As we take a summer break I was wondering how we should help the next
generation to compete in the increasingly global economy. Experts looking
at the rise of China and India conclude that we need to teach our children
more maths and science, because that is what they are doing. This may
be part of the answer.
But lean has also taught us that all of us live and work in many quite
complicated interdependent processes (value streams). We are spending
more of our “own” time managing the consumption processes to run our
households. We are also spending more of our “work” time trying to
straighten out value streams that cross departments and other
organisations across the globe.
As a result of this we discover that working together (with colleagues and
suppliers) to improve these end-to-end processes can actually have a
much greater impact on competitiveness (and living standards) than point
improvements in the way work is done or in technology. So the first thing
we need to teach them is how to see the world in terms of processes
rather than discrete activities.
Lean process thinking requires a different consciousness of the purpose of
each value stream and how it actually works in practice. But it also needs
a common way of thinking and working together with others up and down
these value streams to manage and improve them. Therefore possibly the
most important thing we can help the next generation to learn is not just
science and technology, but how to use the scientific method itself to
improve all the processes in their lives.
The experimental, scientific method is of course fundamental to solving
scientific and technical problems. Shewhart, Deming and others in the
quality movement showed the power of the Plan, Do, Check, Act problem
solving cycle in understanding and removing the causes of variance in all
kinds of situations. But it was Toyota who took this one step further and
built their whole management system around the use of the scientific
method to plan every action, to solve every problem and to develop every
employee.
Common use of the scientific method is the glue that makes a process
focused organisation work. It also turns out that a process focused
environment is the most likely to ensure continued and widespread use of
the scientific method. They actually go hand in hand. One without the
other does not work for very long.
Knowledge of the scientific method is best developed through the
repeated experience of solving ever more challenging problems and
planning ever more ambitious process improvements. But it needs to be
guided by a sensei or teacher who challenges the pupil to develop their
thinking by asking the right questions, rather than simply telling them the
answers.
The place to begin this journey is to give each pupil a problem to solve
that is within their scope to address (not how to solve the greenhouse
effect!), and to show them a common way of summarising the steps in
solving the problem on one A3 sheet of paper. Then ask the pupil to go
away and come back with an accurate description of the problem and the
situation. The teacher’s job is to get
the pupil to really understand the
problem and to think about how they would know when it had been truly
solved, avoiding the natural instinct to jump to solutions that may or may
not be relevant.
Then through a series of iterations the teacher helps the pupil to
systematically brainstorm several alternative ways of solving the problem
and once these are agreed to develop a plan to try these out, if possible
one at a time, measuring the results as they proceed. Once they have the
evidence of which actions do solve the problem and which do not, then
they need to reflect on the lessons learnt, how these could be
incorporated into common procedures and who else might benefit from
these findings.
Change the words pupil and teacher for manager and their subordinates
and you can see what should be happening at every level in your
organisation too. But is it? We all know PDCA, but is it only actually used
by your quality people? Is it part of a common A3 language for problem
solving and planning? Is it the key language for the development of your
people?
Do your managers really understand enough about their processes by
going there frequently (rather than waiting for someone to bring them the
numbers) so they can ask the right questions to guide their subordinates?
Do they have time for this or are they more interested in (repeated) quick
fixes to fight today’s fires or make this month’s numbers? Are your
problems visible or hidden?
I am convinced that we will hear more about the use of Toyota style A3
planning and problem solving in the months ahead. Indeed I doubt that
any firm can really make and sustain their lean journeys without making
this a fundamental part of the way their management works.
Developing the abilities of our employees and citizens to use the scientific
method to plan effective action and to solve problems together with others
is probably the best investment we could make to improve the
competitiveness of our organisations and the living standards of the
population.
Have a good summer break.
Best wishes
Professor Daniel T Jones
