
• Segmented Business Silos
• Lack of Ownership

I literally walked into the first meeting of a new endeavor and thought I was going to pass out because due to the lack of engagement. So, if you have a good base-line, I would say that it is possible to "work with what you've got," but, otherwise, lets build a new dynamic!

OK, so assuming that you don't want to highlight the strengths of the aforementioned team, how do you get the team in motion? How does the momentum get created?

Without a Cultural Katalyst(c), the fuse will not light!

There are two types of Cultural Katalysts(c) that occur in an organization:

1. Organic: These natural events are brought about by business or organizational change. These events must be capitalized upon by the organizational leader or they will be considered a missed opportunity. Two examples of this would be Winston Churchill leading his people through the plight of the Nazi invasion. 
1. The first Cultural Katalyst was simply the act of Churchill becoming the new leader. Had he not taken ownership of the situation immediately; the current administrations practice would have been sustained.
2. The climate of Europe at the time could have been enough for the current leader to rally the team, but he did not.
2. Induced: If you have been stagnant in your role for quite some time and you are deciding to change on your own, do not fear; this is the case for many managers or (positional) leaders. You have to rally the organization around a potential threat/change that could occur or insert someone into the organization

Warning: Do not lie to your team; they WILL find out and they will NEVER trust you again!

The Cultural Kaizen(c) improvement process will be initiated in one of four ways:

1. New Manager, Organic Katalyst(c): A new manager at a site level is a small organic Katalyst(c) in and of itself. A new CEO is a large organic Katalyst(c). That said if their is a known organic Katalyst(c), such as a market decline, in addition to the management change, the team will automatically assume that the business is in trouble. The approach that needs to be taken is, "Change is coming to help save the business. Can I get a commitment from you guys to work with me so that the business will thrive (survive)?" It is also important to read the New Managers Primer to temper this enthusiasm/strength with solid relationship building skills. Remember, you have to show your team why these changes are occurring and that it will benefit everyone. 
2. New Manager, Induced Katalyst(c): This is a tough situation to be in because, if you are not careful, the team will think that you are only making changes to stroke your own ego. Reference the New Managers Primer and err on the side of longer before you make any changes. When you induce the Katalyst(c), I recommend over communicating about "the why." Two techniques you can use are:
1. Have your manager come on site and deliver your plan and edify it to the team as a whole.
2. Bring in some of your old team (preferably front-line supervisors that you are grooming) to work for you and have your team be your messenger to the work-force.
3. Existing Manager, Organic Katalyst(c): This is probably the easiest situation  to manage if you have a decent relationship with your team and even if you don't, it is a great time to set things right.
1. Positive Relationship Strategy: "Team, everyone knows that we've faced some challenges due to the drop in the economy. I have been working with my superiors to help get us moving in the right direction"
2. Neutral to Negative Relationship Strategy: "Team, I have made a lot of mistakes in the past; Please forgive me. We have some challenges in our business right now, and I want us to be able to work through them together."
1. Note: I recommended this strategy to someone and they told me that they received a 1-on-1 thank-you from over about a dozen team members.
4. Existing Manager, Induced Katalyst(c): This situation generally occurs when the manager is given an ultimatum that they have a fixed amount of time to turn the business or their team around. The Katalyst(c) is organic, but only affects one person. One of the ways to combat this is through perceived internal competitive pressure (This is generally true if a manager is given an ultimatum). "Team, the other sites are kicking our butt. I have been here a while and quite honestly I have been resting on my laurels. I have been competitive for most of my life and lately I've lost that edge. I want to turn this place around so that our site can go back to being the go-to site."

The important thing to remember is that every culture is different and every strategy will need to be tweaked slightly. Do not get married to the exact verbiage listed above. Above all, I do not recommend using the words change unless you are in a legitimate business crisis; use the words ideas, thought-process, or do a short Cultural Kaizen(c) overview. People only immediately change in high stress situations. I equivocate this to: "Yelling at some one that you don't know while there house is on fire is great; otherwise, its not."

Lastly, you should be having face-to-face group meeting with your entire (to clarify, this means the night shift too, if you have one- changing the culture requires a commitment) team, based on your organization size, in the following intervals:

The goal is to be totally transparent with your team so that unity will be created among the team and sub-teams. Many leaders find that after starting these meeting, they are so helpful that they perpetuate them indefinitely. 

We have spent a good deal of time discussing the strategic thought process of the Cultural Katalyst(c). Next Stop: Tactical Cultural Katalyst(c) framework! 

Regards,

Cultural Kaizen(c)

Cultural Kaizen Improvement Model Overview

Change Does Not Happen by Accident!

Many managers think that sitting in a conference room with multiple functional directors is the key to organizational success. At the end of a two-day fiasco, you will certainly have deliverables such as the following:

• Exhaustive list of key performance metrics, indicators or goals
• A cleverly crafted paragraph that will look absolutely fabulous printed underneath a company logo and hung on a 3' x 5' banner
• Possibly even:
• Specific strategic initiatives for functional departments
• Capital planning
• Intellectual property usage planning
• New product development focus

Something happens between the end of the aforementioned meeting and the next scheduled meeting. The goals, KPIs or strategic initiatives never manifest. What prevents the well-intentioned plans from coming to fruition. The problem is related to chemistry: There was no catalyst.

Cultural Katalyst(c): Some whole-heartedly attempt to execute the strategic direction of their senior managers. The problem is that the manager fights years and years of cultural programming and it is difficult, at best, to beat the programming of dozens or hundreds of associates who are locked into their current state of affairs. 

There are multiple Cultural Katalysts(c) that can be capitalized on to start the cultural improvement process. Some of these are organic and some have to be induced. Once the katalyst is in-place, driving the cultural change becomes less dependent on random success and more about executing a plan. Consider the Cultural Katalyst(c) as primer a wall before applying the paint.

Cultural Kaizen(c) Cycle: The usual approach to continuous improvement is haphazard at best. One of two strategies taken by organizations is:

• Option 1: Get a consultant to solve our problems of Continuous Improvement

While this might seem as a detractor from one of my chosen professions, it is the absolute truth. You cannot put all of your eggs in an external basket or you will be reliant on that basket for ever. A good consultant helps their clients put systems in place so that they can sustain their gains and cut the expense of the consultant

• Option 2: Throw some mud against the wall and see what sticks.

This is also the flavor-of-the-week improvement process. You have heard this occur in familiar fashion such as: "Let's roll out 5S" or "GE uses six sigma; we should too." Its obvious that unfocused attacks cannot possibly build a culture OR improve the process.

The Cultural Kaizen(c) Cycle takes process improvement to the next level by developing an overview of your organizations process and culture. The process improvements will be strategically mapped and the cultural impacts of each process will be considered and leveraged to create the maximum possible benefit.

Sustainment Cycle(c): Although continuous improvement is a lifelong journey, the step-change that occurs from before the Katalyst(c) to after the initial push of the CulturalKaizen cycle must be perpetuated. There are an additional set of tools that must be utilized once the bar has been raised. This is the single biggest opportunity to fall backwards.

The above is an overview.  We will discuss each in detail in the next 3 posts:

The Three Legged Stool: An Overview of the Cultural Kaizen Model

Many (successful) organizations are forged on the principal that there exists one singular priority that the team focuses on in unison and perfect harmony. Other (less) successful organizations have a myriad of key-performance-indicators that tend to dilute the efforts of their respective teams.


Now, most organizations, of any mass, are by some degree successful. I default to the Stephen King definition of success (in literature): If you write something, and someone sends you a check for it, and the check doesn’t bounce, and you’re able to pay your electric bill with that money, you’re a successful writer; however, I am assuming that those reading this are looking for a stepping stone to the next level.


The perfect metaphor for developing the foundation of world-class organization (success) is the three legged stool. No relationship correctly highlights the equal importance of each of the components as this model. Going a step further, a one or two legged stool are both equally useless and the four legged stool provides no more utility than its three legged counterpart.


The 3 Legs:


Culture: Mr. Druckers Quote: "Culture eats strategy for breakfast" might as well be considered a commandment in the management bible. The best laid plans or process improvements have been ransacked by work teams gone awry. Conversely, a strong team can make a mediocre project work in the short term to be transformed into an exceptional idea, in the long term, by collaborative thinking.

Two benefits of a Positive Culture

1. Improved number of employee suggestions- Observe a new engineer's first month on the job. They will establish a lay of the land and then begin hunting for ideas. It is more productive to have a pool of ideas and choose the best ones of the pack. My current assignment averages 1.5-2 suggestions per employee per month. I am not satisfied with that number, but not disappointed by it either.
2. Change management is less apt to be a problem. It is very easy for a team of associates to make and idea not work if they don't appreciate its merit. No one knows all of the reasons for change resistance; lets just assume it is a little bit of fear coupled with a little bit of anger. A positive culture will enable most of the associates to embrace the change and other associates will be influenced by their peers.

Kaizen (process improvements/innovation): Obviously, from my team's namesake, I am partial to the Toyota production system and kaizen methodology. However, there are times when this is not the answer to your problems. Companies tend to look for a magic bullet that will cure all of their improvement/problem woes. Quite conversely, every improvement system needs to be tailored to the company and its respective operations. An example of this adaption is the recent manifestation of the Honeywell Operating System (HOS). For almost 2 decades companies have been trying to emulate Toyota or GE and, finally, Honeywell took the principals and developed a methodology to custom fit their culture.
      That being said, The reason that I gravitate towards kaizen as a key to improvement is because kaizen and culture go hand in hand. If done correctly, adding kaizen to your team is like feeding a cultural fire with gasoline! There is nothing that can compare to a team of associates diving deep to fix a problem in their personal workspace. It is empowering, gratifying and uniting simultaneously.



Leadership: The last leg of stool is leadership. It is very easy to say that leadership is an important part of every site, plan or organization. Think back to your last job interview; how many leadership questions were you asked? The fact remains that even when hiring top management, most people are put into position because of technical competence, not leadership ability. Which of the two is more important when trying to take an organization from average to world-class? Strong Leadership solidifies your gains and stabilizes your team during times of crisis.

The 3 legged stool is the foundation and support for the strategic direction & operations of the organization. This model can be applied on a global basis or as deep in an organization as site level. Strong organizations, at any of these levels) have strong cultures, strong process improvements and strong leaders.


Regards,


CulturalKaizen