Learning with lean: unleashing the potential for sustainable competitive advantage

284 Pages·2014·7.38 MB·English

by  Mulligan

Lean Methods & Implementation / Organizational Culture MZ
u
u
r
ln
l
i
g
a
n
LEARNING LEAN

with
Unleashing the Potential for Sustainable Competitive Advantage
The toughest Lean journeys are those taken in organizations that have
achieved long-term success. Processes and people become fixed in their
ways and exhibit a natural resistance to change. But, regardless of how
well your organization is performing, unless you have a sustainable
competitive advantage, you are at risk.
L
Examining the performance gap between good organizations and great
ones, Learning with Lean: Unleashing the Potential for Sustainable E
Competitive Advantage explains how to use Lean as a learning vehicle
for achieving and sustaining a competitive advantage. A
Helping you better understand the current state of your organization, R
the book outlines a series of five simple phases for developing an architec-
N
ture and implementation plan to transform your organization’s performance.
These five phases fit neatly into a closed-system model that has similarities I
to the Plan–Do–Check–Act quality model. The model is simple, easy to N
communicate, and easy to implement—Assess, Plan, Prepare,
Do, and Learn. G
• Supplies a brief overview of Lean tools
• Provides an understanding of the Voice of the Customer w
as a focusing engine
i
• Covers measurement and goal setting
t
• Illustrates the dynamics of organizational change
h
• Explains how to boost learning through Lean LEARNING LEAN

The authors guide you through the deployment of training and the imple-
L
mentation of new knowledge and skills around Lean. In addition, they also
with
explain how to find and improve on the areas where waste exists so your E
organization can reinvent the way it learns.
A
Effective management techniques recognize the need for balance, and
N
this book is no different. Helping you pinpoint where those balances and
Unleashing the Potential for Sustainable
dichotomies exist, it arms you with powerful techniques to manage these
challenges and to transform your organization into a change-hungry Lean
learning organization with a sustainable competitive advantage.
Competitive Advantage
K16629 James Zurn • Perry Mulligan
LEARNING LEAN

with
Unleashing the Potential for Sustainable
Competitive Advantage

LEARNING LEAN

with
Unleashing the Potential for Sustainable
Competitive Advantage
James Zurn • Perry Mulligan
Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
A PRODUCTIV ITY PRESS BOOK
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2014 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Version Date: 20130422
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4665-7295-9 (eBook - PDF)
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been
made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the valid-
ity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright
holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this
form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may
rectify in any future reprint.
Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or uti-
lized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopy-
ing, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the
publishers.
For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.com (http://
www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923,
978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For
organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
and the CRC Press Web site at
http://www.crcpress.com
This book is for our wives, Sheila and Sue, who gave us
endless support, encouragement, and tireless feedback
on our thoughts during its construction.
You were our sounding boards, thought coaches, and cheerleaders.
Throughout the whole process, you helped keep us grounded in
reality, and this work would never have come to life without you.
With all our love, and more thanks than you can ever imagine.

Contents
Preface .............................................................................................. xi
Acknowledgments ............................................................................xv
1 What Is the Need for Change? .....................................................1
1.1 What Is Sustainable Competitive Advantage? ....................................2
1.1.1 Applied Rate of Learning ........................................................4
1.2 Threats ................................................................................................5
1.2.1 Leadership ................................................................................6
1.2.2 Organizational .........................................................................6
1.2.3 Technology ..............................................................................7
1.2.3.1 Disruptive Organizational and Technology
Threats ....................................................................7
1.3 Overcoming Organizational Inertia ...................................................9
1.3.1 External Crisis Impacts to Inertia .........................................10
1.3.2 Creating Internal Urgency with No External Crisis ..............12
1.4 Recognition of the Risk of Inaction .................................................13
1.4.1 Success Builds Inertia ............................................................14
1.4.2 Ignoring Risks May Stall the Organization ...........................15
1.5 Lean Enables a Learning Organization ............................................16
1.5.1 Organizational Learning ........................................................17
1.5.2 Learning Organization ...........................................................17
1.5.3 Lean as a Learning Vehicle ...................................................19
1.6 Transformation Is an Endless Journey .............................................26
1.6.1 Phases in the Transformation Journey ..................................27
1.6.2 Phase 1: Assess ......................................................................29
1.6.3 Phase 2: Plan .........................................................................29
1.6.4 Phase 3: Prepare ....................................................................32
1.6.5 Phase 4: Do............................................................................32
1.6.6 Phase 5: Learn .......................................................................33
vii
viii  ◾  Contents
1.7 Measuring Impact and Rate of Learning .........................................34
1.7.1 Change-Hungry Organization Maturity Levels .....................34
1.8 Communicating to the Organization ...............................................37
1.8.1 Expanded Need for Different Types of Communication .....39
1.8.2 Dichotomy of Conversation ...................................................39
1.8.3 Audience-Based Porpoising ..................................................40
Key Messages in This Chapter ..................................................................41
Challenge Actions .....................................................................................42
2 Change Starts with Knowing What You Have ...........................43
2.1 Assessments Build Stronger Organizations .....................................45
2.2 Learning Atrophy ..............................................................................45
2.3 Take Stock of Yourself .....................................................................47
2.3.1 Are You Committed to Leading the Change? .......................50
2.3.2 Check Your Ability to Lead a Learning Organization ..........54
2.3.3 Check Your Lean Leadership Capabilities ............................55
2.3.4 Check Your Lean Thinking and Actions ..............................60
2.3.5 Check Your Credibility Cash Index ......................................60
2.4 Take Stock of the Organization .......................................................64
2.4.1 Looking for the Capability to Learn ......................................65
2.4.2 Organizational Beliefs, Knowledge, and Ability ..................65
2.4.3 Characterizing Learning Organization Dimensions .............66
2.4.4 Check for Lean Thinking and Action Competencies ...........67
2.4.5 Check the Organization’s Performance Quotient .................67
2.5 Communicate to the Organization ..................................................74
2.5.1 Complex Message Delivery ...................................................75
2.5.2 Sharing the Transformation Vision .......................................76
2.5.3 Setting the Course of Action .................................................77
2.5.4 Personal Actions and Passion for Change ............................79
Key Messages in This Chapter ..................................................................79
Challenge Actions .....................................................................................80
3 Planning the Transformation.....................................................83
3.1 Forming Your Personal Vision and Plan..........................................85
3.1.1 You Have to Buy-In ...............................................................87
3.1.2 Use Your Passion and Courage to Lead the
Organization Transformation ................................................87
3.1.3 Visualize the End Game ........................................................88
3.1.4 Personalize the Transformation ............................................90
3.1.5 Build Your Action Plan ..........................................................92
Contents  ◾  ix
3.1.6 Walk the Talk ........................................................................93
3.2 Changing Organizational Culture ....................................................94
3.3 Changing Organizational Momentum .............................................95
3.4 Design the Transformation to a Lean Learning Organization ........99
3.4.1 You Can’t Buy It—You Have to Build It .............................105
3.4.2 Integrating Your Supply Chain into the Journey ................108
3.5 Lean Becomes the Learning Vehicle ..............................................109
3.5.1 Foundation of the Organization ..........................................111
3.5.2 Core Tenets Align the Organization ...................................112
3.5.3 Assemble the House ............................................................113
3.6 Communicating to the Organization .............................................114
Key Messages in This Chapter ................................................................118
Challenge Actions ...................................................................................119
4 Preparing for the Race ............................................................121
4.1 Set Expectations .............................................................................123
4.1.1 Define Success Goals and Measures...................................125
4.1.1.1 Foundation Layer ...................................................127
4.1.1.2 Measurement Layer ................................................128
4.1.1.3 Action Layer ...........................................................131
4.2 Deployment Reality ........................................................................132
4.3 Enroll Natural Lean Leaders ...........................................................135
4.4 Invest in People ..............................................................................136
4.5 Communicating to the Organization .............................................143
Key Messages in This Chapter ................................................................144
Challenge Actions ...................................................................................145
5 Go Improve Something—Start Doing ......................................149
5.1 Go Ahead—Give It a Push ............................................................151
5.2 So You Think You Know How It Works .......................................156
5.2.1 Entropy and Noisy Systems .................................................159
5.2.1.1 Noisy Systems .........................................................161
5.2.2 Automation Creates Techno-Waste .....................................163
5.3 Data Will Set You Free ...................................................................164
5.4 Focus on Using the Voice of the Customer ...................................167
5.4.1 VoC Segmentation ...............................................................169
5.4.2 Customer Listening Posts ....................................................170
5.4.3 VoC as a Focusing Engine ...................................................171
5.5 Setting Simple Goals ......................................................................176
5.5.1 Work on Things That Matter ...............................................178