Work In Progress
So many things have changed in the past 100+ years. Nearly all industries have seen a huge transformation in terms of speed and cost. Human knowledge and technology advancement has skyrocketed at an exponential rate. And the good news is, there’s no end in sight. What that means for our work today, is that we need to have focus on what’s possible, what’s coming, and how can we be better than today.
The knowledge bases of lean and agile are well aligned to generate huge transformations in how we work. While some think of them as separate or competing tools, the treasure comes from how well they compliment each other. Lean and agile are born of the same roots. The work of Emerson, Taylor, Ford, Deming, Shewhart, and others started a revolution in efficiency, effectiveness, and scientific thinking. One of the most notable models that mark the beginning of lean and agile comes from the Toyota Production System also known as The Toyota Way, which revolutionized automotive production. The lean and agile content have now spread across many industries and fields of work. The application of this learning to knowledge work has created an explosion of new ideas and methods.
Lean Agile Improvement offers a broad collection of insight and inspiration. You may find that some of the ideas are more appropriate or applicable than others. Like any good craftsman, you need to know which tool is most appropriate for the situation at hand. Having the appropriate tools in your tool box, and knowing when to apply them, helps you to become more effective and efficient. A principle-based approach ensures that you selectively apply tools and techniques that make the right impacts.
While lean and agile are a major part of Lean Agile Improvement, there continues to be great advancements beyond these ideas. We must always consider new concepts and learning from other fields. It’s not just what we learn from lean or agile, but also how we continue to expand our learning from experimentation and practice.
Improvement thinking comes from a deliberate approach to how we look at what we’re doing. It means that you’re always seeking opportunities to get better. Continuous improvement is built into both the lean and agile bodies of knowledge. Taking a systematic and deliberate approach to improvement means that you’re prepared to adapt as needed. The application of plan-do-check-act cycles (PDCA) to our work ensures that we achieve the expected results.
A mindset just means that the collective thinking and actions of an organization are focused on common goals. Everyone must be working to achieve the same things. Too many transformations fail because goals and priorities are not aligned, and ‘involvement’ is sporadic or missing. For Lean Agile Improvement to work, everyone must be involved and vested and participating. The entire organization, from top to bottom, must be actively engaged.
Leaders need to be coaches and mentors, not bosses telling what to do and how to do it. A model of servant leadership ensures we develop people as a primary goal. Putting people-first must be embedded in the collective thinking. The people doing the work need to be responsible for how the work gets done. The environment must be safe for anyone and everyone to contribute.
If continuous improvement is the engine in our system, then problem solving is the fuel. Things that aren’t working need to be fixed. Stop and fix is built into lean thinking. The right systematic approach to problem solving makes sure that we’re getting to the right root cause, and not just patching symptoms. Good problem solving requires deep thinking in order to get to the root of the right problem.
Visualizing our work is essential to align our thinking. Transparency and visibility ensures that everyone knows what everyone is working on. We visualize our goals, our workflow, and our problems. All good methods include some form and degree of visualization. It turns out that a picture really is worth a thousand words.
Lean Agile Improvement emphasizes that your choices and decisions about work are based on values and principles. While there are many tools and methods available which have had positive impact for others, you must realize that your own best way of working may be unique to you. Experimentation and discovery is vital to the mindset. Respecting the values and principles is an obligation while specific practices and methods remain optional.
“As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble”
– Harrington Emerson (1853 – 1931)
The principles of the Lean Agile Improvement mindset are:
- Develop people as a primary goal
- Coach and mentor over command and control
- Active listening and empathy
- Safety must be assured
- Mistakes are celebrated for the learning
- Continuous improvement is systematic and built into the system, not separate or extra work
- Reflection and feedback loops are everywhere
- Effectiveness is ensured before efficiency
- Visualize whats important
- Apply flow and pull
- Solve problems systematically and permanently
In the following posts we will dig deeper and learn more about these topics