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Gotta Go Lean Blog

Nopointosis

Smooth, efficient communication helps business management systems thrive. Many of the structures that we recommend having in place are specifically designed to help streamline the communication process. Morning standup meetings get everyone on the same page at the start of a shift. Daily management clarifies expectations and what the current situation is at any time. Visual management makes it easy to recognize what is happening with minimal conversation and thought. Policy deployment communicates the goals Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Work Pace Disorder

Lean afflictions abound in the continuous improvement workplace. One such ailment is Work Pace Disorder. With this disease, people cannot keep a consistent pace to their work. Typically, their pace depends upon the size of the pile in front of them, but it can also be impacted by other factors. The general symptom is a seemingly random amount of time to complete the same process. Low variation is essential for efficient operations. When inputs to Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Selective Hearing Syndrome

Many Lean afflictions reduce the effectiveness of your continuous improvement efforts. One such affliction is Selective Hearing Syndrome. In this disease, people filter out information that doesn’t support their views or that involves things they don’t want to do. They also interpret the meaning of this information exclusively based on the pieces that make it through their filter. Sometimes Selective Hearing Syndrome is an intentional tuning out of the person, but more commonly it is Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Shop Floor Phobia

“Go to Gemba” is a frequent refrain in Lean. It has two basic meanings. The first is that leaders should get down to the shop floor regularly to see what is happening. The second is meaning is to keep people from debating provable facts. When a discussion starts about something observable, a good facilitator will send the debaters down to the shop floor to see things first hand. That is where this Lean affliction, Shop Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Data Aversion Disease

Some people are so convinced of things that no amount of data can influence their opinion. The presentation of data contrary to their current belief actually repels them and makes them become more firmly entrenched in their own position. This is one of several Lean afflictions. There is actually a true psychological term that this Lean affliction is related to. It is called confirmation bias. In a nutshell, people tend to accept data that supports Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Functional Blindness

This Lean affliction is characterized by seeing things as useful only in a single, prescribed use. In many cases, this is true. In some cases, this is not the case. As a simple, real world example, a plastic milk jug can be cut to form a scoop. You can use quart, half-gallon, or gallon sized depending on the application. These scoops could be used to for dog food, potting soil, or whatever else you want. Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Hoarderism

Workspaces work best when there is minimal clutter, and everything has a specific purpose. This goal is derailed by hoarderism, one of several Lean afflictions that can prevent your company from reaching its potential. Hoarderism is the inability to throw anything out, or even send it to the red tag area because of a fear that it might be needed someday in the future. Hoarderism flies in the face of both 5S and the red Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Squirrel Chasing Syndrome

Another of several Lean afflictions, Squirrel Chasing Syndrome is the inability to remain focused on the goal or task at hand when something enticing comes into view. This generally means abandoning the current task and switching to the new task without any real planning. This form of distraction is harmful for three reasons. The first is that there is always waste when switching from one thing to another. We aim to minimize that waste, and Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Flat Surface Syndrome

There are a set of ailments that afflict many people when attempting to implement Lean. One such ailment is the aversion to seeing a flat surface unencumbered by clutter, known as FSS or Flat Surface Syndrome. Some people have a tendency to see an open surface as an invitation to put something on it. In non-work areas, this leads to clutter, and an inevitable collection of dust and debris accumulating around the items. It also Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Moonshine Shop

The moonshine shop is a team in Lean manufacturing environments that specializes in pushing the envelop of what the company is doing in continuous improvement. It focuses more on experimentation and conceptual work than addressing specific problems. It is named for the similarity to old moonshiners who would set up shop in out of the way places and do their work away from observation. While moonshine shops are really not intended to be secret, they Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago

Modelling

As part of your continuous improvement efforts, you will need to experiment, and that means making models. Models are essentially, at their heart, experiments to figure out how to do things on a larger scale. They are intended to get all the mistakes and faults in ideas out before you invest in a full-sized change. There are several different kinds of models that are available to you. Bear in mind that this is the layman’s Read more…

By Jeff Hajek, ago