Creating the Conditions for Flow

Editor's Notes

• #2: Snoqualmie Falls is a popular scenic attraction in Washington state’s. The 270 foot waterfall attracts more 1.5 million visitors from around the world each year. The falls were nominated for the National Register of Historic Places in 1992 as a Traditional Cultural Property for its association with the beliefs of the Snoqualmie people. Appeared on Twin Peaks in the 1990s.
• #5: DARRELL Before lean Getting started under Gov Gregoire introducing Lean across gov Governor Transition New Governor & call for Culture introducing cultural change embrace lean as an ops strategy to drive culture change
• #7: DARRELL Build capability which helped us get results
• #8: Renee: When the governor started this journey in 2011, DES was formed at the same time Merged 5 agencies into one to gain efficiencies
• #9: RENEE In the first 4 years, we gave attention to each of these components.
• #10: Leaders decided to build our agency on a Lean strategy and management system. And to aim for a culture that would reflect this way of working. They invested in capacity to support this effort and I came on board to establish the DES Lean program. We were 5 FTE for an agency of 1100 employees for the first couple years focused on process improvement, building Lean capability and culture in DES. Then in 2013 we began to offer consulting services to other state agencies and local governments. We basically operate a consulting business within government for governments. We operate on a cost recovery model. We believe in creating capability not dependency. We see Lean is an operations strategy – chosen by leaders as they set direction for the agency. Then we engage team members in developing shared principles and values based on that strategy. When we face a performance challenge, We choose or create the right method or tool to address that challenge. BC when the tools are untethered from strategy and principles, When the tools are not logically connected to solving a business problem Then the tools seem random and imposed for no reason. And in fact sometimes they are! We decide to teach people to use a tool without any link to a business problem that means something to team members. They roll their eyes and do what we ask, but without valuing it. The likelihood that they will use that tool or method when you go away is zero.
• #12: Renee
• #13: Renee
• #15: Renee
• #16: When the subject of Lean comes up in government circles, we often hear leaders say, “Oh yea, we’re doing Lean. We hired a multi-colored master belt, and they are training all our employees in the 47 steps of Lean problem solving A3 secret sauce calculations.” What we commonly see is leaders thinking of Lean as one small aspect of their larger operations strategy. When they need some process improvement, they bring in the Lean expert. Once the expert is doing their Lean thing, the leader goes back to management by walking around, or whatever they remember from their MBA program. Or worse, whatever they have been rewarded for in the past, even if it isn’t good – like quickly solving every problem that comes there way and telling people what to do.
• #17: What is the Lean Government Framework?
• #18: The Lean Government Framework is a conceptual framework with five components.. We call it a framework because it provides the structure underlying the concept of Lean as an operations strategy for the business of government. I’m sure many of you recognize the components in this framework Purpose, process, capability, management system, and mindset – with you and your business needs in the middle. Before we get into a little more about each component, I want to let you know two characteristics we love about this framework.
• #19: First, it is situational. No matter what business situation you’re in, whether you’re way behind in your work or way behind the standards for your industry, or you’re way ahead and you’re world class and a model for others to follow, the framework can help you.
• #20: The second important characteristic of the framework is that it is scalable. It applies equally well to an individual job, a team, a process or an entire organization.
• #21: The framework has 5 interrelated components that invite you to get clear about things that are critically important for any organization that wants to create a way of working that will deliver value to customers over the long term.
• #22: The first component is purpose. The purpose component invites you to get clear about The strategy you have chosen for your organization The values that guide your choices The mission you’re on The wants and needs of the customers you serve The role each team member has in delivering value to customers The big goals and target performance measures you’re pursuing
• #23: The second component is process. The process component invites you to get clear about The work that needs to be done to deliver value to those you serve The process performance that needs to be made visible so team members can tell when adjustments need to be made The work that needs to be done to improve the work in the entire process
• #24: The third component is capability. The capability component invites you to get clear about The leader’s role as coach rather than dictator The knowledge, skills and experiences each team member needs to not only do the work, but also improve the work in your processes
• #25: The fourth component is management system. The management system component invites you to get clear about The behaviors leaders need to demonstrate The systems you need in place to know whether your processes are on track or off The adjustments you need to make when conditions change
• #26: The fifth component is mindset. The mindset component invites you to get clear about The values, beliefs and assumptions that guide each person’s thinking and decision making
• #27: At the center of the Lean Government Framework is you and the business needs of your current situation. One of the analogies we like to use is that the framework is a lens through which you can look at the business needs in your situation. Since each component of the framework is interconnected, having this lens will help you tend to the impact that improving one component can have on another. Examples: Process improvements atrophy when not connected to the management system. Process improvement lose their meaning and impact when not aligned to purpose. Setting clear direction and strategy in the purpose component without having a management system in place is like hiking off trail without a map and compass.
• #28: Another analogy we like to use is that the framework is a guide for designing something new for your organization. Are you setting a new direction? The framework can guide your thinking about changes you need to make to processes, training, and performance metrics. Are you thinking of making major changes to a process? The framework can guide your thinking about changes you need to make to performance metrics, job aids, and the information loop back to the larger organization’s mission and goals.
• #29: We use this Lean Government Framework to guide our clients toward the embrace of Lean as an operations strategy.
• #30: This Lean government framework guides us in creating an organization, a way of working, where its possible to sustain the collaborative science of flow. We have to give special thought to creating the conditions for collaboration. But what happens when the conditions aren’t right? Collaboration isn’t possible. Why wouldn’t the conditions be right? Because of fear. A Lean transformation is not just about improving processes and doing kaizen events. Rather, a Lean transformation is about changing the way everyone works every day. We are creating a workplace where we listen to customers and understand their experience, where every employee is solving problems and making improvements every day and every leader is coaching, where there is a management system that supports all these efforts, and where we cultivate a shared mindset of respect, high involvement, collaboration, and learning. This means that we are asking people to do a bunch of new things, and to show up differently then they may ever have before. We are asking people to point out problems, to share ideas, to speak up, to visualize their work, to limit their work in process, to ask questions, to challenge assumptions, to report errors, to admit mistakes, to take risks, to collaborate, to experiment, to test, try and fail, and try again. Why might that be hard? Those things may be hard to do on their own. And if those kinds of things were punished or discouraged just last week, then they are going to be really hard to do. It would make sense for people to be fearful. So what might happen to someone if they do these new things in the old kind of culture? Leaders might get mad and yell or punish them. They might react badly. The employee might be ostracized or socially rejected by team members. They might be made to feel stupid, incompetent, or wrong. They might be put on the spot and called out.
• #31: Fear is a human emotion that is triggered by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism that signals our bodies to respond to danger. It is essential for keeping us safe. And it takes a toll on us.
• #32: What happens to us physiologically when we are afraid? The sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis go into overdrive…fight or flight! The body releases hormones to slow down non-essential functions (ie-digestion), sharpen essential functions (ie-vision). Increased heart rate, blood flow to muscles There’s increased inflammation, anxiety, and stress. Increased hormone flow to amygdala helps us to focus and it creates a fragmented, but durable memory. Weakened immune system, cardiovascular damage, and decreased emotional regulation. Trouble focusing on small tasks.
• #33: Research suggests that social disconnection is processed in the brain in the same way as the threat of physical harm. Did you know that fear of social disconnection and emotional discomfort is processed in the brain in the same way as threat of physical harm? So all these things we just described apply when you are afraid of rejection or embarrassment or making a mistake. The same toll is taken.
• #34: Fight! Anger and aggression Sabotage Impaired self-control Flight! Reluctance to share ideas or observations Risk avoidance Self-protection Hiding and playing it safe Silence How likely is it that team members will take a chance and try these new ways of working if they are afraid? Pretty low right? Self-preservation kicks in!
• #35: So what’s a leader to do? Chris Liu is our Director at the Department of Enterprise Services. He says that it is the leader’s job to eliminate fear from the workplace. He believes that the greatest waste is the waste of human potential.
• #36: It’s the leader’s job to break the cycle of fear characterized by blaming, controlling, fixing, and withholding, and to create another kind of organization. But what kind of organization?
• #37: But what kind of organization? So I have come to believe that when we decrease the fear in the workplace, we make room for something else to come in. You might think that would be courage or freedom or happiness. Maybe. But actually when we eliminate fear, we make room for love. Now we don’t usually talk about love as part of the workplace. And even mentioning it may cause some people to squirm and feel a little uncomfortable. But love is central to what it means to be human. When fear goes out and love comes in amazing things happen.
• #38: Love is a fundamental human need.
• #39: Love is a fundamental human need.
• #40: Activates basic reward-related circuits Perceives and reports less pain Releases stress reducing neuropeptides Boosts the immune system Protects body from damaging inflammation Regulates emotions Improved health In children, a mother’s love and nurture physically increases the volume of the amygdala.
• #41: Activates basic reward-related circuits Perceives and reports less pain Releases stress reducing neuropeptides Boosts the immune system Protects body from damaging inflammation Regulates emotions Improved health In children, a mother’s love and nurture physically increases the volume of the amygdala.
• #42: Love is a fundamental human need.