On this Lean Strategy Video Series, we will look into another part of the Hoshin Kanri process called Catch-ball. We will look into the real valuable part of the process aside from letting your team be part of the strategic planning. Learn more by watching the video.

Show notes and Approximate time:

• 00:22 Catch-ball is going back and fort between one level and the next..
• 00:40 When most people start this process, they really got their focus around its purpose of being buoyant.
• 01:12 The real valuable value of the catch-ball process is the feedback you get about the your assumptions of current reality

 

In this installment of the Lean Strategy Video Series, we’ll talk about a template used in the concept of Hoshin Kanri called the “X Matrix“. While companies starts their effort to Hoshin Kanri, o lot is put in the emphasis of the X-matrix. While most people want to start with the X-Matrix, the A3 is a better tool to start with.

Show Notes and Approximate Time:

• 00:19 …Hoshin Kanri which is essentially a Japanese phrase or a lean phrase even, in Japanese, around really policy deployment or strategy building.
• 00:32 ..this (X Matrix) is a very specific template that has a lot of saddle nature to how its use that really start to connect resources, to the method, to the business conditions that you’re trying to influence.
• 00:54 My recommendation is this, don’t worry about the X-Matrix. Focus instead on, also another lean tool, as the A3.
• 01:16 Use the A3 form to really develop those very specific tactical plan.

 

This Friday on the Lean Strategy video series, we’ll talk a little more technical about the strategy development from a lean perspective. Basically, strategy development should be structured the same way a Kaizen event is. How? Watch the video and find out.

Show Notes and Approximate Time:
•    00:35 The basic structure is still very similar to what a kaizen event is.
•    00:45 First, deeply understand current reality
•    00:55 You want to have a picture of the ideal state
•    01:02 You really look in the barriers.
•    01:13 And then You really start developing plans to really work your ways through these details
•    01:18 The barriers really drive what the actions are required to really make a change, and the action really become the strategic plan

 

In this edition of the Lean Strategy Video Series, we will look into the weight of the conversation against templates in creating any strategic development process.

Show Notes and Approximate Time:

• 00:39 -  Templates are nothing more than just a guide and just an experienced way to capture some of the information that’s discussed.
• 00:49  – Just like when you do Process Mapping, it’s not about the map itself, its about the discussion you have while creating the map.
• 00:57  – In strategic planning process, it’s not about the template either. It’s about the discussion you have while developing the strategy.
• 01:39  – The better the team truly understand the meaning behind the plan,  the better they can adjust, the better they can modify, and the better they can execute.
• 01:49  – Don’t focus on the templates, focus on the conversation you have while completing those templates and using it in the process.

 

In this next installment of the Lean Strategy video series, we will explore a bit about the early part of the strategy building process which is more about how do we gain the knowledge of the current reality, the situation, the market, the field, the technology, to build a good and sound strategy.

Show Notes and Approximate Time:

• 01:27 We really have to start to the question around “What’s going on that we don’t understand?”
• 01:50 We can’t just look at the stuff we already know, we need to go gain some new insights, some new understanding and find some opportunities to understand and extrapolate before the trend actually exist.
• 02:02 The strategy should do is to help create the trend, it doesn’t just follow the trend.
• 02:32 When we start to understand current reality before we build our strategy, don’t start with what you know, start with what you don’t know. Define what some of those gaps are and then decide what are the best strategy or the best method to go gain that knowledge.

 

In our continuing Strategy Friday video series on Lean Strategy, I explore how reflection as part of  lean thinking can also be an integral part in building or planning your business strategy, as well as adjusting as you move along..

Show Notes and Approximate Time

• What is reflection:
  • 0:20 Reflection is a core, concept, skill. principle, belief in the Lean environment. We should be reflecting all the time but not for the sake of reflection but for the sake of improvement and improved action.
  • 0:58 It (Reflection) is really meant to build a collective conscience and understanding within the organization.
• What is its role in strategy:
  • 1:27 Reflect on what’s working and make proper adjustment.
  • 1:34 First, Set up strategy to get early feedback – build reflection into strategy, the more differ it is, the more we have to reflect
  • 2:13 Secondly, willingness to make adjustments – Honda strategy
• Conclusion
  • 4:00 Build strategy with reflection in mind
  • 4:03 Assume you gonna make adjustment going forward
  • 4:05 Build it onto the plan as well

 

As we continued our First Steps video series, I remind you of our purpose. Many organizations apply lean to their collection processes. But many individuals don’t apply lean to their own work. Sometimes all we need is a small push, a first step. That’s what these videos are meant to demonstrate – a small step in a journey of a thousand steps.

In this video, we look at a small step you can take to improve any meetings you own or run.

We are often teaching After Action Reviews, a process to build reflection. It is nothing more than four questions:
1. What was supposed to happen?
2. What did happen and why?
3. What can we learn from that?
4. What will we do differently?

But even for a meeting, this can lead to significant time and action items. If you want to keep it simple and manageable, end your meetings with these 3 questions:
1. What’s 1 thing that we did well?
2. What’s 1 thing that we can improve?
3. What’s 1 thing that we will do differently?

A very small investment, made over and over, can lead to big gains.

 

Lean is both an organizational journey and a personal one.

Can you take 15 minutes to begin your lean journey? Or continue it?

In this installment of my First Steps video series, I talk about the idea of building a customer map. Besides our external customers, there are many internal customers that we personally serve. Are we really clear who they are, and how we deliver value to them? Building a customer map can help.

 

Our First Steps Video Series continues this week with thoughts on email. People spend so much time in email, that even minor improvements can have a big impact. Do you have standard work for how you manager your inbox? Here are some thoughts on getting a quick start.

If you can’t view the video, try this link. Some companies unfortunately block all streaming video on their firewall. If this is the case for your company, you may have to view this at home.

Do you have a First Steps idea that you’d like to share? Record a video and send it to me, and we may include it in our video series.

 

As promised, this is our first video in the First Steps series I introduced last week. In our first video where we look for 15 minute investments in our own personal lean journeys. This installment focuses on how you can get closer to your customers inside the organization and understand value more clearly.

If you have trouble viewing the video, try the direct source on Viddler here.