organizational systems

This is the fourth blog in the series on deer hunting and Lean, Ergonomics (Human Factors, Six Sigma and Systems Thinking (L.E.S.S.).

In my last blog I explained how a couple of Lean principles are used pre and post-hunt.  Well, those same principles can be used once the hunter arrives in the woods.  As a reminder, two of the primary principles Lean are to reduce waste and non-value added activities.  The goal of hunting is to spend as much time as possible hunting, i.e. in the stand/blind, and minimize the time spent on preparation.

Final pre-hunt preparation

Productivity and efficiency—two buzz words that are talked about and heard continually from large to small businesses.  Why?  The productivity and efficiency of people and operations can make or break a business.  Unfortunately we can’t snap our fingers and make high productivity happen all by itself.  However, significant improvements are common when you apply the right principles, guidelines and tools to your business systems and processes.

This is the final blog in the 4 part series on the 4 M’s to effective ergonomics systems.  The 4^th M stands for Momentum!  Momentum or energy is continually needed to drive the system on a continual basis.  First, momentum is needed in you (me) both inwardly and outwardly.  The keys to inward momentum are:

This is the third part out of four in the article series on the 4 M’s to effective and sustainable ergonomics systems.   The third M stands for Mindset.  According to the Merriam Webster’s online dictionary, mindset means “mental inclination, tendency, or habit”.  Another definition is offered by thefreedictionary.com, “A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person’s responses to and interpretations of situations.”  Mindset is the third key principle on which successful ergonomics systems are built.  One must determine whose mindset must be understood. 

This is the second of the 4 part blog series on the 4 M’s to Effective Ergonomics Systems in the Short and Long Term.  The second “M” is Marketing.  By marketing I mean that the ergonomics systems and associated projects should have a brand.  Consider the following:  What company name comes to mind based on the following:  a Swoosh and the tagline “Just Do It”?  Or what company comes to mind if I tell you the logo is a red bullseye?  If you said Nike and Target you’d be correct.  What about the company you work for?  Does it have a brand—a logo and/or tagline?

I was at a business association meeting recently when I sat down at a table with 5 other attendees.

There recently was a short article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune in which a nursing home was cited for neglect in a resident’s death.  In reading the information contained in the article I think a better, more accurate way to state the problem instead of neglect would have been to cite the nursing home for a breakdown in their resident care system.  I see a lack of a systems approach using human factors for resident care.  For if one was in place the death of the resident could have been prevented.

Are you involved in running a business or “program” within a business such as Lean, Ergonomics, Process Improvement, Safety, Quality, Operations, …you get the idea?  If so, what is your goal?  Often I hear people say something similar to the following, “I want an effective and sustainable fill-in-the-blank program”.

I’m attending and presenting at ASSE Safety 2012 this week.  The speaker of one session I attended yesterday said something that really got my attention.  He was talking about how to influence employee behavior in order to achieve better safety performance.  He was explaining that it is difficult to get employees to behave safely.  Then he said this, “We (meaning safety professionals) have to admit that it is harder (for employees) to work safer than not.”  I was taken aback from that statement.  Working safely shouldn’t be harder than working unsafe–unless, of course, the work environment,

Over the remainder of the year I’m going to blog about some of the lessons I’ve learned through the years through practicing, facilitating and consulting on ergonomics, lean and process improvement.  Today is the first blog in this series on “Lessons Learned”.