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Apr

4 Disciplines of Execution – Lean Simplified

Posted by: business901 | Comments (0)

#the4disciplines - I have been a long time fan and practitioner of Franklin Covey’s, The 4 Disciplines of Execution. One of the reasons maybe that the 4 Disciplines are closely related to Lean practice of PDCA. If you are looking for a simplified version of putting PDCA in practice these 4 Disciplines serve as an excellent guideline. It is PDCA without calling it PDCA. In fact, I cannot remember in any Lean Engagement that I did not cover this material.

The 4 disciplines have been slightly updated in the book and can be summarized:

(Plan) Focus on the Wildly Important (WIG): Execution starts with focus. Focus on the one or two goals that will make all the difference, instead of giving mediocre effort to dozens of goals.
(Do) Act on the Lead Measures: Apply a disproportionate amount of energy to the activities that drive these lead measures. In this way, your team is creating the present while focused on the WIG.
(Check) Keep a Compelling Scoreboard: If you know the score all the time, people will be engaged.
(Act) Create a Cadence of Accountability: A frequent recurring cycle of accounting for past performance and planning to move the score forward. Great teams operate with a high level of accountability.

One of my takeaways from the book was this statement: “Accountability means making the personal commitments to the entire team to move the scores forward and then following through in a discipline way.’ Closely resembling a past blog post, Kaizen is Always Individual.

Never understood why there had never been a book published and was excited to see the material finally in print. This is a video introducing the 4 Disciplines of Execution by Franklin Covey. It illustrates the frustration that most leaders experience when trying to execute on their strategy.

I have followed this program since its inception and attended workshops more than once. This has been a foundational tool for me and any client associated with me. Since 2004, I have routinely listened to the audio of ‘The 4 Disciplines of Execution for reinforcement. I think the book will greatly assist organizations in developing and executing their strategic objectives. If you can’t tell by now, I highly recommend the new book, The 4 Disciplines of Execution.

The Lean Business Practices of a Deli

Posted by: business901 | Comments (0)

In the Business901 podcast, The Aroma of a Good Vision Ari Weinzweig, CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, MI shared the “secrets” that have helped take Zingerman’s from a 25-seat, 4-person start up to a nationally known, $40,000,000-organization employing over 500 people. this is a transcription of the podcast.

In the book series, Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, part 1 offered up the “secrets” behind Building a Great Business, and now part 2, takes a look at the leadership style that has helped make Zingerman’s such a special place to work and to eat. While everything in the book draws on what Ari and others have learned and live at Zingerman’s over the three decades since the Deli first opened back in 1982, all of the material is totally applicable to organizations of all sizes and scopes—it is, as Ari says in the introduction, leading towards a new way to work.

Leading Lean from the Middle

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Paul Yandell of Value Stream Focus was interviewed in the Business901 podcast, Transforming Lean thru Middle Managers. This is a transcription of the podcast.

Paul Yandell is a manufacturing and supply chain specialist with strong skills in identifying and eliminating waste and improving operational performance. His particular strengths are building infrastructure to support turnaround and growth situations, building and leading teams in total quality environments and he is bilingual (Spanish).