Understand Your CustomersIf you don’t know whom the work is for, you don’t know what you’re doing
Tue, 08/13/2013 - 15:51
In the last couple of columns, I’ve been discussing work in process (WIP), the size of tasks, how we complete certain types of tasks, and who or what might interrupt us. Perhaps it’s time to understand the consumers of our tasks: our customers.… Count the Bosses–Show the WorkBoss overload? Ask yourself these six questions to find out.
Mon, 07/29/2013 - 16:39
It’s hard to limit your work in progress (WIP) when your boss count exceeds your WIP limit.
If you have a WIP limit of three and 12 bosses, you may as well have one card permanently in your personal kanban that says, “Negotiate with bosses.” That… Limiting Work in Process When everything is an emergency, it’s impossible to limit WIP
Wed, 07/17/2013 - 10:22
When we think about limiting work in process (WIP), we have to realize that there are many types of work. Simply limiting work is not enough; we must know what we are limiting. We have to see what we’re really completing.
A real danger is that we… Reducing InterruptionsKnow when to sequester yourself and when to accept them as necessary for the team
Wed, 03/20/2013 - 11:48
Four hours ago, I walked up to a big pad of paper and started mind-mapping the types of interruptions we might face while trying to get our work done. During that time, the following events took place.
While I was working, Tonianne, who was on… Am I Productive, Efficient, or Effective?Achieving incredible results <em>is</em> possible every day
Thu, 02/28/2013 - 10:23
Apersonal kanban is considered a productivity tool because it gives us the power to produce more. It’s also said to increase our efficiency by limiting work in progress (WIP) and increasing focus, which means we expend less energy to get results.… Variation Can Help: A Lean Muppet LessonSometimes inspiration and innovation come out of project failures
Thu, 04/26/2012 - 10:45
OK, so there’s nothing about this video that isn’t cute. And that’s fine. But what does it have to do with lean? One of the most important lessons that lean can teach us is how to appreciate variation and make the most of it.
When Jim Henson and… Mozart’s Record StoreAnother <em>kanban</em> anti-pattern: only one value stream
Mon, 03/26/2012 - 10:39
I will not be accused of burying the lead here, and say right up front: Your value stream is wrong. And it always will be. This is a good thing because as we work from day to day, the steps we take to complete our work can subtly or even violently… Personal Kanban Anti-PatternsPlanning is indispensable
Thu, 02/16/2012 - 16:07
During the early 2000s, people discovered how great pomegranate juice is. It’s filled with antioxidants that help us avoid colds and other maladies. Well, no one likes to be sick, so people started buying the juice by the case. Sure enough, they… Parkinson’s Law RevisitedFocus on work, not deadlines
Thu, 10/13/2011 - 14:52
Parkinson’s Law is: “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” People misconstrue it all the time.
Logic plays funny tricks on our brains sometimes. People look at Parkinson’s Law and think that it’s telling us that work… Your Process LiesIn business, all process is at best an attempt to describe or control reality
Wed, 04/27/2011 - 05:30
There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from thinking. —Alfred Korzybski
Over the last several years, I’ve studied a lot of processes and watched communities grow around them…
