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MBS
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Optimize Lean Efforts With “Outside Eyes” Those companies
who are serious about wanting to reinvent themselves according to the
teachings of the creators of the Toyota Production System are well on the way
to becoming the leading – and most prosperous – companies of the future. Perhaps your
company has started on the “Lean” journey, and has even had some success in
achieving higher levels of performance or efficiency. Perhaps the senior leadership team has
successfully integrated “lean” methods as part of their daily activities (a
vital component of success). However, it may
be that your company has not yet reached the levels it’s capable of
achieving, partly because of “blinders” that we all have as a natural part of
human nature. These
“blinders” cause us to continue seeing our processes in the light in which we
have always seen them. You’ve heard
the adage, “they can’t see the forest for the trees.” The January
2010 issue of “Wired Magazine” includes an article entitled Accept Defeat:
The Neuroscience of Screwing Up.
In it, the author, Jonah Lehrer, lists several interesting findings: §
Experiments rarely tell us what we
think they’re going to tell us. §
We carefully edit our reality,
searching for evidence that confirms what we already believe. Or as Jon
Miller, in his Gemba Panta Rei blog, states:
“a lesson we can take from the article is that humans innately ignore
inputs that contradict or don’t fit within their world views. As such, we need others around us to look
at that same phenomena or data, ask questions and poke holes in our illusions
and misconceptions.” What Does That
Mean To Your Company? What the above
information tells us is that we many times limit the scope of our improvement
activities simply because we can’t see beyond our preconceptions. While we make improvements within those
boundaries, there is a much broader potential out there, just waiting to be
discovered. That’s why an
“outside” set of eyes, a consultant, can be a vital resource to your company
in helping you see beyond your preconceived notions, or seeing “outside the
box,” or seeing other views of the “forest” – a “reality coach,” if you will –
as you work to continually improve your processes. While you may have made significant strides
in process optimization, having someone from outside looking at your
processes with a different paradigm can pay big additional dividends – and
perhaps give you another edge over your competition. Some of the most
progressive companies with regard to Lean initiatives have extensive in-house
experts and resources to support their journey. However, most of those companies still
periodically look to “outside” sensei, or consultants, to help ensure they
are not overlooking additional opportunities. The “Outside
Eyes” of a consultant can be one of the most cost-effective resources you can
provide in your continuous improvement arsenal. |
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McGan
Business Solutions would be happy to be the “Outside Eyes” to support your
company’s new or on-going continuous improvement efforts. To discuss how to have another dimension
added to your team’s focus, Call
David McGan at 270-823-2831 or
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