Lean and Free Will September 20, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in lean, Lean Thinking, workforce.Tags: lean, Lean Thinking, workforce
add a comment
A post over at Gemba Tales blog talks about how lean can only ever truly be implemented when it is embraced voluntarily by those it is being taught to. Lean requires transformation, not just appointed tasks and functions. The individual must be invested in lean intrinsically to see it truly succeed, and that sometimes requires coaching and appointed tasks – but the danger is that the person may not come to embrace lean in the long run.
Check out the rest of the post here.
To Procrastinate – Or Not? September 20, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in personal productivity, work-life balance, workforce.Tags: personal productivity, work-life balance, workforce
add a comment
In an article at FastCompany, Drake Baer talks with Frank Partnoy, author of Wait: The Art and Science of Delay, about the lengthy decision-making process. Partnoy believes delaying decision-making is not necessarily a bad thing. Yet, the business and social media world looks on delayed decision-making as a bad thing, but this often leaves little room for relaxed and well-thought out decisions. On the other hand, Kevin Purdy, also writing at FastCompany, cautions against procrastination and encourages people to get to work, because procrastination can have negative effects. He thus advises readers to clear away clutter and tackle heavy things first.
You can read the interview with Partnoy here, and Purdy’s article against procrastination here.
Working Out Doesn’t Just Make You Stronger, It Makes You Smarter September 20, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in work-life balance, workforce.Tags: work-life balance, workforce
add a comment
Exercise is vital to a person’s health. Yet, by their teenage years, only 12% of people get enough daily exercise. But exercising improves more than just one’s health – it also improves intelligence. Activity means the brain is functioning, increasing the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory. According to the study listed, on average, employees who exercise regularly are 15% more efficient.
Read more about the mind and exercise here.
Team Building Using the Workforce Engagement Equation September 20, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in change management, workforce.Tags: change management, workforce
add a comment
Michael Sinocchi of Lean Insider interviews Jamison J. Manion, who has authored the book The Workforce Engagement Equation: A Practitioner’s Guide to Creating and Sustaining High Performance. Manion explains that people must constantly sharpen and improve their skills in today’s economy, especially owing to the fact that many fields have become so niched. Real-world solutions are needed rather than overly simplistic or redundant suggestions about how to proceed. The comprehensive approach includes knowing what people need, management and leadership response, and employable tools and techniques.
Read the rest of Manion’s thoughts and ideas here.
Lean Quote: Mistakes are the Portals of Discovery September 20, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in learning organization, workforce.Tags: learning organization, workforce
add a comment
Tim McMahon, writing at his blog A Lean Journey, has showcased a quote by famed Irish novelist and poet James Joyce: Mistakes are the portals of discovery. Joyce might well have been writing about lean. While lean shoots to get things right the first time, it also recognizes that people make mistakes. McMahon provides an analysis list for understanding and learning from mistakes, including accepting that a mistake has been made, and inquiring of the individual to seek what can be learned from the mistake.
See the rest of McMahon’s list here.
Are You A Level 5 Company? September 20, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in work-life balance, workforce.Tags: work-life balance, workforce
add a comment
Chuck Runyon at FastCompany talks about the hierarchy-of-needs for businesses, which include safety, love, and esteem, to reach the fifth level of self-actualization – blurring the lines between home and work. In other words, at home, employees should be able to think about work not out of pressure or demand, but because of self-satisfaction and happiness to work. In this fifth level, employees give their hearts and souls to the company.
For the list of levels and their explanations, check out Runyon’s article here.
Employee Perks that Don’t Work March 29, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in personal productivity, workforce.Tags: personal productivity, workforce
add a comment
Attempting to motivate employees can sometimes go too far. There are employee perks that will not work, and sometimes have the opposite effect. For example, on average, only 28% of employees use a workplace gym. Work-at-home days often mean no work gets done at all.
To learn about more poorly designed perks and their remedies, head over to FastCompany.
Paul Akers Q&A On Incentives & Rewards for Kaizen March 29, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in personal productivity, workforce.Tags: kaizen, personal productivity, workforce
add a comment
Mark Graban hosts a reader question with respect to Paul Akers company FastCap using incentives or rewards to employees in exchange for their ideas. Mark reports that Paul does not use incentives because he wondered whether or not the money or the genuine commitment to improving the company mattered more.
Check out Mark’s post with Paul’s thoughts here.
“The Speed and Flexibility is Breathtaking” –But in a Good Way? March 29, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in manufacturing, workforce.Tags: manufacturing, outsourcing, workforce
add a comment
Mark Graban’s Lean Blog post about how iPhones, iPods, and other electronic devices are being produced in China under horrible conditions to workers. 12-hour shifts and 8,000 Chinese workers can produce 10,000 iPhones per day. Chinese workers live at factories in small rooms with bunk beds that reach as many as fifteen high. When Apple prepares to launch a new product, 12-hour shifts become 16-hour shifts. Employees regularly become injured, and/or die on the production lines. And Apple doesn’t do as much as it should to stop such abuse.
Check out Mark’s informative post here.
Quality is Every Worker’s Focus at Life Technologies March 29, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in quality, workforce.Tags: quality, workforce
add a comment
IndustryWeek hosts an article about Life Technologies, Inc., which launched a 2008 initiative to implement lean in its manufacturing process, making sure that quality control was part of the process itself. Instead of different groups being separated in the process, they were integrated to work together. Making sure quality control was part of the process has helped reduce lead times by 50%.
Head on over to read the IndustryWeek article here.
Mental Models and How We View the Gemba and Workers: GM vs Dell February 27, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Tools & Techniques, workforce.Tags: Lean Tools & Techniques, workforce
add a comment
Writing at the Lean Blog, Mark Graban reflects on his time working at General Motors and later, Dell. Dell workers wore antistatic straps that kept workers grounded to avoid static charges zapping production parts. A UAW union member wanted to know how Dell got away with tying their workers to workstations. The question revealed a lot about the UAW’s mentality, betraying the idea that the UAW doesn’t think workers want to work, and that the UAW doesn’t trust GM to treat its workers respectfully.
To read Mark’s enlightening post, head over to Lean Blog.
The Weigh-In: What’s The Best Way To Motivate Your Employees? February 27, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in workforce.Tags: workforce
add a comment
Erin Schulte at FastCompany taps into an oft-asked question: What is the best way to motivate employees? Happy, motivated employees are important and good for business. Even simple changes to processes and procedures can mean a better, motivated workforce. Those simple procedures include recognizing achievement, offering rewards, and simply saying thank you to employees.
Although this article is primarily about extrinsic motivators, it still has some good tips. I would argue that the more powerful – and lean – way to think about motivation is designing work for better intrisic motivation.
For other procedures and Erin’s article, click here.
If Your Company’s Culture Needs A Shot In The Arm, Do The Huddle February 27, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in culture, personal productivity, workforce.Tags: culture, personal productivity, workforce
add a comment
A FastCompany article by Eric Ryan reveals that huddles can be a great way to motivate a company. A huddle is a company meeting that keeps everyone connected to the culture and the business. Things like objectives, sales wins, financial challenges, and personal success stories, births, birthdays, and other individual accomplishments are discussed and heralded. This builds trust, communication, and camaraderie between coworkers. Eric also offers some huddle tips, such as allowing a different person to lead the huddle each time.
Check out the rest of Eric’s suggestions here.
The Failure of “Don’t Bring Me Problems, Bring Me Solutions!” February 27, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in change management, leadership, workforce.Tags: change management, leadership, workforce
add a comment
Jamie Flinchbaugh writes about the management line that solutions, not problems, should be brought to the management’s attention, saying this is wrong. Oftentimes, bringing attention to problems is conflated with whining. Rather, talking openly about problems and identifying problems is the only way to begin to solve them. And that takes courage.
Check out Jamie’s excellent post here.
Why Won’t They Tell Me There is a Problem? February 27, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, workforce.Tags: leadership, workforce
add a comment
Jamie Flinchbaugh presents a list of reasons why people have trouble bringing attention to problems. Those reasons include fearful employees imagining they will be blamed, and the defeatist idea that bringing a problem to light won’t make a difference. These reasons must be overcome in order to properly address problems.
Head on over to read Jamie’s article here.
The Wikipedia Way of Motivating Your Employees February 27, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in personal productivity, workforce.Tags: personal productivity, workforce
add a comment
Wikipedia’s success comes largely from its “workforce” of unpaid volunteers who write and edit. Wikipedia can manage this because its mission of freedom of information is clear. For a successful workplace, Julie Moreland, writing at FastCompany, suggests that a clear sense of purpose and a fulfilling workplace environment are essential. This includes listening to the ideas and concerns of workers, making work itself a journey of discovery.
Head on over to read Julie’s article here.
The 5th Myth About the “Respect for People” Principle January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in kaizen, workforce.Tags: kaizen, workforce
add a comment
Adding to Jamie Flinchbaugh’s post about “Respect for People” myths, Jon Miller adds one of his own at Gemba Panta Rei: removing the “eighth waste” means utilizing creative ideas for kaizen. Good ideas must be separated from the bad, and focus must also be on the good that people can do for others. It isn’t just about the ideas.
Check out Mr. Miller’s blog post here.
4 Myths About the Principle “Respect for People” January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, workforce.Tags: Lean Thinking, workforce
add a comment
The lean principle which advocates respect for people has gained substantial support in the last few years, but there are myths about the principle which Jamie Flinchbaugh takes to task. Those myths include avoiding conflicts and giving people autonomy, but not requiring accountability. Mr. Flinchbaugh explains that conflict leads to resolution, and failing to hold people to account can have a variety of negative impacts.
To read the other myths and Mr. Flinchbaugh’s thoughts, please head here.
4 Myths About the Principle “Respect for People” January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in Lean Thinking, workforce.Tags: Lean Thinking, workforce
add a comment
The lean principle which advocates respect for people has gained substantial support in the last few years, but there are myths about the principle which Jamie Flinchbaugh takes to task. Those myths include avoiding conflicts and giving people autonomy, but not requiring accountability. Mr. Flinchbaugh explains that conflict leads to resolution, and failing to hold people to account can have a variety of negative impacts.
To read the other myths and Mr. Flinchbaugh’s thoughts, please head here.
The 5th Myth About the “Respect for People” Principle January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in kaizen, workforce.Tags: kaizen, workforce
add a comment
Adding to Jamie Flinchbaugh’s post about “Respect for People” myths, Jon Miller adds one of his own at Gemba Panta Rei: removing the “eighth waste” means utilizing creative ideas for kaizen. Good ideas must be separated from the bad, and focus must also be on the good that people can do for others. It isn’t just about the ideas.
Check out Mr. Miller’s blog post here.
It’s a Man vs. Machine Recovery January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in manufacturing, workforce.Tags: manufacturing, workforce
add a comment
While U.S. companies produce almost one quarter more goods today than it did in 1999, companies have been relying more and more on machines. Opinions vary. Some say that machines lead to wider unemployment. Others say that machines lead to greater productivity, and therefore, more wealth. Another problem with company production is a lack of demand. Machines can churn out products cheaper, meeting targets for smaller demand. But greater demand would mean companies hiring more people.
For the Bloomberg Business article, head on over here.
If You’re an Average Worker, You’re Going Straight to the Bottom January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in personal productivity, workforce.Tags: personal productivity, workforce
add a comment
Marketing guru Seth Godin relates that we are experiencing the end of the Industrial Age, and with it goes the average worker. According to Godin, companies can always find average workers doing average work for cheaper rates. Mr. Godin insists that workers must make themselves stand out in order to be hired and to get paid more.
For the Business Insider article, and a link to Mr. Godin’s interview, head here.
It’s a Man vs. Machine Recovery January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in manufacturing, workforce.Tags: manufacturing, workforce
add a comment
While U.S. companies produce almost one quarter more goods today than it did in 1999, companies have been relying more and more on machines. Opinions vary. Some say that machines lead to wider unemployment. Others say that machines lead to greater productivity, and therefore, more wealth. Another problem with company production is a lack of demand. Machines can churn out products cheaper, meeting targets for smaller demand. But greater demand would mean companies hiring more people.
For the Bloomberg Business article, head on over here.
If You’re an Average Worker, You’re Going Straight to the Bottom January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in personal productivity, workforce.Tags: personal productivity, workforce
add a comment
Marketing guru Seth Godin relates that we are experiencing the end of the Industrial Age, and with it goes the average worker. According to Godin, companies can always find average workers doing average work for cheaper rates. Mr. Godin insists that workers must make themselves stand out in order to be hired and to get paid more.
For the Business Insider article, and a link to Mr. Godin’s interview, head here.
U.S. Employee Trust Still Low January 30, 2012
Posted by Jeff Fuchs in leadership, workforce.Tags: leadership, workforce
add a comment
According to an analysis done by HRM Guide on a Maritz Research survey, American workers –especially in the current economic climate –do not trust management. Among the notable findings are that 25% of American workers are less engaged with their bosses this year than last year, and that a paltry 7% believe that management is consistent with their words. In research done by the Corporate Executive Board, management can change this in several ways, including engaging workers in strategic planning and recognizing and rewarding quality workers.
To read the analysis at length, please head here.
