Visualizing Excellence

Paradigms, People, Process, and Problem-Solving

Jerry Linnins, Director – Transformation & Acceleration

What IS Excellence?

Burning Platform

Increased competition Increased regulatory

oversight Demanding Customers Costs

Compelling Destination

Safe, productive, efficient workplace

Value Adding work for customer Supplier of Choice Employer of Choice

“Eye Diseases”

Nearsighted Farsighted Blind Stigmatism Poor Peripheral “Floating spots”

What keeps YOU from seeing?

The Four “P’s” of Excellence

1. Paradigms – Mindset, attitudes, mental models, assumptions and “rules”

2. People – individuals, workgroups & teams

3. Process – simplified & standardized

4. Problem-Solving – disciplined & structured

Seven Key Improvement Paradigms

1. Quality/Value is defined by the Customer

2. Focus on Better not Best! (Kaizen)

3. People REALLY are the key

4. Understanding Process as Key to World Class

5. Systems Thinking (Whole and Parts)

6. Horizontal Structure (end to end process)

7. Teams as the “fuel” for success

Paradigm 1 - Quality

Quality is meeting or exceeding the requirements of the customer

Quality (right thing/right way) actually costs less Present/Pass performance is no guarantee of

future success Quality is an ever-rising bar Remember the 1-10-100 Rule!

THINGS THE CUSTOMER IS LOOKING FOR …

PRODUCT Performance Features Conformance Timeliness Serviceability Durability Aesthetics Reputation

SERVICE Reliability Responsiveness Competence Access Courtesy Communication Security Understanding “Tangibles”

Paradigm 2 – Focus on Getting BETTER

Continuous – every day, effort, task, person Kaizan – incremental improvement Competing against YOURSELF Listen to Voice of the Customer, Your Process, Your Team Achieved through disciplined application of following:

LEAN – reduce waste/increase value DMAIC – reduce variation/improve process Operational Excellence – planned, predictable performance World Class – however you or your organization measure it!

Paradigm 3 – People ARE Key To engage yourself and your team, think P.R.I.D.E!

Purpose – focus on what is important/alignment Recognition – reward behaviors you want – team based Involvement – no “opting out” – engagement – everyone together! Development – depth/breadth of skills/growth/”Bold Moves” Empowerment – ownership, decision, action, accountability

Paradigm 4 – Process Focus

Well-defined and documented: SIPOC (Supplier, Input, Process, Output, Customer) Process Flow Diagram/VSM RACI (roles and responsibilities) Service Level Agreements Performance Measures Other Policy/Guidance documentation Gap Analysis/Desired State/”Closure Plan”

Define/Measure/Stabilize/Control/Improve End-to-End view (touchpoints and handoffs) Planned, consistent feedback and communication that is constantly

improved

Paradigm 5 – Systems Thinking

Thinking in terms of the Whole v.s. Parts Making the routine “routine” No heroics – no need for “knights on white

horses” or “firefighters” Supportive Behaviors – walking the talk! Integration of People, Process, and

Technology Think GLOBAL, act LOCAL

Paradigm 6 – Horizontal Structure

Seamless internal execution from Supplier all the way through to the Customer

Feedback loops to enable continuous “real time” communication (VISIBILITY!)

Series of processes involving multiple teams, functions, and departments (Core, Support, Enabling)

Developing strong customer-supplier relationships between EVERY team involved in a work process

Paradigm 7 - Teams

Teams own parts of the whole process Teams measure their own performance Teams improve their part of the process Teams exist to add value to the product or service received

by the customer Characteristics of an effective team:

Common goal Common identity Common language/tools/procedures Common work space/environment

The Perfect Employee?

Behaviors: What do they say? What do they DO?

Keys to Developing/Keeping: Role Clarity – Do they know what to do? Ability – Can they do it/have resources? Willingness – Do they want to?

Leadership – self/team/formal & informal/relationship Effective Change Management

Process As Key

Supplier Input Requirements Your Value-Adding Work Outputs Requirements Customers Critical to Quality (CTQs)

Keys to Effectiveness Well defined Well documented Used Measured continuously Constantly Improved Visible, Open Book

Plan your work, work your plan, Continuously improve!

Systems Thinking

LEVELS Cell Organ Organism/Individual Group/Team Organization Society/Community Nations/Global

There are NO “closed” systems

FOCUS & READINESS Self One to one Work teams Between Departments Total organization Organization out to its

environment (business, social, governmental, other)

Company

Function A Function B Function C

Process View of the Organization

Customers

Management/Guiding Process

ResourcesSupport/Enabling Process

Support/Enabling Process

Core Process

Sub-Core Process

requests

Teams as a System

Traits of Effective Teams Trust Mutual Support Communication Team goals/objectives Conflict resolution Full utilization of

members Accountability Open climate

Barriers to Effectiveness Unclear goals/mission Formal, tense meetings Talk, no communication Formal decisions only Lack of cooperation

inside and outside No self-assessment No results/missed goals

Teams as a System

Stages of Growth FORM – why we here? STORM – who does what? NORM – how we agree to work together PERFORM – getting it done! ADJOURN – moving on & celebrating our success and

learning

Dealing with Change N+1, N-1 End, Transition, Begin Cycle:

Deny Resist Explore Accept Commit

Teams as a System

Communication Continuous Common Consistent Push/Pull Visual/Verbal/Vocal Feedback! Groundrules 9 Behaviors Agenda/Action Plans

Conflict Resolution Conflict is normal, natural, and – if

handled properly – healthy for teams/individuals

State your case Listen to the other person’s side Ask for and negotiate new

behaviors and resolutions

REMEMBER: When meeting as a team, there are No “Pink Elephants!” (i.e. topics you cannot discuss)

Problem Solving

Effective Problem-Solving Requires… Patience Discipline Creativity Repetition Honesty Facts/Data/Information Cause & Effect Continuous Learning Courage!

Steps in… Identify the issue (pain or gain) Define the problem Identify suspected causes Verify most likely Identify possible solutions Develop an Action Plan to test your

solutions Evaluation your action plan Continue to improve, monitor, or

declare “victory” and move on to next opportunity/challenge

Problem Solving Some of the LEAN/DMAIC/OE Tools…

Brainstorming Visual Mapping (PFD, MindMap, C&E) Prioritizing (Pareto/Rubric/Decision Matrix) Interpreting (Control Charts, Scatter Diagram) DMAIC – Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control LEAN – Value, Waste, 5 S, Mistake Proofing Process Performance Measurement

Problem Solving Decision Making

Asking the right Questions (5WH) (5 Whys) Establishing evaluation Criteria (Better, Faster, Cheaper?) Conducting the Analysis (Cost, Risk, Resources, Impact) Identifying/Prioritizing Alternatives (SMART, short term, long term) Making the Decision (Type, acceptability, support) Executing (fast and flawless!) Evaluating (how’d we do?) Improving (NEXT time, we will…)

Skills to Improve Problem Solving Continuous Learning (mistakes AND good) Competency in the work/process and OE tools Communication – up/down/across/outward Self-management – understanding bias, culture, politics Adaptability and Flexibility – individual and team! Team dynamics/cohesion – “It takes a village!” Influence and leadership – getting/using/improving Continuous assessment of self/team (lessons, success)

Just DO IT!!!

Project/Problem Selection… Pick something that everyone can agree needs to be fixed,

prevented, or improved Make it meaningful and relevant to real issues/real world! Use your data – focus on impact if improved Be realistic – SMART goal it Fruit: on the ground, low hanging, middle, top of the tree

Don’t Miss the Obvious! AND…Don’t be afraid to ask for some help in “harvesting” your fruit!

Use your continuous improvement “projects” as learning events Measure/Monitor/Report/Continue to Improve Celebrate and have some FUN along the way!