Lean, Deming a the new Culture

Every company has motivations, as someone may say make money, others companies now a days think a lot about the Golden and Circle and the WHY, the arise of the PURPOSE MODE and make something that is good for the world and later make money.

I learned a great deal from Deming ideas and principles. This man was one of the best Gurus we ever had into the world. He was a Humanist and belive into very simple ideas like: People are Good, People want do great work and have proud on they jobs.  50 years ago the WASTE was around Manufacturing industry. That`s why deming work was around japan and us, around Toyota and other great companies.  IF Deming was here with us today most likely he would be working with IT because today this is where the WASTE lies. I found that funny because IT changes so fast and we still dont know how to deal with changes and cultural and behaviors changes.

Too Busy to Improve

That`s still the really of everybody. F Brooks got it in 1975. Companies still spend to much time doing things and few little time thinking about HOW TODO THINGS.  People started to think they got that but they stared with the wrong FEET because they tought thats was a PROCESS issue or a TOOLS problem.  In the end of the day was not a process and it never is, Deming was right all the time, is a Systems problem, and a system is COMPLEX, Cannot be fixed by a single isolated action, that`s where the CULTURE come to PLAY.

Demign knew that and create something called: The System of Profound Knowledge (SoPK). Surprisingly or not Deming was taking into account stuff like: Variation and Psychology. We approach change in IT in strange and flaw ways. Always looking a a quick answer, if you can buy it even better. Thats does not drive true changes and real improvements. 

Where your energy goes?

Often companies put lots of money on tooling but thats does not drive big changes. Great changes need to come from inside and only by changing values and mindsets and often thats never invested or even talked about explicit. Very few companies know hat they ARE and what they really want to BE.

Start with the principles

Deming view on was is a mature company is a hell of a great start. Check out his assumptions, they  are around simple ideas like: RESPECT, PROUD, TRUST, PEOPLE ARE GOOD. They system is bad, a bad system can get worst from people, a great system can get the BEST from people, change and manage the system not people.

There are several other Lean principles like, BUILT-IN Quality, Look the System as a WHOLE, Deice as Late as possible, Learn to See and remove WASTE. 

Whats is most important is to KNOW and practice this values day-by-day in a way that changes tour assumptions about the world, something like this: 

Your retrospectives and self-reflections not only change your plans but change your assumptions, they change your core values and change your view about PEOPLE and SOFTWARE.

The New Culture

Culture is the most important thing. Your company might have a BUSINESS WHY and thats the reason why you work for that company but them you will need you have your way todo this. There is no RULE GAME for culture or PROCESS BOOK for culture, this is something you need do for your self but you can incorporate lots of Lean thinking and Deming principles in your work to help you out to make better calls. 

Deal with the culture explicitly and accept what it is, is not based in COMMANDS, PROCESS or PLANS thats we change culture. WE do with several things like a SYSTEM for CHANGE where Coaching and Consultancy are key elements for change as much as Right Leadership and PASSION.

Cheers,

Diego Pacheco