5 ways Lean guys trigger rejection on shopfloor

Lean guys are not always aware they triggered rejection of their ideas or suggestions themselves, only because of their behavior or their disregarding of some elementary rules. Here is a short list of 5 ways to trigger rejection on shopfloor. 1. Play the sensei A sensei, in lean lingo, is a recognized expert, which in …

Four good reasons to take a break if you are to remain efficient

Deep involvement in a project, problem solving or coaching really drains one's energy. A periodic break is therefore mandatory in order to remain efficient. Here are four good reasons for it. 1. Recharge Everyone needs a breather now and then. The tenser the situation, the more the break is needed. Getting away some time from …

Start less, finish more

Four words of wisdom spoken by a manager in a department notorious for its long lists of actions (note I didn't write action plan) and promises but a lousy transformation rate. Looking closer on their usual way to solve problems or work on improvement revealed a common flaw in many organizations: the open loop. The …

Tales from the Pyramid – the Swiss cheese

Swiss cheese as most people imagine it is a holed one. The pyramid in this post looks much like a portion of Swiss cheese, with holes in its middle layer. These holes stand for rogue middle managers who don’t align to corporate objectives, resist change or passively sabotage improvement programs. Their behavior have various backgrounds …

You don’t give me answers, you ask me questions

He’s a former colleagues of mine I worked with during 10 years. Let’s call him Jack. He’s about 10 years younger, cocky, went from graduation directly to consulting and as he stated himself one day, “can’t stand being unable to answer a client’s question right away”. The opposite of me in many aspects and that’s …

The catalyst

I like this word "catalyst" when talking about “a person whose talk, enthusiasm, or energy causes others to be more friendly, enthusiastic, or energetic”. We don’t use it currently in French even so the meaning is the same, we’ll talk about “moderator”, “facilitator” or “coach” instead. Yet “catalyst” is much more how I felt recently …

Tales from the Pyramid – Head first

Imagine a bold general in front of his troops, commanding the assault against the enemy. Spurring his horse to assault he dashed. Alone. His troops didn’t move. It’s more or less how some top executives must feel, when confident about the tactical moves and their overall strategy, they order the decisive manoeuvre but the bulk …

When Lean increase costs

It happens once in a while, top management is disappointed by Lean assessment results. Assumptions and expectations Almost all testimonies about Lean initiatives report savings and gains, which is both a blessing and a curse for Lean. On one hand, savings and improvements fueled Lean’s fame and attractiveness in the eyes of top managers and …

Tales from the pyramid – the ivory tower

In some organization, top management is cut from its base, managing from remote offices and linked to operations and organization's real life through reports, dashboards and KPIs. I've met some of those managers brilliantly talking the talk but seldom, if ever, walking it. If they would - this is what they did with me - …

Tales from the Pyramid – the hole in the pyramid

No senior manager ever denied his/her organization does not suffer a hole in the pyramid. I coined this expression (originally in French) after seeing it in all companies I visited as a consultant. Pyramid with a hole The hole in the pyramid is a management vacuum left by middle managers who do not (fully) take …