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Monday, August 29, 2011
5S + 1 = 6S
Monday, August 22, 2011
Evict Waste and Invite TIM WOOD to Your Culture
With our economy still lagging in the Midwest and many small business owners asking "When will customers start buying again?", if a business owner wants to increase profit without raising prices while keeping existing customers, it is time to invite Tim Wood to the party.
Before we go any further, as a student and teacher of Lean for over 10 years, I know the Seven Muda - 7 Wastes. My son, Carl, who is a Research Scientist at Owens-Illinois told me about TIMWOOD, the mnemonic for remembering these 7 wastes - someone was clever.
Transportation - Any unnecessary movement of material, documents, or people.
Think multiple trips = wasted time = wasted transportation.
Inventory - Work in process, incomplete work and work no longer in demand by customers are all suspect. Years ago an HVAC business owner showed me a storage garage filled with furnaces purchased on discount volume. The inventory value of these 2 year old furnaces equaled a Rolls Royce! I'd rather have a Rolls in the my garage.
Motion - Are you switching between computers, moving people around the office for different tasks? What movements in your office aren't adding value that customers care about?
Waiting - Queues, bottlenecks and traffic jams are all signs of waiting. Knowing where and WHY a bottleneck occurs is the first step, changing habits and patterns to ease customers' waiting or eliminating wait is second. And what about those employees standing around talking amongst themselves. . .what are they waiting for?
Over-processing - Is adding more value than the customer requested or expects. Examples are:
1) Sending a paper copy of document emailed via PDF.
2) Music CD packaging.
3) Mail order blue jeans with packing peanuts.
Where is the value? Do they have cost?
Over-production - Production of product or service before demand. Auto manufacturers are famous for Labor Day Sales to move old inventory before new models arrive. In offices, printing forms before the customer needs often leads to waste when forms are revised.
Defects - Mistakes, errors, or products/services that don't conform to the customers' expectations. Yes, mistakes will happen and they should always be a learning opportunity. Too many mistakes will almost surely lead to too few customers.
If you believe you have NO waste, before you start the celebration do two things.
1. Call a dozen past customers.
2. Examine what is in your dumpster.
You may be surprised! Take a walk around your business and look for Timmy hiding in the corners.
Linda Lucas Fayerweather EA, MBA
Owner of Changing Lanes LLC a productivity coaching firm since 1998
Like us at www.facebook.com/Changinglanesllc for updates and tips.
Before we go any further, as a student and teacher of Lean for over 10 years, I know the Seven Muda - 7 Wastes. My son, Carl, who is a Research Scientist at Owens-Illinois told me about TIMWOOD, the mnemonic for remembering these 7 wastes - someone was clever.
Transportation - Any unnecessary movement of material, documents, or people.
Think multiple trips = wasted time = wasted transportation.
Inventory - Work in process, incomplete work and work no longer in demand by customers are all suspect. Years ago an HVAC business owner showed me a storage garage filled with furnaces purchased on discount volume. The inventory value of these 2 year old furnaces equaled a Rolls Royce! I'd rather have a Rolls in the my garage.
Motion - Are you switching between computers, moving people around the office for different tasks? What movements in your office aren't adding value that customers care about?
Waiting - Queues, bottlenecks and traffic jams are all signs of waiting. Knowing where and WHY a bottleneck occurs is the first step, changing habits and patterns to ease customers' waiting or eliminating wait is second. And what about those employees standing around talking amongst themselves. . .what are they waiting for?
Over-processing - Is adding more value than the customer requested or expects. Examples are:
1) Sending a paper copy of document emailed via PDF.
2) Music CD packaging.
3) Mail order blue jeans with packing peanuts.
Where is the value? Do they have cost?
Over-production - Production of product or service before demand. Auto manufacturers are famous for Labor Day Sales to move old inventory before new models arrive. In offices, printing forms before the customer needs often leads to waste when forms are revised.
Defects - Mistakes, errors, or products/services that don't conform to the customers' expectations. Yes, mistakes will happen and they should always be a learning opportunity. Too many mistakes will almost surely lead to too few customers.
If you believe you have NO waste, before you start the celebration do two things.
1. Call a dozen past customers.
2. Examine what is in your dumpster.
You may be surprised! Take a walk around your business and look for Timmy hiding in the corners.
Linda Lucas Fayerweather EA, MBA
Owner of Changing Lanes LLC a productivity coaching firm since 1998
Like us at www.facebook.com/Changinglanesllc for updates and tips.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Summer Reading - Switch - Part 4
"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars." -- Les Brown
Shaping the Path is the third and final step to SWITCH by Dan and Chip Heath.
Think about all the ways your path is shaped each day. Traffic is a great example of shaping the path especially during the summer construction months. Now, when shaping a path, remember we humans are like water - looking for the path of least resistance. Too often when shaping the path we use the carrot or stick response instead of asking "why" the process is not being followed. Sometimes the process is just too time consuming with no obvious rewards or savings while other times it lacks understanding. Next time you have resistance from staff or yourself for a new process, use the SWITCH three point shaping methods.
1. Tweak the Environment. Change the situation to change behavior. If you know you won't back up your QuickBooks daily, maybe it is time to check out Online QuickBooks and let Intuit be your backup. Find a way to get things done without you in the way!
2. Build Habits. Habitual behavior is "free". Habits can be instilled with simple checklists and putting new behavior on our schedules. Visual triggers are also helpful. A department manager at GM to get everyone to wear safety glasses in a manufacturing building had a blue line painted all around the building and blue silhouettes at the door sporting safety glasses. Injuries at the plant dropped 21 percent from this one change.
3. Rally the Herd. Behavior is contagious. Just look at what is happening in the UK and Middle East. Seeding the tip jar is an obvious example of rallying the herd. We are more likely to tip at a coffee shop or bar if the jar is there waiting AND already has money in it.
This book is worth the read to learn all the tips and tricks that Dan and Chip Heath included in Switch. Check it out their free podcasts for managers. http://www.heathbrothers.com/resources/download/#switch You will have to set up a login.
Enjoy your week!
Linda Fayerweather
Quick review:
Direct the Rider
Motivate the Elephant
Shape the Path
Monday, August 08, 2011
Switch - Part 3
"A mistake is simply another way of doing things." --Katharine Graham
Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard
Quick Review - we know that change according to the Heath Brothers will require:
Directing the Rider
Motivating the Elephant
Shaping the Path
Motivation is like Motivating an Elephant. When we decide to workout, many of us go really strong at the gym for a time and then we just lose interest. Other times, we find we just can't get a clear focus and wander around in circles or are lost in the jungle.
In the work world that wandering is often heard with "I've been here all day and haven't completed anything." or "If only I had my desk cleared off, then I could get some work done." or "It just takes forever to get anything done here." These are clear signs the elephant is not motivated - the rider may be but not the elephant.
To get motivated, we need to find the emotion or feeling. Years ago, my sister did a science fair project where she timed a drip in the bathroom sink as it filled a gallon and then did the math to figure out how many gallons are wasted in a week and what that cost. By the way, an average leak is about 30 gallons a day. Just imagine what 30 gallons would look like on your lunchroom table? That is what causes emotion - visualization.
If you need to visualize losing 20 pounds, going to the grocery store and hefting a 20 pound turkey and walking around with it really will let your heart know what it feels like to carry an extra 20 pounds.
If wasted paper is a problem in your office, displaying a day's worth of waste on a table for everyone to see is important.
Now that you have an emotion, you need to shrink the change to something manageable. If elephants are spooked by a mouse just imagine what a huge goal could do.
Right now, if your desk needs cleaning before you can do the most important job on your task list today - just do 5 Minutes of cleaning! That five minutes will help you feel a sense of accomplishment and realize that each 5 minutes will lead to a clean desk faster than just desiring it clean. Remember when your mom would say, "Just eat two more green beans and you can be excused." It worked for you then, it can work now.
Most business goals or desired outcomes are too big, in fact, most projects are too big - breaking down a project into small bites will help get it done and often find opportunities to delegate. They are not bad goals, they just need to be in managable pieces.
Finally we want to grow the people by getting each person to identify and understand the need for this change and growth. If people believe this is important to their boss, their leader, and the health of the company, the right people will be ready to jump in and follow.
Next Week - Shaping the Path!
Enjoy your week!
Linda Fayerweather
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
Read the First Chapter or Buy the book Switch
Check it Out!
If your business sometimes needs to swipe a credit card and you've priced the merchant accounts and still feel you will be paying for something you don't use very often, check out The Square at: https://squareup.com/
Square is an easy way to get paid. This app enables you to accept credit cards quickly and easily using your mobile device or iPad. When you sign up for a Square account and download this app, we'll ship a card reader to you for free.
The fees are simple. When you swipe cards with Square the fee is: 2.75%. If you enter credit card numbers manually, Square costs 3.5% + 15¢ per transaction.
There are no complicated contracts, monthly fees or merchant account. When you want to know how much money you've made, you no longer have to wade through a complex maze of hidden costs and fees as you will get an email describing how much will be deposited in your account in 24 hours or download a spreadsheet from their website.
Check it out!
Monday Morning Motivators is a short burst of business tips you can use through out the week. Our reporters, authors and correspondents strive to present insights to make your business shine.
Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard
Quick Review - we know that change according to the Heath Brothers will require:
Directing the Rider
Motivating the Elephant
Shaping the Path
Motivation is like Motivating an Elephant. When we decide to workout, many of us go really strong at the gym for a time and then we just lose interest. Other times, we find we just can't get a clear focus and wander around in circles or are lost in the jungle.
In the work world that wandering is often heard with "I've been here all day and haven't completed anything." or "If only I had my desk cleared off, then I could get some work done." or "It just takes forever to get anything done here." These are clear signs the elephant is not motivated - the rider may be but not the elephant.
To get motivated, we need to find the emotion or feeling. Years ago, my sister did a science fair project where she timed a drip in the bathroom sink as it filled a gallon and then did the math to figure out how many gallons are wasted in a week and what that cost. By the way, an average leak is about 30 gallons a day. Just imagine what 30 gallons would look like on your lunchroom table? That is what causes emotion - visualization.
If you need to visualize losing 20 pounds, going to the grocery store and hefting a 20 pound turkey and walking around with it really will let your heart know what it feels like to carry an extra 20 pounds.
If wasted paper is a problem in your office, displaying a day's worth of waste on a table for everyone to see is important.
Now that you have an emotion, you need to shrink the change to something manageable. If elephants are spooked by a mouse just imagine what a huge goal could do.
Right now, if your desk needs cleaning before you can do the most important job on your task list today - just do 5 Minutes of cleaning! That five minutes will help you feel a sense of accomplishment and realize that each 5 minutes will lead to a clean desk faster than just desiring it clean. Remember when your mom would say, "Just eat two more green beans and you can be excused." It worked for you then, it can work now.
Most business goals or desired outcomes are too big, in fact, most projects are too big - breaking down a project into small bites will help get it done and often find opportunities to delegate. They are not bad goals, they just need to be in managable pieces.
Finally we want to grow the people by getting each person to identify and understand the need for this change and growth. If people believe this is important to their boss, their leader, and the health of the company, the right people will be ready to jump in and follow.
Next Week - Shaping the Path!
Enjoy your week!
Linda Fayerweather
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
Read the First Chapter or Buy the book Switch
Check it Out!
If your business sometimes needs to swipe a credit card and you've priced the merchant accounts and still feel you will be paying for something you don't use very often, check out The Square at: https://squareup.com/
Square is an easy way to get paid. This app enables you to accept credit cards quickly and easily using your mobile device or iPad. When you sign up for a Square account and download this app, we'll ship a card reader to you for free.
The fees are simple. When you swipe cards with Square the fee is: 2.75%. If you enter credit card numbers manually, Square costs 3.5% + 15¢ per transaction.
There are no complicated contracts, monthly fees or merchant account. When you want to know how much money you've made, you no longer have to wade through a complex maze of hidden costs and fees as you will get an email describing how much will be deposited in your account in 24 hours or download a spreadsheet from their website.
Check it out!
Monday Morning Motivators is a short burst of business tips you can use through out the week. Our reporters, authors and correspondents strive to present insights to make your business shine.
Monday, August 01, 2011
Switch - Part 2 & Bank Account Protection
"Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight." --Benjamin Franklin
Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard
Change can be hard because often we don't have a good idea of the direction to go to change. From the book we know that change will require:
Directing the Rider
Motivating the Elephant
Shaping the Path
This week, we will start with some tips on directing the rider.
Now, the rider can be you, your staff or even your family. The Heath brothers have found three steps are critical to help the rider get started.
Find the Bright Spots. When a problem is observed, identifying what is already working means just that - what is working well in the mess of the problem. Anyone who has ever grilled, knows that there are "hot spots" on many grills. If you are looking for a bright spot, you would be saying "why doesn't the chicken burn here and how can be get the entire meal to cook that way." Finding the bright spots in a problem will give you quick success.
Script the Critical Moves. The parent you overheard saying "would you like a carrot or an apple" to their child is scripting the moves. When we limit the choices a person can take, we help them make better decisions. Too many choices often means no decision will be made. That is because Status Quo feels comfortable. Scripting helps all of us crossover our comfort zone.
Point to the Destination. In business, I often call this the vision. It must be clear and well defined and for all practical purposes it will be credible and reachable. Jim Collins who wrote Good to Great and Built to Last calls these destinations BHAG or Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals. What are your BHAGs for 2011?
Take some time this week to see how you can direct your riders or maybe just yourself and next week we will talk about motivating the elephant or the emotional side of the process.
Enjoy your week!
Linda Fayerweather
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
Read the First Chapter or Buy the book Switch
Going the Extra Step to Protect Your Bank Information
Identity theft and fraud can happen to anyone. I've been a victim of it and most everyone I know has had a problem in the past. A few months back, one of my friend's had his bank account cleaned out. He had lost his wallet with a card that his bank account information on it. Luckily the bank was able to get his money back. It took a few weeks and way too much hassle.
It got me thinking, what can be done to protect your bank information? You need to have your accounts written out some place for use. And maybe have that information in unsafe places, like your wallet for easy access. Why not change your account number in some way so you know but no one else would. Such as reverse it. Put the last number first. Divide the number in half. Or add 1 to every number. Now your account number appears to be normal and only you know what your real account number is. It is an easy solution and adds one more layer of security
Jeff Mendelsohn
www.Liquidmechanix.com
Liquid@liquidmechanix.com
Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard
Change can be hard because often we don't have a good idea of the direction to go to change. From the book we know that change will require:
Directing the Rider
Motivating the Elephant
Shaping the Path
This week, we will start with some tips on directing the rider.
Now, the rider can be you, your staff or even your family. The Heath brothers have found three steps are critical to help the rider get started.
Find the Bright Spots. When a problem is observed, identifying what is already working means just that - what is working well in the mess of the problem. Anyone who has ever grilled, knows that there are "hot spots" on many grills. If you are looking for a bright spot, you would be saying "why doesn't the chicken burn here and how can be get the entire meal to cook that way." Finding the bright spots in a problem will give you quick success.
Script the Critical Moves. The parent you overheard saying "would you like a carrot or an apple" to their child is scripting the moves. When we limit the choices a person can take, we help them make better decisions. Too many choices often means no decision will be made. That is because Status Quo feels comfortable. Scripting helps all of us crossover our comfort zone.
Point to the Destination. In business, I often call this the vision. It must be clear and well defined and for all practical purposes it will be credible and reachable. Jim Collins who wrote Good to Great and Built to Last calls these destinations BHAG or Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals. What are your BHAGs for 2011?
Take some time this week to see how you can direct your riders or maybe just yourself and next week we will talk about motivating the elephant or the emotional side of the process.
Enjoy your week!
Linda Fayerweather
http://www.changinglanes.biz/
Read the First Chapter or Buy the book Switch
Going the Extra Step to Protect Your Bank Information
Identity theft and fraud can happen to anyone. I've been a victim of it and most everyone I know has had a problem in the past. A few months back, one of my friend's had his bank account cleaned out. He had lost his wallet with a card that his bank account information on it. Luckily the bank was able to get his money back. It took a few weeks and way too much hassle.
It got me thinking, what can be done to protect your bank information? You need to have your accounts written out some place for use. And maybe have that information in unsafe places, like your wallet for easy access. Why not change your account number in some way so you know but no one else would. Such as reverse it. Put the last number first. Divide the number in half. Or add 1 to every number. Now your account number appears to be normal and only you know what your real account number is. It is an easy solution and adds one more layer of security
Jeff Mendelsohn
www.Liquidmechanix.com
Liquid@liquidmechanix.com
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