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Author name: Brianna Herman

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Establishing a Foundation of Change

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Successful workplace changes require a foundation that provides direction, sets expectations and establishes accountability for results. To achieve adoption, the focus has to be about the people—not the dollars. It’s the employees and impacted departments or business units of the organization who will be asked to change and adjust to a new process. Their perception is often that these changes will increase their costs, impact their productivity and take them out of their comfort zones. Managing employees and business units through change is critical to the success of any initiative. Over the last decade, more and more organizations are implementing change agents. A change agent is a Change Management Professional whose role is to lead the organization’s change strategies and system-wide change initiatives. The change strategy defines: “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work” Change agents are not lone rangers. Successful implementation is virtually impossible without committed cross-functional representation, including a strong executive sponsor as well as formal and informal leaders at all levels of the organization. It’s especially critical to engage the direct managers. Employees in all age groups agree that they want to hear about change from their own manager. These leaders know the dynamics of their team and understand the unique culture and readiness of each group. Establishing a Foundation The more our leaders and team members understand the process of change management as well as the role and responsibilities of the change team, the better they will be at identifying when change is coming and preparing to move themselves and others through the change process towards adoption. It is important to educate the organization on the foundation from which our change agents, leaders and other change team members operate. This foundation includes: The Change Management Toolkit As change agents work with leaders and other change team members, they develop the change toolkit. These templates will be shared with the team so that they can contribute to them and use them to drive change within their teams. The toolkit assists leaders in a few ways: If you are looking to educate your leaders and team members in the foundations of change management, Acuity Institute’s new course is for you! Change Management Foundations teaches the foundations of change management including the change roadmap, the roles and responsibilities of the change team and many of the common tools used in the change management toolkit. This course is 100% online, making it accessible for your leaders and team members to complete at their own pace. Contact us to learn more or to find out about group discounts. Maybe your organization is looking for help in establishing a change strategy. Acuity offers our Change Management Professional Certification. This program is designed to provide change leaders with the tools and skills to initiate change in a project environment. Our program delivers best practices for both tactical and behavioral elements of change from leading experts in a practical and simple way. It demystifies change by providing a superior interactive change management toolkit, which leads practitioners through all phases of the change management process.

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Maximizing the Team Leader Checklist

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Empowerment is the process of enabling or authorizing an individual to think, behave, take action, control work, and make decisions autonomously. This is a very useful managerial tool; especially as empowered teams are beginning to play an increasingly more prominent role in the modern economy. An organization with empowered teams encourages creativity, innovation, communication, and productivity amongst its members. With a focus on effort rather than “staying busy”, each member is evaluated on their individual performance and contributions to work towards major goals, reinforcing team members to take greater initiative and accountability. Empowered teams help people work together, support each other, and accept responsibility to help individuals and their company to succeed. Rather than a team leader who makes key decisions and is in charge of the team, the empowered team leader makes sure that the team operates effectively. They understand the importance of checking in from time to time and ensuring that every member is heard, and their skills are being fully utilized. Their goal is to find the perfect balance between coordinator and manager. Throughout the project, they will determine whether their skills are best used in the process of coordination and communication, or if their extensive knowledge will be most helpful in directing and managing tasks. One useful managerial tool for helping empowered leaders analyze the effectiveness of their team and assess options for improving performance is the Team Leader Checklist: (Click for a complimentary download and printable PDF version of this checklist) Hone your leadership skills in Acuity’s Certificate in Leadership program and let us show you how empowered teams can help your company to succeed today. #leadership #projectmanagement #empowerment

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System Factors for Managing Resistance to Change

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There’s nothing worse: You’ve implemented an improvement and it is running into resistance. This unwillingness to adopt the new way (resistance to change) is like a tug of war – who will win out? As the project leader, you may feel that resistance represents the team’s unwillingness to accept change, but oftentimes, this is not the whole picture. Your leadership skills here can make or break the end result of the project. THE THREE TYPES OF RESISTANCE In many cases, an employee’s unwillingness makes up only a small percentage of the resistance that our improvements are encountering. There are three different types of employees who may be balking: LEVERAGING THE SIX SYSTEM FACTORS TO MANAGE RESISTANCE In a recent Lean Professional virtual training session, we were discussing how the six system factors can help project leaders manage resistance and lock in the new process. By considering all six of the system factors, we can holistically assess our team’s efforts in adequately managing the change and eliminating all three types of resistance. Let’s take a closer look at these factors. Vision – Communicating the reasons for the change as well as what the change will be. It is important that the vision provides a clear understanding of the process all the way through to the end. Communicating the vision should begin as early as possible to help mitigate resistance driven by unawareness. Accountability – Establishing the obligation of the process owners and key stakeholders to accept responsibility and account for adopting and sustaining the new process. Right People – Ensuring that the process owners and stakeholders are capable and committed to adopting and sustaining the change. Skills Development – Identifying the new skills that will be needed to perform and manage the new process, developing the materials and job aids, and executing the training. This factor is focused on making sure that the team is able and confident in doing their work the new way. Rewards and Recognition – Identifying ways to recognize and reward process owners and key stakeholders for adopting and sustaining the new way. It is important to identify both informal and formal ways of rewarding and recognizing them. Measures, Processes, and Policies – Standardizing the new process by establishing standard operating procedures, scorecards, job descriptions, and other documentation to ensure the new way is locked in. It is important to remember that change management cannot begin at the point of implementing the improvements. We need to start early and often with leveraging the system factors in order to proactively avoid resistance. Are you ready to improve your leadership skills, learn more about the six system factors, and become effective at managing resistance to change? Acuity Institute has a new course available – Change Management Foundations.  In this program, you will learn the foundations of change management and the six system factors and will be introduced to Acuity Institute’s Change Management Roadmap. If you are looking for more extensive change management training, Acuity offers our Change Management Professional Certification. This program is designed to provide change leaders with the tools and skills to initiate change in a project environment. Our program delivers best practices for both tactical and behavioral elements of change from leading experts in a practical and simple way. It demystifies change by providing a superior interactive Change Management Toolkit, which leads practitioners through all phases of the change management process.

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Using Process Maps and Value Stream Maps

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I am often asked about the difference between value stream maps and process maps.  Which is better? Which one should I use? Your project may benefit from either or both tools.  So, let’s look at each of them and their benefits to your next project. Process Mapping Let’s begin with the tool most of us are familiar with. Process Mapping is a graphical tool that thoroughly investigates a process and identifies all the activities that occur within it. It includes things such as start points, endpoints, decision points, directional arrows, and swim lanes so that we can visually see how a process flows and who is performing the activities. Once the map is validated, we look at the sequence of activities. We may be able to see inefficiencies within the process and identify activities that are not needed or activities that could be reordered for better efficiency. With the defined process map, we can measure the time needed to complete each activity so that we can apply lean process analysis and further reduce the waste within the process. We also use process mapping in the improve phase where we define the new to-be process and test and verify that the desired improvements can be achieved. Process maps can also be used in the control phase as a tool for training process owners on new processes they need to adopt. Value Stream Mapping Developing a detailed process can require several resources and be time intensive, you must go to the process to observe and document the activities to ensure that you are accurately capturing it. If you are early on in your project and you are not sure where in the process you need to aim your focus, you may feel it is too large in scope to justify creating a detailed process map. A value stream map may help. Value stream mapping was originally used in the auto industry in Toyota’s lean manufacturing process. Like process mapping, it is a tool used for streamlining work processes. However, value stream mapping takes a higher-level look at the process. It focuses on understanding the flow of the goods or services, from purchase to delivery. It usually contains seven to ten high-level activities. A value stream map can be extremely detailed as well.  It can include key lean metrics such as cycle times, defect rates, wait times, headcount, inventory levels, and changeover times, depending on your project. It can be a valuable diagnostic tool for identifying the high-level activities within the process where the greatest need for improvement is. For example, the value stream map includes the cycle times or the time it takes to complete each of the seven to ten activities as well as the waiting time that lapses between these activities. For this reason, a value stream map is a great tool for identifying where waste is occurring, within and between processes. Once the area(s) you want to focus on is identified, you can drill down using a process map to capture all the activities, find the true bottleneck, and address it. As is the case with process maps, value stream maps can also be used for the new to-be process as your project reaches the improve phase. Value stream mapping can also be beneficial for organizations when identifying projects. It helps companies avoid randomly making improvements by allowing them to identify and prioritize areas of improvement upfront. It also aids them in setting measurable goals for the projects. These mapping tools can be beneficial with many methodologies including; Lean Six Sigma, Lean, Kaizen and Design for Six Sigma. Keep in mind that both tools take an investment of time, so it is important to properly scope your project and define your process boundaries before mapping your process. For help with scoping your project, consider using a SIPOC.

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Lean vs Agile

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When teaching our Lean Professional class, I am often asked, “How is Lean different from Agile?” Lean and Agile are both operational excellence methodologies, and they both have the common goal of efficiently delivering the client’s most important requirements, when it is needed, with no additional cost or time. Both methodologies focus on eliminating and minimizing non-value-add activities and optimizing value-add activities. These operational excellence methodologies use many of the same tools. For example, process mapping tools to define the as-is process and to design the to-be process. Where these two methodologies differ is in their approach in achieving the desired improvements and how they manage change. A good question to start with when deciding Lean vs Agile for your project is, “Are we starting with a problem with a known solution?” The Solution is Not Known – Applying Lean If the solution is not known and the source(s) of the problem is not clear, Lean can help us diagnose the problem and lead us to the best solution(s). Lean is also well-suited for situations where change is uncommon and process improvement will be large in scale, requiring clearly defined requirements upfront. Lean is a linear approach to process improvement that does not begin with a solution in mind, it follows a distinct phased approach that focuses on understanding the as-is process first and diagnosing the problems before selecting optimal improvements. Each phase generally finishes before the next one can begin. There is also typically a milestone or a tollgate between each phase to ensure alignment and support from the leadership related to the project (project sponsors). Lean allows for quick wins throughout the project’s phases and leads up to a Kaizen Event in which the larger-scale solutions are selected and implemented by the team. Are you interested in learning more about Lean? Acuity offers 2 courses to choose from: The Solution is Known – Applying Agile If the solution is known, Agile can work well. Agile was originally used in software development. The software solution was identified and then rolled out using Agile/SCRUM to incrementally deliver the software solution. It has since been expanded as a methodology for other process improvement/project management projects. Agile can be very useful when change is common and the solution can be rolled out incrementally. Agile establishes the associated fixed costs (resources) and predictable timelines (iterations) for delivering the solution upfront. The solution is delivered in incremental sprints and includes a review or feedback loop with the customer at the end of each sprint. This enables the rollout to be flexible and can allow the solution to evolve into a significantly different product or service than was originally envisioned. In fact, Agile is built with the expectation that scope will evolve over time and will be adjusted to focus on the customer’s highest priorities.

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Lean Six Sigma Blended Learning—Getting the Most Out of Your Training Investment

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Many of the potential clients I meet have the same dilemma; they need to get more of their team equipped with Lean Six Sigma training needed to drive operational excellence, they want to have their teams attend onsite training, but they need the time, investment, and cost to be as minimal as possible. It’s not surprising to have someone request a 3-day Lean Six Sigma Green Belt class. The reality is 3 days is simply not enough time to teach everything a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt needs to know to perform projects effectively. Often times, potential clients will come to us thinking they only have two options: traditional classroom or online training. The good news is there is another option. Lean Six Sigma Blended Learning Lean Six Sigma Blended Learning is a learning model that combines traditional classroom training and online training. It is a model that integrates technology to reduce the number of days students spend in the classroom without compromising any of the learning. Let’s consider the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training, teaching this course in a traditional classroom environment can take up to 10 days, by leveraging a blended learning model, the classroom time can be reduced to 5 days when combined with the online pre-work. Blended learning allows more of the time in the classroom to be focused on the execution of tools and concepts. Students learn independently online and arrive in the classroom ready to discuss how these tools apply to their workplace environments. Students engage in team exercises and simulated projects that enable them to practice with the tools and deepen their understanding in an interactive environment. 5 Key Benefits Lean Six Sigma Blended Learning Can Provide for Your Business If you are looking for facilitated learning for your team, consider Lean Six Sigma blended learning. Our team has been delivering blended learning for nearly 15 years, helping our clients achieve operational excellence. Contact our corporate solutions team today to learn more.

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Maximizing the SIPOC for your Lean Six Sigma Projects

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The SIPOC is one of the most valuable tools in the Operational Excellence toolbox. It typically can be completed in less than an hour and helps us understand who our customer is and how the value flows through our process. It provides a high-level, end-to-end picture of the process that your team is looking to improve. What is a SIPOC? SIPOC stands for: A SIPOC diagram is a tool commonly used during the Define Phase, but it is a tool that you will find relevant for every phase of your project. The SIPOC is a valuable tool that can be used throughout your DMAIC project to do the following: Define – Establish the scope of the project– Satisfy stakeholders that the problem area is captured in the process– Define the as-is, high-level process map of the process for the project including start and stop points– Identify the suppliers and customers– Identify points of pain in delivering the output to the customer– Target the right metric for verifying customer requirements– Establish process owners and who should participate on the project team Measure – Identify the input, output, and measures for data collection Analyze – Ensure that the team has the Critical X’s and Y’s identified Improve – Initially design the new To-Be process– Verify the suppliers and customers for the new To-Be process– Identify the critical X’s and Y’s that will need to be monitored as part of a Pilot Control – Identify the Critical X’s and Y’s that will need to be incorporated in the process monitoring plan of the new process implemented The SIPOC can be helpful even outside of a DMAIC project as a stand-alone tool.   Building a SIPOC The SIPOC is best accomplished as a team in a brainstorming session. I like to initially use a White Board or Flip Chart. When working on the process steps, I recommend using post-it notes. Using a post-it for each step in the process allows you to add and move steps easily. To conduct a successful session, it is important to provide participants with a brief overview of the SIPOC process, purpose, tools/templates, and especially the keys to an effective SIPOC. Acuity has a SIPOC video hosted by Brent Drever that provides an overview and the steps to build it.

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So Much Data, So Little Time: Revisiting DMAIC Methodology

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As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, the measure phase can be full of potential data.  How does the DMAIC methodology help us skim through it, spot the significant data, and focus the team? Recently a student called and described their own struggle to identify what data to focus on. I explained to the student that the key to navigating the data collected in the Measure phase is looking back to the Define phase. During the Define phase, you explained how the process works today. Now, when you look at the data collected during the Measure phase, you can easily spot outliers and issues as compared to the baseline. Essentially, everything you learn in the Define phase will help you narrow your focus in the Measure phase and eventually chart a successful path in the Analyze phase. As it turns out, I’m happy that this student called because it brought up a great reminder: The DMAIC methodology tools are not one-and-done exercises or project documentation. Using the tools, you make discoveries that help you make even more discoveries—and make project decisions—as you work through the DMAIC phases. Take a look at the table below for examples of how tools from the Define phase are used throughout an improvement project. Tool Define Measure Analyze Improve Control SIPOC Used to define scope and to define the factors related to the project including Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers Used to identify Input, Process, and Output measures. These can then be inputs to  the X/Y Matrix and eventually the Data Collection Plan As-Is Process Map Used to define how the process works today Used to capture time studies and can identify the activities within the process that should be measured or further investigated Used to identify waste and conduct Lean Process Analysis Used to design the new to-be process The to-be map becomes part of the SOP for the standardization of the implemented improvements The next time you feel stuck on a project, take a step back and review some of the previous tools to see if they provide direction.

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Weed Out Waste with Lean Process Analysis

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Lean Process Analysis is an essential tool for rooting out waste in Lean Six Sigma, Lean, and Kaizen events and process improvement projects. Whether you work in manufacturing or service, this tool is applicable because waste can be found everywhere, in any process. No industry, organization, or business is immune from waste. Lean Process Analysis is a valuable tool for identifying process disconnects such as: To get started with Lean Process Analysis, log every process step and develop an As-Is Process Map. Once the process steps are logged, the team can: Linking the Cycle Time (total time for all process steps in hours or minutes) with the Lean Process Analysis helps develop a complete picture of the need for change and where this change should occur. A Closer Look at Value Added and Non Value Added Activities are Value Added when: *When customers are willing to pay for an activity, it’s known as Customer Value Added (for example, quicker delivery times). If the customer is not willing to pay for it but the business is, this is Business Value Added (for example, regulatory activity). Activities are Non Value Added when: As you can imagine, process owners and other key stakeholders may push back on what you deem Non Value Added in a process. To help others better understand what makes an activity Non Value Added, look to the categories of waste defined by improvement methodologies. Lean Six Sigma spells out five categories of waste: Delay, Set-Up, Inspection, Transporting, and Rework (DSITR). Lean uses the 8 Waste model defined by the acronym TIM WOODS: Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Over-Production, Over-Process, Defects/Rework, and Skills. Whether you use DSITR or 8 Waste, categorizing the waste is useful because it helps the project team identify problems, describe problems with common language, and focus attention on solutions.

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Agile and Project Management

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With the popularity of Agile Project Management, there is growing confusion about what that exactly means. Is Agile an approach? A method? A practice? A framework or a toolkit? If you choose to use Agile, does that mean that you should no longer use a traditional or waterfall approach? To answer these questions, I sat down with Dr. Michael Crawley, Acuity Institute’s Authorized PMI® PMP® Trainer. Michael Crawley is a Project Management Professional® with over 20 years of experience in IT, project management, project management offices, and Agile organizations. “Agile has its roots in software and IT. However, since about 2010, Agile adoption has been growing and expanding to the broader project management office. Furthermore, between 2012 through 2015, the Agile narrative began to be accompanied with solid, evidence-based use cases.” Quoting the Agile Practice Guide (2017) “Today the demand for ‘being agile’ is higher than ever”, Michael shared. Defining Agile for Project Management An Agile approach to project management aims for early, measurable ROI through iterative delivery of product increments that involve the customer throughout the product development cycle. In project management, the intent is to adopt a mindset that fulfills the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto. Those values include: While there is value to the items on right, agile value the items on the left more.@2001, the Agile Manifesto authors Is Agile the right approach? There is no one right way to approach project management. In fact, a hybrid approach that combines the best of each of these approaches is gaining popularity in organizations. The point is to select a life cycle or a combination of life cycles that work for the project, the risks, and the culture.  Hybrid approaches include: Traditional Approach Hybrid Approaches Agile Approach Referred to by PMI ® as the predictive approach. Also commonly referred to as a Waterfall approach. The bulk of planning occurs upfront Activities are executed in a single pass The project is run as a sequential process The project lead selects and sequences the work. The project leader assigns the work to the team members Combines development life cycles (DLC): predictive, iterative, Agile and/or incremental, to achieve certain goals. Leverages the traditional and Agile approaches that work for the project, the risks, and the culture May leverage Agile mindset and tools such as short iterations, daily stand-ups, and retrospectives May leverage traditional aspects such as upfront planning, work assignments, and progress tracking. Planning is done in iterations to deliver successive subsets of the overall product Activities are executed to produce incremental deliveries that the customer may be able to use immediately The team delivers the highest value work first Feedback from these deliveries is used to improve or modify work Higher-level objectives for each iteration are explained and the team members are empowered to self-organize specific tasks as a group determine how to best meet those objectives. Each team member manages their practical plans for each iteration 2017, Agile Practice Guide Are you interested in learning more about Agile or Project Management? Check out these project management courses. Agile Project Management Certification (APMC™)PM Skills Certified Professional (PMSCP®)

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