Category: The 10 Quick Tips

Ten Tips, Tactics, Approaches and Skills to Improve Leadership, Work Culture and Life.

Measure and Analyze-The People Side

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The People Side of Defining Process Improvement

This is the fourth in a multi-part series on process improvement written by Polly Walker and Amy McKee.

The strategies and people side of sustained and meaningful process improvement will be the focus and we welcome your feedback about this series. 

By Amy McKee

Last week, we covered the Measure and Analyze phases within the DMAIC framework.

From a people perspective, this is often a place where the right people are excluded as things get measured. The results you come up with in the Measure and Analyze phases will be critical to the overall implementation acceptance. Here are 3 important tips to consider from a people aspect:

1. Meaningful Metrics.

You can’t change what you don’t measure. Often an improvement effort is focused on improving bottom line results or delivery to the end-customer. Those items are standards for measuring performance of a process, but they leave out the most important assets to a process: PEOPLE! While some people may debate what is meaningful, there are two guarantees that will always determine implementation success.

a. How easy is it for the people responsible for doing the job to do it well? The easier the process, the more consistent and the easier it is for employees to excel at the job.
b. Anything CAN be measured. If the measurements do not currently exist, you just need to devise a measurement method that is repeatable (A measures twice and gets the same answer) and reproducible (A and B measures the same thing and gets the same answer).

2. Appropriate Precision of Process Maps.

W. Edwards Deming often said, “Understand the process just enough to make improvements, but not enough that the current system begins to make sense.” A process map should always be done with the help of key stakeholders and recognize that the level they are in the organization will likely play into what level of detail they include. Plan accordingly.

3. Present Analytical Metrics and Tell a Story.

The majority of people are not mathematically inclined and only about 20% of the population is process oriented. The remaining 80% of people are either visual or kinesthetic. This means that to get a point across, you need to paint a clear picture of what the data means and leave people feeling good about your analysis. You can do this by:

a. Using metaphors and pictures so they understand the data, and
b. Relate metrics back to how it makes people feel – employees and customers alike. 

Defining Process Improvement-Measure and Analyze

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More Technical Approaches to Process Improvement

This is the third in a multi-part series on process improvement written by Polly Walker and Amy McKee.

The strategies and people side of sustained and meaningful process improvement will be the focus and we welcome your feedback about this series. 

By Polly Walker

In previous articles, we have covered the “D- Define” step of DMAIC approach and the people strategies associated with that step. This week we will provide some high-level activities that should occur during the “M- Measure and A – Analyze” steps of a process improvement project.

STEP TWO: MEASURE

1. Gather current data/trends for performance metrics for the process. If there are no metrics identified, work with the department and workgroup to develop/identify pertinent process performance metrics and ongoing tracking/reporting mechanisms.

2. Chart the as-is workflow.

STEP THREE: ANALYZE

3. Utilize the “as-is workflow” and workgroup input to identify challenges, wastes and bottlenecks using the LEAN (and/or Six Sigma) methodology.

4. Utilize the most appropriate analytical tools (control charts, FMEA, etc.) to further analyze the process.

5. Use design principles, best practices and/or team insights to create recommendations to redesign the process and eliminate waste.

Defining Process Improvement-The People Side

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The People Side of Defining Process Improvement

This is the second in a multi-part series on process improvement written by Polly Walker and Amy McKee.

The strategies and people side of sustained and meaningful process improvement will be the focus and we welcome your feedback about this series. 

By Amy McKee

“Process Improvement” is critical to organizations as they evolve and environmental changes occur. It allows an organization to constantly focus on becoming more competitive and improving their use of resources with an impact on the bottom line.

However, no change is ever complete without people adopting the change. The people side of Process Improvement is equally critical to step-by-step process of improving a process. As such, this series will follow the “The Process of Process Improvement” to give you tips on positively impacting the people as you work to improve processes.

Last week, we covered the first of the five DMAIC steps: “D- Define”.

From a people perspective, this is the most critical phase. What you do here will greatly impact the flow of the rest of the project. Here are 3 important tips:

1. Assemble a good team. I always encourage people to include key stakeholders. That is standard. There are two other team participants I like to add: a key naysayer and a non-stakeholder. Here’s why:

a. The naysayer will bring up all of the arguments of why something won’t work. Address these concerns and that naysayer will become the biggest advocate. Plus, they will make sure the process is solid.
b. A non-stakeholder brings an outsider’s perspective and often can add some creativity to the solution.

2. Set a Clear and Well-Formed Outcome. So often we think about the end goal as only being some quantifiable number associated with the business case. We disregard other important aspects like:

a. How do we want our team will feel by the end of the engagement? What needs to happen for that to occur?
b. Envision the end of the project. Did you meet your goals? What does that look like? What are people saying? How does everyone feel? What are you telling yourself?

3. Align the Team. A tremendous amount of confusion and arguing can be avoided when the team starts with a common core set of values in regards to the project. Here is a simple question to ask:

a. “What is most important to you about this project?” (impact, time required, prestige, team collaboration, leadership development, etc.)
b. Ask each team member this question and then have the group agree on the top 3-4. It will make a big difference as the project unfolds so you can cater to the agreed upon needs of the group. The top 3-4 values also can be used as criteria for decision making.

The Process of Process Improvement

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Improvement Has Both Process and People Considerations

This is the first in a multi-part series on process improvement written by Polly Walker and Amy McKee.

The strategies and people side of sustained and meaningful process improvement will be the focus and we welcome your feedback about this series. 

By Polly Walker

“Process Improvement” is a phrase thrown around frequently in today’s business world. But what is it?

It is a project to analyze the steps of a process, analytically determine what improvements can be made, implement those improvements, and continually monitor and track the results of the improvement. In order to maximize the effectiveness of the process improvement project, the “DMAIC” approach must be utilized.

“The Process of Process Improvement” is the first article in a series designed to walk you through the five steps of the DMAIC approach, and the change management and people strategies needed for each of the steps.

This week, we will cover the first of the five DMAIC steps: “D- Define”.

STEP ONE: DEFINE

1. Receive request from Project Sponsor to initiate a continuous improvement project.

2. Gather the following items that relate to the process being reviewed in order to understand the scope/frame the problem:

a. Strategic, Business and/or Improvement Plan(s) and Budget Documents

b. Performance Metrics for the Process (i.e. defect rate, cycle time, etc.)

c. Drivers/Key Customer Requirements for the Process

d. Policies, procedures and all training and communication documentation

3. Draft the project charter, including timeline, deliverables and team members.

4. Review draft charter with the Project Sponsor, and get input from the project team in order to finalize the charter.

Going from Knowing to Doing

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Success Requires Moving from Learning Into Change and Action

“What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step. It is always the same step, but you have to take it.”  Antoine De Saint-Exupery.

  • Positive Emotional Composition Enhances Physical Energy
  • Focus on Energy Management
  • Identify your Internal Motivators
  • Create Habits
  • Use an Accountability Team: Peers, Mentors, Family and Friends

By Teresa Lowry

I am fascinated by the process that takes us from knowing what we need to do to be successful to actually doing it. Nike encourages us to “Just Do It”. Life experience tells us it is not always that easy. We know the actions we need to take to be better leaders, better humans but how do we get from knowing to doing?

At Aegis Learning we are committed to creating a way forward for you. Successful leaders have energy and stamina. Leadership Impact teaches you to cultivate a positive emotional composition which results in increased physical energy. With more energy, we can maintain the habits created to meet our goals. To stay the course, we have peer coaches and mentors to hold us accountable. We can remain committed to positive habits by understanding our internal and external motivators.

GET YOUR EQ IN THE GAME

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is critical to successful leadership. Emotions drive attitudes and beliefs. Attitudes and beliefs drive behavior. 80% of our reactions, responses and decisions are driven by our emotions. Emotions have an impact (positive or negative) on our physical energy. By managing your emotions, you can consciously choose to operate in a zone of optimism and enthusiasm. Improved emotional health allows for increased energy to accomplish our goals.

At a recent company retreat several team members expressed a desire for more time to accomplish various goals. Highly accomplished and very productive professionals, these are the same people who the busier they are the more they accomplish. This started me thinking about whether the answer to what we need is more time or do we really need more energy?

In their book “The Power of Full Engagement” Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz conclude that energy not time is the fundamental currency of high performance. Their study reveals that performance, health and happiness are grounded in the skillful management of energy. In addition to monitoring our emotional composition to support increased energy we require the creation of positive habits.

To jump start new habits you need motivation. Back to EQ and knowing yourself. Motivation is unique to the individual and the habits we will cultivate must resonate at our core. Organizational theorists Thomas Malone and Mark Lepper have identified several sources of intrinsic motivation: Challenge, Curiosity, Control, Fantasy, Cooperation, Competition, and Recognition. Determine which motivators resonate with you. These intrinsic motivators become key to the creation of new habits.

HABIT IS WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING

Jim Rohn said it best “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Set up your surroundings to support your goals and habits. In “The Power of Habit” business reporter Charles Duhigg found the key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive and achieving success is understanding how habits work.

For me, exercising seven days a week, at the same time every day lead to making it a habit. There is no decision to be made on whether today is the day or telling myself I can do it tomorrow. I removed the decision-making piece from the equation. Set up your surroundings to support your goals and habits. Changing into my exercise “uniform” first thing in the morning helps reinforce the habit. Cultivate habits that align with your intrinsic motivators. Next, establish your accountability team.

CHOOSE YOUR ACCOUNTABILITY TEAM

J.E. is my Shero. She works the graveyard shift as a nursing supervisor in Labor and Delivery at a local hospital. Married, with four active teenagers at home, J.E. finds the time and energy to attend an 8am Bootcamp workout at my gym. Committed to her health and fitness, this also qualifies as her “me time”. J.E. has a strategy to hold herself accountable. She pays her trainer or work out partner $40 if she does not show up. Her husband has similar habits and shared goals and together they compete in obstacle course races. J.E. knows the power of having friends and family hold her accountable.

Even if we put our workout, meditation, self-improvement related activities on our to do list or calendar many of us are far too willing to break a commitment to ourselves. If we have a friend or partner that we are accountable to we are more likely to not want to disappoint them so we show up. Most people are far more likely to maintain a new habit if they are accountable to a partner, coach or team. Personally, I am intrinsically motivated by a team environment. The thought of running a Spartan Race by myself sends my mind into excuse mode. If I am with a team, the commitment to others ensures I will be there to perform at my highest level.

At the office, choose a colleague, peer coach or mentor to help hold you accountable. Schedule regular meetings. By determining when, where and how it will be done your success rate will be substantially higher.

AEGIS LEARNING THE PATH FORWARD

Aegis Learning provides the tools needed to keep learning alive. The Aegis PATH is a series of emails delivered to you after you have completed a program. Each email will have Five Keys to continue to work on and remember to create the best application of skills possible. There is a self-assessment tool option with each email for you to assess where you are and create an action plan for where you want to be. Your supervisor, mentor or program sponsor will also be receiving a set of emails with discussion points and specifics of follow up. This feature will keep the learning and culture changing competencies in your organization alive.

It is up to you to connect the learning to action by understanding your motivations and creating habits that support successful leadership competencies. Let your accountability team support you. Continue to reassess and evaluate your progress and you will go from knowing to doing.

Teresa Lowry is a passionate advocate for learning, growth and generating real organizational change.
Fueling that passion are exceptional communication abilities, a great training room presence and the ability to connect with people successfully in mentoring and coaching. Personally, Teresa enjoys serving on several community boards, volunteering with non-profit community groups and, along with her husband, you will find her in the gym every morning working out and training for distance and obstacle races.

Aegis Learning Team Retreat 2017

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Planning to Provide You with Better Quality and Value

The Mount Charleston Lodge was the site of the 2017 Aegis Learning team retreat.

To the casual observer, the amount of laughter may indicate that it was nothing but fun and spirited interaction among team members who are also friends.  But the roaring of laughter was just a sign that real work was happening with a team that enjoys each others company immensely.

Using information we gathered from our external customer survey and our internal GAP/SWOT analysis, we have crafted a course for 2018 that will continue to add value and impact to our customers.  Look for 2018 to bring a set of beautifully designed online learning programs, regular webinars, podcasts and great diversity in our newsletter articles.  

Much more than just the technical planning, you will also benefit from many voices, diverse perspectives and incredible and different talents all focused in one direction and with singular, passionate purpose.  We are devoted to your success, to make better people and workplaces and to make a positive impact on the world in which we live.  

Did we mention we laughed a lot too.

Aegis CARES Update-November, 2017 Las Vegas Rescue Mission and Opportunity Village

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Helping to Make Our Community and World a Better Place

Aegis Cares was able to complete two projects this week with impact on our community.

A donation to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission with matching donations from Aegis Learning was delivered that will assist in feeding the homeless population during the holiday season.  The Las Vegas Rescue Mission serves both resident and non-resident homeless and poverty level near-homeless people in the Las Vegas valley by providing basic needs and long-term assistance in substance abuse recovery and life skills.

For the third consecutive year, the team at Aegis Learning is also supporting Opportunity Village by creating a tree for their Magical Forest event.  Opportunity Village consistently is rated the most admired charitable support organization in Las Vegas and provides job and life services to developmentally disadvantaged people.  

Thank you to all the Aegis Cares volunteers and supporters and a big thank you to Polly Walker from Aegis Learning for coordinating these giving events.  

#powerof1

#risetopurpose

Aegis Learning Cares
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Its Not What You Know

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Effective Leadership is About the People You Lead

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did but people will never forget how you made them feel.”      Maya Angelou

•  Effective leadership requires emotional intelligence.
•  People will remember how you make them feel.
•  Emotions drive attitudes and beliefs. Attitudes and beliefs drive behavior.

By Teresa Lowry

You are ready to debate me, aren’t you? You are saying to yourself: Of course, it’s what I know that matters! Here it is: Your education and your technical expertise will only carry you so far. If you want to be an effective leader you must have good emotional intelligence.

Let’s say you have a cause, mission or issue that is important to you that you are passionate about. Maybe it is Hurricane Relief, Mental Health Reform, Veterans Health Care, Preventing Animal Cruelty. You want people to join you. You need them to follow you and act. You need their time, talent and treasure. How do you as a leader inspire people to show up for you, answer your call and be there when you need them?

Make an Emotional Connection to a Shared Vision

There you are at your headquarters prepared with all the statistics, data and real-life stories about your cause. This is an important step to complete. And yet you are sitting there all alone. Ok, your two best friends showed up. We love our BFF’s and they’ll do anything to help us out. But it’s going to take more than two people to have a meaningful impact.

You want to be a leader on this issue. You want people to follow you. You need people to show up for you. To do this you have to connect with them on an emotional level. It’s not going to be what you know. Your influence as a leader will be based on your emotional intelligence which includes your communication skills and ability to create relationship depth with the people you want to lead.

Leadership is about connecting with people. Your success is going to depend on your ability to connect with and influence people. This is accomplished through building relationships. Lasting relationships require constant communication and emotional intelligence. Daniel Goleman in his book “Emotional Intelligence” reminds us that when dealing with people you are not dealing with logic but rather with emotions. The emotional brain responds to an event more quickly than the thinking brain. When you communicate you want to make an emotional connection to a shared vision.

Communicate to Inspire Others

Each time you speak, your goal will be to leave your potential team members with a positive feeling and desire to communicate with you again. Communication should be in person. People will remember how you make them feel when you speak with them. Do you leave them feeling inspired and hopeful? Do you leave them feeling understood and important? People migrate to more positive and empathetic people. People stay more connected to positivity. Charisma and charm follow emotional positivity. By managing your emotional composition, you can cultivate charisma. LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner gets it when he says “a manager will tell someone what to do and a leader inspires them to do it”. Emotions drive attitudes and beliefs. Attitudes and beliefs drive behavior. Inspire people and you will move them to action on behalf of your shared mission and vision.

It’s Not About You

It goes without saying that you will know the name and some personal information about everyone you hope to have on your team. You should know their connection to your cause. When they tell you their story, listen attentively. Make them feel like the only person in the room. No looking at your phone, laptop or the door. Everyone has a story. Let people tell you why they want to work for your cause. For some of you the challenge will be to listen and not talk about yourself. For others, the challenge will be to open up and share something about yourself and make that heartfelt connection. Emotional intelligence is when you finally realize it’s not all about you. Your connection to your people will be emotional. Let them remember that you made them feel important, understood and optimistic.

Keep Them on the Team with Gratitude

Once you establish the shared connection to your cause and inspire people to follow your lead you want them to stay with you for the long haul. As you continue to share their stories, listen to them and make them feel valued you will see a high degree of success. To keep them showing up will also require large doses of appreciation and gratitude. Praise them. Often and sincerely. “Don’t forget. A person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.” H. Jackson Brown understood this. I think you all ready knew this because you know how good you feel when someone appreciates you.

Now go connect, inspire and lead well. From me to you: Thank you in advance for making the world a better place.

Teresa Lowry is a passionate advocate for learning, growth and generating real organizational change.
Fueling that passion are exceptional communication abilities, a great training room presence and the ability to connect with people successfully in mentoring and coaching. Personally, Teresa enjoys serving on several community boards, volunteering with non-profit community groups and, along with her husband, you will find her in the gym every morning working out and training for distance and obstacle races.

The Yin and Yang of Organizational Performance

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Develop a Balance Between People and Process for Success

Leadership, Customers, Strategy, Knowledge Management, Workforce and Operations are the primary components of an organizational management system (The Baldridge Performance Framework). The approach, deployment and integration of these components vary greatly from business to business. Take a moment and think about what these components look like in your organization, and how (or if) they work together.

In Chinese philosophy, Yin and Yang describes how seemingly opposite forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent. The components of the Yin and Yang represent perfect balance. If we apply the Yin and Yang approach to our management system, the components will be divided into two primary categories: People and Processes.

Processes (Yin)
• Strategy
• Knowledge Management
• Operations

People (Yang)
• Leadership
• Workforce
• Customers

But are both “sides” of the management system considered equally? As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, I was taught that processes should be the focus because they comprise around 80-85% of organizational problems. But if you don’t hire and train people correctly…or you don’t have the right leadership in place to guide those people…or if don’t know what makes your customers are happy, all your focus on process is for naught and the “balance” of your organization will be off. And, conversely, if you are only focusing on people and not integrating and improving your processes, the organization will not have structure and controls and, therefore, never be able to achieve its goals and objectives.

Many business cultures and leaders choose one side or the other of the Yin and Yang to focus on. They are either “touchy-feely” and focused on the “people” aspects, or they are extremely policy and procedure driven and focus on the “process” aspects. Some folks are more comfortable with structure and others are more comfortable with what I like to call “the feels”.

The Yin and Yang of Organizational Performance helps us visualize and remember that people and processes are interconnected and, therefore, both “sides” should be a priority. It’s a “50/50”, balanced proposition that will help improves organizational performance. Only when leaders focus on ALL six components of the system (Leadership, Customers, Strategy, Knowledge Management, Workforce and Operations) can they truly begin to improve. And the better these systems function and integrate with one another, the more high-performing an organization will become.

Polly Walker is a talented facilitator, coach and expert in process improvement.  As the chief innovation officer for Aegis Learning, Polly produces many of the new ideas and creative solutions for workplace learning programs and their delivery.

Ms. Walker has two master’s degrees and has worked with some of the biggest client projects for Aegis Learning.  She is also our Townie and constantly optimistic.

Sparking a Culture of Change and Innovation

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Four Almost Easy Tips to Spark a Culture of Change and Innovation

Innovation.

What does it mean to you and what does it mean to your customers, your team members and your business? Contrary to popular belief, innovation isn’t coming up with a brand new idea never before seen on the planet. Simply put, innovation is the process of translating an idea or best practice into a solution that either fulfills a business need or solves a specific problem. It can even include identifying and utilizing a best practice from another organization and “molding” it into your business environment. Yes, you heard right. Basically, “borrowing” ideas from other organizations is a form of innovation.

So if it is so important to our companies and our customers, why are leaders so bad at cultivating innovation in their organizations? In 2008, McKinsey & Company conducted a survey of 600 global executives and found that 64 percent of senior executives are generally disappointed in their ability to stimulate innovation. 64 percent. Think about all the missed opportunities!

The good news is that leaders can (and should) help create an environment that sparks innovation and change in their organization. Here are 4 almost-easy tips to help drive innovation:

1. Foster Trust and Build Culture: Communicate. Communicate. Communicate. Encourage folks to speak up and give their suggestions. Ask questions and create innovative environments. No negative repercussions if the idea isn’t the greatest thing since sliced bread.

2. Tap customers: Customers know what they want. Ask them. Focus groups and surveys are great ways to get actionable ideas and feedback.

3. Create an Idea Program: Implement a formal avenue that provides an avenue for team members to submit suggestions and circumvent “normal” channels. Give everyone an opportunity to participate, and respond to ALL suggestions (even the ones that aren’t moving forward). Recognize implemented ideas.

4. Implement Innovation Workgroups: Identify and mobilize innovative, engaged team members to attack specific problems and provide solutions through brainstorming and process improvement. Frame the opportunity or challenge as finite as possible to get them started. Give them a structured timeline and team lead, and watch them go!

Innovation is more than just a buzzword. It is thinking creatively and taking action to improve your business. As a leader, you can help drive innovation and spark a culture of change that will positively impact your customers, your team members and your organization. It is almost easy.

Polly Walker is a talented facilitator, coach and expert in process improvement.  As the chief innovation officer for Aegis Learning, Polly produces many of the new ideas and creative solutions for workplace learning programs and their delivery.

Ms. Walker has two master’s degrees and has worked with some of the biggest client projects for Aegis Learning.  She is also our Townie and constantly optimistic.