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Why Change Efforts Fail?

What causes change to fail in most organizations? 

  • Lack of Clarity About the Purpose and Outcome of the Change Effort
  • The Change Effort Has Insufficient Support
  • Key Players in the Change Program Are Under performing
  • The Change Program Implementation Plan Is Weak
  • Failure to Acknowledge the Importance of Emotional Commitment to the Change Effort
  • Poor Communication Strategy
  • Lack of Staying Power
  • Ignoring the Mistakes in the Change Program – Or Blaming Others For Them

Why Lean Six Sigma Initiatives fail or are not sustainable?

  • 80% said their Lean Six Sigma effort were failing to drive the anticipated value
  • 74% said they are not gaining the expected competitive edge, because they have not achieved their savings targets
  • Only about 20% of companies that start lean implementation have become successful

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 Paradigms, The reason why it is so difficult to change

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 Kaizen Change Management

Image Kaizen Change Management Effect

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 Quick Audit to the 3 Pillar of Change

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 The KCM Model: Paradigm & Change Capability

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What is “Company Culture”?

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 5 Change Principles

Make it a strategic priority:

  • 1 of the top five strategic initiatives!
  • We have clear Targets!
  • Direct The Rider

Drive 2 types of change:

  • Projects to change Gemba!
  • Teams to change Behaviors!
  • Shape the Paths

Create Lighthouses & Viral Agents:

  • We have excellent lighthouses that embody the vision
  • Our Influent Managers & Team Leaders are committed!
  • Motivate the Elephant

Change Behaviors in small steps:

  • Natural teams make steady Progress!
  • They follow a step model (1 theme a quarter)!
  • Motivate the Elephant

Teaching by Doing & Practicing a Lot:

  • We run Gemba Kaizen Workshops!
  • Natural Team Practice Frequently!
  • Motivate the Elephant

 Paradigms: “Teaching by Doing”, the best Learning Method

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To Change Culture…. You have to change Gemba and Change Mind

  1. Gemba Work: Projects: Workshops

Improve Work Areas and Processes

  1. Behavioral Work: Practice Kaizen Daily: Support and Reinforce

New Behaviors start Spreading

  1. Support work: Direct the Rider Motivate the Elephant

Reinforce Behaviors for Cultural Change

Project Kaizen

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 Value Stream Projects

With many companies integrating Lean and Six Sigma methodologies into a single improvement tool kit, value stream mapping has emerged as a preferred tool to identify process improvement opportunities. A number of valuable points can be made about applying value stream thinking to project selection across a range of industries and processes

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Daily Kaizen

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Daily Kaizen Model

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Support Kaizen

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 Kaizen Organizational Structure

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 The Organization-wide KCM Model

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 The successful Kaizen Deployment Road map

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 Acknowledgement : Euclides Coimbra

 


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Creating Continuous FLOW

What is FLOW?

Flow is about how the Material or the Information we are processing move from start point to the end point. So it is about what happens to them while its in process and how the process overall compares to what could be seen as perfect process. The best way to run a process is to use minimum resource and minimum elapsed time during the process. The entire focus should be to make the processes Lean. As we all know there is always a room for improvement and we can never get a perfect process. There are organizations who are improving continuously and on daily basis and there are organizations which are far from perfecting. The reason behind this is not because perfection is impossible, but because they have never attempted to reach or even define perfection and see where they are standing currently.

Therefore organizations focus should be upon improving the flow (Material & Information), thereby steadily eliminating mura (unevenness/variation) through the system and not upon waste reduction. Techniques to improve flow include production leveling, “pull” production and the Heijunka box. The implementation of smooth flow exposes quality problems that already exist and thus waste reduction naturally happens as a consequence.  The “flow” (or smoothness) based approach aims to achieve JIT, by removing the variation caused by work scheduling and thereby provide a driver, rationale or target and priorities for implementation, using a variety of techniques. The effort to achieve JIT exposes many quality problems that are hidden by buffer stocks; by forcing smooth flow of only value-adding steps, these problems become visible and must be dealt with explicitly.

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How to create continuous flow?

Guidelines for Cellular layout

• Place Machines & Work Stations close together to minimize walking distance.
• Remove obstacles from Operator’s walking path.
• Try to keep inside width of Cell at around 5 feet.
• Estimate space & surfaces where WIP can accumulate.
• Maintain consistent work height at all work stations.
• First & last operation should be close to each other.
• Avoid up & down, front & back transfers of work pieces.
• Use gravity to assist operator in placing & moving parts.
• Install flexible Utility drops from the ceiling to make layout adjustments easier.
• Keep hand tools as close as possible to the ‘Point of Use’.
• Use dedicated hand tools instead of using tools requires bit change.
• Absolutely ensure safety & good ergonomics.
• Keep Manual operator based work steps close together to allow flexible work element distribution.
• Achieve at least level 3 Automation.

Guidelines for machines in cellular layout

1. Use small equipment decided to a single task rather than large multi task equipment.
2. Introduce level 3 automation wherever operator needs to use both hands.
3. Install ‘One Touch Automation where possible.
4. Machines should be able to process one piece at a time.
5. Incorporate sensors to signal abnormalities & stops of machines.
6. Machine design should be accessible for maintenance & repairs.
7. Strive to devise Changeover within one Takt time cycle.

Tips for improving machine capability

• Kaizen Start, load & Unload processes.
• Eliminate waste in the machine cycle itself to reduce time. E.g. shorten the travel distance & time of machine moving parts.
• Split apart some of the bottleneck tasks Machine performs & use more than one machine to perform them.
• Install two Machines of same type at bottleneck point in the Cell.
• Create two Cells instead of one.
• Remove the bottleneck Machine from Cell & operate it separately by Supermarket Pull system.

Guidelines for material management in Cellular Layout

• Keep parts as close as possible to the ‘Point of use’.
• Keep parts so as operator can use his both hands simultaneously.
• Try to keep at parts variation at operators fingertips.
• Use fail safe storage Mechanisms to prevent mixing of parts.
• Do not have operators to get restock their own stock.
• Keep no more than 2 hrs. material at ‘Point of use’.
• Do not store additional parts near the process.
• Utilize KANBAN to regulate material replenishment
• Design part container convenient for operators not for material handlers. In multiple of finished goods pack out quantity.
• Do not interrupt operators cycle to replenish parts.

Guidelines for determining number of operators

• < 0.3 Operators : Do not add extra Operator. Further reduce waste or incidental work.
• 0.3 – 0.5 Operator: Do not add extra Operator yet. After two weeks of Cell Operation & Kaizen, carefully evaluate if enough waste & incidental work have been taken out.
• > 0.5 Operator: Add extra Operator if necessary. Continue reducing waste & incidental work to eventually eliminate need of that Operator.

Methods of work distribution among operators 

• Split the Work: Try to allot equal work for equal time for each Operator.
• The Circuit: One Operator performs one Takt time work element completely & second Operator follows few step behind.
• Reverse Flow: Operators move in the opposite direction of the material flow.
• A Combination: Combination of Split , Circuit & Reverse flow as per Gemba requirement.
• One Operator per Station: Used where manual work is much more than automated equipment.
• The Ratchet: Possible where work elements are same.

Stages of implementing FLOW

Stage 1: Initial Process Design
Cell Designing team should be small & work on Shop floor only.

Stage 2: Mock-up
Use Standard Work Chart only.

Stage 3: Debugging
Making improvements in a Cell after it runs for a period.

Stage 4: Sustaining the Flow
By rapid response to problem, frequent Audits, Improvements.

Points to be kept in mind

Debugging is categorizing work motions in to Wasteful, Incidental & Value adding. Eliminating Wasteful & trying to minimize Incidental Work motions.

• Keep elapsed time between communicating new Process & actually starting it up as short as possible.
• The Engineers & Maintenance staff need to work until new process functions as designed.
• We should plan ahead & built up stock to meet customer demand during transition.
• Do not change Takt time during debugging period.
• Achieving 60% of Target production first day is Good. 80% in a week time & 90% in two weeks time.
• The Cell’s success is everyone’s responsibility.
• Implement improvement ideas quickly. Overnight if possible.
• The ‘Operator Balance Chart’ & ‘Standard Work Chart’ must be kept update.
• Continuous Flow has no option.
• Work elements must be relisted & retimed carefully.
• Make milestones that prove you are making progress.

In summary, an example of a lean implementation program could be:

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Source: wikipedia


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Value Stream MAPPING: To add value and eliminate muda

What is Value stream Mapping?

A Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is all the ACTIONS (both value-added and non-value-added) currently required to bring a product through the production, information flow across boundaries from raw material into the arms of the customer. It is a pencil & paper tool that helps you to see and understand the flow of material and information as a product makes its way through the stream.

When setting out on the journey to become a Lean organization many organizations miss the true importance of utilizing Value Stream Mapping.  Value stream mapping has emerged as a preferred tool to identify process improvement opportunities.

VSM shows the current and future state of processes in a way that highlights opportunities for improvement. It is a lean manufacturing technique used to analyze and design the flow of materials and information required to bring a product or service to a consumer. It is a pencil & paper tool that helps you to see and understand the flow of material and information as a product makes its way through the stream.

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Material & Information flow

  1. Within the production flow
    1. One flow is – movement of material
    2. Other flow is – movement of information that tells each process what to make or do next
  2. In lean manufacturing the information flow is treated with just as much importance as material flow
  3. Material and Information flow are two sides of the same coin

Levels of mapping the value stream (for product family)

  1. Process Level
  2. Single plant (door to door)
  3. Multiple plants
  4. Across companies

Symbols & Icons used for Mapping

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Information Icons

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General Icons

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List of typical process data

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Points to remember

A number of points can be made about applying Value Stream Mapping to the project selection across range of industries and processes. They are as follows:

  1. Understand the goal of applying VSM
  2. Understand the real constraints
  3. Focus on key projects that help achieve the goal
  4. Define the options
  5. Integrate existing initiatives into the plan
  6. Be creative

Benefits

  • Establish a direction for the company’s improvement efforts – maps become the blueprints for the lean transformation.
  • Target Kaizen activities for bigger and more sustainable impact.
  • Gain a better understanding of the linkages between material and information flow.
  • Visualize improvements to the overall production flow, instead of spot improvements to single processes.
  • Create the basis for an effective lean implementation plan by designing how a facility’s door-to-door material and information flow could operate.
  • Give operators, engineers and managers common language and process for continuous improvement

Source: Book by Mike Rother & John Shook

 


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ANDON: a visual control device

Meaning

Visual indicators, displays and controls used throughout manufacturing plants to improve communication of information.

History

The term “Andon” comes from an old Japanese word for paper lantern.  An everyday example of an andon is the warning light on your car’s dashboard that indicates when the gas tank is getting close to empty.

An Andon system is one of the principal elements of the Jidoka quality control  method pioneered by Toyota as part of the Toyota Production System and therefore now part of the Lean approach.

Why Andon?

There may be a reverse ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf’ condition. What happens if a worker pulls the andon cord to signal a need for help, and nobody ever comes to the rescue? The employee stops wasting his time pulling that andon cord! And if the cord is not pulled, the leadership team misses out on the opportunity to permanently fix the problem. Plus, the lack of early warning means that there will likely be more frequent line stops.

Leader should always ensure that there is a response when required. Make the andons a source of information for you to drive continuous improvement.

Andon boards has not only helped in reduction of “work in progress” or lag time between cycles but has also helped organizations not to rely on white boards, clip boards and word of mouth and even emails and intranet as a communication tool.

It also helps organizations to better define the role of employees on the gemba and to address questions like:

  1. What does Normal Operation mean?
  2. When should operator call for help? Neither too early nor too late.
  3. When should an operator stop the line?
  4. Where the help is required? Etc…..

E.g of Andon board

Line Board Notification & Andon System (HI-ACE Line – Toyota Assembly Plant ASSB, Malaysia)

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 Benefits of using Andon system

  • Makes the state and condition of manufacturing processes easily accessible and very clear – to everyone.
  • It helps the industry guide, monitor and ensure productivity.
  • Andon boards double as early warning devices
  • Andon boards can be use in manufacturing, inventory management, storage, receiving, picking and shipping.

Image source: http://www.proviesys-solution.net/images/Add9.JPG


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Problem Solving Story

1. DEFINE PROBLEM

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  • Describe the current situation.
  • Elaborate to make the problem specific.
  • Use available information such as: documents, pictures, data practical examples.
  • Question the effect: Why is it a problem?
  • Determine the problem focus- Use Pareto Chart.
  • Compile: Data & Facts.

 

2. FIND THE ROOT CAUSE

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Five WHY Analysis

  • Suitable for simple or linear problems.

Ask ‘WHY’ enough times to reach the true causes of the problem.

Cause & Effect Diagram

  • Suitable for possible complex influences.
  • To evaluate the entire problem landscape. Clarifying results & dependencies.

 

   3. VERIFY THE SOLUTION

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  • Check the veracity of the solution, this is an important step.
  • Verify that the countermeasures were successful; they have solved the problem & lead to the correct results.
  • Use data & pictures- before /after, test records (tally charts etc.)
  • If the actions do not achieve the desired results, go back to step 2 “Find root cause”.

4. SOLVE THE PROBLEM

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  • Consider probable causes that help the team to a permanent solution/countermeasure.
  • Evaluate the solutions & ideas using cost-time diagram to evaluate benefits. Drive the team to focus on quickly converting the solutions to reality.
  • Create the countermeasures implementation plan
  • What actions, Who-responsible, When- time.


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Coaching Kata

A Kata is a structured routine that makes skills and mindset teachable. Coaching Kata is a set of teaching routines that helps you develop coaching skill. It is a coaching pattern that helps managers teach Improvement Kata thinking and acting.

2 types of Kata in Lean

1. Improvement Kata
2. Coaching Kata

Improvement kata is a four step routine that you practice daily in order to make striving and scientific working a habit while Coaching kata is vital to the process of embedding kata into an organizations culture. In order to apply either of the Kata, the learner should be provided coaching that details each of the patterns and provides feedback as necessary. The coaching kata can help an organization realize the possibilities inherent in other kata. Once you learn the Improvement Kata, the Coaching Kata develops your skill for teaching the systematic, scientific routine of the Improvement Kata through practice in daily work.

 Kaizen Kata

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Coaching Kata

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Who Should Carry Out Process Improvement?

Operator autonomy is a general misconception about the Kaizen way. It unfair to ask the operators to make parts, struggle with problems and make improvements.

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Leaders as Teachers

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Mentor and Mentee

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Mentor –Mentee Dialogue (Five Questions)

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Coaching KATA -Reflect on the Last Step Taken

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Mentor/ Mentee A3 Summary

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Coaching Kata Guidelines

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Coaching Kata Guidelines

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Coaching Kata Guidelines

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Coaching Kata Guidelines

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Coaching Kata Guidelines

  • The daily step taken towards the target condition are taken from the PDCA cycles & not from the list of Action Plan
  • In a PDCA cycle,  what we learn in one cycle often leads to another cycle
  • Meet at the focus process everyday
  • The PDCA record sheet is filled in by the mentee
  • Mentor asks the Five questions
  • Reflect on the last step

Knowledge Threshold

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See – Compare – Instruct Pattern

1. See    

Try to understand how the learner is thinking

(Coach is in observing, questioning, listening mode)

2. compare

Compare this to the desired pattern specified by the  Improvement kata

(Coach is in judging mode)

3. Instruct  

Introduce a course adjustment, if required

(Coach is in instructing or guiding mode)

Calibration

  • Why do we do this experiment?
  • Its not – “Lets see if this target condition will work”
  • Its about – “What we need to do to make it work”
  • Focus on seeing what does not go as planned
  • So we can learn, what we need to work on

Coaching Kata -Guidelines

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Coaching Kata Summary

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Coaching Kata Summary

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Learning

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The Process of Change

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Source –  Mike Rother and his book Toyota Kata


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Kaizen Story: The Crow and the Peacock

Once there was a crow. It had a burning desire of looking to be more Beautiful. The crow lived in a big Banyan tree, where a number of peacocks also lived. It saw the beautiful plumes of the peacocks and cherished a desire to look like one of them. It often cursed itself for being ugly. It scorned the whole crow community being black and ugly. It had an ambition to improve like a peacock so that the people may praise it.

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In order to fulfill its ambition, it thought how to break away with the crow community. After deep thinking it deceived upon an ambitious plan. It decided to collect dropped off feathers of the peacocks and fix them up into its own, so that it may look beautiful like peacock. The poor crow never thought that only fixing of the feathers could not make it a peacock. There are many other things such as color, size, and crest, which are the essentials of a peacock. After putting on the feathers of the peacock, the crow considered itself to be a peacock. It was beside itself with joy. It decided to go and live with the peacocks. It took a long flight and reached the place where some peacocks were walking around. It walked up and down among the peacocks. The peacocks saw this strange bird with surprise. It looked half crow and half peacock.

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The peacocks are known for their self-pride. They could not tolerate a crow posing to be a peacock. They could not break the presence of an imposter among themselves. At once they pounced upon the crow and broke away some of its artificial feathers. The crow was able to save its life with great difficulty. It flew at full speed for its life. The crow took a long flight and reached a place where some crows were perching. It began to move about proudly among the crows. The crows took it to be a different bird, resembling a peacock. They could not brook the presence of a peacock among themselves; they attacked it, pecking it hard with their beaks.

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Again the crow had to fly away for its life. It was pained at heart and flew to a lonely tree in the jungle. It did not know what to do. It though, it had tried to improve itself by fixing peacocks’ feathers into its own, but they could not make it peacock. It was no accommodated by the peacocks rather it was attacked for being a imposter. Not only this had even its own brethren- the crows disowned it. It was at a loss to know what to do now. At last it tore off all of its peacock feathers and became a crow again. It was only then that the crows owned it as one of them and accommodated it among themselves. The foolish crow had a bitter experience. It learnt a lesson for life. Do not adopt unnatural and unfair methods for self-improvement and do not try to copy out others.

 Moral of this story:

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  • It is not a story just to read and enjoy. It teaches us an important lesson that we should not try to improve ourselves only by imitating others but through hard work and sincere efforts.
  • We must not forego the moral ideals for attaining something.
  • The improper methods adopted stand in the way of desired achievements. Such methods are sure to affect the desired results. Even if we achieve something through such improper means, our achievement is not permanent. It is sure to be short lived.
  • You must avoid copying and cheating even in your examinations, because it is not a proper means.


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Kaizen Story: The boy who learned to swim

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A little boy once wanted to learn to swim. His parents took him to the local swimming pool and enrolled him with an instructor. After a few weeks, he had learned the basics of swimming and could perform a few strokes, travelling a few feet before stopping. His parents cheered and clapped. But the boy thought that he could still do better. So he kept going to swimming classes and after a few more weeks, he was able to swim across the little pool that he was learning in. His parents cheered and clapped. But the boy thought that he could still do better. He kept training and after a few more months he was able to swim an entire length of the main pool. His parents cheered and clapped.

But the boy thought that he could still do better. He kept training and was eventually able to turn and swim back the other way. After a few more months, he was able to complete a few laps of the pool in one effort. His parents cheered and clapped. But the boy thought that he could still do better. He started to enter swimming competitions and eventually won his first race. His parents cheered and clapped. But the boy thought that he could still do better. He went to the ocean and swam from the beach to a pier a few hundred meters away. His parents cheered and clapped.

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But the boy thought that he could still do better. He entered an ocean race that was a couple of kilometers in length and won at the first attempt. His parents cheered and clapped. But the boy thought that he could still do better. So he stood on the beach and looked out over the ocean, out to the horizon beyond. He wondered what the limits were on what he could achieve and whether he had reached them yet. And he aspired to something greater and set about planning how to achieve it.

Moral Of the Story:

We’re all that little boy. We all have some basic skills at something. Let’s not stop there. Let’s go from basic skills to competent. From competent to good! From good to great!

From great to expert! From expert to world-class! Look out to the horizon, dream big dreams and find a way to be magnificent

Acknowledgement: story taken from http://www.betterlifecoachingblog.com


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Kaizen story: Five Guardians

 

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Once a village had been  threatened by frequent bandit attacks for many years. Their approach to the governor was not much successful. Finally   the village head decided to call upon the “Five Guardians” who were notorious for their courageous fight against bandits. Further they also trained the villagers to defend themselves against any future attacks. They charged a hefty fee for their service. The next attack of the bandits towards the village was a real shocking for them to face the tough five guardians. With heavy loss, the bandits retreated with fear. Then it was the time for the Five Guardians to follow up the bandits and killed everyone. They also rescued the girls taken by the bandits from the village. The villagers received them with warm greetings.

Next, it was their turn to train up the village. But once they train up they have to leave the village as agreed. The best food, best wine & most beautiful girls from the village tempted the wanderers to settle down in the village. So they decided to make an offer to the villagers in waiving their fee for settling down. So the guardians settled in the village by marrying their daughters. They also learned farming for their survival. But the guardians were not interested in training up the villagers, because they felt that once they train the villagers fully they lose their importance.

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The villagers were also not interested in learning the defense believing the guardians were there to protect them. Years passed by and the villagers did not learn the warfare in spite of reminiscence by the village head. Instead the villagers considered his words as a nuisance until his death. The village was in peace until the guardians lasted.

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One day, a cloud of dust was steadily approaching the village; soon it turned into bandits who were rushing for attacking. Then the villagers without the guardians could only run for their lives.

Moral of the story:

•Never stop learning

Be honest for the customers who pay

Listen to the leaders

•Create leaders for tomorrow

Leaders are fallible; hence leadership has to be collective and pervasive

 


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Kaizen Story: The obstacle in our path

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

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Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.

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 The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!

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Moral of the story:

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition!