Do a kaizen event on Mondays at 10pm eastern

Do a kaizen event on Mondays at 10pm eastern

 

So I walk into our family room last night and my wife says "Hey, you have to see this!"  She was watching the HGTV cable channel airing of a seemingly odd program Debbie Travis' Facelift.  Yet, I found it fascinating and it drew me in. I had been there before, it seemed. 

 

And then I realized why.   

 

It was a kaizen event.  Right in my house!!

 

The hour-long show features the star (a certain Debbie Travis, who, I learned, is a paint guru) and a team of remodelers go secretly into a persons home and completely overhaul an area in just a few days. 

 

And it really is a kaizen. A very focused effort on a small area in a short amount of time.  Preplanning of what they will do.  A budget.  Sequencing of tasks.  A very accountable result.

 

And all of the emotions of a kaizen event are present.  Things go badly.  People get stressed.  Plans change.  They have to think on the fly.  They have to get creative.  And it feels awful, midway through. And they deliver. 

 

If you want to get a feel for a kaizen with no concerns about proprietary knowledge slipping away, this is a very good option.  With the possible exception that most kaizen events don't have a witty, clever host with a British accent, the elements are all there.

 

If you like Lean, you might like this show.  I hope this is helpful.