Where can business leaders find a blueprint for transforming their company through continuous improvement? As Executive Director of one of the most prestigious Lean awards in the country, The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence, Robert Miller has seen leaders build lasting cultures on the valuable concepts of The Shingo Model. We asked him for advice he would give business leaders within the graphic arts industry on beginning a continuous improvement program. Of course, like anything worth accomplishing, building a successful program comes with intrinsic challenges. Robert also offers some tips on how you can focus and prepare for these challenges and get on your way to creating a prosperous Lean organization. …Or maybe even receiving the next Shingo Prize? Q: What is the first thing that leaders need to start doing in order to build a culture of excellence?   Robert Miller: First, leaders must make it very clear in their own minds, and in the collective minds of the leadership team, what excellence looks like. This cannot be a description of the tools people will be using or the programs that must be implemented. Rather excellence requires a clear description of the results expected and an equally clear focus on the behaviorsthat must be demonstrated by both the senior team and management teams in addition to all of the associates in the organization. With a clear picture of what excellence must look like, organization leaders must then be able to see the realities of where they currently are relative to this new standard of excellence. Q: What guiding principles should leaders focus on?  RM: All of the principles identified in the Shingo Model are critical in the creation of enterprise excellence, but in reality most organizations are in different places relative to these principles.  The best place to start is to identify the business outcomes that are in greatest need of improvement then determine which of the ten guiding principles will have the greatest impact on those outcomes.  Q: What are the telltale signs that continuous improvement is not yet ingrained in a company’s culture?  RM:  There are several issues that would signal that a company is still vulnerable: If you are still thinking in any way that building a culture of enterprise excellence is something that can largely be delegated down or out to HR or to a department for continuous improvement, you are still vulnerable.  Look around, and if you measure your progress in terms of “events” or “projects” completed … you are still vulnerable.  If senior leaders or managers or front line supervisors use words that suggest in any way that they are too busy doing to pay attention to the improvement … you are...

Where can business leaders find a blueprint for transforming their company through continuous improvement? As Executive Director of one of the most prestigious Lean awards in the country, The Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence, Robert Miller has seen leaders build lasting cultures on the valuable concepts of The Shingo Model. We asked him for advice he would give business leaders within the graphic arts industry on beginning a continuous improvement program. Of course, like anything worth accomplishing, building a successful program comes with intrinsic challenges. Robert also offers some tips on how you can focus and prepare for these challenges and get on your way to creating a prosperous Lean organization. …Or maybe even receiving the next Shingo Prize? Q: What is the first thing that leaders need to start doing in order to build a culture of excellence?   Robert Miller: First, leaders must make it very clear in their own minds, and in the collective minds of the leadership team, what excellence looks like. This cannot be a description of the tools people will be using or the programs that must be implemented. Rather excellence requires a clear description of the results expected and an equally clear focus on the behaviorsthat must be demonstrated by both the senior team and management teams in addition to all of the associates in the organization. With a clear picture of what excellence must look like, organization leaders must then be able to see the realities of where they currently are relative to this new standard of excellence. Q: What guiding principles should leaders focus on?  RM: All of the principles identified in the Shingo Model are critical in the creation of enterprise excellence, but in reality most organizations are in different places relative to these principles.  The best place to start is to identify the business outcomes that are in greatest need of improvement then determine which of the ten guiding principles will have the greatest impact on those outcomes.  Q: What are the telltale signs that continuous improvement is not yet ingrained in a company’s culture?  RM:  There are several issues that would signal that a company is still vulnerable: If you are still thinking in any way that building a culture of enterprise excellence is something that can largely be delegated down or out to HR or to a department for continuous improvement, you are still vulnerable.  Look around, and if you measure your progress in terms of “events” or “projects” completed … you are still vulnerable.  If senior leaders or managers or front line supervisors use words that suggest in any way that they are too busy doing to pay attention to the improvement … you are...

The following blog post has been contributed by Patrick Sweeney, President, Caliper. Leadership is constantly evolving, whether it’s how to strategically lead a business into the future or how to innovate in a digital world that is changing by the second. But there is one facet of leadership that remains the same—the importance of being inspirational. Employees are what drive a company forward, and if they aren’t inspired or they don’t feel motivated by their leadership, both leaders and their companies will ultimately miss the mark. An inspirational leader starts by listening, then engaging, and then developing their people. Listen Listening is the key to truly connecting with employees. And from listening, trust develops. Leaders have to take a moment to step outside their own roles and understand what it is that motivates their top performers, what ideas they can share, and how effectively they function with their teams. Top performers provide key information about the rest of the organization. Successful leaders are able to call on their most valuable employees in middle management, for example, to help them get clarity on the big picture. They are the ones who can walk alongside leaders and help them understand the inner workings of the rest of the organization. So without them, many leaders would be lost—as it is nearly impossible for leaders to spend time with every individual in the company. Engage A study conducted by Society for Human Resource Management indicates that employees are 87 percent less likely to leave a company than those who are disengaged. In addition, further studies show that only 26 percent of leaders today are creating an engaging environment for their people. Employee engagement begins with leaders showing they value their people and they are willing to spend time and resources on helping them capitalize on their strengths. Leaders should make it a priority to connect with their key people, build strengths around them, and engage them to exceed expectations. And most important, they must make sure that each of their top performers knows they are truly valued. So taking the time to connect with key people in the organization can manifest itself as: Setting aside weekly or biweekly meetings with managers in the organization. Taking the time to understand the manager’s and their team’s workload, and any concerns that might exist. Reinforcing a job well done, while providing constructive feedback on growth opportunities. In order to keep your employees engaged, you must make a solid commitment to developing their potential. As a result, business outcomes can become more predictable, and you can ensure you retain more top performers. Develop Development can take the form of personalized coaching, team building, or management training—or a...

The following blog post has been contributed by Patrick Sweeney, President, Caliper. Leadership is constantly evolving, whether it’s how to strategically lead a business into the future or how to innovate in a digital world that is changing by the second. But there is one facet of leadership that remains the same—the importance of being inspirational. Employees are what drive a company forward, and if they aren’t inspired or they don’t feel motivated by their leadership, both leaders and their companies will ultimately miss the mark. An inspirational leader starts by listening, then engaging, and then developing their people. Listen Listening is the key to truly connecting with employees. And from listening, trust develops. Leaders have to take a moment to step outside their own roles and understand what it is that motivates their top performers, what ideas they can share, and how effectively they function with their teams. Top performers provide key information about the rest of the organization. Successful leaders are able to call on their most valuable employees in middle management, for example, to help them get clarity on the big picture. They are the ones who can walk alongside leaders and help them understand the inner workings of the rest of the organization. So without them, many leaders would be lost—as it is nearly impossible for leaders to spend time with every individual in the company. Engage A study conducted by Society for Human Resource Management indicates that employees are 87 percent less likely to leave a company than those who are disengaged. In addition, further studies show that only 26 percent of leaders today are creating an engaging environment for their people. Employee engagement begins with leaders showing they value their people and they are willing to spend time and resources on helping them capitalize on their strengths. Leaders should make it a priority to connect with their key people, build strengths around them, and engage them to exceed expectations. And most important, they must make sure that each of their top performers knows they are truly valued. So taking the time to connect with key people in the organization can manifest itself as: Setting aside weekly or biweekly meetings with managers in the organization. Taking the time to understand the manager’s and their team’s workload, and any concerns that might exist. Reinforcing a job well done, while providing constructive feedback on growth opportunities. In order to keep your employees engaged, you must make a solid commitment to developing their potential. As a result, business outcomes can become more predictable, and you can ensure you retain more top performers. Develop Development can take the form of personalized coaching, team building, or management training—or a...

What do lipstick, sheet metal, and football have in common? No, it’s not some college hazing stunt gone bad. It is all included in the range of exciting tours you can experience as part of the 2014 Continuous Improvement Conference in Dallas, TX. This year’s three tours at Mary Kay, Karlee, and AT&T Stadium get you in to see award-winning Lean manufacturing management and quality practices in progress—as well as a Texas-sized architectural wonder that will leave you so impressed you’ll be ready to “throw your hat over the windmill!” Although you may be familiar with these facilities (as well as some Texas colloquialisms) you may be surprised by some of their most remarkable quality and manufacturing features. To give you a better look at what you can expect from these tours, we’ve put together this short quiz. So if you think you’re “as bright as a new penny,” take a shot at these stumpers. (Answers included below—but don’t peek!) 1. Your VIP-guided tour of AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, includes tons of exclusive activities like stops at a private suite and the print media press box. It’s considered the world’s largest domed structure. In true Texas fashion, it also boasts the largest:      a. Playing surface     b. Retractable roof     c. Score board     d. Retail sales 2. For major events, AT&T Stadium can expand to accommodate seating for how many fans?      a. 100,000     b. 500,000     c. 250,000     d. 94,000 3. On average, Mary Kay’s 25 packaging lines produce how many tubes of lipstick?      a. 7,000     b. 100,000     c. 25,000     d. 15,000 4. Recognized as an FDA-registered drug manufacturing plant, how many units of TimeWise®Day Solution Sunscreen SPF 22 can the facility produce in a typical 10-hour shift?      a. 13,500     b. 25,500     c. 72,500     d. 18,500 5. Mary Kay’s commitment to consistent quality is evident in the number of different product and product component tests performed each year. With 100,000 analytical measurements of products, how many measurements of packaging components are performed each year?      a. 50,000     b. 100,000     c. 250,000     d. 350,000 6. In what year did the President of the United States present Karlee with the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, one of only 30 small manufacturers to ever win this award?      a. 2000     b. 2003     c. 2010     d. 2012 7. Karlee uses which of the following approaches to lead with best-in-class quality?      a. Total Quality Management Principles     b. Standard Process Control     c. ISO 9001     d. Lean Manufacturing Answers: 1: b—Credited with the world’s largest retractable roof, the home of the Dallas Cowboys claim the facility the largest enclosed NFL stadium. 2: a—AT&T Stadium can handle a crowd, allowing seating...