Lean For Everyone

Continuous Improvement needs fuel so go out and find a group and share

When you want to be better at something the fastest way is to learn from others.

Join a group and share your experiences -

I share my lean experiences with other CI experts at the Michigan Lean Consortium but am also a member of the Michigan Twisters Group. 

 

I just got back from the Michigan Twisters Group meeting where I go to meet others that share my love of balloon twisting.

While I was there I met Scott Bevis who was new to the group...he's been twisting balloons in Clarkston, MI for a couple of years but didn't know anyone else in the business.

He practices, learns from the internet, reads about balloon animals and has some impressive skills but didn't have anyone to share with.

He had a question about busking at restaurants.  Sitting at my table was Steve Ferguson (he did the small flowers in the pic)  who has done a lot of restaurant work and gave Scott all the information he was looking for.

We also shared best practices on how we set up our bags of balloons, work a line of kids and what does and doesn't work at parties.  We even chatted about pricing and contracts.

 

I also learned something new about twisting.

I was talking with fellow twister Carolynn Hayman at POP! Designs and Creations who showed me something called X-weave which she used to create the big flower above.  This new weave technique is going to take my ballooning in a whole new direction.

 

We come from different backgrounds which is what makes our experiences more valuable to each other.   Together we make a Smart Swarm with a fantastic Cognitive Surplus to share.

 

 

My Lean letter to Santa - Top 5 processing issues at his workshop

Dear Santa-

I’ve noted a few issues with your current processes and would love have a chance to speak to you in detail about them.

1. Huge hockey stick effect caused by one big batch system with only 1 shipping day per year.
2. Expectations are always too high which leads to mood swings between elated joy or .... socks.
3. Rework - Making a list and checking it TWICE.
4. Huge carrying inventory between December 1st and December 24th increasing your liability.
5. Ignored are the vast number of animated features that discuss the possible dangers of missing the biggest/only shipping day for Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please give me a call at your earliest convenience so we can put togehter a plan of action to help mitigate the risk and put you on a more secure path.

PS - My daughter is a huge fan and has all your movies!

Merry Christmas,

Jon Wetzel
248-579-5249
jon.wetzel@leanforeveryone.com
www.leanforeveryone.com

 

Dear Jon.

Ho ho ho.  Thank you for your concern over our business model but I think we are fine.  We have the Magic of Christmas behind us that mitigates all the risk.  Everyone is happy.

Be good,

Kris Kringle
North Pole

Do you rely on Christmas Magic to run your business?

Innovation and Creativity at the Balloon Twisting Holiday Jam 2010

The Michigan Twisters Group just had their holiday balloon jam and I had a blast. 

As some of you know I twist sometimes under the name Smiling Bald and have posted other twisting events on my blog in the past.

This group and their creativity help me on my journey toward to becoming a better twister through continuous incremental improvements. 

We share ideas and best practices while honing our own skills at the same time.

I've posted some of the pictures from the event and I hope you enjoy them.  They are an excellent reminder of what can be accomplished with just a little creative thinking.

 

Lean for Balloons: Kaizen for Twisters

This weekend I attended the Fellowship of Christian Magicians convention.  A place where balloon twisters, face painters, magicians and jugglers gather to learn, share and exchange ideas.  Did I mention that I had a fantastic time!!!

I'm a balloonist and love to twist, this past weekend I got to work with some of the best in my trade: Andrew McDonald, John Holmes, Joe White and Steve Raeburn just to name a few.  I even took a class on juggling clubs,  which I plan to become more proficient at.

The seminars and workshops were all a great mix of learning and sharing.  Later in the evening we were all invited to attend a jam session at a local hotel where there was even more activity.           

Lion Head by Andrew McDonald www.macpump.org

During the jam, magicians showed how they do some of their tricks to colleagues and the balloonists were swapping ideas, while trying to improve creations.  A group of face painters showed each other ideas in order to quickly add and remove paint from skin.

We were all sharing best practices of what we learned,  not just in our craft but also how we would deal with large crowds, eager children and the occasional uncomfortable situation.

Andrew McDonald  with his own creation www.macpump.org

 

One of the best treats for me was the key note speaker, Randal Munson, who spoke about Innovation and Creativity. He addressed how to keep it alive where you work and in your everyday life.  I highly recommend hiring him for you next event!!

This was a weekend of continuous improvement for me,  not just for my balloon twisting but also on a personal level.   The interaction, communication and sharing with others has made me eager for more of the same.  Every six weeks a group called the Michigan Twisters meet to share ideas just like this.  You can bet I will be there again soon.

Lean is everywhere...even when you're having fun!

  Fairy by unknown artist

UPDATE:  I've launched my own twisting site at Smiling Bald Balloons