Implementing Lean principles in knowledge work is a 4 step process. The first step is to define the workflow, the second step is to clarify the connections between the people, and the third step is to define the work of the individual, which I will talk about today. The fourth step is continuous improvement. Improving…
Optimizing Knowledge Work: Streamlining Connections through Lean Principles
Continuing on from last week’s post, once you have all of the key processes identified and flow defined, the next step in implementing Lean manufacturing principles in knowledge work is to analyze the connections between people. The individual providing the product is the supplier and the one receiving the product is the customer. These connections…
Lessons from Assembly Lines to Enhance Productivity in the World of Knowledge Work
Lean manufacturing was a revolution in production and knowledge work has a lot to learn from these principles. For instance, when someone works on an assembly line they are required to focus on their primary task. They don’t have to waste time figuring out how to accomplish their task and they don’t have others constantly…
Some Ideas to Make Work More Enjoyable
As a teenager, I loved hanging out with friends but sometimes they had to leave to do chores. I figured out that if I helped them with their chores we could continue to hang out and the time spent would be more enjoyable for both of us. This was reaffirmed when I worked on an…
Work Does Not Have to Suck
We accept a lot of stupid things at work. Too much of the job is checking emails, spending too much time in meetings, and having to fight fires due to lack of obvious planning are three that come to mind. I’m willing to bet that if you ask anybody about these they would agree that…
Reduce Stress At Work-Use More Paper-Based Productivity
I use a task management system which I have been improving since 2007. Over that time I have crafted it to be primarily electronic because of the ease of note transfer, the ease of moving priorities around, and the ability to sync across mediums. I have started to feel that the electronic-based process is creating…
Overcoming Resistance to Productivity Enhancement Initiatives: A Managerial Perspective
My team and I have initiated our project to enhance productivity by implementing a ticketing system and a Kanban board. However, when I introduced this initiative to the managers of the teams responsible for submitting requests, their reactions were mixed. Some managers were excited about the improvement, some were neutral, and some downright didn’t like…
Pseudo Vacation Days, The Gateway Drug to Focused Productivity
I had a crazy idea the other day. What if we pretended to be on vacation to get work done? There have been times that I’ve scheduled vacation, found people to cover for me, and turned off email. Then the appointment I had planned for was canceled so I decided to work without anyone bothering…
Maximizing Workplace Efficiency: The Power of Streamlined Daily Meetings
In my current organization, we utilize tiered meetings but they can be done better. In my previous organization, I was taught tiered meetings are for attendees/stakeholders to align on the goals of the day and to ask for help from fellow attendees or escalate to the next level manager. In these meetings, all stakeholders must…
Better Processes Can Replace Meetings
I am often in meetings that serve three primary purposes which are held by upper-level management. To share information so the managers can speak intelligently about the problem to their peers, to provide help, and to recalibrate priorities. There should be better methods to share information with higher levels of the organization If help is…
Discipline Equals Freedom
Stealing the title from Jocko: When I was an engineer most of my tasks were defined. It was easy to work on those tasks as long as I followed the process that someone else had developed and I had less stress due to ambiguity. Now that I am a manager my tasks are less defined…
Software Reliance is Making it Harder to Improve Processes
There is significant overhead required to create/improve software-based workflows. You need a specialist trained to create it and you need to ensure that you are not impacting other systems. Could a workflow be created with a paper process or (as painful as it is to say) a spreadsheet? Are we so used to software that…
Cracking the ‘Everything is a Hot Item’ Dilemma: A Better Approach to Prioritization and Overwhelm Reduction
Half of my team’s work is planned, but they also receive many additional unplanned requests (emails) that are critical to the company. It is hard for them to determine priority because every requester claims their request is the top priority and with so many emails it is easy to lose track of what to do.…
When Do Start From Scratch?
Do we continiously improve or do we blow it up and start over? When does continuous improvement add layers of bureaucracy, bloat, or myopic improvements?
Calm Critical Work Manifesto
Below is a listing of principles collected and developed while determining the best methods for low-stress, impactful work over the last 18 years. This is the first revision of my Calm Critical Work Manifesto. I will revise it over time as it develops. Maybe you can use some of these principles in your own work…
Stop Encouraging “Heroes” at Work and Encourage Processes
We encourage a frantic work culture rather than encourage building and maintaining work processes. How often do typical tasks become emergencies that require extra effort to meet the deadline? Then after the urgent deadline is met congratulations are given to the “heroes”. If it was a typical task, shouldn’t there be a process for it?…
Breaking Free from the ‘Always On’ Work Culture: Methods to Reduce Stress and Get More Done
We have built a culture that rewards responsiveness and makes employees afraid to actually focus on the work that matters. I have been coaching my team members to turn off email, block out time in their calendar for critical work, work one thing at a time, and get as close to completion as possible before…
Conquering the Never-Ending Task Onslaught: Strategies to Regain Control and Prioritize Effectively
In my last post, I listed sources of never-ending tasks that we are forced to endure at work. In this post, I would like to share ways to reduce the flow of never-ending tasks or, at least slow them down. First, how would it feel if you were not constantly deluged with more tasks that…
The Dark Side of Continuous Improvement: Sources of Never-Ending Tasks
Imagine a machinist who was responsible for operating a mill. As part of his job, he was expected to stop what he was doing anytime someone wanted to talk to him. On top of that, others would regularly place items on his workbench for him to address with little explanation. When the machinist would complain…
Mastering the Art of Time Management: How I am Reducing Busyness as a Manager and Regained Control
I am insanely busy as a manager. Often, I’m booked all day with meetings, supporting my team members, and solving problems, with little time to move projects forward. Here are some thoughts on why I am so busy that you may consider too. Here are the primary items that I can improve to reduce my…