sustaining continuous improvement in times of change
DESCRIPTION
Workshop given at 2010 Tulsa Area Continuous Improvement Conference hosted by BOK and MoreSteamTRANSCRIPT
Sustaining Continuous Improvement In
Times Of Change
WORKSHOP, Sept. 15 2010
Generating Six Sigma Status Quo Change
2010 Tulsa Continuous Improvement Conference
Status Quo Change – Outside Forces
SIGNS OF BUSINESS STATUS QUO CHANGE
Business for Sale
Business not competitive, over capitalized.
For public companies - needs to be (and soon will be) for sale
Executive leadership remote - lost confidence in the business
Product and processes not mentioned or lip service only
More interested in market value than service
Leadership flavor of the day syndrome
Plenty of imitative – no reporting of results after initial fanfare
Executive leaders are human too, when threatened by change
will put their own interests ahead of business system
Business leaders can be victim of "group think",
“Gutting” a business for profit is accepted practices
Status Quo Change – Inside Factors
Six Sigma Program Not Critical to Success
Program not core to the business
The value-add of your program is not “adding-up”.
Savings are "paper" dollars
Six Sigma savings not counted, insignificant, or not believed
No problems to solve or a market need to be met
You love you idea so much, but are building something nobody wants.
Business enjoyed market leadership; you don’t believe in competitors
Complacency, continue to believe nobody can be better at what we do
Speed is a critical to quality for your business
You don’t believe you can deliver any faster.
You believe your creation is perfect
Truth is that there are likely chinks in the armor
that you have failed to see
Response – External or Internal Forces
If your business or program suffers from any of the above symptoms,
then a dose of truth and humility is the cure.
Most likely, what you believe is false.
In other words, that baby you feel is so angelic and perfect, is most likely
pretty average looking.
Acknowledge that nothing is perfect.
Remember that the reason you are in the Six Sigma world is for the pursuit
of perfection
Get to work changing your Six Sigma Status Quo.
Status Quo Program Change
Improve the program
Fix your program, better, faster, cheaper applies to CI
Find a new burning platform, align with business constraint
Contribute to “Value-add” portion of business
Become a new program
Get new metrics get stale, loose value over time (Goodhart’s Law)
Organizations get excited with new buttons – embrace flavor of the day
while maintaining the old
Move the program
New Executive Sponsor
Operationalize!
Workshop Responses: Six Sigma Program Change
Take WIIFM seriously:Orient program to understanding and solving internal customer’s problems
Act as Double Agent:When working with operations, listen and respond at that level and when working with management,
listen and respond at that level.
Use other’s ideas:Seek group decisions to drive both consensus, and program buy-in
Do a better job cascading program through organization:Vision, goals, successes
Focus on visual improvements, communicate and make public
Use visual metrics, make visible broadly.
Add innovation, other positive measures to program metrics, change metrics.
Improve Program Accountability:- for program results, financials
- process improvement ownership after the projects are complete
- validate / communicate program successes
Seek to reach Influencers in your organization, tie program strongly to strategic plan.
Train, help frame Executive Expectations
Expand Deployment Move to areas vital to organization’s health, strategy
Push Belts into operations
ID new benefits
Engage team on Value-Add benefitsRedeploy resources “saved” , i.e. headcount, to Value-Add areas
Brainstorm Six Sigma Status Quo Change
What can be done to re-invent your Six Sigma Program to beneficially
upset your program Status Quo?
Group by number
A team: 1,4,7,10,13,16,19,22,25
B team: 2,5,8,11,14,17,20,23,26
C team: 3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,27
Status Quo Personal Change
Change Yourself
Better, faster, cheaper applies on a personal level
Find a new sponsor or a new burning platform
Move to a new organization
Operations
New company
Brainstorm Personal Status Quo Change
What can you do to re-invent your Six Sigma Status Quo?
Group by number
A team: 1,5,8,10,13,17,20,21,26
B team: 2,6,9,11,12, 14,18,24,27
C team: 3,4,7,15,16,19,22,23,25
Status Quo Personal Change
Be Observant
Join Professional Groups
Visit other locations, jobs
Seek a mentor / be a mentor
Share personal improvement goals & communication effectivenss
360 feedback for projects
Seek personal feedback
Video feedback
Ask for and use plus/delta’s for program, training, etc.
Stay flexible
Read an article / day, complete your certifications
Expand personal network, use LinkedIn
Participate in “stretch” activities, use an unfamiliar tool
Say “no” / turn of email
Work on your Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Final Workshop Task
Trade contacts with someone you don’t know and share with them what
might be the very first status quo change idea you intend to use after
the conference.
WARNING SIGNS THAT DEMAND ATTENTION