Sharing resources - a "fresh set of eyes" - or "Shinsen'na me" as they would say in Japanese!

"You can't reach for anything new if your hands are full of yesterday's junk"  - Louise Smith 

Early in my personal and professional Lean journey I realized the power of a fresh look at a process or product. Someone that doesn't have baggage and history. In fact, where possible, someone who isn't acclimated to the same departmental or corporate culture as those who deal with the process or product every day.

I experienced it first hand when our Greenbelt cohort were delivered to a "host" site for each of our Lean Greenbelt modules.  As part of the "applied learning" portion of our training and certification, we found ourselves in unfamiliar businesses, and even unfamiliar industries.  This was even more apparent in our Blackbelt programs and cohorts.  While the environment may feel unfamiliar for many or most of the cohort, that unfamiliarity eventually (and quickly) gave way to providing opportunities to ask questions that the host organization often didn't challenge.  They, like all of us, tend to rely on, and in some cases - rest upon, the tacit knowledge and beliefs that we have acquired from within the organization.  Regardless of whether that knowledge and those beliefs are valid or even relevant.

This isn't breaking news!  In many aspects of our personal and professional lives, we are at least aware, if not vocal about the need to "let go of the past" or "don't jump to conclusions", or "it has to be that way - just because".   Having someone from outside the "inner circle" challenge the status quo, particularly if they are from entirely difference industries and background, but are good critical thinkers can unearth what may be obvious to them, but just assumed by us.  So how do we engage the front line team members involved in the process or product, and still avoid bringing too much excess baggage along on the ride?

                                     

About two years ago, when I was drumming up interest in creating a local Professional Practice Group for Lean in the Greater Vancouver area, one of the ideas I started to float was the concept of developing a "Lean Resource Brokerage" or "Lean Exchange Program". As I met more and more people from a variety of industries, all focused on using Lean to drive continuous improvements, it became  And as we grow our informal Lean network, making contacts in these other businesses and industries, we can't help but talk about both successes we have had, as well as challenges.

It was during one of these conversations with someone leading Continuous Improvement at First West Credit Union that the idea came up about possibly trading Lean certified resources for short, very specific activities in order to bring some "fresh eyes" to our Kaizens.   Since then, I have continued to test this idea and concept.

Last week, we had our first event.  Kam Raman, VP, Member Relations and Trade Services at Central 1 Credit Union and BCIT tried our first "exchange".  Kam has been a great supporter of the idea since it first came up. And I have been wanting to actually test this in a real environment.

Central 1 is in the early stages of their Lean journey.  They have strong leadership and commitment. So they are not suffering from inertia.  In fact, they had planned some specific kaizen activities, and had identified a facilitator from within their team.  The facilitator was keen, had basic Lean skills, but had not had real experience leading a cross functional kaizen.  So Credit 1 reached out to us to see if we could engage in a Lean Exchange to provide some outside eyes, "Shinsen'na me".  Some guidance around the kaizen design itself, some involvement during the kaizen to direct the conversations and activities to ensure the objectives are addressed, and some reflection and feedback afterwards to help the Central 1 Team improve for future kaizens.

We attached one of our Lean Blackbelts to their project, and worked with their team to review the objectives and design, and to be there to participate during the kaizen to lend support to the facilitation.  Afterward, our Blackbelt provided the facilitator with concrete and constructive "hansei" to help them further improve their kaizens going forward.  And the feedback we got from Central 1 was extremely positive, and gratifying.

The Lean Exchange Program (proof of concept!) was a success.  We definitely see the value, and look forward to extending this program across the Lean community.