DailyKaizen

 A couple of months ago I worked with a small team on a point improvement.  The project started when a committed and persistent manager asked me for help.  At the time we did not have any capacity on our team to take on any projects.  I at first said no, but the manager kept coming to me with questions and asking for advice.  Finally, I agreed to go on a process walk with her to help get her started.  During the process walk I was surprised by how excited the staff was about LEAN, many had read the Toyota Way, which is unusual for a frontline group.  The process walk also revealed just how overwhelmed the team was.  Demand for their services had more then doubled with no new staff.  When we got back to the manager’s office I told her that I would mentor the team and help them conduct a three-day Kaizen. 

I met with the manager and team this last week for the 60 day post-Kaizen check-in.  Walking through the work area I was impressed on how much had changed since I first began working with the team.  The Kaizen had been a success, but what had happened after the Kaizen was even more impressive.  Leaving the Kaizen the team had been energized and they have continued to make improvements.  There performance has improved by so much they have been getting more then one thank you note per day for happy customers.  It was amazing how much happier the team seemed, the work environment was calm and evidence of improvement activities was everywhere.  Working with teams like this is what makes it so much fun to be a consultant. 

Trackback This Post | Subscribe to the comments through RSS Feed