Comments on: L.A.M.E. as Heard on NPR? http://www.leanblog.org/2010/02/l-a-m-e-as-heard-on-npr/ Mark Graban's leanblog.org - Lean Healthcare, Lean Thinking, Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:26:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Why Nurses Should Reject “LAME” and Demand Lean — Lean Blog http://www.leanblog.org/2010/02/l-a-m-e-as-heard-on-npr/#comment-13937 Why Nurses Should Reject “LAME” and Demand Lean — Lean Blog Tue, 09 Nov 2010 10:01:26 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=5089#comment-13937 [...] things have happened in manufacturing companies, accounting firms, and sometimes hospitals. It’s unfortunate when these things happen and it [...] [...] things have happened in manufacturing companies, accounting firms, and sometimes hospitals. It’s unfortunate when these things happen and it [...]

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]]> By: George Rathbun http://www.leanblog.org/2010/02/l-a-m-e-as-heard-on-npr/#comment-8732 George Rathbun Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:07:57 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=5089#comment-8732 What they probably didn't mention is that this guy is probably a six sigma black-belt. One of the problems I have seen throughout my career with black-belts is that they sometimes fail to build teams with members of the area being improved. They go in with their 'master' titles, tell everyone what's wrong, tell them how to fix it, and in the process make everyone feel like dirt. Lean is about respect, and this NPR story completely missed the point. If ther is no respect, there is no Lean. .-= George Rathbun´s last blog ..<a href="http://www.leanideamanagement.com/2010/03/open-innovation-corporate-citizenship.html" rel="nofollow">Open Innovation: Corporate citizenship redefined.</a> =-. What they probably didn’t mention is that this guy is probably a six sigma black-belt. One of the problems I have seen throughout my career with black-belts is that they sometimes fail to build teams with members of the area being improved. They go in with their ‘master’ titles, tell everyone what’s wrong, tell them how to fix it, and in the process make everyone feel like dirt.

Lean is about respect, and this NPR story completely missed the point. If ther is no respect, there is no Lean.
.-= George Rathbun´s last blog ..Open Innovation: Corporate citizenship redefined. =-.

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]]> By: Panu Kinnari http://www.leanblog.org/2010/02/l-a-m-e-as-heard-on-npr/#comment-8449 Panu Kinnari Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:08:24 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=5089#comment-8449 In theory yes, and we have done something similar for short periods of time. But I find it hard to convince line supervisors and their supervisors to detach operators from line as it hurts our key daily metrics. While my salary comes from head office expense and isn't so readily seen from financial figures. Also, union regulations basically forbid time studies from people who are not certified to do them. Though, I doubt that would be an issue in real life, we have pretty good relation with our union representatives. And one more thing is that time studies to some are some kind of arcane art that only few chosen people can do. When in the end they only require patience and 'eye' for how work breaks down. .-= Panu Kinnari´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LeanAjattelu/~3/AHB_3lEVhLA/massaraataloinnin-teemaillat.html" rel="nofollow">Massaräätälöinnin teemaillat</a> =-. In theory yes, and we have done something similar for short periods of time. But I find it hard to convince line supervisors and their supervisors to detach operators from line as it hurts our key daily metrics. While my salary comes from head office expense and isn’t so readily seen from financial figures.

Also, union regulations basically forbid time studies from people who are not certified to do them. Though, I doubt that would be an issue in real life, we have pretty good relation with our union representatives.

And one more thing is that time studies to some are some kind of arcane art that only few chosen people can do. When in the end they only require patience and ‘eye’ for how work breaks down.
.-= Panu Kinnari´s last blog ..Massaräätälöinnin teemaillat =-.

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]]> By: Mark Graban http://www.leanblog.org/2010/02/l-a-m-e-as-heard-on-npr/#comment-8446 Mark Graban Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:10:12 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=5089#comment-8446 Panu - thanks for the comment. Time studies are eye opening to staff members and employees... even more powerful is teaching them to do their own time studies. Can you try that even if you're not in a "lean" environment? Panu – thanks for the comment. Time studies are eye opening to staff members and employees… even more powerful is teaching them to do their own time studies. Can you try that even if you’re not in a “lean” environment?

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]]> By: Panu Kinnari http://www.leanblog.org/2010/02/l-a-m-e-as-heard-on-npr/#comment-8443 Panu Kinnari Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:32:59 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=5089#comment-8443 As a person who from time to time stands next to people with stopwatch and notebook I feel the need to comment. We as a company are not even officially on Lean Journey and we have rather long tradition of using head office efficiency experts whose domain has been to know best method. Recently I have started using time studies more as eye opener to show people where the time goes during their day. Most people don't realize what are time sinks in their workday. Once time sinks are identified then something can be done to remove them and that is domain of line side supervisors and workers. Also, standing in one spot for 8 hours straight gives a pretty good picture on overall problems with flow in workstation at hand. That being said we also use time studies to identify gaps between same workstation in different plants. People are pretty used to time studies so they are not seen as 'weird' and I feel myself welcome when I visit our plants. .-= Panu Kinnari´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LeanAjattelu/~3/AHB_3lEVhLA/massaraataloinnin-teemaillat.html" rel="nofollow">Massaräätälöinnin teemaillat</a> =-. As a person who from time to time stands next to people with stopwatch and notebook I feel the need to comment.

We as a company are not even officially on Lean Journey and we have rather long tradition of using head office efficiency experts whose domain has been to know best method.

Recently I have started using time studies more as eye opener to show people where the time goes during their day. Most people don’t realize what are time sinks in their workday. Once time sinks are identified then something can be done to remove them and that is domain of line side supervisors and workers.

Also, standing in one spot for 8 hours straight gives a pretty good picture on overall problems with flow in workstation at hand.

That being said we also use time studies to identify gaps between same workstation in different plants.

People are pretty used to time studies so they are not seen as ‘weird’ and I feel myself welcome when I visit our plants.
.-= Panu Kinnari´s last blog ..Massaräätälöinnin teemaillat =-.

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]]> By: Linda Kleineberg http://www.leanblog.org/2010/02/l-a-m-e-as-heard-on-npr/#comment-8437 Linda Kleineberg Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:57:30 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=5089#comment-8437 This sort of "drive by" approach to improvement is so decidedly unlean... but then I have the pleasure of working in a true lean culture every day. This story reminds me that, as a lean community, we have so much further to go in terms of getting the mainstream media and by extension, the general public, to have a real understanding and appreciation for the potential of lean. This approach is like the cubic zirconia of lean... it looks great, has minimal investment, and gets a lot of quick compliments, but it's not something that you'll be proud to leave to your children some day. To be fair - the content of this story may be more of a reflection of NPR's thin understanding of lean than that of the "expert". It's entirely possible that the editorial choices left a ton of great lean content on the cutting room floor - the respect for people, the creation of work environments that engage the minds and celebrate the talents of the workforce, reduce stress, create opportunities and innovations, and freely share learning and improvements across boundaries... Or maybe this guy is just lame. This sort of “drive by” approach to improvement is so decidedly unlean… but then I have the pleasure of working in a true lean culture every day. This story reminds me that, as a lean community, we have so much further to go in terms of getting the mainstream media and by extension, the general public, to have a real understanding and appreciation for the potential of lean.

This approach is like the cubic zirconia of lean… it looks great, has minimal investment, and gets a lot of quick compliments, but it’s not something that you’ll be proud to leave to your children some day.

To be fair – the content of this story may be more of a reflection of NPR’s thin understanding of lean than that of the “expert”. It’s entirely possible that the editorial choices left a ton of great lean content on the cutting room floor – the respect for people, the creation of work environments that engage the minds and celebrate the talents of the workforce, reduce stress, create opportunities and innovations, and freely share learning and improvements across boundaries…

Or maybe this guy is just lame.

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]]> By: Mark R Hamel http://www.leanblog.org/2010/02/l-a-m-e-as-heard-on-npr/#comment-8394 Mark R Hamel Sun, 21 Feb 2010 02:08:14 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=5089#comment-8394 This "efficiency" thing is akin to practicing lean without a license - definitely L.A.M.E. And while technical malpractice is terrible, it's not quite as bad as human/behavioral malpractice. This reminds of Michael Hammer (of Re-engineering the Corporation fame...I think I recycled my copy long ago). After some business process re-engineering failures, Hammer shared, "I wasn't smart enough. I was reflecting my engineering background and was insufficiently appreciative of the human dimension. I've learned that's critical." (WSJ 11/26/96) Hansei can be a good thing. .-= Mark R Hamel´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GembaTales/~3/EsrConOZV_s/311" rel="nofollow">Ready! Fire! Aim!…Maybe, We Should Have REALLY Simulated First!?</a> =-. This “efficiency” thing is akin to practicing lean without a license – definitely L.A.M.E. And while technical malpractice is terrible, it’s not quite as bad as human/behavioral malpractice. This reminds of Michael Hammer (of Re-engineering the Corporation fame…I think I recycled my copy long ago). After some business process re-engineering failures, Hammer shared, “I wasn’t smart enough. I was reflecting my engineering background and was insufficiently appreciative of the human dimension. I’ve learned that’s critical.” (WSJ 11/26/96) Hansei can be a good thing.
.-= Mark R Hamel´s last blog ..Ready! Fire! Aim!…Maybe, We Should Have REALLY Simulated First!? =-.

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]]> By: Mark Graban http://www.leanblog.org/2010/02/l-a-m-e-as-heard-on-npr/#comment-8393 Mark Graban Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:50:03 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=5089#comment-8393 Upon a little more reflection, it *is* possible that this guy, individually, is a good guy doing things the right way, but the media twisted things to fit *their* view of how improvements would get made in a factory. Trying to be fair... but initial reaction was that this was really L.A.M.E. Upon a little more reflection, it *is* possible that this guy, individually, is a good guy doing things the right way, but the media twisted things to fit *their* view of how improvements would get made in a factory. Trying to be fair… but initial reaction was that this was really L.A.M.E.

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]]> By: Andrew Bishop http://www.leanblog.org/2010/02/l-a-m-e-as-heard-on-npr/#comment-8392 Andrew Bishop Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:47:08 +0000 http://www.leanblog.org/?p=5089#comment-8392 This is painful for so many reasons, not the least of which is that I struggle with providing too many answers, being too prescriptive, giving too much direction to improvement teams myself. Still, you need to provide some examples and some training… so sometimes that feels a little L.A.M.E. One difference - I'm the manager and I remain on the site offering support and guidance, following up with questions. Not parachuting in, "cutting cost", and disappearing. My <i>goal<i> is to teach. And it depends on the degree of development of the work group at hand. Some are better prepared for a greater degree of challenge. Getting them prepared is the trick. Also, we've learned that the starting place is not "Save time" or "Cut cost" but "Make work easier". It sure leads to more sustained engagement. And it saves time, cuts cost and improves quality. An interview with Taiichi Ohno I saw a while ago salved my conscience a little - he made it clear that at the outset he needed to be much more directive and prescriptive: the people couldn't see the waste. My notion now is that "The imperfect improvement that belongs to the people who do the work is the best possible outcome". How often do the people this efficiency expert worked on change the work back after he's gone? I'll bet that guy moved his desk right back. I probably would! Refining the role of the teacher in the equation, developing the Socratic approach that helps people find their own answers, is our challenge. This is painful for so many reasons, not the least of which is that I struggle with providing too many answers, being too prescriptive, giving too much direction to improvement teams myself. Still, you need to provide some examples and some training… so sometimes that feels a little L.A.M.E.

One difference – I’m the manager and I remain on the site offering support and guidance, following up with questions. Not parachuting in, “cutting cost”, and disappearing. My goal is to teach. And it depends on the degree of development of the work group at hand. Some are better prepared for a greater degree of challenge. Getting them prepared is the trick.

Also, we’ve learned that the starting place is not “Save time” or “Cut cost” but “Make work easier”. It sure leads to more sustained engagement. And it saves time, cuts cost and improves quality.

An interview with Taiichi Ohno I saw a while ago salved my conscience a little – he made it clear that at the outset he needed to be much more directive and prescriptive: the people couldn’t see the waste.

My notion now is that “The imperfect improvement that belongs to the people who do the work is the best possible outcome”. How often do the people this efficiency expert worked on change the work back after he’s gone? I’ll bet that guy moved his desk right back. I probably would!

Refining the role of the teacher in the equation, developing the Socratic approach that helps people find their own answers, is our challenge.

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