STANDARD WORK DOESN’T MEAN MICROMANAGEMENT | LBCC 1.08

"YOU WATCHING ME?" | Standard Work Doesn't Mean Micromanagement | 1.08

LISTEN TO LEARN | STANDARD WORK DOESN'T MEAN MICROMANAGEMENT | LBFF 1.08

Continuing our series on the Imai Process of Continuous Improvement, where we go into a little more detail about some of the Lean tools in our toolbox, is STANDARD WORK or the third stage of our Continuous Improvement Journey!

“Why Should I care about STANDARD WORK? Doesn’t that mean you’re watching people for mistakes?” Standard Work together with Takt Time is what proves Continuous Improvement works…Listen to find out how!



WATCH TO TRY | "Standard Work Doesn't Mean Micromanagement" with Tim Martin | LBTT 1.08

why does STANDARD WORK and Takt Time prove Continuous Improvement works? Does it also change the way we think? Watch our latest interview with Tim Martin, a retired Executive and Board Member. Tim discusses with us the intent behind Standard work; not only in his professional life, but also in his personal life. He also explains the benefits of Standard Work and why it shouldn’t be looked at as a form of Micromanagement, but a tool to understand process…Watch to Learn More!

READ TO APPLY | Standard Work Doesn't Mean Micromanagement | LBCC 1.08

The Imai Process of Continuous Improvement is my favorite methodology for implementing lean. There are many philosophies around implementation of lean and many opinions surrounding this concept as well. but i have found the most benefit by following Mr. Imai’s vision…

The cover picture for the next 5 months will be the stages in the imai process with a circle around the tool we will be going into a little more detail about during the month. (As we progress each month, I will highlight the stage as I did below with the current month’s topic.) The Imai process progresses in the following stages:

  1. 5S
  2. Linkage & Flow
  3. Standard Work
  4. Visual Controls (often times stages 3 & 4 are done at the same time)
  5. Real Time Problem Resolution

This month we discussed Standard Work and how it is not intended to be a micromanagement tool. Most Continuous Improvement Journeys quickly gain the most progress when they start to focus on Standard Work. You may be asking yourself, “why? What’s in it for me (WIIFM)? Isn’t this just about watching people?”

The WHY: Standard Work, like Linkage & Flow, is all about changing the way we think about our processes and procedures. The purpose is to Observe or “watch” the process, yes, but it’s not intended to watch the operator to control or ridicule. The PROCESS, not the employee, is to be watched with the intent to understand process; rather than condemn or blame the employee. Standard Work is where the team starts to SEE how departments interact and the way that the business wants them to interact. It establishes the processes for the organization, provides the boundaries of operation, and identifies waste within the process that may not have been known previously.

The WIIFMI believe we as humans crave order and structure. When our lives or relationships are in chaos, we do not function well. This is why people visit Therapists, to have some form of normalcy (or structure) added back to their lives. Like children need boundaries to thrive in their development, adults need it too. Standard Work sustains that structure and order. It also provides a metric that can be reviewed and compared to Takt Time. Hopefully resulting in a more productive and efficient process yes, through the comparison of Cycle Time to Takt Time; but also giving formal structure to the work or task being performed. If done well, the employees will start to think more about how process impacts structure and what wastes are impeding Continuous Improvement – NOT that they are being watched or micromanaged.

Again my word of caution: If the Culture of the organization is ready to implement a Continuous Improvement Journey, it will have embraced the concept of 5S First. If the Culture is not ready, they will fight it, avoid it, and sometimes badmouth it. If you find the team is badmouthing the 5S program, it would be wise to take a step back and see how the 5S program was rolled out or is evaluated. I have found that the more bureaucratized the process of evaluating the 5Ses, the more resistant the team is. We at Leanbrella would recommend that changes should be made to return to the concepts of the WHY and the WIIFM behind doing 5S before trying a more difficult concept like Linkage & Flow, or Standard Work.

Standard Work is not limited to the workplace. it can be performed in our personal lives as well. We face a series of processes every day…Our morning routine, preparing meals, methods of cleaning, work procedures, etc, etc, etc.  Any act of standardizing the steps of a process can be considered an attempt at Standard Work! This doesn’t mean that you are trying to control the people around you…You may only be trying to make the process easier the next time it comes around.

Why to you think the “life hack” videos are so impactful/Memorable? It’s because we are trying to figure out a better way to perform a task or activity (minimizing waste and improving efficiency). “Life hacks” aren’t about controlling the people around us, they are about making life easier, faster, better…How are you “life hacking?”

need help in Identifying opportunities for Standard Work? Or need help establishing Standard Work? Don’t hesitate to reach out to Leanbrella for support! I have been known to observe engineered design products as well as establish processes for brushing teeth!…If you embark on a Continuous Improvement journey…You might surprise yourself with how much you actually think about process and what wastes are impacting progress…start “life Hacking” today!

...Until next time, grab your Lean umbrella, "we've got you covered"