Sauce, for both goose and gander

Sauce, for both goose and gander

 

The foundation for all Lean efforts is standardized work.  And this is a huge turn-off for most people, me included.  Some of you will remember the Richie Havens song Freedom (or maybe you don't...I date myself here...).  And standardized work feels like a major crimping of said freedom.

 

So, it is crucial for us in leadership roles to model this.  Even with nobody looking.

 

One of my regular duties is to review and approve company invoices.  I set up standard work for this.   Including cycle times.  So, with a performance standard and a stopwatch, I can record plan vs. actual for this mundane but key task.

 

Geeky?  Yes (you are surprised??).  But the example is key.  When I talk with others about standardized work, I have to walk the talk too. 

 

I hope YOU can find some work to standardize and then improve.  It's a great example.  And it helps you learn more about lean and about yourself.