Coaching for Continuous Improvement presented at the ASQ World Conference on Quality and Improvement May 2016 Milwaukee - How to develop team members to be strong problem solvers

1. Coaching for Continuous
Improvement
David Hicks and Hank Czarnecki
Auburn University
HicksDP@Auburn.edu
LeanHank@auburn.edu

2. REASON TO COACH FOR
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
WHY?

3. History of LSS

4. Build a Continuous Improvement “House”
Stability & Standardization
Just-
In-Time
People
Built-
In-
Quality
Results – BEST
Quality-Cost-Delivery

5. Solve
Problems
Long Term Mutual Prosperity
Develop
People
Lean
Coaching
Developing
Problem
Solvers

6. REASON TO COACH FOR
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
WHY?
PROCESS TO DEVELOP PROBLEM
SOLVERS
HOW?

7. Piecing Together Transformation
People
Strategy
Culture
Change
Lean
Capability
PDCA
Thinking
Purpose
Process
Smart
Tactics
Shared
Vision
Empowerment &
Engagement

8. 4 Aspects of Coaching
Learner Coach Problem
Solving
Process
Development Plan

9. • Personal
Increase self knowledge
 Strength/weak points
• Interpersonal
Adapt your behavioral
style to others
Learn other’s styles
• Team
Facilitate better
teamwork
• Organization
Motivate effectively
Learner - PITO Model

10. Coach - Where’s My Sensei?
• Toyota has been successful at transplanting their plants
across the world, primarily by providing long-term coaches
(sensei's) to develop leaders who understand and use the
Toyota Production System
• Where’s my Sensei? Most of us don’t have the resources to
use this pattern.
• Steelcase has developed a Lean Management System that
develops leaders through active learning and practice.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then,
is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle

11. Problem Solving - Implementation Methods
Time
Improvement
A3 Projects
(PM/CI Dept)
Daily
(Kata)
Event
(Kaizen)

12. Reduce Difficulty By Defining Expectations
Relationships
Standards
(When/How)
Rules
Goals

13. REASON TO COACH FOR
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
WHY?
PROCESS TO DEVELOP PROBLEM
SOLVERS
HOW?
EXECUTING THE 4 ASPECTS OF COACHING
WHAT?

14. Learner - DiSC
Dominant
• Direct
• Decisive
• Driven
Interactive
• Inspirational
• Influential
• Intuitive
Supportive
• Sincere
• Steady
• Sympathetic
Conscientious
• Cautious
• Concise
• Correct
Active - Fast Paced - Verbal
Moderate - Even Paced - Reserved
People
Oriented
Task
Oriented
Be
EnthusiasticBe Confident
Be Logical Be Sincere
Style-Flex & Home Rule

15. Coaching - Shape the Behavior
“It is important for employees to be able to look at
the work they are performing and be able to
properly identify waste. Once the waste is spotted,
it is the responsibility of the team to improve the
process. The important thing is to teach people to
challenge problems and apply the process of
Kaizen. We need to foster the habit in employees
of trying to change things for the better.” -Ohno

16. Coaching AND Improvement
Inescapable Principle of Coaching
To help others develop their capability to think and solve
problems you have to:
Let them THINK -- -NOT Tell Them What To Think

17. Coaching Techniques
Not the Drill Sergeant (group- punish & yell)
Coach Learners One on One
NOT in Groups
• Each Learner will have different focus-
practice needs at different times
• Different Learners learn at different rates
• Different Learners learn in different ways
• Remember:
– If you suggest ideas, YOU OWN
– If you add to their idea, YOU OWN
– If you answer, YOU OWN
– If you analyze, YOU OWN
– If you direct, YOU OWN
– If you correct, YOU OWN

18. Freedom to Try (and Fail)
We learn through “failed” experiments, so coaches must create an
environment for experimentation
• Fail Fast
• Fail Safe
• Fail Cheap
Please expect and allow the learner to make small mistakes
These are important moments, from which the learner learns

19. Use the “1-2-3” Pattern of Teaching
Understand how the learner is thinking.
• Find Through Questioning:
– Actually know vs Assuming
– What they will do to learn
more
– What they don’t already
know
1
Not: What you would have done or the
correctness of their learning

20. Questions
If “managing” is
about thinking...
“leading” is about
getting other
people to think
Leading is about
getting other people to
take initiative
If improvement is about
taking responsibility
and initiative
How do you get team members to think?
and take initiative?
Ask Questions!
What Questions?

21. Questioning Skill
Asking Open-ended Questions
• Begin With:
Who, What, When, Where, Or How
• What do you see?
• What would you do?
• Allows the Learner to respond with whatever he/she knows
or is thinking
• Truly seek to understand what the Learner knows/sees
Use Silence:
• Allows Time to Think/Reflect
• Avoid Talking Too Much – Giving Too Much Information
• Puts Pressure to Talk – Give Information - Thoughts

22. Probing Questions to Stimulate Thought
Open/Probing Questions
• Tell me more
• What do you have in mind
• Go On …
• Tell me what is going on …
• So? Accompanied by an expectant look
• Can you give me some examples of that
• Can you give me some more details on what went on
• When did this last happen
• Have you told me everything
• What happened next
• What have you tried so far

23. Barriers
What discourages people from thinking and
taking responsibility?
•You, me or somebody rushes in to
give them the answer.
•It is more important to give them the
right question than the right answer.
Mr. Cho of Toyota

24. Using Toyota Kata to Develop People
Back of card - Reflection Section
Reflect on the Last Step Taken
Because you don't actually know
what the result of a step will be!
1) What was your Last Step?
2) What did you Expect?
3) What Actually Happened?
4) What did you Learn?
------------------------------>
Return
The Five Questions
1) What is the Target Condition?
2) What is the Actual Condition now?
--------(Turn Card Over)--------------------->
3) What Obstacles do you think are preventing
you from reaching the target condition?
Which *one* are you addressing now?
4) What is your Next Step? (next PDCA /
experiment) What do you expect?
5) When can we go and see what we
Have Learned from taking that step?
*You'll often work on the same obstacle for several PDCA cycles
Card is turned over to
reflect on the last step
The Five Questions foster a pattern of scientific
PDCA thinking & acting
© Mike Rother / Improvement Kata Handbook
• Simple Clarifying Questions Only
• Where’s the Threshold of Knowledge?

25. Engaging Learner in Solving Problems
Coaching Tasks:
• Is Learner practicing within Problem Solving Process?
• Are corrections necessary?
• Is Learner aware of their ideas, claims and assertions?
• Is thinking consistent with PDCA?
2 Are they following the process?
The Path to the target
condition is uncertain, but
the Problem Solving Process
is clear
Kata Thinking Guardrail
Kata Acting Guardrail

26. Thinking and Acting
• Kata Thinking Guardrail
– Overcome Obstacles through PDCA
experiments toward a Target Condition
– Expect? → Learn? → Leads to Next Step
– Improve Process AND Develop People
• Kata Acting Guardrail
– Rapid Single-Factor Experiments
– Daily Habit, Regular Schedule
– Using Five-Question Script

27. Keep Learner
thinking
Help Learner
succeed
Developmental Coaching Balancing Act
Don’t take over
the problem
solving thinking
Grow awareness if
outside of a sound
PDCA process
Introduce a course adjustment if necessary.3
Respect
for Learner
Options:
• Provide course correction inputs
• Allow learner to learn through small, safe
failure

28. It’s your job to make
your Learner
successful by giving
procedural support...
… and enjoying the
tug of the rope as he
strives ahead and
pulls you with him.
Purpose – Go to the workplace to find facts to make better
decisions, build consensus and develop people
Role of the Leader
1. Give Learner an expectation that they own
2. Let Learner think; let Learner try
3. Help Learner see
4. Force reflection
Challenge for the Coach

29. Adapt Coaching as the Learner Develops
Decisions
Process
Poor Excellent
Every
Step by
the rules
No
Rules
Needed
Novice
• No Judgement
• No Responsibility
Advanced Beginner
• Equal Problems
• Narrow View
Competent
• Solve New Problems
• Conceptual Understanding
Proficient
• System Thinking
• Big Picture
Expert
• Intuition
• Vision
Practice EXACTLY
• Technique
• Instruction
Personalize
• Consistent
• Coaching
Intuitive
• Supportive
• Counseling

30. Problem Solving Process - PDCA
Coach’s Job
Watch for Biases
• Assumptions
• Jumping to Solutions
Two Approaches
• Kata- Daily, Small
• 8 Step- Long, Big

31. Countermeasures versus Solutions
Our language as coaches sets an
example:
Why would a good coach say
“countermeasure” instead of “solution?”
The term “solution” implies we know a
complete and correct answer.
The term “countermeasure” sets the
expectation of experimentation and learning.

32. Its this... ...not this
Teaching the learner how to play
the continuous improvement game
•On the Same Team
•Each Play the Correct Role
Remember - Coaching Style
© Mike Rother / Improvement Kata Handbook
The Intention of Coaching is NOT AUDIT AND COMPLIANCE

33. Learning at the Knowledge Threshold
I DON’T
KNOW.
Let’s Go See.

34. Goal of Coaching
The coach is responsible
for teaching the
improvement pattern, and
for the results
The learner in
the gray
“UNKNOWN”
Knowledge
Threshold
The goal of coaching is for the learner to
recognize their knowledge threshold so they
are ready to learn from the next experiment.
Current
Condition
Target
Condition

35. Lessons Learned from Application - PDCA
• Frequency- Schedule coaching every day
• Discipline- Follow the process! The higher you
go in the organization, the more difficult it seems
to follow the process.
• Time Horizon- Set follow-up meetings frequently
and consistently.
– Small Scope
– Progressive coaching for longer tasks to keep
momentum and habits
• Reality- Practice on real problems.
• Coach – Right questions, not answers.

36. Summary
• Individualized Coaching & Learner
Development
• Coach Toward Learning, Not Answering
• Find the Knowledge Threshold
• Move Through Experimental Learning Toward
a Desired Goal
• Consistent, Repetitive Practice of Problem
Solving Process
• Daily Structured Practice Plan

37. Thank You!
David Hicks
Lean Specialist
HicksDP@Auburn.edu
Hank Czarnecki
LeanHank@Auburn.edu

38. APPENDIX

39. Coaching Essentials
• Take ownership & responsibility for the
development process
• Coach in the gemba on real problems
• Teach Learner to think and see by questions
• Teach (and model) not blaming individuals
• Teach to consult, inform, & seek buy-in
• Reflect on both good and bad results
• Write it down
• Review frequently (and consistently)
http://www.processexcellencenetwork.com/lean-six-sigma-business-transformation/columns/13-essentials-of-coaching-for-process-improvement/

40. PDCA Questions
• Plan (hypothesis):
What and why?
No: “What can be done?”
Yes: “What needs to be done?”
• Plan - Do: When?
No: “How fast can we do it?”
Yes: “When does it need to be done?”
• Check, Reflect: who, why?
No: “What did you do?”
Yes: “Why did you choose to do what you did?”
• Check – Act (Adjust): what, why?
Not just: “Did you get the results?”
But: “What did you learn?”

41. Develop Problem Solvers
Questioning Mind
?
And Think
Use Questions
Self
Awareness