Karyn Ross presented on how to coach for creativity and service excellence. She discussed that peak service experiences are what customers want now and organizations need to deliver. Creativity involves combining knowledge in new ways to solve problems differently. Coaching develops creativity and problem-solving skills better than traditional training by having learners try new things with support daily. Coaching questions using Toyota Way principles can help turn creative ideas into reality to improve customer service.

1. How to Coach for Creativity &
Service Excellence
Mark Graban (Host)
VP of Improvement & Innovation Services
Mark@KaiNexus.com
@MarkGraban
Karyn Ross (Presenter)
Co-Author, The Toyota Way to Service Excellence
karyn@karynrossconsulting.com
@KRCLean4Service

2. Agenda & Logistics
• Presentation (45 minutes)
• Q&A (10 minutes)
– Use the GoToWebinar
Meeting Panel to
submit a question at
any time
• Recording link & slides will be sent via email
– Also – see the “Handouts” feature and Chat box

3. About Karyn Ross
An experienced lean consultant, coach and
practitioner, Karyn is the coauthor, with Jeff Liker,
of the Shingo Award-winning The Toyota Way to
Service Excellence: Lean Transformation in Service
Organizations. Focused specifically on services,
Karyn has worked with small, medium and large
organizations in sectors as diverse as insurance,
financial services, HR, transportation and retail.
Using her unique approach, Karyn teaches people
how to combine creativity with lean practices to
ensure that every customer receives exactly what
they want, when they want it, right the first time
with a personal, human touch. A practicing artist,
with an MFA in Sculpture, Karyn lives with her
family in Naperville, Illinois.

4. • Service Excellence: What it
is…and...isn’t
• What creativity is...and isn’t
• Why we need to change ‘what we
do’ in order to ‘change our
minds’
• 15 minutes a day...to develop
creative-problem solving and
critical thinking ability
• How to use creativity and The
Toyota Way to Service
Excellence to deliver peak
services for customers

5. üLean processes
üWhat they want,
when they want it,
right the first time
with no hassle!
üLuxury
experiences at
coach prices!
üSame or lower price than
competitor
üCaring, human,
personal, real
connections
ü I’m not a machine, I’m a
human being
They want it all – and they want it their way - NOW!
“Peak Service Experiences”

6. They never want to hear the words…
“I can’t…”

7. Creativity is combining previous
knowledge and/or experiences in new ways
to generate ideas about how to do things
differently.
And…YOU are creative! (Oh yes, YOU are!)
• What creativity is not…
• Flashes of ‘inspiration’ that come out of nowhere…
• Lightning bolts that come down from the sky…
• Something that ‘happens to’ other people but not me...
The Karyn Ross definition of creativity:

8. Solving Problems &
Continuous Improvement
Creating Peak Services
for Customers
“Necessity is the
mother of invention”
“Invention is the
mother of necessity”
• Internally & short-term focused
• Asks questions like: How can we
increase customer satisfaction
scores? How can we reduce number
of complaints?
• Customer & long-term focused
• Asks questions like: How can we
make sure that no customer ever
leaves? How can we make sure
customers are always satisfied?

9. Training
• Theory first…change people’s minds
by ‘convincing’ them of benefits...
• Batching: All theory up front at once!
• Convergent Thinking:
• Same response each time
• ‘Either/Or’ Thinking
• Can’t Do…Thinking
• Learning by ‘doing with support’:
coachee changes their own mind!
• Just-in-time: Theory at time needed
• Divergent Thinking:
• Multiple possibilities
• ‘And’ Thinking
• Can Do…Thinking!
Coaching

10. Daily 15 minute sessions
• Coach ‘challenges’ learner to try new things
• Learner feels supported and ‘nurtured’ as they try!
Coaching for Creativity:
Generate ideas & develop “And” & “Can Do” thinking
• Coaching question examples:
• How could we accomplish that?
• What other possibilities are there?
• How could we combine these ideas?
Coaching for Service Excellence:
Use Toyota Way/Lean Principles to turn ideas into
reality
• Coaching question examples:
• How does that idea help create flow?
• How can we make it visual?

11. The story of how the
guys at National Taxi
Limo used creativity
and Toyota Way
Principles to create
and deliver what
their driver partners
needed!

12. ü Peak services are what today’s customers
want…and...today’s organizations need to deliver!
• Service Excellence is focused on creating and delivering the
services our customers want now and for the long-term
• Creativity is about combining previous knowledge and
understanding in new and unusual ways
• In order to ‘change our thinking’ we need to ‘change our
behavior’ first!
• 15 minutes of coaching a day develops people’s creativity and
ability to use Toyota Way/lean principles to strive towards
Service Excellence!

13. www.karynrossconsulting.com
karyn@karynrossconsulting.com
630-881-3068
Reach out with questions at any time!
I’m always here to help!

14. Announcements
(Then Q&A)

15. Our Next Webinar
"Personal Leadership at the
Nexus of Lean and Zen"
– Kevin Meyer
– Tuesday April 25, 1 PM ET
• KaiNexus.com/webinars

16. Ask Us Anything!
• Mark Graban & Dr. Greg Jacobson
• Next Episode April 4, 1 pm ET
• Register & submit questions via
http://kainexus.com/webinars
• Past episodes available
on YouTube

17. Other Resources
www.KaiNexus.com

18. Podcasts
• www.KaiNexus.com/podcasts
• Subscribe via:
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– Stitcher

19. Thanks!
• Web:
– www.kainexus.com
– blog.kainexus.com
– www.karynrossconsulting.com
• Webinars on Demand:
– www.kainexus.com/webinars
• Social Media:
– www.twitter.com/kainexus
– www.linkedin.com/company/kainexus
– www.facebook.com/kainexus
@MarkGraban
Mark@KaiNexus.com
Karyn Ross
karyn@karynrossconsulting.com
@KRCLean4Service