One of the trends I've noticed lately is what almost seems like a renewed interest in Lean Six Sigma (LSS) training.
Years ago, the late management guru, Peter Drucker, wrote:
"Continuous improvement is considered a Japanese invention - the Japanese call it Kaizen. But in fact it was used almost 90 years ago, and in the United States. From the First World War until the early '80s, when it was dissolved, the Bell Telephone System applied "continuous improvement" to every one of its activities and processes, whether it was installing a telephone in a home or manufacturing switch gear..."
In other sources, Motorola is credited with the development of LSS in 1986, and I believe most of us are familiar with Toyota and its lean production methods.
LSS has stood the test of time and there is good reason for that. Not only do well trained LSS "belts" get real work done by driving projects throughout organizations, but the LSS process results in the development of strong, effective employees. Because the idea behind LSS is getting those people involved who actually do the work, this professional development extends from the frontline worker right on up to the CEO of an organization. With cross-functional teams involved, teamwork across organizations and the breakdown of silos is an additional benefit as well.
One of the main benefits of executing LSS methodology is to increase efficiency in processes, which of course, results in increased production and overall profitability. While most of us think this only applies to manufacturers, the benefits of LSS extend to all sectors including government, healthcare and education.
Equally important, LSS improves transparency in an organization which ultimately builds trust.
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For information on Company Trust, scroll down to our HR Corner.
To build on last month's topic about flexible work arrangements, it is important to cover the topic of company trust as they often go hand-in-hand. Trust between an employer and employee is a fundamental, and sometimes complicated, component of any organization. This is particularly true when your employees may be exercising work from home options; is this based on the "honour system" or do you track every hour? The question becomes, how does an organization build trust in the workforce to allow for a level of autonomy? It starts with management demonstrating the desired behaviours that establish trust in the first place. Integrity and accountability build confidence and clear communication. Additionally, by setting well defined expectations, you can solidify an open and honest relationship. In the absence of trust, morale and productivity can suffer. This can result in a dissatisfied and less engaged workforce
