Vision, Engagement, and Strategy The executive leader’s role in continuous improvement

Discussion Topics Vision and Communication Engaging the Continuous Improvement Organization Removing Fear and Inspiring the Workforce Understanding Critical Success Factors Driving Organizational Accountability Leadership Strategies in a Continuous Improvement Environment

Strategic alignment Alliances Relationship building Effective and frequent communication Benchmarking for results Success Enablers

Deliver strong profitability Provide a safe work environment Develop good corporate citizenship locally and globally Consistently deliver a quality product Provide an excellent customer experience What Do You Want To Accomplish As An Executive Leader? Creating a Compelling Continuous Improvement Vision

Provide employment for the local community Create a compelling value proposition for all stakeholders Establish an environment of continuous improvement and organizational sustainment Initiate a dynamic learning environment Develop a nimble, agile, entrepreneurial-type organization Build environmentally friendly processes Others?? Creating a Compelling Lean Vision It’s Bigger Than Us……..

Employee Engagement

Employee turnover Products or services below expectations Less than desired employee morale Inferior reputation in the local community Unacceptable safety performance Reputation as a “second-rate” employer Experience talent–drain Missed business opportunities Lack of organizational alignment Ultimately poor financial performance Effects of Poor Employee Engagement

Not true, communication is Everything! Communication means a lot…..Not true, communication is Everything! Never miss an opportunity to engage employees for dialog. Act! Ask compelling questions of your team, and your employees…….then Act! Prepare for any change long before you implement. Challenge your team to find a way to not only work hard, but play hard too. KNOW WHO YOUR CUSTOMERS ARE AND ACT ACCORDINGLY…….. Communication and Employee Engagement

Facilitates alignment toward organizational goals Improves alignment for all participants to understand their role within the organization Identifies opportunities Offers a feedback loop for self-assessment Aids in designing an organization prepared for change Promotes a culture of excellence How Can Employee Engagement Enable Organizational Goals

Building Confidence and Removing Organizational Fear Town Hall meetings - at least quarterly with employees Business update letters sent to employees’ families Celebrate success - luncheons and prizes for milestones earned Aggressively address legitimate job concerns Leader / management re-engagement Electronic message boards…..an idea?? Improved training of management - creates facilitators Frequent communication meetings with leaders Expand involvement with local civic clubs and organizations Support local schools and charitable organizations Seize opportunities to run positive human interest stories about the company and/or employees in the local media

Organizational Accountability Critical Success Factors

Continuous Improvement Critical Success factors Understanding the “Lean Language” Training and development Making organizational commitments Strategic planning….what went well, what can we do better next time?

Centers of Excellence (COE Model) Develop a“ Think Tank” of internal practitioners Hold quarterly off sites for “Best Practice” sharing Incorporate “Best Practices” from multiple areas or sites into one standard Encourage continuous improvement, but within boundaries (the goal post approach) Develop a dynamic central depository for operational quick change

Tactile - Tactile days….what can I do to influence organizational performance in the short-term? Disturbances to production or service flow Productivity expectations Staffing Inventory adjustments… Strategic - Today? Strategic - How can I influence organizational performance next fiscal year……… Today? Long-term objectives which is the foundation of your strategy…talent management… Long-term objectives which is the foundation of your strategy…talent management… Strategic and Tactile Organization Performance

Micro-Environmental Drivers Safety/ work comp Turnover Health care Cost of quality Macro-Environmental Drivers Economic trends Market trends Employment competition Technology Capital investment Competitive forces

Strategic Leadership in a Continuous Improvement Environment

Business Rules… Rule #1 Rule #1 It must be legal, ethical, and moral Rule #2 Rule #2 Must achieve business plan Rule #3 Rule #3 “Failure is not an option”….prevailing attitude must be, how you can, not how you can’t… Rule #4 Rule #4 There are no more rules ……the rest is talk

Leadership Absolutes Surround yourself with high-performers Expect excellence, be tenacious about business performance and you will generally exceed your expectations Celebrate milestones, you will surely enjoy achieving them Never, never, become satisfied with your team’s performance

Developing Solutions to Competing Goals To accomplish high quality results, we must ask very high quality questions!!

Final Thoughts Then develop action plans to prevent them from happening, and deal with it effectively. When assuming responsibility for an organization or in a new role, Lean or otherwise, dedicate one day with your team and brainstorm as many of the difficult situations as you can imagine happening within your organization…..Then develop action plans to prevent them from happening, and deal with it effectively. Try to keep work-life balance in perspective. You and your team must remain positive throughout the Lean transformation event.

Questions….