Will You Add? - Business

Maintenance: A Change Opponent
There are many activities that oppose to change initiatives. Maintenance is one you probably wouldn’t reckon to fit the profile, yet it is a very powerful element fighting change propositions. And possible without the intention of doing any harm.Maintenance is the group of activities that are used to gradually upgrade... systems, buildings, cars and just everything else that is durable. Even knowledge can or should be maintained.A business example. There is this information system. It has been designed eight years ago and all consecutive years the system has thoroughly been maintained. New functionality has been added according to extra requirement that were necessary to handle the latest developments. Due to this conscientious maintenance the system could survive years with the continuous

e the opportunities that Lean provides to remove that waste and yield substantial savings.

If you are having a real struggle trying to understand what people need to hear and how they need to hear it, consider working with an advisor using some behavioral and values assessment tools. These are quick, user friendly, group oriented tools that can save time and energy with key insights. They help working groups understand why someone can't seem to hear what you say when the same message seems to work just fine elsewhere.

Using these tools also eliminates a lot of cultural waste imbedded in conflicts (both passive and active) that come from misunderstanding the motivations of others. Joe or Sally may not be trying to sabotage your initiative; they may simply need to hear about it in a different way.

Sometimes getting help is the smartest thing you can do!

Step 4: Never stop reinforcing the buy-in

A Neglected Challenge of Business
“Innumerable Web sites and charts and graphs used in business are just mush to me,” said Jim Doane. Font colors and background colors make the reading impossible for Doane. He is one of the two in one hundred males (and rare females) who is severely affected by color vision deficiency (CVD) or colorblindness. He, like most people so affected, does see blue and yellow, so he is not “blind” to color.Web developer Ed Nolan keeps people like Doane in mind. He has an unusual occupation, especially for someone with CVD. Nolan is one of the 1:12 males affected (1:200 females are affected) by CVD. Although not as severely affected as Doane, for instance, Nolan can tell red from green; however, he remembers coloring a picture of a boy green when he was in elementary school. “It looked tan to me,” he said

Dealing With Resistance: Kaizen 1 - Building More Lean Buy-In
Building Lean Buy-In:
Step 1: Discovery
Know your audience very well - Assess the business goals, needs, and priorities of those you are trying to persuade to come on side. Make sure you select the key benefits of Lean that address those particular goals, issues and needs.
Remember that people do things for their reasons not yours. Also be aware of the preferences that people have for styles of presentation and persuasion. Some people want facts and data, others want to see that the vision is well conceived. Some want to spend a lot of time going over the details and some will just want you to cut straight to the bottom line - "If we do this now, we will save $XX within this fiscal". If you have had mixed or even poor success at getting buy-in (from above, from peers, from your staff), chances are that you haven't done your homework and researched what their issues are. You may also have presented your case in a way suitable for you but not for others.
Make sure your style is a good fit for the way others work - this is particularly true when persuading up and across the organization. The key to good discovery is your ability to listen well. People will always tell you or signal their needs; it's up to you to make sure you hear them! When you match Lean benefits to both strategic and specific business needs you get sustainable buy-in.
Step 2: Stay results focused
There is a vast resource out there for you to tap into for Lean metrics, proven results, statistics, success stories, and bottom line performance improvement measures. Check the Internet, check your local bookstore, check with Lean associations in your area and, above all, go to see other companies farther down the Lean road than you are. Have this data available for your meetings and one-on-one discussion opportunities.
There are people who like to see the raw data and talk about numbers, while others prefer to hear real stories from the shop, laboratory or office floor. Suit your presentation to their preferences - this cannot be said often enough! It is so easy to become a Lean enthusiast and forget that others need to come on board in their own ways and their own time.
Be patient, don't try to give someone all of the information in one fell swoop - pace yourself and adapt to the needs of others. Some will want a quick presentation and prefer to make equally quick decisions. Others will want some time to mull over the data, to think of what might happen during implementation. These people are extremely valuable once on board. They will be the folks with the good questions, the interesting solutions, and they will be the 'stayers' for the long term. Just make sure you give them time to reflect and come back with their questions. Do not try to 'muscle' or force a decision before someone is ready.
Patience, not pressure, is your best friend in creating buy-in! Lean is all about 'pull' not 'push'.
Step 3: Use tools that really help
One of the most effective ways of getting buy-in is exposing people to Lean training. Bring your major players to one-day training sessions that will orient them to the Lean methodology. This approach often brings significant levels of buy-in. If you can swing it, get the key people you need on board to actually participate in the Enterprise Value Stream Mapping TM exercise for your initial value stream. This is a huge plus. These people will see the benefits first hand, in the context of their own operation. Anyone taking part in a VS exercise will see the waste, see its impact on operations, and also see the opportunities that Lean provides to remove that waste and yield substantial savings.
If you are having a real struggle trying to understand what people need to hear and how they need to hear it, consider working with an advisor using some behavioral and values assessment tools. These are quick, user friendly, group oriented tools that can save time and energy with key insights. They help working groups understand why someone can't seem to hear what you say when the same message seems to work just fine elsewhere.
Using these tools also eliminates a lot of cultural waste imbedded in conflicts (both passive and active) that come from misunderstanding the motivations of others. Joe or Sally may not be trying to sabotage your initiative; they may simply need to hear about it in a different way.
Sometimes getting help is the smartest thing you can do!
Step 4: Never stop reinforcing the buy-in<
Common Interview Questions For The Interviewer
Hiring the right person is not always an easy thing to do, but using the right method of interview will substantially aid the process. The more you know about interviewing, the more likely you are to hire the ideal candidate.Four key methods of interviewing are as follows:1. Directive interviewsDirective interviews are highly structured and are probably the easiest type of interview to conduct. The interview is planned and directed by the interviewer, whose purpose is to obtain specific information about verifiable fact. These common interview questions ask for personal and straightforward information about you; such as, “What was your favorite subject in college?”… (age, education, etc…)2. Nondirective interviewsNondirective interviews are much less structured th
u haven't done your homework and researched what their issues are. You may also have presented your case in a way suitable for you but not for others.
Make sure your style is a good fit for the way others work - this is particularly true when persuading up and across the organization. The key to good discovery is your ability to listen well. People will always tell you or signal their needs; it's up to you to make sure you hear them! When you match Lean benefits to both strategic and specific business needs you get sustainable buy-in.
Step 2: Stay results focused
There is a vast resource out there for you to tap into for Lean metrics, proven results, statistics, success stories, and bottom line performance improvement measures. Check the Internet, check your local bookstore, check with Lean associations in your area and, above all, go to see other companies farther down the Lean road than you are. Have this data available for your meetings and one-on-one discussion opportunities.
There are people who like to see the raw data and talk about numbers, while others prefer to hear real stories from the shop, laboratory or office floor. Suit your presentation to their preferences - this cannot be said often enough! It is so easy to become a Lean enthusiast and forget that others need to come on board in their own ways and their own time.
Be patient, don't try to give someone all of the information in one fell swoop - pace yourself and adapt to the needs of others. Some will want a quick presentation and prefer to make equally quick decisions. Others will want some time to mull over the data, to think of what might happen during implementation. These people are extremely valuable once on board. They will be the folks with the good questions, the interesting solutions, and they will be the 'stayers' for the long term. Just make sure you give them time to reflect and come back with their questions. Do not try to 'muscle' or force a decision before someone is ready.
Patience, not pressure, is your best friend in creating buy-in! Lean is all about 'pull' not 'push'.
Step 3: Use tools that really help
One of the most effective ways of getting buy-in is exposing people to Lean training. Bring your major players to one-day training sessions that will orient them to the Lean methodology. This approach often brings significant levels of buy-in. If you can swing it, get the key people you need on board to actually participate in the Enterprise Value Stream Mapping TM exercise for your initial value stream. This is a huge plus. These people will see the benefits first hand, in the context of their own operation. Anyone taking part in a VS exercise will see the waste, see its impact on operations, and also see the opportunities that Lean provides to remove that waste and yield substantial savings.
If you are having a real struggle trying to understand what people need to hear and how they need to hear it, consider working with an advisor using some behavioral and values assessment tools. These are quick, user friendly, group oriented tools that can save time and energy with key insights. They help working groups understand why someone can't seem to hear what you say when the same message seems to work just fine elsewhere.
Using these tools also eliminates a lot of cultural waste imbedded in conflicts (both passive and active) that come from misunderstanding the motivations of others. Joe or Sally may not be trying to sabotage your initiative; they may simply need to hear about it in a different way.
Sometimes getting help is the smartest thing you can do!
Step 4: Never stop reinforcing the buy-in
3 Things Every Yellow Pages Advertiser Needs to Know
Too many business owners and marketers know that Yellow Pages advertising has an incredible amount of potential… but they don’t quite know how to take advantage of it.Fortunately, it’s a mystery that’s solved pretty easily once an advertiser knows where to turn for advice. There are fundamental truths about Yellow Page advertising that so many businesses fail to recognize, but once they do, they stand to capitalize on a sizeable reward. That said… let’s try to understand it a bit better, shall we?1. Common Yellow Page advertising mistakes are simple to fix.Very simple. You don’t have to be a graphic designer or marketing expert to drastically improve your ad either—you just need to know your customers.You see, most Yellow Page ads make the very same mistakes… year after year
. Have this data available for your meetings and one-on-one discussion opportunities.
There are people who like to see the raw data and talk about numbers, while others prefer to hear real stories from the shop, laboratory or office floor. Suit your presentation to their preferences - this cannot be said often enough! It is so easy to become a Lean enthusiast and forget that others need to come on board in their own ways and their own time.
Be patient, don't try to give someone all of the information in one fell swoop - pace yourself and adapt to the needs of others. Some will want a quick presentation and prefer to make equally quick decisions. Others will want some time to mull over the data, to think of what might happen during implementation. These people are extremely valuable once on board. They will be the folks with the good questions, the interesting solutions, and they will be the 'stayers' for the long term. Just make sure you give them time to reflect and come back with their questions. Do not try to 'muscle' or force a decision before someone is ready.
Patience, not pressure, is your best friend in creating buy-in! Lean is all about 'pull' not 'push'.
Step 3: Use tools that really help
One of the most effective ways of getting buy-in is exposing people to Lean training. Bring your major players to one-day training sessions that will orient them to the Lean methodology. This approach often brings significant levels of buy-in. If you can swing it, get the key people you need on board to actually participate in the Enterprise Value Stream Mapping TM exercise for your initial value stream. This is a huge plus. These people will see the benefits first hand, in the context of their own operation. Anyone taking part in a VS exercise will see the waste, see its impact on operations, and also see the opportunities that Lean provides to remove that waste and yield substantial savings.
If you are having a real struggle trying to understand what people need to hear and how they need to hear it, consider working with an advisor using some behavioral and values assessment tools. These are quick, user friendly, group oriented tools that can save time and energy with key insights. They help working groups understand why someone can't seem to hear what you say when the same message seems to work just fine elsewhere.
Using these tools also eliminates a lot of cultural waste imbedded in conflicts (both passive and active) that come from misunderstanding the motivations of others. Joe or Sally may not be trying to sabotage your initiative; they may simply need to hear about it in a different way.
Sometimes getting help is the smartest thing you can do!
Step 4: Never stop reinforcing the buy-in
Brand Building Across Media Categories
You decide a particular book will be the perfect holiday gift for Uncle Joe, and you’re surfing the web for a bookseller. Will you visit Amazon.com? Barnesandnoble.com? Ablebooks.com? Powells.com? Addall.com? Or one of thousands of other choices? Chances are, you won’t want to buy from a site you’ve never heard of, so you zero in on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.Such is the power of branding.Branded products and services stand out from the plethora of choices inundating today’s consumers. Branding gives your prospects a “shortcut” that helps them decide to select you. Want to become a recognizable name within your target market (the folks that need what you’re good at)? Building a strong brand can accelerate that process many times over.What is a brand? Philip Kotler, a
long term. Just make sure you give them time to reflect and come back with their questions. Do not try to 'muscle' or force a decision before someone is ready.
Patience, not pressure, is your best friend in creating buy-in! Lean is all about 'pull' not 'push'.
Step 3: Use tools that really help
One of the most effective ways of getting buy-in is exposing people to Lean training. Bring your major players to one-day training sessions that will orient them to the Lean methodology. This approach often brings significant levels of buy-in. If you can swing it, get the key people you need on board to actually participate in the Enterprise Value Stream Mapping TM exercise for your initial value stream. This is a huge plus. These people will see the benefits first hand, in the context of their own operation. Anyone taking part in a VS exercise will see the waste, see its impact on operations, and also see the opportunities that Lean provides to remove that waste and yield substantial savings.
If you are having a real struggle trying to understand what people need to hear and how they need to hear it, consider working with an advisor using some behavioral and values assessment tools. These are quick, user friendly, group oriented tools that can save time and energy with key insights. They help working groups understand why someone can't seem to hear what you say when the same message seems to work just fine elsewhere.
Using these tools also eliminates a lot of cultural waste imbedded in conflicts (both passive and active) that come from misunderstanding the motivations of others. Joe or Sally may not be trying to sabotage your initiative; they may simply need to hear about it in a different way.
Sometimes getting help is the smartest thing you can do!
Step 4: Never stop reinforcing the buy-in
Take Charge of Your Career - How To Position Yourself in Times of Change
Some of you may have heard me emphasize this before but I think it is worth repeating. Whether you own your own business or you work for a major corporation, consider yourself self-employed and you will create more agency at work and better results in the process.Restructuring , organizational change, and mergers happen every day and nobody is immune to the consequences this sometimes brings. So, using this framework of the self-employed, how can you make sure you position yourself so that you are recognized as an asset that can't be lost? Here are a few steps to get you started.1. Do not assume it will never happen to me or my company or in this industry at this particular time.In fact, assume the opposite. Most people who are self-employed and successful are keenly aware of
e the opportunities that Lean provides to remove that waste and yield substantial savings.
If you are having a real struggle trying to understand what people need to hear and how they need to hear it, consider working with an advisor using some behavioral and values assessment tools. These are quick, user friendly, group oriented tools that can save time and energy with key insights. They help working groups understand why someone can't seem to hear what you say when the same message seems to work just fine elsewhere.
Using these tools also eliminates a lot of cultural waste imbedded in conflicts (both passive and active) that come from misunderstanding the motivations of others. Joe or Sally may not be trying to sabotage your initiative; they may simply need to hear about it in a different way.
Sometimes getting help is the smartest thing you can do!
Step 4: Never stop reinforcing the buy-in
Test for understanding and agreement on an ongoing basis. Make sure you continue to actively listen for any concerns or doubts about the Lean implementation as it goes forward. Work on these issues together and do not let them build into significant roadblocks by ignoring or dismissing them. Every concern you can successfully address, every concerned person who feels you really heard what they said, is a huge plus in building an ongoing committed Lean team across the enterprise. Remember those needs and issues from your first round of discovery. Check in from time to time to see if they have changed. You must commit to regular updates on the Lean implementation. If your results are not in synch with the business goals, needs, and issues of your audience (particularly senior management and peer departments) then your efforts could be dismissed as 'nice to have' but not 'essential'.
Keep your eye on the ball in reporting results - Lean is about meeting business goals faster and better!
Step 5: Never be afraid to start again
From time to time, Lean crusaders will make mistakes and find their ideas marginalized in the corporate competition for resources and air time with executives. Don't despair, go back to steps 1 and 2 and start again. Find out where you made your mistakes and learn from that. Move forward with confidence. If you quit when the going gets rough, you'll never reach your Lean Future State.
Lean has helped thousands of companies worldwide to increase profits, grow competitive market share and add new business lines. The data is there to prove it - it's up to you to make sure your colleagues get that data in ways that suit their needs and preferences.
Lean is about learning and growing - that applies to both the technical and the human side of the Lean enterprise!

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Will You Add? - Lean Strategies For Lean Leaders And Their Teams

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