Lean For Everyone

If only all restocking was this efficient.

Great commercial by Florida's Natural Orange juice.

 

Lean on TV: Super Nanny A Lean Transformation in Action

You can have a Lean transformation in your home life and Jo Frost you shows how every week on Super Nanny FRIDAYS 8|7c on ABC

 

If you've never watched Super Nanny and you are a practitioner of Lean then you are in for a treat.  Much like TV's Kitchen Nightmares this show is an excellent example of a Lean transformation but from the perspective of top down leadership and organizational change.

Jojo (Jo Frost) watches the family dynamics in action...a "gemba walk"  She observes the family interact through a typical day and notes how the parents schedule the day with the children and how teaching and discipline is administered, all of which is video taped.

Mom and Dad are the "executive leadership" of the household and need to learn how to be good leaders.  Super Nanny reviews some of the footage with the parents, highlighting key issues in their leadership skills.  Inconsistent discipline, no clear expectations and lack of communication between the parents and the kids usually plays a key part.

Jojo then gives the parents some training and tools to help learn the skills needed.  Examples: A set of house rules posted up on a wall (visual workplace) that both the parents and kids promise to follow.(commitment to improve).  Clear expectations given to the kids and consistent disciplinary actions so the kids understand what happens when rules aren't followed (standardized work).

Super Nanny then reviews the implementation with the executive leadership. The parents then use the skills on their own and are reviewed (video tape) on how well they implemented and what was done correctly and what still needs work.

I very much enjoy this show because it is an excellent example of how most companies work today.  Top down leaders who bark orders inconsistently, leaders not on the same page as to expectations and poor communication between management and staff.  The staff without proper guidance just does what they know and what they have always done. Whether good or bad, employees behave this way because of inconsistent expectations, standards and disciplinary actions.

In simple terms:

What we permit we promote.

We deserve what we tolerate.

Communication is King.

I think Super Nanny would agree.

 

Lean on TV : Kitchen Nightmares - Gordon Ramsay from Hell's Kitchen a change agent?

If you're wondering what Lean can do to help transform an operation then you should tune into Fox's Kitchen Nightmares on Fridays 9/8c.

 

I was watching an episode on Hulu with my wife K. last week and it dawned on me that Chef Gordon Ramsay is a Lean change agent!  He completes his process of Lean Transformation in 7 days with a lot of change.

Step 1 - Go See What the Issues are

Chef Ramsay goes to the restaurant, tries the food and offers feedback:   He arrives at a restaurant and tastes the food and examines the basic layout and decor of the place.  He then gives his feedback about the food to the Chef.  He doesn't pull any punches and can be sometimes crass however he tells it like it is.  If it tastes like dog sh*t then he says..."this tastes like dog sh*t".

Watch the current state of flow of the dinner service: Gordon observes a typical evening at the restaurant.  He sees the communication between the chef, waitstaff and customers.  Looks for the bottlenecks, processing defects and does some simple metrics.

Listen to the customers to find out what they want:  Customers expect the basics- good food, served at the appropriate temperature and in a timely fashion.  This is what is of "Value" to them.   In most of the episodes the restaurants fall short on at least 1, if not all 3 of these value items.

Step 2 - The Change Process

Simplify the menu:  The menu goes from 20-40 options to 10-12 in some cases.  Dishes are made to order with fresh ingredients as opposed to frozen or pre-made dishes.  Portion sizes are dramatically decreased.  *NOTE Value does not equal large amounts of mediocre food!

Renovate and relaunch the restaurant:  Sometimes it's just a new coat of paint, other times they move walls and bring in new tables, chairs and place settings.  This helps solidify that change has taken place for the employees and the customers.

Fix the flow of the kitchen:  With any change there are a few hiccups but everyone needs to work through them.  This may include shifting duties or just changing minor processes.

Lean Transformation Complete: With a simplified menu of fresh ingredients and smaller portion sizes the kitchen can flow orders out the door to waiting patrons.  The food is delicious and the customers are happy.

I love this show:  It is entertainment TV and it makes Lean Transformation look simple but it's an excellent example of what Lean can do when applied.  It also shows how fast a turnaround can occur if Lean is embraced and the owners are willing to change.  Great Job Chef Ramsay!!