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At this factory, the manager became a Saw-Muri warrior.  He was now sensitized to a common but invisible productivity and morale killer.  Too often however, managers don't see Muri.  They put a person in a stressful job, and he will occasionally have to rest.  This is sometimes referred to by those managers who can't see Muri as "dogging it."  

I loved this part of the article - so true: "Standing with a management team from a large manufacturer on a receiving dock at a distribution center, we watched a truck being unloaded. The worker meticulously checked and double-checked part counts against the manifest as the freight was loaded onto the dock. One senior manager who was standing near to the worker audibly remarked to our group, "This is what happens when we pay by the hour" (dogging it). The worker then turned to the manager and retorted, "No, this is happening now because last week I got my a&%^ reamed by my supervisor for miscounting." Mental Muri."

The Buddy Wheel is an easy way, that takes advantage of Visual Management Principles, to manage resources and responsibilities: People and Time. Another aspect in managing people and time is the aspect of who and when - because here we're talking about essentially a round robin of people.

A couple of great visuals from the Program Management Dept.

The basic process of abnormality management goes something like this: 1. Develop a standard. 2. Develop a way to identify when the standard is not being met. (i.e. make the abnormal condition apparent). This is most often done with visual controls or some form of daily management. 3. Take action to remove the abnormal condition.

When I asked the president at Anvex how he trained his managers, he answered, "Every manager must work inside the manufacturing process for a period of time. It is important for them to understand how their decisions within their department will affect the rest of the organization, otherwise it is impossible for them to make assertive decisions. Every single manager knows perfectly well what happens in each process because their desks are in the middle of the operation. This way they know when something happens as it is happening and not hours afterward. We do not have offices, they are not considered necessary. Private issues or problems are handled in conference or training rooms."

This is completely true. You need to know and understand for 100% all the processes in your manufacturing process.

As part of our onboarding process every person needs to spend time in the Mfg areas. I think we could widen this and say they need to spend time in each operation area. When I worked at L&L this was a requirement before you could actually begin the job you were hired for.

A good manager is acutely aware of what they know and why they know it, as well as what they don't know. They understand the difference between opinions, hunches, and objective facts. A good manager knows that their job is to fill in these gaps in knowledge, not to defend them. Good managers don't ruin their credibility by over-stating their knowledge.

In my talk, I argue that we should forget about "change management." Instead, we should involve people in solving business problems. Human beings are problem solving machines. We love solving problems. Someone invented the bow & arrow when she realized that the fastest human carrying a knife wasn't going to outrun the slowest gazelle. The brilliance of Angry Birds is that each level requires a new round of problem solving - which birds to use and where to aim them.

"But, we got the parts in and shipped the units. I thought we handled that quite well," protested Valerie.

"You are right, your supervisor did a good job. That's what supervisors do. But your work, as a manager, was not done," I replied. "The job of the manager is to create the system. When you discovered you would be short of parts, it was your supervisors job to go find the parts, but it was your job to ask

Change management is a broad discipline that involves ensuring change is implemented smoothly and with lasting benefits, by considering its wider impact on the organization and people within it. Each change initiative you manage or encounter will have its own unique set of objectives and activities, all of which must be coordinated. As a change manager, your role is to ease the journey towards new ways of working.

Watch the Neuroscience of Deming video - pretty interesting. Makes me want to re-read Deming.

Inspired! I love it. This is terrific reinforcement of the Learning Organization ideal.

"I should estimate that in my experience most troubles and most possibilities for improvement add up to the proportions something like this: 94% belongs to the system (responsibility of management), 6% special." (Dr. Edward Deming)

Don't you hate it when you attempt to get a fork from a condiment stand, but end up picking up a spoon? Has that ever happened to you? I hope I'm not alone in this one. Well, at a recent hotel stay, I experienced simple and powerful visual management that completely prevented me from making this common error.

Gemba walks are not to be confused with management by walking around (MBWA). The primary purpose of Gemba walking is to teach. When you are the Gemba walker, you are playing the role of sensei (mentor, coach, teacher). The role of the sensei is to ask questions, introduce new tools and approaches, stimulate new thinking, teach, and (sparingly) to give advice.

Often managers spot a chance to do something valuable for their company, but for some reason, they cannot get started. Even if they begin the project, they give up when they see the first big hurdle. The inability to take purposeful action seems to be pervasive across companies. Managers tend to ignore or postpone dealing with crucial issues which require reflection, systematic planning, creative thinking, and above all, time.

Creative visual management can be found in any environment - and it doesn't cost anything.

An interesting visual way to manage your tasks.

Will I see it on display in your office next week? Tracking "doing" and "backlog" with movable post its is interesting.

I may give it a try, I haven't decided yet.

Even marketing folks use visual management boards!

True visual management goes far beyond having a clean and well-organized factory. Visual management provides real-time information and feedback regarding the status of the plant. It is a company-wide "nervous system" that allows all employees to understand how they affect the factory's overall performance.

Visual Management Systems should be simple, obvious, efficient, and effective. Thus was the case at a recent visit to a Mexican Restaurant in Utah called Cafe Rio.