SEE/EYE

Why most strategic plans fail? Excitement at the kickoff, low accountability in subsequent weeks as nothing changes. Is your company strategy locked in a digital vault somewhere, collecting virtual dust while everyone forgets it exists? Have you tried Hoshin Kanri: the strategy deployment method for your business plans? Hoshin Kanri starts with a clear strategic vision: long-term objectives - these are then developed into goals for shorter time frames. The trick: avoid an overwhelming list of priorities; instead, concentrate on a select few vital objectives to maintain focus and drive meaningful progress. Once long-term and short-term goals are set, every one in the organization - from leadership to frontline teams - should know exactly what needs to be accomplished. Progress is reviewed regularly - at the end of short-term planning cycles. Effective communication is essential to avoid misalignment. Interactive process and two-way dialogues between managers and employees ensures that goals are well understood, execution is tracked, and continuous improvement is achieved. Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle (PDCA) and other tools such as A3 or Value Stream are deployed by teams to achieve strategic goals. Does your company's strategic plan drive daily decision or live in a remote folder? #ContinuousImprovement #QualityTools #Lean

"Plans are Nothing; Planning is Everything" – Dwight D. Eisenhower Many of us have heard this quote and refer to it in business settings. I believe planning excellence can drive significant waste reduction in business and life. Here, I'll focus on business applications. Depending on company size and industry, the planning function varies in maturity. Many businesses haven't unlocked their potential or removed waste due to insufficient emphasis on planning. It starts with strategic planning (3-10 years, sometimes up to 50), down to hourly production plans. All must be linked and aligned. Several frameworks integrate planning across timeframes, leading to operationalization of mid-and long-term strategy. For continuous improvement, planning is a process. CI tools can improve the process and its outcome – the plan. Typical planning teams maintain the highest service level at the lowest cost (depending on business strategy). We post forecasts, guessing customer behavior, using safety stock to cover errors and inefficiencies. Better planning inputs and outputs reduce necessary inventory. Inventory is one of the largest wastes. Deploying CI tools in planning to increase accuracy and agility reduces inventory, saving significant resources for deployment elsewhere. #BusinessPlanning #WasteReduction #ContinuousImprovement #StrategicPlanning #InventoryManagement Andreas Güntner, MBA Andreas has over 15 years of experience in Continuous Improvement in Supply Chain and Manufacturing. He has led all kinds of transformations from work station kaizens to enterprise transformations putting the human and the planet at the center in unlocking value for the customer. He loves a good challenge, learning something new, and is always open to talk football (the one with the round ball) and Continuous Improvement.

From my feed, Lean wisdom that's too good not to share. Insights and Reflections from the Lean community on leadership and continuous improvement. Lonnie Wilson shares the philosophy of Open, Honest, Fact-based, Empathetic Dialogue (OHFED) to address common people-related challenges in organizations. ? https://lnkd.in/g7XGMFjx Jared Thatcher talks about Gemba, highlighting that true insights come from engaging directly with the work environment. He shares a personal story and a business scenario, Blackbird, to underscore the power of Gemba. https://lnkd.in/gUsWbvSf Mohamed Saleh, Ph.D. and John Dyer explore leadership-related concepts such as the roadblocks that prevent true strategic thinking in organizations, highlighting how short-term decision-making often erodes long-term vision, creating a fire-fighting culture that rewards quick wins at the expense of sustainable progress. In another post, John Dyer and Mohamed Saleh talk about making effective decisions under uncertainty, analysis paralysis, and decentralizing decisions. https://lnkd.in/gKUQ4JTn ?? https://lnkd.in/gFPjAaSD Hide Oba, along with DrM on his podcast, addresses the challenges of translating and implementing 'Kanri' across different cultures. https://lnkd.in/gcz2gbAx Sam Morgan talks about an interesting pitfall - the right things at the wrong time. Many entrepreneurs make this mistake, such as: scaling before validating customer needs. The lesson - talk to someone who knows not just what to do, but when to do it. https://lnkd.in/gczPUgH4 Some of this content was posted about two weeks back but I discovered it last week. Grateful to the Lean practitioners for sharing their experiences and reflections and helping us achieve Continuous Improvement (CI). Need a quick double-check to make sure you are ready for your next CI initiative, join our mailing list and we'll send you a FREE 5-minute checklist. https://lnkd.in/ehuGr5Hm

What Gets Measured, Gets Done. Organizations that consistently excel share a key trait: they measure what truly matters. A well-communicated strategy is essential, but without the right performance measures, teams don't know how they are doing. This lack of clarity affects concerted action. Measurement shouldn’t be an afterthought. It should shape strategic planning and drive operational excellence. Many companies focus on lagging indicators (like error rates or customer complaints), but leading indicators (like repeat business and employee engagement) are where the real power lies. Are You Measuring the Right Things? The factors that define success for your business and your customers. Use measurement to drive action. Are You Measuring the Right Things the Right Way? Using an approach that creates real value, not just a pile of data. If a metric doesn’t help improve decision-making, it’s just a number. Are your KPIs helping you get better? Need a quick double-check to make sure you are ready for your next CI initiative, join our mailing list and we'll send you a FREE 5-minute checklist. https://lnkd.in/ehuGr5Hm #ContinuousImprovement #OperationalExcellence #PerformanceMeasurement

We asked, and you answered. The results of our recent poll on the future of Continuous Improvement (CI) are out; two trends emerged as the biggest game changers: 40% – Digital Technology Integration 40% – Enhanced Employee Engagement 20% – Sustainability & ESG Goals Tech + People = The Winning Formula The results highlight a clear trend: technology and people will drive the next wave of CI. AI, automation, and real-time data are revolutionizing how we approach process improvement, but they’re only as effective as the people who implement and sustain them. The Shift Toward Sustainability While Sustainability & ESG Goals received fewer votes, it’s clear that environmental and social responsibility are becoming an integral part of CI strategies. The challenge we face today? Aligning operational efficiency with long-term sustainability goals. Customer Satisfaction: A Given? It’s interesting that customer satisfaction didn’t receive any votes. Does this mean organizations see it as an outcome of CI rather than a direct focus? Or is it simply assumed that all improvements are about better customer experiences - in other words customer experience is the water for this fish called CI. What do you see as the biggest driver of Continuous Improvement in the next 5 years? Need a quick double-check to make sure you are ready for your next CI initiative, join our mailing list and we'll send you a FREE 5-minute checklist. https://lnkd.in/ehuGr5Hm #ContinuousImprovement #Quality #Lean

HORENSO: Not Just Spinach, It's a Communication Powerhouse! Ever felt nervous about speaking up at work? You're not alone. HORENSO is a Japanese business approach that creates psychological safety and improves outcomes. HORENSO stands for three key practices: Hōkoku: Report progress regularly to superiors Renraku: Notify about problems or deviations immediately Sōdan: Consult before acting to avoid negative impacts This simple framework transforms workplace culture in powerful ways: Encourages Open Communication When Lisa spots a pricing error in a marketing campaign, HORENSO gives her the confidence to inform her boss immediately, preventing a costly mistake. Promotes Teamwork A software team struggling with deadlines starts using Renraku for regular updates. Suddenly designers, developers, and testers synchronize better, solving problems faster. Reduces Fear of Failure When Tom makes a mistake in a client report, Soudan encourages him to consult his manager for advice rather than hiding it. Instead of punishment, he receives guidance for improvement. Builds Trust Between Levels Sarah uses regular Hokoku check-ins with her boss and Soudan sessions with her team to clarify unclear goals, creating a supportive environment where trust flourishes. Provides Clear Problem-Solving Structure A manufacturing company addresses shipping delays through systematic reporting, communication, and consultation—fixing issues without blame. Want to implement HORENSO? Teach the three steps to your team Encourage regular check-ins Normalize asking for advice Train managers as coaches Create an accessible open-door policy Recognize transparent communication Solve problems as a team Document solutions Use A3 and PDSA to improve processes When companies embrace HORENSO, they prevent hidden problems, support growth, and build a culture where everyone thrives. Has your workplace tried something similar? What communication challenges do you face? #WorkplaceCommunication #PsychologicalSafety #LeadershipSkills Sam Yankelevitch As a former global operations exec, Sam has been writing since 2014 and producing online courses about Lean, Communication, Problem Solving and Managing International Projects- watched by over 500,000 students. Sam speaks at conferences, runs training workshops and teaches corporate teams how to align, improve communication and swarm problems, before they get out of hand. https://loom.ly/NiwAQdE This post is an abridged version for social media. The full post can be viewed at https://lnkd.in/eFT7x2p4

Inspirational Posts in My Network This week, my feed has been filled with wisdom that's too good not to share. @Adam Lawrence - the Kaizen Ninja and author of The Wheel of Sustainability - has a fun story about keeping our teams engaged and motivated. Thank you for a post that made me smile. If you are struggling to get a reservation at a popular restaurant you can try this trick. https://lnkd.in/gaAdAa5U Philip Holt post about Leadership has a powerful post about how leaders can provide the right culture for excellence. https://lnkd.in/gEVaxW95 Adam Isaacs shares a post about mindset is a reminder that excellence is cultivated through consistent practice and growth mindset. The context is heathcare but this is a powerful idea that can be applied in diverse fields. https://lnkd.in/gB-ABdS4 NEXT LEVEL Partners?, LLC posts about Scaling & Optimizing your processes is timely reminder about implementing Lean principles mindfully. https://lnkd.in/gNntdzzC Lu Anderson, CSSBB regular posts on quality and continuous improvement questions are bit-sized takeaways for everyone. This one is about defining Quality Management System. https://lnkd.in/gxBzyS4j True Lean thinking isn’t about process alone. It’s about empowering people with the tools, mindset, and autonomy to drive improvement. Need a quick double-check to make sure you are ready for your next CI initiative, join our mailing list and we'll send you a FREE 5-minute checklist. https://lnkd.in/ehuGr5Hm #ContinuousImprovement #Leadership #LeanThinking

The real revolution doesn't happen in the boardroom. It happens on the front lines. The C-Suite can run the show most effectively by getting out of the way and letting the real experts do their thing. Frontline employees are the dynamic INTELLIGENCE of work processes. They're sitting on a TREASURE CHEST of ideas, which will stay locked unless they are engaged and empowered. Engage: Talk to them, understand their challenges, and ask, "How can we make this better?" Educate: Provide mentorship and training. Invest in their growth. Empower: Give them the authority to make decisions, to drive change. Ask them for improvement ideas and then ACTUALLY LISTEN. Frontline insights are the rocket fuel for innovation. Empower them with TRUST. Need a quick double-check to make sure you are ready for your next CI initiative, join our mailing list and we'll send you a FREE 5-minute checklist. https://lnkd.in/ehuGr5Hm #Leadership #EmployeeEngagement #ProcessImprovement

Bottlenecks are the traffic jams of business – they slow progress, create friction, and ultimately, reduce the value you deliver to your customers. These bottlenecks can turn into Process gridlocks that reduce customer value. Tired of watching your projects get stuck in a process gridlock? It's time to embrace the power of the Flow Principle. Find the Friction: Where does work pile up? Where are the delays? Identify those bottlenecks. Fix the Flow: Streamline handoffs, eliminate rework, and optimize resources. Focus on Value: Ensure every step adds value to the customer. The Flow Principle. It's about making work move seamlessly. When your team collaborates to improve process flow, magic happens: productivity soars, and customers get exactly what they need – faster, better, and with less waste. Need a quick double-check to make sure you are ready for your next CI initiative, join our mailing list and we'll send you a FREE 5-minute checklist. https://lnkd.in/ehuGr5Hm #FlowPrinciple #Lean #ContinuousImprovement

Checklists are simply elegant. The simple elegance of the checklist comes to mind. It's a reminder and listing of required actions during any activity. A communications teacher taught me the mind "enjoys lists" and works with them easily versus verbose paragraphs. She said: your mind naturally creates some form of a checklist using working knowledge and experience for familiar activities. For new tasks, critical thinking kicks in to build a list, consciously and subconsciously, offering direction to complete actions. The order and sequence enable the mind to easily see what needs to be done to accomplish a specific activity. Our minds love order and digital thinking, 0 <> 1, True <> False. If "grey" appears, we check our expected outcome, fill in grey, and continue. A great improvement for Checklists: Place keeping While implementing Lean thinking in a nuclear power plant, checklists were improved with Human Performance (HU). HU's premise is: "We humans are all fallible and human error can be prevented." Place keeping keeps the mind focused on the task at hand. Users were trained to place a check mark in a checkbox next to specific activities. This enabled anyone to know precisely where the operator stopped in a series of activities. The checkbox added precision to checklist use. Human error is inevitable and predictable, and there are many means to ensure prevention. Summary: In helping businesses improve, the checklist stands out as the simplest means to gain consistency, reliability, and predictability in any activity. Leader Standard Work and the mission-critical sequence in 3 levels of Standard work are checklists. Many use them at work and home to accomplish tasks created by signals that pull them to perform a series of tasks in a process. Remember > when you think you need to create a checklist, just do it. Always Ganbare #ProductivityHacks #Checklists #HumanPerformance #ContinuousImprovement #LeanThinking Todd McCann Todd has over 20 years' experience in designing, planning, leading and implementing proven cultural and innovative technical improvement methods to create the environment of Profitable Business Performance Improvement in over fifteen types of operational environments in both performing and underperforming organizations. He is an expert TPS practitioner. https://loom.ly/SG5tU8Y This post is an abridged version for social media. The full post can be viewed at https://lnkd.in/eSS_39hR