module 18a: continuous improvemnet & advancement process basics

Work Focused Improvement®Management Essentials for

Daily Use and Ongoing Improvement

By Sam Pratt

© 1986-2013 Samuel H. Pratt / SHP Consulting Limited

Module 18a

Continuous Improvement

& Advancement Process Basics

Continuous Improvement in a Nut Shell

1. The requisite mindset is simple: No matter how good we get, we always can and will get better

2. The system must be able to do this:

a. Build a list of all key initiatives, projects, and problems to be solved

b. Prioritize the initiatives

c. Assign people and other resources where needed

d. Energize the entire process

e. Ever increase the rate of progress

© 1986-2014 Samuel H. Pratt / SHP Consulting Limited Continuous Improvement

Improving a Team Is there opportunity for your team and the rest of the

organization to improve? For your team, and parts of the organization your team deals

with, how many things could be done to improve? Do other people on your team have ideas on how to do

things better? Are some ideas better (more valuable) than others? Could some of the ideas fail to gain the expected results? Do you expect technology, training, systems, structures,

and business mechanism to continue to get better over time? Do you have a list of all these improvement ideas?

Continuous Improvement© 1986-2014 Samuel H. Pratt / SHP Consulting Limited

Tools Have you ever used?

– A grocery list– Golf or bowling score sheet– Mailing list– Checking Account Log– Map

Why did you use them? What is good about these mechanisms? Would some similar mechanism be useful to

your team?


Work Focused ImprovementäUnderlying Assumptions / Environment

Managers / Leaders know their areas In an area at any given time, there are far more known

improvements to make than resources to make them A Manager / Leader’s day is fragmented Only large cost / risk ideas require detailed

justifications / return on investment calculations Most local improvements go unreported Reporting, tracking, energizing, and analysis

mechanisms should be simple Trust is always an issue


Advancement STAGES OF RESPONSE

1 Kickoff (varies by level of response and is Customized to Organization)

8-Square Associate Awareness Module 9-Minute Impactor Presentations What Counts Environmental Analysis Technical Analysis Social Analysis Flow Charting with overlaid variances & roles Balanced Brainstorming



1 Kickoff (Continued) Purposes of the Kickoff

– To rapidly get people to know each other and the essence of the Work Groups they represent

– To draft an Advancement List or Lists and secure immediate gain

– To foster collaboration, trust, tradeoffs, and tolerances for partial solutions and risk taking

The end of the Kickoff is never neat & tidy … not a problem...



Stage 2 Ongoing Effort, focused & energized by succinct Advancement Lists

Celebration of both successes & non-successes ... both add to the knowledge base

Alternate nudging & use of energizing mechanisms


Stage 2 Advancement List Essentials

Resist temptation to track more than–Priorities [1,2,3,C,H,X note that highest priority is at top

–Half line description starting with a thoughtfully selected action verb

–Guessed quantified expected gains–% chance of success [never 100% - reduces stress]

–Leader and maybe a Deputy Sort the list by Priorities, then Amount of Gain,

then % Certainty


Stage 2 Advancement Process Essentials Hold periodic meetings that are unstructured,

casual, relaxed, upbeat & fun Focus on the work, enabling, creativity & gains ...

not tracking Value & defend a pervading atmosphere of trust

and cooperation Take the position that there is no such thing as

closure … partial solutions are just fine, and everything can be revisited

At the same time, if closing the loop requires standardized practices, keep them as simple, concise & visible as possible


WFI Team Advancement Meeting Expected Outcomes

Improve bottomline performance of organization Enable the organization Enable individuals and teams Emphasize inter-departmental communications Foster cooperation and respect Build a robust organization with widespread ownership,

understanding, and alignment Assure that all key business mechanisms are continuously

improving and working in concert


Advancement ListsCover Page / Overhead / Explanation

The attached, following, or posted list(s) are used to Focus and organize effort Energize response Expand participation

While Leaders are identified for most items, people

from anywhere & everywhere are requested to Add items Improve items Request roles as leaders or helpers

This is a simple, proven way to improve! Continuous Improvement© 1986-2014 Samuel H. Pratt / SHP Consulting Limited

Advancements Why They Work Bureaucracy minimized Creativity maximized - “living body of work” Stress minimized

– Certainty is never 100%– Celebrate learning from discarded trials

Pick & choose nature of lists is collaborative “Cream comes to the top” “Bad ideas settle to the bottom” Lists generate debate & refinement over time Normally, the big gain items are the fun items Items get done without the “boss” even knowing


Advancements Why They Work “The power of the pen”

– Action words can be selected to reflect status of ideao Study …o Design ...o Choose …o Install ...o Upgrade ...

– Collaborative efforts can be orchestrated Completed & excluded items provide a diary of progress Lists can smooth implementation of other programs High visibility of everything: Results, Tools,

Mechanisms, and the “Living Body of Work”

(Continued)


Advancement List - ExamplePr # Item Gain Cert Lead Dep

1 1 Develop owners of KPIs, targets, and business mechanisms 5.50% 50% ATK1 2 Review strategies & mechanisms to reduce disruption of "fires" 5.00% 75% SF GG1 3 Perform Calibration exercises 4.70% 80% SHP1 4 Build forums safe to encourage open communications 4.50% 75% BBU1 5 Improve horizontal communications, collaboration, and cooperation 4.00% 75% KL1 6 Review recognition & reward mechanisms & needed outcomes 3.40% 66% ATK1 7 Review mechanisms / strategies to make Ops & Mgt a cohesive unit 3.30% 80% CRD BBU1 8 Determine steps to insure that hygiene is 1 on 1 and in background 3.30% 75%1 9 Asses current high level meetings (review comments, suggestions) 2.90% 70% BF2 10 Consider Leadership training and design options 8.00% 66% GG2 11 Review Pay Systems components to insure "fair to individuals & company" 6.10% 66% RSP2 12 Use Balanced Brainstorming or Fishbone Analysis Session to build team 4.00% 80% RSP2 13 Review Business Information needs, timeliness, and formats 3.40% 75% KL2 14 Use 8-Square Associate Awareness Module to build understanding 3.00% 90%2 15 Study issues & options related to Mission(s) 2.70% 75%3 16 Design Advancement Kick-off Session with selected exercises 4.00% 80%3 17 Use 9 Minute Impactor Presentations to tear down borders 3.00% 90% THP3 18 Use temporary "Employee Swaps" to improve horizontal understanding 3.00% 80%H 19 Design and use scoreboards 5.00% 75%H 20 Design & Implement Cross Training System 3.00% 60%X 21 Design cross functional marketing teams 0.44% 75%

AdvancementQuickDirections


Advancement List is …

The body of work of an organization or team A prioritizing tool A resource allocator A concise communications mechanism A team building endeavor A diary of successes & failures learning experiences


Performance Improvement (WFI) ...Making It the Way Of Life

Keep Ongoing Lists of PI items [Advancement Lists] Give PI Highly Visible Publicity

– Agenda Item(s) on Team Meetings– Bulletin Boards, Newsletters, Ad Hoc Efforts

Have Various Mechanisms Support PI:– Performance Plans, Business Plan, Pay Systems,

[panaceas] ...– New efforts & initiatives

Get all levels of the organization involved in project planning, design, & implementation

Periodic reporting meetings should be laced with celebrations and loosely structured

Have appropriate levels of bureaucracy for the size and uncertainty of the project ... maximize the fun part


Team AdvancementMeeting Guidelines

Focus on the work (performance and enabling of organization)

Stay away from personalities, politics, turf, blame, rigid positions, and “me” issues

Let it be known early in the discussion if a decision will be Type I, II, or III (I decide, I decide with your input, we decide)

Emphasize the understanding and use of Key Performance Indicators

Value listening & cooperating more than persuading & winning

Spend enough time on issues to develop widespread understanding and support


Standard Agenda for Advancement Meeting

1. Quick Hitters / Urgent issues

2. New items form Advancement List

3. Updates for existing items

4. Changes of any Priorities in view of above

5. Anything else

Note: Discussion & debate are welcome on all 5 above

© 1986-2014 Samuel H. Pratt / SHP Consulting Limited Continuous Improvement

Which of the following is not a function of the Advancement Process / List ?

To Do List Diary Resource allocator Delegating tool Gain estimator Brainstorming mechanism Communications vehicle Newsletter Meeting agenda

Prioritizer Simplest effective bureaucracy Justification tool Team energizer Help wanted mechanism Stress eliminator Meeting Minutes Living document / process Global Positioning System


Answer: GPS


Pragmatism, Culture, Reality, EtceterasSummary

Don’t expect rapid changes of culture or values. Never give up on changing culture over the long haul Recognize that attempts to transform the culture overnight can

be counterproductive due to reality / perception / expectation gaps [management can look incredibly naive]

Use multi-factored pay systems to change short-term conduct and long-term culture

Use a wide variety of management tools & techniques to bring about change

Manage with facts Push for rapid changes in technology and conduct Assure that culture is moving in the right direction, and worry

less about the rate of change

Organizational Dynamics© 1986-2014 Samuel H. Pratt / SHP Consulting Limited


Note: Module 36b gets into the details of the various mechanisms and then extends process to closing the loop which includes the ongoing Performance Review Meetings


module 18a: continuous improvemnet & advancement process basics

Business

improvement ideas

issue continuous improvement

concert continuous improvement

ongoing improvement

sam pratt

advancement process

analysis mechanisms

team deals