There is a trend towards removing the Japanese language or jargon from Lean transformations in the U.S.  I understand why organizations would want to make lean thinking and the  corresponding tools easier to digest, but I think we should seriously consider keeping it Japanese.

• People get used to new words and phrases better than you might think - Until a few years ago nobody knew what an iPod was.  A cougar used to be a big cat and not a woman who likes younger men.  Jewelry is now commonly called bling.
• There is no standard for Americanized Lean - Some call Gemba ”three actuals (actual place, actual process, actual people)”, others brand it as “direct observation”, some refer to it as just “process walk”, and I am sure Gemba goes by other names.  The problem with this is members of your organization can not easily learn Lean from external sources.  Article and book authors tend to use the Japanese terms at least in reference but your staff may miss it if the original word is not shared with them. 
• Lean transformation is a significant change and language should reflect that - A lot of Lean will seem counter-intuitive at first and there is a major shift in thinking that will take place on your journey.  A significant change in the language will help communicate to the culture that things will be different from here on out.  To paraphrase Deming, you are no longer using the language of the old world.

Choosing the language of Lean is a strategic choice for your organization.  It is easy to dismiss the notion of keeping the Japanese out and making easier translations.  Please consider the pro side of keeping the original language.

I am very interested in your comments.

My 2009 Hansei: Scarcity inspires creativity and innovation.  How can I help harness that inspiration?

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Dan Pink has an outstanding TED talk about how to motivate workers in the 21st century (some readers may need to open this post to be able to view the 19 minute video).  Dan’s message about the difference between what science knows versus what business does will hopefully give you a new perspective. 

Leadership can get into a trap when it tries to get compliance instead of commitment or engagement.  Dan discusses how incentives can do more harm for your business.  The speech discusses the need to move from a reward by carrot or punishment by stick practice. 

Dan also speaks about an interesting study by Dan Ariely whom I greatly admire.  I wrote about how his findings can help you connect actions to cost.

Please comment with your reactions to Dan’s speech.

My 2009 Hansei: Scarcity inspires creativity and innovation.  How can I help harness that inspiration?

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To get new windows in our house it has taken a minimum of five installations due to lack of inspection. 

After the problems with the first installation (see part 1), I kept in constant contact with the sales person to ensure the windows that will be replaced are double-hung, has the same grid pattern, and the same energy efficiency.  The sales person advised me the windows will be the exact same as the first installation except double-hung.

I had a family member at my house while the crew came for the second installation since I have to work and they only come M-F 8:00-5:00.  After the windows were installed, my family member called to advise there were grids in both the top and bottom glass instead of just the top (which is how the single-hung windows looked like at the first installation).  We also advised the crew to inspect one of the other windows that were installed previously because the framing was chipped.

The sales person advised me that I now have to work with the manufacturer since his company finished the install.  The issue was now part of the warrantee with the window company and not the sales/installation company.  The sales person told me the window company has a week backlog before they are even able to call people back to discuss problems.  The sales person added that the window company will have to deal with the chipped framing as well.

I finally got a call from the window company and they advised they will come out to replace the windows with the incorrect lower grids.  I asked for an evening or weekend install and they refused.  I asked them if their refusal was serious especially since it is to fix a mistake they made.  They advised they were serious.

The correct windows were finally put in for the third installation.  They looked at the chipped framing window and advised they will come out again to replace it (M-F 8:00-5:00 only again).  Luckily I happened to have had a weekday off to be there when they came a fourth time to fix the chipped framing but the installer ordered the wrong parts and needed to come back a fifth time.  This Thursday will be the fifth time so my fingers are crossed but the cynic in me is expecting trouble.

I share this story to help highlight where Lean could help this situation.  Below is a partial list:

• The sales/installation company should have done a quality inspection before spending the resources installing the wrong parts.
• The window company should have a better quality check before they wasted time building incorrect custom windows.
• I am sure there was a communication flow issue between the sales/installation company and the window company that can be standardized.
• The fact that there is a weeklong backlog before problems can even begin to be addressed should be seen as a problem for the window company.  Getting to the root cause will help them fix the issue instead of always putting out fires.
• An understanding of what is value added to the customer will help both companies.  I expect more value when a problem is identified but they treated the issue like it was normal.  From my experience, most customers judge a company by how they deal with problems if they unfortunately encounter one.

What other opportunities do you see for either company?

My 2009 Hansei: Scarcity inspires creativity and innovation.  How can I help harness that inspiration?

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As someone who helps people improve their processes and quality for a living, being a consumer can sometimes drive me batty!  I think there will always be a need for the lean principles to be applied (although some companies do not recognize the need).  My wife and I recently purchased new windows for our whole house and have had cascading problems since. 

The sales person did a quote while we were at work and mailed it to us.  To understand what the windows he quoted were, we visited the showroom and the sales person showed us a double-hung window where both the top and bottom opened.  We advised we wanted the energy-efficient and gas-filled glass.  We pointed out the measurements on the quote weren’t correct so he was going to send someone out again and provide us with a more accurate quote. 

The updated quote came and the price was good so we agreed via telephone.

During the day of the first installation I stayed out of the way from the crew.  I popped out at one point to see one of the windows that was finished.  It was a single-hung window where the top did not open like I ordered! 

I called the salesperson who was very rude stating it was on the quote I agreed to.  I advised it was not the window my wife and I saw in the showroom.  He said that was just a demo of the window brand and we were not clear to him we wanted double-hung.  I asked where it said on the quote that it was single hung to alert me as a customer that I might not be getting what I expected.  He said next to each measurement is the code “SH” for single hung.  I advised him that as the window expert, I would have expected him to explain technical codes to me the consumer and asked why he would not have tried to up-sell me on the more expensive window anyways.  We eventually came to agreement to get the correct custom windows installed.  This was truly a test of my respect for people principle!

Besides the obvious upset customer (me!), there was a lot of waste for the sales/installation company and the manufacturer: 

• The installers have to send their crew out twice (you will find out it will be three times in part 2!). 
• The single-hung custom windows are now scrap cost to  the installer and/or manufacturer. 
• The time the salesperson spent fixing our problem took time away from him to generate new business for the installation company.

Potential counter-measures: 1) Train salespeople to ask customer’s the right kind of questions to ensure their needs are met prior to ordering.  2) Make quotes visual with descriptions with explicit explanations with no code so the customer can understand what they are agreeing to.  3) Don’t blame the customer when problems happen but own the issue.

I will share part 2 next week.  Any other wastes or counter-measures you see in this story?

My 2009 Hansei: Scarcity inspires creativity and innovation.  How can I help harness that inspiration?

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There are people in your organization who live with drastic waste everyday but they do not communicate it to anybody as a problem.  I call them martyrs.

They take on work that is not value added for your customer.  They perform duties that are a waste of their skills and pay level.  Most of these activities have no thoughtful processes and are highly subject to variability.  Martyrs usually do this work without productive complaint because “someone has to get it done and nobody else will do it.” (I say productive complaint because they most likely share their frustration with coworkers and families).

Leadership must actively identify and help martyrs. 

• Only by observing people doing the work will leaders see the problems martyrs face – because they will not tell you.  Some do not even recognize it as a problem. 
• Help these martyrs recognize problems and do everything you can to help them solve it. 
• Assist them with understanding processes so they can remove waste from their work.

My 2009 Hansei: Scarcity inspires creativity and innovation.  How can I help harness that inspiration?

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