Building Manager Standard Work
My latest column for Industry Week, Lessons from the Road, titled “Building Manager Standard Work” has been posted. Here is an excerpt:
…People resist building standards in knowledge work because of natural variation. Yet if you already have variation, why would you want to add more by having no structure or routine? No, you can’t write a standard that says, “Ask question 1 of the customer — 90 seconds” for a salesperson, but you can build a list of the most effective questions to be asking. That’s standardization…
You can read the entire post here: http://www.industryweek.com/articles/building_manager_standard_work_25986.aspx?cid=NLIWCI
Great article – the value of Manager Standard Work is greatly underestimated in many organisations.
Great article – the value of Manager Standard Work is greatly underestimated in many organisations.
Great article – the value of Manager Standard Work is greatly underestimated in many organisations.
Jamie,
Last week I took a course “Leading in a Lean Environment” and we briefly hit on Manager Standard Work. Similar to your comments about variation, there were concerns in the room about limiting creativity. One of my colleagues made a great point. He said that through standard work we shift the creativity from how do I do it to how do I improve it.
We have developed a good deal of standard work but are just now beginning to work on manager standard work.
Jamie,
Last week I took a course “Leading in a Lean Environment” and we briefly hit on Manager Standard Work. Similar to your comments about variation, there were concerns in the room about limiting creativity. One of my colleagues made a great point. He said that through standard work we shift the creativity from how do I do it to how do I improve it.
We have developed a good deal of standard work but are just now beginning to work on manager standard work.
Jamie,
Last week I took a course “Leading in a Lean Environment” and we briefly hit on Manager Standard Work. Similar to your comments about variation, there were concerns in the room about limiting creativity. One of my colleagues made a great point. He said that through standard work we shift the creativity from how do I do it to how do I improve it.
We have developed a good deal of standard work but are just now beginning to work on manager standard work.
Ryan, that is exactly right. Imagine if every morning you walked into the bathroom and had to come up with a new set of steps to brush your teeth. That would be all you could think about. But you don’t – it’s standardized; it’s automatic. And because of that, your brain can do other things.
The same is true at work. If we have to think through just the daily cycle of work, then our brain can’t also process improvements and brainstorms and experiments.
Simplify and structure the basic to free up bandwidth to do the extraordinary.
Ryan, that is exactly right. Imagine if every morning you walked into the bathroom and had to come up with a new set of steps to brush your teeth. That would be all you could think about. But you don’t – it’s standardized; it’s automatic. And because of that, your brain can do other things.
The same is true at work. If we have to think through just the daily cycle of work, then our brain can’t also process improvements and brainstorms and experiments.
Simplify and structure the basic to free up bandwidth to do the extraordinary.
Ryan, that is exactly right. Imagine if every morning you walked into the bathroom and had to come up with a new set of steps to brush your teeth. That would be all you could think about. But you don’t – it’s standardized; it’s automatic. And because of that, your brain can do other things.
The same is true at work. If we have to think through just the daily cycle of work, then our brain can’t also process improvements and brainstorms and experiments.
Simplify and structure the basic to free up bandwidth to do the extraordinary.
Hi Jamie & Ryan
Both “shifting creativity from how to do it to how to improve it” and “structuring the basic to free up bandwidth for the extraordinary” are great statements to capture the need for standard work.
In addition to the work / professional arena of management / leadership I’m exploring the wider concept of “Personal Standard Work” – for myself and as part of mentoring young people.
To me it is the same – only extending wider to a total person application. Any ideas?
Hi Jamie & Ryan
Both “shifting creativity from how to do it to how to improve it” and “structuring the basic to free up bandwidth for the extraordinary” are great statements to capture the need for standard work.
In addition to the work / professional arena of management / leadership I’m exploring the wider concept of “Personal Standard Work” – for myself and as part of mentoring young people.
To me it is the same – only extending wider to a total person application. Any ideas?
Hi Jamie & Ryan
Both “shifting creativity from how to do it to how to improve it” and “structuring the basic to free up bandwidth for the extraordinary” are great statements to capture the need for standard work.
In addition to the work / professional arena of management / leadership I’m exploring the wider concept of “Personal Standard Work” – for myself and as part of mentoring young people.
To me it is the same – only extending wider to a total person application. Any ideas?
Absolutely Danie, there are many personal applications. Some include versions of what we call Control Point Standardization. Although the full version is another chapter of this book, it is about capturing what are the control points that if we monitor and manage, ensure stability in our process, work, or results.
There are also other forms of standard work, such as Question Banks. Question Banks are a collection of your best questions for a specific situation. For example, it might be your 10 most effective questions for 1-on-1 meetings, or for meeting a new client, or for a lean person such as yourself, a kaizen event chartering discussion.
Most forms of standardization are not meant to REPLACE knowledge and skill, but to ENABLE that knowledge and skill to be applied effectively and consistently.
Absolutely Danie, there are many personal applications. Some include versions of what we call Control Point Standardization. Although the full version is another chapter of this book, it is about capturing what are the control points that if we monitor and manage, ensure stability in our process, work, or results.
There are also other forms of standard work, such as Question Banks. Question Banks are a collection of your best questions for a specific situation. For example, it might be your 10 most effective questions for 1-on-1 meetings, or for meeting a new client, or for a lean person such as yourself, a kaizen event chartering discussion.
Most forms of standardization are not meant to REPLACE knowledge and skill, but to ENABLE that knowledge and skill to be applied effectively and consistently.
Absolutely Danie, there are many personal applications. Some include versions of what we call Control Point Standardization. Although the full version is another chapter of this book, it is about capturing what are the control points that if we monitor and manage, ensure stability in our process, work, or results.
There are also other forms of standard work, such as Question Banks. Question Banks are a collection of your best questions for a specific situation. For example, it might be your 10 most effective questions for 1-on-1 meetings, or for meeting a new client, or for a lean person such as yourself, a kaizen event chartering discussion.
Most forms of standardization are not meant to REPLACE knowledge and skill, but to ENABLE that knowledge and skill to be applied effectively and consistently.
Really enjoyed the article. Passed it on to LinkedIn AME discussion.
Standard Work for Managers / Leaders is an important key in Lean culture Change
Really enjoyed the article. Passed it on to LinkedIn AME discussion.
Standard Work for Managers / Leaders is an important key in Lean culture Change
Really enjoyed the article. Passed it on to LinkedIn AME discussion.
Standard Work for Managers / Leaders is an important key in Lean culture Change