EagleCast Webinar Series offers a new look at LEAN: Applying LEAN concepts to produce personal results
Lean improvement is anchored in activities to make any process more effective and more efficient. While most people relate Lean improvement to the manufacturing industry, its professional and personal applications extend to a variety of settings. In fact, opportunities for Lean improvement are everywhere, and increasing personal productivity is no exception.
In a recent edition of EagleCast, the monthly webinar series presented by the Office of Professional and Continuing Education, LEAN subject matter expert Phillip A. Chansler, Ph.D., revealed strategies for developing a Lean improvement-based plan to effectively and efficiently achieve personal goals by applying the LEAN concept of removing wastes, the inefficiencies that distract us and detract from results in virtually anything we do.
The seven wastes considered in Lean improvement include over-production, waiting, transportation, over-processing, excess inventory, motion and defects. Over-production involves producing more than what is needed. When applied to personal productivity, over-production can include taking on too many projects before current projects are completed.
Waiting essentially results in wasted time and can be mitigated by doing something productive with that time. Chansler recommends filling this time with tasks that include planning, organizing or list-making. Transportation, from a personal perspective, includes the movement of information, something often done through email or text. Reducing the length of emails by addressing a single issue at a time can increase productivity by twenty percent. An example of over-processing is multi-tasking, which slows thought and increases opportunity for error. By working on one task at a time and implementing a consistent process, waste from over-processing can be eliminated. Excess inventory includes anything more than what is needed. For example, taking on too many projects at once results in additional effort needed to manage multiple projects and can inhibit the completion of a single project. Chansler’s recommendation is to identify an optimal number of projects or tasks that can be reasonably managed at one time and completing one before taking on another. Motion includes wasted physical or mental movement, which often occurs by getting sidetracked. Checking social media while attempting to produce work on the computer one example. Setting aside dedicated time for these distractions can lessen this type of waste. Finally, examples of waste involved with defects include anything that is not done correctly the first time. Simplifying processes and creating checklists are two strategies for reducing waste from defects.
Generating waste is inherent to human behavior, but, as Chansler revealed, such waste can be reduced by applying LEAN concepts to our personal lives, making us more effective and efficient in what we do. Chansler has over 40 years specializing in engineering, operations and education curriculum development and instruction working with the United States Air Force (USAF) and Department of Defense. Most recently, he developed and leads Lean Operating Culture and Practice, an OPCE online certificate program for individuals in the service and manufacturing industries.
If you would like more strategies for applying LEAN concepts to increase personal productivity, you can access the complete webinar free of charge.
The EagleCast webinar series is presented each month by the Office of Professional and Continuing Education and features experts from a variety of sectors including education, business, industry, public service and finance. The series, offered free of charge, presents information and skills essential for navigating today’s ever-changing world.
