PART 2: Begin with the end in mind.....and connect the vision with daily management
In our experience organisations that publish their vision in a way that enables daily discussion at all levels throughout the organisation about how the daily activities will support the vision, always do much better than those who don’t. Look for ways to express your strategy as a simple diagram or picture that can be used at all levels of your business to provide daily focus and conversations for everyone. If we do this we can create an environment where anything that is not going to help achieve the vision can be challenged and dropped, and things that will help drive us towards the vision can be encouraged and embraced.
In 2006 Pascal Dennis published a book called “Getting the Right Things Done” in which he illustrates the use of Hoshin Kanri (or Strategy Deployment). Hoshin means compass or True North. Kanri means administration or management system. In Hoshin Kanri, sometimes known as Strategy Deployment or Policy Deployment, we first work on the Hoshin, and then relentlessly condense down to the top 3 “must do – can’t fail” initiatives, each with their own measures and targets.
These top 3 “must do – can’t fail” initiatives are then cascaded down to frontline teams using a process called “catchball”. This is how we deploy the strategy down to the point of value creation and when we do this, we are promoting the daily use of PDCA (Plan, Do, Check Act) thinking at all levels, and creating an opportunity for everyone to engage with us on the deployment of the strategy. Team level visual boards and daily team meetings from your leadership team to your frontline should be used to keep all teams focused on daily activities which support your organisation’s Hoshin or True North.
In Art Byrne’s 2013 book “The Lean Turnaround”, Art discusses the importance of the need to continually over communicate the “case for change” to ensure all our people are fully engaged around our Vision.
And, this brings us back to the second of our 7 ways to improve your Lean initiative – “Begin with the end in mind and connect your vision (or Hoshin) with daily management”
How well does your management system cascade your Hoshin all the way to the point of value creation......and connect everything and everybody......with visual boards and daily team meetings?
How could you improve the communication and engagement with your frontline teams around your “value driven purpose”......for society, customers and employees?
Please spend some time with your team or colleagues reflecting on your organisation and how you could better embrace the second of our 7 ways to improve your Lean initiative – Start with the end in Mind.
Note: This is part 2 of 7 ways to improve the impact of your lean initiative. Stay tuned for part 3 being released next month. Feel free to contact Efficiency Works directly using the links below if you'd like to discuss all things LEAN.
Related Content: 7 Ways to Improve The Impact of Your Lean Initiative (Part 3)
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