READ AND LEARN
Out of the Crisis
Reading Pick of the day! Out of the Crisis. A classic but now more valid than ever! Written by the godfather of good mgmt. W. Edwards Deming.
Today’s reading pick:
Out of the crisis - by W. Edwards Deming
Deming could be called the Majestro of quality control, the Grand Monsieur of business consulting, the Godfather of management science. Deming is the source of modern business thought. He helped engineer the rise of Japanese competitiveness in the consumer goods sector, thereby giving a major prod to globalization. Perhaps his only failure was not envisioning the extremes to which others would later push his ideas of “constancy of purpose” (e.g. continuous quality improvement). Then again, their own ideas often come back to haunt prophets and, on most points, Deming passes the test of time with flying colors. In this reprint of his 1986 classic, his arguments for single supplier sourcing and for leadership rather than supervision, and against production quotas and the absurd practice of management by walking around, ring as true today as ever.
Take-Aways
The US economy needs revolution, transformation and change, not a hot fix.
The theory that manufacturers have to choose between high volume and high quality is a lie.
Production increases as quality improves, because products require less “rework” and employees are more satisfied, which leads to greater productivity.
Japan has no natural resources; it succeeds due to its commitment to quality.
Like auto accident statistics, measures of productivity tell you what went wrong but not how to fix it.
Companies must guide workers’ efforts with a theory of management. Just having everyone try to do their best is insufficient and will lead to chaos.
You have to build quality instead of checking for it.
Quotas and management by numbers work against quality. Get rid of them.
Relying on a single source supplier will enhance quality in the long run.
If you hire consultants, give them the authority to visit any aspect of the company.
Enjoy the read and have fun learning!
A Manager's guide to coaching
Reading Pick of the day! A manager’s guide to coaching. Simple and effective ways to get the BEST out of your employees - by Brian Emerson and Anne Loehr.
Today’s reading pick:
A manager’s guide to coaching - by brian emerson and anne loehr
In this absolut useful book, two executive coaches, Anne Loehr and Brian Emerson, explain what coaching is, how it functions and how managers can learn to put it to work to improve employees’ productivity and morale. Often people are unaware of attitudes or behaviors that are holding them back or jeopardizing their careers. That’s where a good coach plays a crucial role. The authors delve into coaching’s methods, explain its benefits, and offer thoughtful instructions and examples. They devote the last third of the book to specific questions to ask while coaching. How you’ll react to the writing style, which is generally clear and serviceable, depends on if you think that “coachee” is a real word and that “everyone does their work” is good enough on the grammar front. Either way, this is a straightforward, practical book for managers who want to be productive coaches.
KEY Take aways
An employee’s success depends on “aptitude, attitude and resources.” Attitude matters most. In fact, a better outlook can make up for shortfalls in skills or materials.
Coaching helps staffers address behaviors and outlooks that hurt their productivity.
The “W.I.N. B.I.G.” process outlines steps to use with your staff members. In the W.I.N. stage, ask questions to help employees develop self-awareness about issues that are holding them back.
In the B.I.G. stage, help them plan and institute problem-solving action.
Effective coaches believe in employees’ potential, remain detached, heed their own instincts, set an easy atmosphere, don’t bog down and show alternative perspectives.
Coaches must “listen,” pay attention, offer “feedback” and “celebrate” victories.
Coaching offers employees an exciting journey of personal and career growth.
Enjoy the read and have fun learning!
Getting the Right Things Done
Reading Pick of the day!Getting the Right Things Done. A Leader’s Guide to Planning and Execution - by Pascal Dennis.
Pascal Dennis is a recognized authority in Lean management and a sought-after speaker, coach, and author. He has worked extensively in various industries, including healthcare, aviation, and automotive, helping organizations achieve operational excellence through Lean methodologies. In "Getting the Right Things Done," Dennis shares his insights and experience in strategic planning and execution for leaders who want to drive meaningful change and improve their organization's performance.
In this book, Dennis offers a practical and actionable framework for leaders to identify and prioritize the most critical business opportunities, align their teams' efforts, and execute their plans effectively. He draws on his experience in Lean management and business strategy to provide a systematic approach to strategic planning, execution, and continuous improvement. The book covers topics such as strategy deployment, visual management, problem-solving, and performance measurement, among others.
The key takeaways from "Getting the Right Things Done" are as follows:
Establish a clear and compelling strategic direction that aligns with your organization's purpose and values.
Create a process for translating strategy into specific actions and metrics that are relevant to different levels of the organization.
Use visual management tools to communicate goals, progress, and problems effectively.
Develop a problem-solving culture that encourages everyone to identify and solve problems at the root cause.
Align leadership behaviors and processes to support the desired culture and performance.
Empower front-line employees to improve processes and deliver value to customers.
Use data and analytics to measure performance and inform decision-making.
Foster a continuous improvement mindset that encourages experimentation, learning, and innovation.
Build a resilient and adaptable organization that can respond to changes in the business environment.
Focus on developing people's skills, knowledge, and engagement to drive sustained improvement.
"Getting the Right Things Done" is an excellent resource for leaders who want to learn how to align their team's efforts and achieve their organization's strategic goals. It offers practical guidance and tools that leaders can use to improve their strategic planning and execution processes and build a culture of continuous improvement. The book is highly recommended for anyone who wants to enhance their leadership skills and drive meaningful change in their organization.
GRIT The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Reading Pick of the day! GRIT - The Power of Passion and Perseverance - by Angela Duckworth.
Today’s reading pick:
GRIT- The Power of Passion and Perseverance
University of Pennsylvania professor of psychology and MacArthur Genius Angela Duckworth founded an award-winning summer school for low-income children and created “The Character Lab”, has advised the World Bank, NFL and NBA teams.
This book goes straight in the help yourself section. With Duckworth’s combination of advices and how to guidance this book is worth a read.
I love the simple and easy to read writing. Each chapter can be seen as a standalone reflection of ideas. There is no need to start from the beginning, you can start from each chapter and go forward. If you want to read the complete book from the beginning to the end, it might be a little bit tedious.
In the book its all about grit, Angela describes with the help of the “Grit-Scale” how she can predict someone’s success. On one example she forecasts who will drop out before the end of the first year at West Point. Quiet exactly…
Grit is made up of passion and perseverance. If you care about what you do, you’re more likely to keep on going. If you keep doing something you love, you’re likely to grow on loving it more and more. But if you lack either dedication or love, you’ll have difficulties getting things done. If you dislike what you do at work day after day, you won’t care about getting better at it.
Looking for personal growth and life hacks, this book gives you useful hints and tricks.
Have fun reading it!
Mindset The psychology of success
Reading Pick of the day! Mindset - The new psychology of success. How we can learn to fulfill our potential - by Carol S. Dweck.
Today’s reading pick:
Mindset - The New Psychology of Success
This book divides humanity into two groups - the one that are willing to keep on learning and those who are not. The author a psychologist professor Carol S. Dweck writes in her book, based on research about the pros and cons of the two mindsets. You will find several stories about famous business and sports persons that made it in this book. The deep dive has an eye on the impact of the very own mindset on people. She explains even the flexibility of mindsets in regard on topic and personal traits. This complexity of mindsets brings it down to the two points either your mindset is fixed and won’t move or you have a growth mindset willing to further develop.
KEY TAKE AWAYS:
Persons who have a strong believe in themselves and their qualities have an unchangeable mindset
Persons that believe in the continuous improvement of their own mind have a “growth mindset”
Persons with a “growth mindset” believe that the future has a lot of opportunities no matter if good or bad times
A persons mindset defines their view on the world
Athletes with a “growth mindset” never stop challenging themselves
C-Level executives with a fixed mindset of themselves do not build great teams
We hope to get some taste of the book! Have fun reading it and improving yourself.
How to create an Ishikawa
Reading Pick of the day! How to create an Ishikawa diagram - by Mickaël Réquillard.
Today’s reading pick:
How to create an Ishikawa diagram
And another one by Mickael Réquillard - Ishikawa's diagram is named after its inventor, Kaoru Ishikawa. It appeared in the 1960s and is a key tool in the quality improvement process.
Also known as a fish bone diagram, cause and effect diagram, 5M, 6M, 7M, 8M or 9M, this tool is both simple to use and allows a problem to be addressed quickly and effectively, by going to find its root causes using a methodical, clear and visual approach.
Moreover, it can be used at all levels of the organization and in a multitude of contexts: industrial, services, projects, innovation, marketing, the list is endless!
In this book, you will discover what an ISHIKAWA diagram is, its different representations and use cases, how to create one and how to effectively exploit the information gathered.
Enjoy the read and put it into practice!
SMED
Reading Pick of the day! How to carry out a SMED - by Mickaël Réquillard.
Today’s reading pick:
The Single Minute Exchange of a Die
SMED is a tool made famous by Shigeo Shingo. Its use in a just-in-time production logic has many advantages. You can improve the reactivity of your production tool, making planning much more flexible, limiting your batch sizes, your costs and offering better lead times to your customers. It is not uncommon to see a 50% reduction in changeover time by applying this method!
This book will show you the different steps to follow in order to carry out a SMED but also tips and tools to save time and efficiency during deployment.
Enjoy reading and good practice!
Value Stream Mapping
Reading Pick of the day! How to build a value stream mapping (VSM) - by Mickaël Réquillard.
Today’s reading pick:
The Value Stream Mapping Tool
The value stream mapping tool was made famous by Mike Rother in his book 'learning to see'. This methodology enables the mapping of the entire value chain of a company, analyzing both physical and information flows. It is a powerful strategic tool that provides a current snapshot of what exists today, but also and above all allows you to project yourself into the future (with future mapping), checking the company's compatibility with its objectives and helping it to define the actions to be taken.
This book will show you how to carry out a VSM, both current and future, by explaining the key points (symbols used, KPI, 8 questions), useful tips when carrying it out, and application examples.
Enjoy reading and learning!
Office Lean
Reading Pick of the day! Office Lean - Understanding and implementing flow in a professional and administrative environment - by Ken Eakin.
Today’s reading pick:
Office Lean - Understanding and Implementing Flow in a Professional and Administrative Environment
As an operations guy Ken Eakin shows how to use lean management techniques to support your employees to meet their targets and fulfill the customer expectations. Lean management therefore relies on two principles:
Balance: when everything is balanced the work flows without interruption
Continuity: allows employees to finish their tasks with only minor interruptions
Ken recommends a Lean Manager to implement continuity and balance in order to maintain and deliver high value to the customers faster.
This book isn’t a fast read, with its solid information it provides a guide for managers which want to have a solution oriented organization.
We recommend this book to managers that are seeking for a guide to reshape their processes to a value adding work flow.
Key take aways of this book
Conventional management models don’t work well in an economy dominated by services and information as a product
You can change the behavior of people with a systematic approach and not by only providing information
Management has to see their organization as a system that creates results
Workflow doesn’t mean dividing the organization in work streams, see the workflow as a system that is interlinked
The value stream is the starting point of all actions, separating Man/Machine/Material/etc. is an outdated point of view
Efficiency in offices starts with scheduling tasks
Kanban is a great tool that can be used to steer tasks in offices
Expose information from experts to the complete organization
Balance your workflow in the office to avoid bottle necks
Fulfill your customers expectations and you will get your return on investment
Lean leaders coach and support their employees - they are the role models who walk the talk
Enjoy reading and improving!
The Lean Product Playbook
Reading Pick of the day! The Lean Product Playbook - How to Innovate with Minimum Viable Products and Rapid Customer Feedback - by Dan Olsen.
Today’s reading pick:
The Lean Product Playbook:
How to Innovate with Minimum Viable Products and Rapid Customer Feedback" is a book written by Dan Olsen. Dan Olsen is a product management expert and consultant who has worked with several startups and large companies to help them develop and launch successful products.
The book provides a comprehensive guide to using Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and rapid customer feedback to innovate and create successful products. The author argues that by using this approach, organizations can validate their product ideas, gain valuable customer insights, and improve their chances of success. The book is divided into four parts: the first part provides an overview of the MVP approach, the second part examines how to create and launch MVPs, the third part looks at how to use customer feedback to improve products, and the fourth part provides guidance on how to scale and grow successful products.
Key takeaways from the book:
The Lean Product Playbook is a comprehensive guide to using Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and rapid customer feedback to innovate and create successful products.
MVPs are a powerful tool for validating product ideas and gaining valuable customer insights.
The book covers the complete process of creating and launching MVPs, from idea generation to customer feedback.
The book provides practical tips and strategies for creating MVPs that are effective in validating product ideas and gaining customer insights.
The book emphasizes the importance of rapid customer feedback and how to use it to improve products.
The book highlights the importance of involving customers in the product development process.
The book provides guidance on how to scale and grow successful products.
The book covers the common challenges that organizations face when creating MVPs and how to overcome them.
The book is designed for both startup and established companies, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their product development process.
The book emphasizes that the ultimate goal of MVPs is to validate the product-market fit and that the MVP should be seen as a learning tool, not a product launch.
In conclusion, The Lean Product Playbook is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their product development process. The book provides a comprehensive guide to using Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and rapid
Enjoy reading and improving!
Understanding A3
Reading Pick of the day! Understanding A3 thinking a Critical Component of Toyota’s PDCA Management System - by Durward K. Sobek and Art Smalley.
Today’s reading pick:
Understanding A3 thinking
A3 is a given systematic in the lean management world. This book can be seen as a manual for developing an A3 beyond just the format and functionality. The authors take you on a little journey of the development, the usage of the A3 at Toyota and the systematic approach behind it incl. the well known PDCA methodology.
The authors make it very clear that the philosophy of problem solving and the underling process of continuous improvement matter far more than only the layout of the A3 report. At Toyota the permanent use of PDCA and the A3 methodology has developed generations of critically questioning problem solvers with the positive effect of daily continuous improvements putting Toyota first in the field.
KEY take aways of this book
Toyota remains among the world’s most successful car manufactures.
The PDCA and A3 methodology strives for the ultimate philosophy of continuous improvement.
The A3 thinking process orientates itself among seven crucial elements that support visualization and a common understanding.
The A3 format can be individual adjusted based on the needs.
Toyota is mainly using the PDCA based A3 process for problem solving, status reports and proposals.
Don’t use the A3 report always in the same way. As mentioned before, style and form depend on the matter and should support the understanding.
Enjoy reading and improving!
The machine that changed the world
Reading Pick of the day! The machine that changed the world - by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones and Daniel Roos.
Today’s reading pick:
The machine that changed the world
The machine that changed the world by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones and Daniel Roos is a management classic. Not only taught in worldwide leading business schools, this book remains relevant since first published in 1990. It’s about the never ending cycle of disruption, innovation and change in markets and technologies. This book offers you great lessons of the lean revolution itself as well as the transformation trough digitization and advanced computing technology.
Key Take Aways of this Book
Coming from Toyotas lean manufacturing process - two main roots > mass and best of class production.
The price to quality ratio got Toyota on the top of the industry.
Lean production beats mass production across all process steps in car manufacturing.
In the west distribution of cars is still set up as it was during Henry Ford’s time (outdated).
The market you want to compete in is the market you have to produce.
Lean production faces the same obstacles in acceptance like mass production once did.
Lean production will develop to the mainstream format of industrial manufacturing of goods in the 21st century.
The big question after reading this book is if the western countries will be able to find their own way in lean manufacturing or if the Japanese will drive the market?
Enjoy reading and improving!
Lean Production Simplified
Reading Pick of the day! Lean Production Simplified - by Pascal Dennis.
Today’s reading pick:
Lean production simplified
Pascal Dennis’s a leading engineer and consultant was learning from the best Toyota sensei (teachers) who taught him on how to summarize the Lean Production System easy but effective. The book starts with history and purpose of Lean Manufacturing which is basically achieve more with less and how to fulfill customer expectations. Everybody in the lean world knows about the house called production system with standardization as its foundation and customer value as its roof, with several pillars for operations, depending on the field of operation itself. The heart of every Production System is the shop floor with the value adding process and its contributing processes. Lean can be described as a continuous learning process with the goal of waste free perfection.
Key Take Aways of this Book
Lean Production came out of a necessity to get car manufacturing in Japan out of the loss making.
Lean Manufacturing means achieve more with less while fulfilling customer expectations.
You can’t achieve stability without standardization.
JIT - Just in Time means it is following the 6R > The right items at the right time at the right place for the right price in the right quantity and the right quality.
JIDOKA translates as automation which ensures zero defects at workstation.
KAIZEN events involve everybody to develop problem solving skills and make incremental improvements.
HOSHIN planning helps you to align resources along your targets. Key is to have a transparent knowledge sharing to strengthen your workforce.
Having a living Lean Culture is crucial due to its standards and the drive for perfection
If you are into Lean Manufacturing and Operational Excellence, get this book and you have a great starting point.
Enjoy reading and improving!
How to Fix a Factory
Reading Pick of the day! How to fix a factory - by Rob Tracy.
Today’s reading pick:
How to fix a factory
All factories have problems, writes manufacturing executive Rob Tracy. Sooner or later, your plant will fall behind in on-time delivery, your workforce will lose morale and the production calendar will fill up with emergency “hot list” scheduling. Tracy points out that getting a factory back in shape may be hard, but it’s not complicated. He explains step-by-step how to identify weaknesses, set attainable goals, get the cooperation of the whole organization and make improvements that last.
Key Take Aways of this Book
Tracy puts the repair of a factory in 5 Steps
Lay the groundwork.
Identify the factors undermining performance.
Adjust stakeholders’ expectations.
Make sure the factory’s 10 central processes function well.
Put the change plan into action.
If you are struggling with your factory read this book and get some guidance.
Enjoy reading and improving!
Monetizing Innovation
Reading Pick of the day! Monetizing Innovation - by Georg Tacke and Madhavan Ramanujam.
Today’s reading pick:
Monetizing Innovation
Consultants Georg Tacke and Madhavan Ramanujam offer a zero -nonsense path for successful product design. Most companies go directly from scratch towards product design. They usually don’t know whether customers want and will pay for the product until launch is done. The authors describe “nine rules” for products and services designed to meet client demands and “willingness-to-pay.”
Key Take Aways of this Book
Don’t start designing a new product or service until after you learn what your customers want, what they are willing to pay for and how much they’ll pay.
Designing blindly often results in lost opportunities and unwanted products.
Investigate your customers’ “Willingness-to-Pay” (WTP).
Segment customers. Bundle features and tools to appeal to their varying needs and WTP.
Carefully determine your “monetization strategy,” whether “subscription, dynamic, freemium” or another option.
Let your goals determine your pricing strategy. For example, will you target early adopters, prioritize maximizing profits or focus on increasing your market share?
Packing more feature into your core product may seem easy, but resist giving things away for free that a segment of your customers will pay extra to have.
Develop a business case that feels dynamic from the customer’s perspective.
Communicate customer benefits concisely and compellingly.
Avoid lowering your price at the first sign of trouble.
Enjoy reading and improving!
Objectives and Key Results
Reading Pick of the day! Objectives and Key Results - Driving Focus, Alignment, and Engagement with OKRs - by Paul R. Niven and Ben Lamorte.
Today’s reading pick:
Objectives and Key Results
This thorough guide will help you decide whether to use objectives and key results (OKRs), and will teach you to do so effectively. OKR master Paul Niven and Ben Lamorte provide details, definitions and examples, as well as the types of objectives, the right number of key results, how to score and grade your progress, when to meet and how often, and even what features to seek in OKR software. More than 200 pages about OKR may seem like a stretch – and there is a bit of extraneous material – but those who must lead an OKR initiative, especially novices, will value this substantive guidance.
Key Take Aways of this Book
Objectives and key results (OKRs) have spread throughout all parts of industries.
Objectives describe what you want to do. Key results tell you whether you did it.
OKRs give employees a common language, knowledge of what’s important in the organization and shared purpose.
Before starting with OKRs, know exactly why you want to use them.
Every OKR initiative requires a committed, determined executive sponsor, and alignment up, down and across the company.
Develop and deliver an OKR academy.
Create OKRs, starting with objectives. Objectives deliver incremental business value; they inspire collaboration and greater effort.
Create two to five measurable key results for each objective.
Track progress against your OKRs.
License an OKR software to help manage the process.
OKR goes on indefinitely and becomes a part of your culture.
Enjoy reading and improving!
Six Sigma and Lean
Reading Pick of the day! Implementing Six Sigma and Lean - by Ron Basu.
Today’s reading pick:
Implementing Six Sigma and Lean
Experienced manager and lecturer Ron Basu lists tools and techniques you can implement to make the best use of Six Sigma and Lean Manufacturing, two main quality-control programs. He covers the basics for the phases of quality control and defines ongoing measurements you can use to have sustainable improvements. Basu provides a good catalog of tactics, including definitions, instructions, training requirements and precautions. He also cites case studies and a useful history of quality programs. Basu emphasizes his own “Fit Sigma” technique, more as a supercharger for Six Sigma than as a replacement. As helpful as the book is, its list-oriented structure and poor editing create stumbling blocks. You may need to reread some passages to figure out the meaning (not that this is a book you would speed read anyway).
Enjoy reading and improving!
Toyota KATA
Reading Pick of the day! TOYOTA KATA - by Mike Rother.
Today’s reading pick:
Toyota KATA
Engineer and continuous improvement expert Mike Rother explains that “improvement kata” and “coaching kata” form the invisible bonds that make Toyota successful.
He explains essential improvement concepts like “PDCA” and “mentor-mentee dialogue” in detail, complete with case histories and examples. His text is dense, yet easy enough to digest if your background is in manufacturing. Fortunately, he loves schematic figures and explanatory drawings and they help guide the way. We from Operations Insider recommend Rother’s insights to leaders in manufacturing eager to explore behavioral patterns and techniques that go beyond the known Lean Manufacturing toolkit.
And yet before we forget: KATA stands for the Japanese term of a routine or pattern that improves your practice. Coming from martial arts and repeat a certain sequence of exercises.
Enjoy reading and improving!
Learning to See
Reading Pick of the day! Learning to See - by Mike Rother and John Shook.
Today’s reading pick:
Learning to see
Learning to see is a lean must have and you can call it a real classic in the lean world. This is the holy book of value stream mapping. With value stream mapping you are very fast on describing a process and find out where MUDA appears and how to eliminate it. With VSM you have a great tool to show your given process, analyze it, smooth it out and test some options, before you even touch machinery or equipment. It gives you a blue print of your future process.”
The book Learning to See - using Value Stream Design to Increase Value Creation and Eliminate Waste. The method of value stream design has proven to be an easy to apply and at the same time very effective tool for designing highly efficient and customer-oriented value streams in the production of products and services. The workbook: Learning to See - conveys the method in a practical way with the help of a continuous example and numerous illustrations.
This book is a real classic and should be standing in every shelf of a person that wants to go deeper in the lean world.
Enjoy reading and improving!
Customer Innovation
Reading Pick of the day! Customer Innovation: Delivering a Customer-Led Strategy for Sustainable Growth - by Marion Debruyne and Koen Tackx
Today’s reading pick:
Customer Innovation
This reading pick is awesome when you need a kick in the butt to turn outside-in. The focus is on the so called “reverse value chain”. Everything starts with customer wishes and based on those you develop innovative products or services.
No matter if you are a business student or manager and have to develop a company strategy, this book is just right. Not always easy to read but in summary it is all about connecting, converting and collaborating with your customers.
Focus on being a solution provider! It is well known that the salesperson will be more successful by finding out what their customer really wants. Go the extra mile and offer full pack solutions with added features and services, but be aware with these features the price will increase and this might have the effect that the customer turns away.
4 things are crucial:
Everything is one package - one sale one package.
With the purchase of the package your customers have upgrades or service included.
Training or advising your customer is already included.
Your offer comes with different financing possibilities.
Enjoy reading and improving!
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