by Shawn | Mar 18, 2021 | Podcast
Automation is a huge buzzword these days. It saves you time and money. It frees you up to do new things. And there’s another surprise benefit that comes with it. Find out what that is in today’s episode.
Automation is a big word these days.
I mean… it’s always been a big word, really. At least compared to smaller words like, you know, “donut” … “car” …… “mask”.
But regardless of the number of physical letters, automation is a big word because of what it implies.
And for good reason. To automate means to cut unnecessary time out of a process or to improve quality or to free your team up to do other things.
There is a lot of good that comes with automation. And we’ll talk about different aspects of that in future episodes.
But today I wanted to talk about one big benefit that comes from the actual process of implementing automation.
That benefit is standardization. (Yeah, I know. Another big word 🙂
What do I mean by that?
Well, I’ve seen this story play out time and again…. A company is trying to cut costs. They say “hey, let’s automate that process”.
Everyone agrees that this is a good idea.
They get quotes on what it will cost and compare to what it is costing them now. The risks, the benefits. And they give it the green light.
Then they start to get into it.
And a few steps in is when it happens.
The questions. The confusion. The lack of standardization.
That’s because automation requires rules. It requires answers. Consistency.
And what often happens is that the process of implementing automation reveals the lack of clear rules and guidelines.
All of a sudden you find out that the only way that you’ve been able to make your product currently is because your team members usually make some tweaks or decisions to make it work, or there is some tribal knowledge about a process that requires intervention each time.
For an example, let’s pretend you have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich operation and you want to automate it.
You hire a company to automate the process for you.
Simple, right? Bread, peanut butter, jelly. Done.
Not so fast.
“What kind of bread? Where is it kept? Is it OK to use the butt of the bread? What if the slice has a hole in it? “
“Where should the sandwich be assembled?”
“What kind of peanut butter? Where can we find it? How much on the slice of bread? Should it go all the way to the edges?”
“What kind of jelly?… “
You get the picture.
The questions may seem annoying or obvious, but usually they help you fill in communication or procedural gaps as well as irregularities in upstream deliverables. You may not have realized until automating that there were so many exceptions.
And it is often those exceptions, those unwritten rules, those decisions that only Bob knows how to make and… well… Bob’s not here today.
So, along with the known benefits of automation, the standardizing that happens in the process (or, even better, beforehand) is really one of the true wins of automation.
Because then, going forward, there is a much clearer set of steps, rules and decisions in place for the next process that comes your way.
And that, to use a smaller word, is awesome.
If you’ve been enjoying these episodes, I’d love it if you took a moment to share them with a friend. It helps me reach even more business leaders and make a bigger impact. You could share a screenshot from your podcast player or just send them to shawnwashburn.com.
Thank you so much.
by Shawn | Mar 17, 2021 | Podcast
Have you ever cooked pancakes?
At our house, we love making things from scratch when we can, but we’ve also used those pre-made mixes as well.
The images on the side of the box just make my mouth water. That huge stack of pancakes with the butter slightly melting on top and the syrup slowly dripping down along all of the edges and ending a pool of brown sugary goodness on the plate.
So, you open the box, measure out the mix, add water, mix together in a bowl and there you go. Pancakes. Right?
Well, for some reason, that creamy liquid in the bowl doesn’t quite resemble what I see on the package.
Why?
Because they aren’t pancakes… yet.
They obviously still need to be cooked on a skillet to become that delicious meal that you’ve already imagined devouring in your mind.
Yet.
I’ve really come to love that word.
I love it because, with just three little letters it packs an incredible punch.
It speaks of potential, of what could be. It breaks through barriers, both mental and physical.
Yet is a powerful word and should be added into our vocabulary more often.
Think of any of the barriers or limitations that you feel in your business. Many of them may feel definitive. They may just feel like how things are now and how they’re going to be in the future. There might be even a hopelessness regarding any change to the what things will look like down the road.
Maybe you’re struggling with a team member who just isn’t grasping something. A skill. A company value. Communication. You’re starting to believe that it’s just not going to work out with them.
And maybe you’re right. If you’ve done your due diligence and gone out of your way to try to understand and help, it’s possible that they just aren’t a good fit.
But before you throw in the towel, try using “yet” a little bit more in your company language.
Instead of “she just isn’t able to make rate”, add “…yet” at the end. And let yet guide you with questions like “what would have to happen to get her there?”. Maybe it’s a training issue. Maybe some miscommunication. Maybe struggles at home. If she has the desire, yet opens the door to further explore what might be missing.
Yet is like a foot that keeps a door from closing. It forces us to rethink, to explore, to question. Maybe it’s your people, maybe it’s a machine or process or software that isn’t cutting it right now.
Before you give up on it, let yet give you the push to dig a little deeper.
And in pushing deeper, you might, indeed find that the door should be shut. But you’ll have given yourself the chance to exhaust all options first with the hope that there is still value there that can be unearthed.
So where can you use yet this week? As you look at the challenges you’re facing, try adding it more into your vocabulary and see how it shifts the conversation.
As for those pancakes, they aren’t totally eaten… yet. But if you don’t hurry up and grab the last stack they will be.
I hope you’ve been getting value from these episodes. If you have, I’d love it if you left a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite player. It truly means a lot and lets me help even more people. Thanks so much.
Thanks for listening to today’s episode.
by Shawn | Mar 16, 2021 | Podcast
What do you think of when you hear the word waste?
There are certainly a bunch of different images that could come to mind. For whatever reason, for me, the image of food on a plate that wasn’t finished seems to come to the surface.
Maybe that’s because as kids it was ironed into us that we better finish everything on our plates so that we don’t waste food.
And then as parents we grab that baton and continue the tradition with our own kids.
It could be the kid who asks for a huge serving and then barely touches it. Or the one who is battling to the end to win the fight against the evil broccoli cheddar soup… remind me to tell that story one day.
There’s really only one food that I’m OK wasting. Liver.
Yep, that slimy, foul-smelling cooked organ… that somehow my father-in-law loved. I’ve never understood that.
But for anyone else, if I served that onto your plate you are more than welcome to immediately walk over and scrape it into the garbage. Yuck. Even mentioning the word makes my stomach churn.
There are, of course, lots of other images that come to mind when we think of waste. I’m sure you can think of several within your business that you could list off right now.
And when we’re talking about work, elimination of waste truly is at the heart of becoming more efficient and doing more with what you have.
In the manufacturing world, there is a popular system of thinking known as Lean Manufacturing. There is a lot to it (and we’ll be digging into many of the aspects of it in future episodes), but at its heart is the concept of seeking to eliminate waste… in all of its forms.
Now, it’s that last part that has been interesting to me, working to implement Lean Manufacturing concepts for years. Because in manufacturing they have identified eight main areas of waste.
Each business is different and yours will be different from so many others.
But digging into these eight types is an exercise that will uncover waste that you didn’t even know existed. Waste that you wouldn’t have even classified as waste.
So, here are the eight types of waste:
– Defects (product or service that doesn’t meet customer expectations)
– Overproduction (making more than customer demand)
– Waiting (could be in a process or anywhere)
– Unused Talent (so much untapped potential here)
– Transportation (moving products unnecesarily)
– Motion (unecessary movement by people)
– Inventory (excess that isn’t processed)
– Extra Processing (more work or higher quality than needed)
We’ll go deeper into these later, but each is a way to help you look at your business with a different lens and spot the wastes hiding in the shadows. So often, the issue is maybe just misindentification. Waste that went undetected or was seen as necessary or just the way things are.
One warning about Lean thinking and implementation: it is not for the faint of heart. If you really want to dig into these ideas and let them bring change to your company, toes will be stepped on, feelings possibly hurt, long-held ideas and systems challenged.
But in the end, you’ll be better for it and can become more trimmed down and able to withstand the storms and grow in the process.
As for withstanding a plate of liver…. that might take a much bigger effort. Good luck with that one.
Thanks for listening to today’s episode.
I can’t wait to connect with you again tomorrow
by Shawn | Mar 15, 2021 | Podcast
Humans are wired in pretty unique, amazing ways. One of those is the different ways in which we receive love. Find out why understanding your love language and the languages of your team members is so important. And find out more about the Five Love Languages at 5lovelanguages.com
We were made to be loved. Each one of us.
You. Me. Your family. Friends. Team members. The Amazon Prime driver. Even… the person who cut you off in traffic… that you “loved” with your horn and a hand signal.
Each one of us has been designed with a deep desire to be loved, appreciated, valued, needed and so much more.
I love the visual that I first heard about from my daughter’s school years ago.
They talked about being a bucket filler in the lives of others, pouring into their bucket as we loved them in various ways.
But have you ever wondered why some of your efforts to show love or appreciation might fall flat on one person but be gobbled up by another?
Or maybe you’ve experienced tension with a spouse or friend who has been trying to show you love… but you’re just not feeling it.
Years ago, I first heard about a concept that has been transformational in my life and in the lives of so many others.
It is the idea of love languages.
Now, I’m sure there have been variations of the concept dating back through history, but I love how Dr. Gary Chapman pulled it all together in his book The Five Love Languages.
After reading that book, it was like I saw everything in a totally different light. So much made sense about me, about others. About my wife and kids. Friends. Coworkers.
You see, Dr. Chapman explains that there are five fundamental ways that we give and receive love, and that we have a few primary love languages and then some that aren’t as pronounced. You can find out more at his website 5lovelanguages.com
Here are the five: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time and Physical Touch.
The whole thing is actually pretty amazing when you start to dig into it. Almost like looking at a secret code with special lenses and seeing what you couldn’t see before… even though it was right in front of you.
For each of us, one or two of these will be the main ways that we receive or feel love best, whereas the others might not pack the same punch.
For example, I’m a big Words of Affirmation and Physical Touch guy. So, for me, words of genuine appreciation or praise (and I emphasize the word genuine here – I despise ata boys) go a long way to fill my bucket. Just below that would be physical touch. And that could be a hug, fist bump, an arm on the shoulder, etc.
But the other languages don’t carry as much weight. I love spending time with people I care about, I like when someone does something nice for me and I like getting gifts. But for whatever reason, none of those fill my bucket like the top two.
Then, there is the flip side – how we give love the best. Sometimes it’s the same languages that we like to receive. Other times it’s different. Think about which of those five really make you come alive when you’re wanting to show someone else you care about them. Maybe it’s writing a note of encouragement, doing something for them in secret, buying the perfect gift, just being with them or holding them.
The bottom line is that this is a huge concept to grasp and can transform your relationships at home, at work and elsewhere.
At work, once you understand better how your team members and coworkers receive love best, it not only helps you get to know them on a deeper level but it also helps you maximize your efforts to appreciate them using the languages that really resonate with each one.
So, a great place to start is for you to take the love language quiz at 5lovelanguages.com. It will give you an idea of what your top languages are and help you better understand yourself.
Then, you could try having some of your team members take one as well and discuss your findings.
I think you’ll find it pretty eye-opening and putting this new knowledge into practice can go a long way to helping hang on to quality people as well as create a culture that attracts new talent as well.
by Shawn | Mar 12, 2021 | Podcast
Business doesn’t have to be boring. Let’s have some fun with it. Today is the first installment from my Ode to the Office series, lifting up the virtues of Sticky Notes. Enjoy.
So, I told you I was a little different, right? We talkedabout that already?
You know, like how I love to write, create, have fun with the world… and how that flows into business, engineering, manufacturing, and office life?
Well, over the years I’ve created what I call Odes to the Office. Fun observations about daily work life. I thought I’d share them here and there on this podcast as a way to have a little fun and relax together.
Today, we honor… the Sticky Note
ODE TO THE STICKY NOTE
Like a bright yellow canvas, adhesively-backed
You beckon to us from the top of the stack
you say “Fill me with notes about tasks that need doing
Or doodle a picture of someone canoeing”
And so that we don’t forget what we were thinking
You store all our thoughts on your pad, ripe for inking
Each note a reminder to get something finished
“Call Bob”, or “Buy pencils” or “Pick up some spinach”
Without you, we’re left on our own to remember
“When was that meeting, the one in September?”
Our minds just can’t hold all those details intact
Yet you do it with ease and you keep us on track
So thank you for helping us get our work done
When it comes to assistants, you’re our #1
Right by our side there on top of our desk
Let it be here noted “Sticky notes are the best!”
by Shawn | Mar 11, 2021 | Podcast
Names are such an amazing thing. Knowing and using someone’s name can make a huge impact on your interactions and how you convey value. Take the extra time and effort to do this simple little thing and you’ll find that it will change you as well as strengthen your relationships with your team.
I’ve got a little secret.
Although my given name is Shawn, the universe knows me as Scott.
Let me explain.
I have no idea why, but for at least a few decades, maybe most of my working life, people have called me Scott. Lots of people. From all areas of life. Whether I’ve known them a long time or not.
Granted, there have been some times in my life when I’ve had a Scott in my circle and I can see how someone ELSE in that circle might have name-slipped because our names both start with S, maybe we look similar, whatever. Some examples are my cousin Scott who’s almost the same age and grew up with me and more recently a coworker who I’ve worked closely with.
So, those I can understand a little bit, even though I find it odd that it doesn’t happen with other names that I’ve been close with, like any Steves or Johns.
But here’s how it works… over and over again.
Person I just met and introduced myself to as Shawn: “So, Scott, do you think that… blah blah blah”
or
Person I’ve known for years: “Hey Scott, did you find out that answer to my question?…”
It’s almost like there is a Scott inside of me trying to get out and everyone knows it but me.
It’s gotten so that I almost don’t correct people anymore.
“What your name?”
“Shawn… S-h-a-… you know what, you can just call me Scott. You’re going to eventually anyway”
p
All of this aside, I’m a big believer in the power of a name.
There’s just something intangible to knowing someone’s name.
Think of someone you just met at a store or a friend of a friend or even a new team member in your business.
If you meet someone new like that, if you don’t know they’re name it’s like you’re missing a huge piece of connection. It actually makes it awkward.
You can address them by some kind of a pet name like “bud” or “champ”, but until you know their name there is sort of an invisible wall between the two of you.
As a business leader, I think there are a few key things you can do to really help build into your team and also build strong connections within your team team as well.
First, make it a point to learn names. Even if there are new people that aren’t specifically in your area or department, if you are able to, learn names. Either directly from them or by looking up their info on an announcement or whatever.. I’m horrible with remembering names but I’ve found that having them tell me something interesting about them does help me lock it into my memory.
I know a CEO who is excellent at this and has flash cards that he has at his desk that he thumbs through to try to learn names. And it is amazing to have the head of the company, who you’ve maybe only met once if at all, greet you by name when they see you. There is something really special to that.
So, first off learn their name. Then use it when you talk to them. But please… please… not in some awkward name-overuse kind of way. And you know what I’m talking about:
“Well, Keith, it’s so great to meet you Keith. Keith, do you have any hobbies Keith? Keith, Keith Keith Keith Keith Keith…”
Yeah… don’t do that. Just a simple “Hey Carla, how are things going out here today” will work.
A final thing that makes a huge difference is to be a great connector.
When you’re with two people you know who don’t know each other, be the one to introduce them to each other.
Don’t let one of them stand there awkwardly while you talk to the other and feel like an outsider.
Break down those walls and help bring people together.
How about you today? How are you at learning and using the names of people in your organization. No doubt, it’s a skill we can all continue to work on. But one that is well worth our time if we want to build a strong culture of people who feel valued.
But, that’s just one Scott’s opinion….
