Richard Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations and Author of "Joy, Inc., How we Built a Workplace People Love", along with James Morgan, Senior Adviser at the Lean Enterprise Institute, share their knowledge on how to make Great Products through Great People and a Lean Development System!

1. The Joy of A Lean Development
SYSTEM
Great Products through Great People
James Morgan Richard Sheridan
Senior Advisor CEO, Chief Storyteller
Lean Enterprise Institute Menlo Innovations

2. A Lean System for Development
• Let’s not overcomplicate things:
Gall’s Law
A complex system that works is invariably found to have
evolved from a simple system that worked. A complex system
designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up
to make it work. You have to start over with a working simple
system.
– Dr. John Gall (1975, Systemantics: How Systems Work and Especially
How They Fail)

3. The Recipe for Great Lean
Development Culture
• Ingredients for a Lean Development System
– People
– Process
– Tools
First and foremost it is people. They are the
heart of the system. Process and tools alone
won’t give you what you need for an effective
system that will deal with the unanticipated.

4. Fit for Culture
• If we believe people are the central part of
creating a better system, we must change:
– Recruiting
– Interviewing
– Selection
– Onboarding
– Mentoring and growing
• For an intentional culture,
we need a system for “fit”.

5. The Great Inhibitors
• What prevents effective lean transformation?
1. Chaos
2. Bureaucracy
3. Fear
• In addition to these, a “shiny object”
preoccupation with the latest tools or process.

6. Lean = Eliminating Waste… not really
• In a healthy transition, creating value is the
focus…waste elimination is a by-product, not
the goal.
• Making eliminating waste the singular focus:
– Misses the true opportunity
– Creates wrong measurements
– Generates fear
– Stalls progress

7. People and structure – Yes!
• Successful transformations are people-centric
• Good transformations create structure –
– Simple
– Repeatable
– Measurable
– Visible
• Based on human relationships
• Focused on increasing human energy!

8. Norm – Continuous Improvement
• Shared beliefs yield care and stewardship
• Passion feeds experimentation
• Safety speeds honest feedback
• Lack of fear yields transparency
• Problems won’t disappear
– Problems are exposed sooner
– Corrected quickly without histrionics
• Pursuit of perfection – it’s the journey

9. Develop People and Products
Simultaneously
• Make people development a fundamental
part of how work is done every day – learning
at the gemba
• Use rigorous design reviews to
develop people and products
• Build mastery and collaboration
• People development is the primary
responsibility of leadership
• So, what are your priorities?

10. Safety over Fear!
• If fear is pumped out, people feel safe, then –
– Trust forms
– Collaboration begins
– Teamwork emerges
– Innovation, Creativity, Imagination result

11. Foster Safety – How?
• Culture
– Make it obvious
– Reinforce it top to bottom
– Over-communicate it
– Express it physically and emotionally
• Authentic culture: A shared-belief system
– Common sense
– Passionate advocacy
– Supported by stories
• Cultures of safety starts with leadership …

12. Lean on leadership, not authority
• Influence & Inspiration - not Control
• Provide context – the “why”
• Focus on personal growth for every team
member
• Decision-making at the point of need
– Eliminates the waste of waiting
– Bottlenecks evaporate
• Feeds human energy

13. Examples
• Menlo Innovations
– No hierarchy
– Filled with human energy
– Structure, not bureaucracy
• Toyota
• Ford Motor Company - Body & Stamping

14. Come and see us in Austin!
• Learn how the joy of making people the center
of your LPPD System can transform your
products and culture…
September 14 and 15
Hyatt Regency
Austin TX
Click here for complete agenda and registration
DAY 1
DAY 2