I recently got an email from Tim McMahon of “A Lean Journey” asking me a set of questions that he was sending out to a bunch of Lean voices. I had worked with him on a handful of webinars over the years, so I was more than happy to respond. Given my shift to video more and more over the years, though, I thought it would be a nice variation on the request to give...
Read moreThere’s an old expression about ‘pulling out all the stops’ to get something accomplished. It basically means doing everything within your power to make sure that a task is completed. Where Does This Expression Come From? Now, before I dive into why this is a bad thing in a Lean process, I want to share a little tidbit I picked up while preparing to write this article. I wanted to make sure that the express...
Read moreGenerally speaking, people view inspections as a good thing and a sign of good quality. The truth is that inspections are generally a sign of the opposite. Unless mandated by some legal requirement, inspections are an acceptance of poor quality. Think about why we inspect. We do it because we keep getting bit by the same problem happening over and over, so we inspect to make the pain go away. The problem is that what...
Read moreTrue kanban is a very formal, regimented system. Following that process in a disciplined manner is what makes it work as well as it does. If cards go missing or don’t get dropped on time, the system fails. But that same structure can also be a barrier to attempting it when there is not a clear and present need for it. It acts as a obstacle, even when a person or organization could benefit greatly from some Read more…
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a type of cognitive bias (creation of one’s own reality) in which people with limited skills or ability or knowledge tend to overestimate their actual performance level. In other words, this is the psychological term that explains the old adage, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” Actually, that’s not quite correct, as high performers also experience that situation. What is more accurate would be to say, “You don’t know that Read more…
Many people tend to have a great deal of self-doubt. When the person is also a recognized expert in a field, the combination of this self-doubt and the accolades they receive from others creates a phenomenon known as “imposter syndrome”. This is where the person secretly does not believe that they are the expert that others believe them to be. Imposter syndrome goes hand in hand with another psychological phenomenon. Generally, the more competent a Read more…
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In the interest of listening to the voice of the customer, we want to pick your brain a bit. In the last few months, Velaction has rolled out a new training platform, launched a new and improved store, and upgraded our communication system. We have gotten a publisher lined up to be able to integrate more books into our product line, and are overhauling how we use our video platform to make it more accessible Read more…
The Problem Barrier Assessment Sheet is used to isolate the obstacles to effective problem solving in your company. When you recognize a problem, note it on the sheet, and then investigate why the problem has persisted. Most problems did not just jump up recently. They have been around for a while. But the people closest to the problem have not solved it. Look at the reasons why. See if there is any theme that is Read more…
“X” is often used as the notation for a random variable or independent variable, as in the basic transfer function, Y=f(x). In that notation, y would be the dependent variable. In practical use, X is the variable that you are experimenting on to see what impact it has on the output, Y. (Note that the cases must remain consistent within an equation, and x would be different than X. For this article, we are talking Read more…
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