A weekly newsletter about letting the workplace speak
Issue 1/Volume 3                www.VisualWorkplace.com                  January 6, 2016
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January 18-22, 2016

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March 1-2
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March 22-23
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April 12-13, 2016
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Product News
Now only $4980 (or $415/mo) get your
Work That Makes Sense
without waiting for corporate authorization.
Our podcast bundles are only $5.99 each. Each contains an average of 8 podcasts, bundled by topic. Commercial-free knowledge and know-how insights about your visual workplace, from expert Gwendolyn Galsworth.
Did You Know...

Of all the muscles in our body, the eye muscles are the most active.

Thought for the Week
People can only authentically be themselves. Active/passive, cooperative/resistive, enthusiastic/grumpy, aggressive/indifferent--if the individual is simply met where he or she is and accepted as such, the chances of change increase, whether those changer are triggered by self-reflection or outside feedback.
from Work That Makes Sense
by Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth
Visual Tricks and Treats
Great signs, clever visual devices, artistic or humorous graffiti. If you find one to share, send the image to cindy@visualworkplace.com



Visual Radio: 
Visual Management: What It Is NOT 
Listen to Gwendolyn this 
Thursday at 10am (Pacific) on
 
This Week's Episode
Visual Management: What It Is Not
 
Who doesn't recognize the tremendous power of the visual workplace in operations--color coding, visual standards, kanban, borders, addresses, production boards, poka-yoke systems? These devices are effective because they are visual. And devices from the management side of the visual workplace are also useful: KPIs, LCD monitors, dashboards, and other visible tracking systems. Does it surprise you to hear visual management referred to as only a part of the visual workplace? If so, you are in good company. This week,  Gwendolyn Galsworth, will define visual management and locate it properly as a subset of workplace visuality. Stuffing the extensive range of visual functions under the single label of visual management is a mistake. Why? Because it keeps you and your company from realizing the full benefit that the visual workplace can contribute to your bottom line--and to growing a vibrant work culture of continuous improvement. Tune in/learn more. 
 
 
Feature Article
The Start of the Journey is the Destination (Part 1 of 4)
by Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth

(The following is a repeat of my December 9 article, the first in a four-part series. I ended up in the hospital with a boulder under my contact lens, just when I was supposed to be writing part 2. Hence the delay. Regrets. Let's start again.)

More often than not, an effective implementation of operator-led visuality produces a 15%-30% increase in productivity on the cell or departmental level, beginning with the implementation of the visual where. (Or, as our trainers like to title it: 5S on Steroids). But that effectiveness and those impressive results require that management not take shortcuts.

One of the most fundamental errors managers make when "turning over" the visual reins to value-add associates is to commandeer for themselves the simple task of implementing the visual where (borders, addresses, ID labels). Such managers mean no harm; they reason that because the task is so simple and obvious, they can do it themselves, get it over with, and save operators for more interesting improvement tasks. The result? The first step of what should be a rich and productive journey and terrific bottom-line benefits quickly goes off the rails.

Look again, managers.
When you crack the code on time, you liberate it for improvement.
Visual Poem/Puzzle
Can't figure it out? Don't give up too quickly, but the solution is below.
 
And the Visual Fail Prize Goes To...
Have you seen a Visual Fail that made you laugh?  Send the image to cindy@visualworkplace.com,
and we'll put it here and credit you with the funny find!