The blog post

Research by Ethan Burris shows that the top two reasons employees choose to keep quiet in the workplace are:
1️⃣ Futility
2️⃣ Fear
Fear of getting in trouble is a big problem. But there are also many workplaces where people say, quite literally, “I'm not afraid to speak up, it just isn't worth the effort.”
That's the Futility Factor.
Please answer this poll question via LinkedIn. And I'd love to hear your thoughts in a comment here on the blog post or LinkedIn. Please check out people's comments and stories that they shared on Linkedin.

Episode page with links and more info

I'm very happy to announce the release of my new Mistake-Proofing course, available NOW through Karen Martin and TKMG Academy.

You can buy the course individually at TKMGAcademy.com for $129. Volume discounts are available for large teams or your entire workforce (for more information, email info@tkmgacademy.com).

The course is also part of the wonderful collection of courses in the all-access annual subscription. The annual price of $529 goes up significantly at 11:59 pm CDT on May 31st, so act now for the best value pricing.

Other TKMG Academy instructors in the series include Karen Martin, Elisabeth Swan, Mike Osterling, Tracy O'Rourke, Brent Loescher... and more.

And if you subscribe to TKMG Academy, you can participate in Karen's "Community of Practice" meeting with me on Wednesday, June 26th.

Blog post

I love Steve Spear‘s emphasis on a Toyota-based Lean model of:

“See, Solve, Share”

See problems, solve problems, and share what worked as countermeasures. That's the ideal, and it's powerful where it exists.

At Toyota, and companies like it, there's an understanding that speaking up about problems leads to a constructive response from leaders.

That's not always true at other companies that are starting or attempting their “Lean Journey.”

The Psychological Safety that might be taken for granted at Toyota must be actively cultivated in a company before continuous improvement can really take root, let alone take off.

I think the model could also be stated as:

“See, Share, Solve, Share”

Blog post

Research by Ethan Burris shows that the top two reasons employees choose to keep quiet in the workplace are:
1️⃣ Futility
2️⃣ Fear
Fear of getting in trouble is a big problem. But there are also many workplaces where people say, quite literally, “I'm not afraid to speak up, it just isn't worth the effort.”
That's the Futility Factor.
Please answer this poll question via LinkedIn. And I'd love to hear your thoughts in a comment here on the blog post or on LinkedIn.

The blog post

You don't find the root cause of a problem in a conference room.

OK, so we've gotten away from the whiteboard. Now what?

You might not even KNOW the root cause by thinking and talking out where the work is actually being done.

That's one of the most powerful lessons I've learned from former Toyota people I've been able to work with.

Blog Post

Professors Robert H. Hayes and William J. Abernathy have harsh words about a common, if not typical style of American management:

“…an overdependence on analytical detachment – what they call ”managerial remote control.”

They say it is an approach that exalts financial analysis, not line operations. It rewards executives who see their company primarily as a competing set of rates of return, who manage by numbers and computer printouts.

Further, they say, it is a seductive doctrine that promises the bright student a quick path to the top and that piles its rewards on executives who force through impressive short-term performance, at indeterminate cost to long-term health.

Fearing any dip in today's profits, American companies keep research and technology on short rations, skimping the investment critically needed to insure competitiveness tomorrow.”

These are warnings about:

• Prioritizing financial analysis over an operations focus
• Emphasized and rewarding short-term performance over long-term perspectives

Is that from a recent article that I've read? Yet another article about Boeing's troubles?

No. It's a 1982 article in the New York Times. Hat tip to Tom Ehrenfeld for sharing it with me.

The blog post

It's interesting to observe a hospital process (or lack thereof) when a family member needs surgery. I had the opportunity to do so one day last week. I originally shared this on LinkedIn as a post and real-time updates.

Thankfully, the clinical care seemed to be good, and that family member is recovering well from the outpatient procedure.

But, the experience could have been better. I'm critiquing the process and the apparent culture, not the individuals involved. They are part of a system, which includes their job role design, training, and supervision.

Blog post with links

The other day, I read about the passing of Donald E. Peterson, who was a key CEO for Ford Motor Company in the 1980s (from 1985 to 1990).

From the Detroit Free Press:

Former Ford CEO Don Petersen, who spent 41 years with automaker, dies at 97