The KJRs: Kanban Experiment – Week 1

Bigger. Bolder. Connecting People with Ideas

By John R. Nocero & Katherine J. Pryor

There are a few hundred ways to get organized and the new year is a great time to adjust or add new methods. Katherine has decided to experiment with the Kanban board and will use this post as a review of the process, a way to learn more about it, and improve upon it.  

In December, we were introduced to the concept of the Kanban board as an organizational, get-stuff-done tool. Here is A (Very) Short History of Kanban that we found when doing some research on the topic. In brief, this method of communication and organization was started at Toyota to help create a visual management system to foster a focused environment where team members could concentrate on completing a few tasks efficiently rather than getting mired down in mile-long to-do lists. We all know the feeling of having too many things to do that are all priorities and having no idea where to start. In 2018, we are giving it a try to see how it works with personal and team-related tasks.

Kanban is highly customizable with main elements of a backlog or parking lot of future items, a to-do list, an in-process list, and a completed section. The back-log, to-do, and completed lists can contain any number of items. However, the in-process section should have only three to four items. The thought behind the limit is that we are only able to work on that many items. Additionally, the in-process items should be small, attainable items. For instance, if you need to “run errands,” it is suggested that the in-process item is broken down to more bite-sized items such as “get the oil changed,” “pick up prescriptions,” and “get gas.” By breaking things down further, one can focus on tasks and accomplish more in a shorter period of time.

During the first week of use, Katherine has found that as with any organizational system, a little time each day needs to go into planning. Once the to-do list is organized and priorities are set then the in-progress items are better understood. This new week is a great time to take learning from last week and set it into motion.

As Katherine has only begun using it for individual tasks not yet for project management, we are curious as to other’s experiences using Kanban with individual tasks as well as team tasks.  We look forward to hearing about your experiences with Kanban and project management. As the year progresses, we will provide updates as to how the use of Kanban is evolving.

What are your experiences with Kanban? Any great resources you have found to guide your Kanban journey? 

#wepickus

J&K