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 10, 2021 | Podcast
Some words just cost more than others. And “should” is one of the most expensive because almost everywhere it’s used you’ll find waste and loss of time and money. Everywhere you find “should” in communication this week, take a deeper dive. You’ll find a world of opportunity there to close gaps and make things better.
“What happened last night?” I asked him as we both stared at the cage of scrap parts from the night before.
“They didn’t change over to the right setup,” he replied.
“Do… you know why?” I asked as my mind was trying to dig deeper into the dilemma.
“No. They should have known it was the wrong setup for that job,” came the reply
“Did they have the right information?” I asked.
“They should have been able to look it up in the book,” he said.
“What I don’t understand,” I interjected “is why this didn’t get caught in the initial quality check. They should have noticed it there.”
Should… is an expensive word.
I’ve found that whenever “should” shows up in a conversation, somewhere there was a gap in a process, documentation or communication. Somewhere, the ball was dropped.
Should is so intriguing. If it could be converted over to a percentage, it would be something like 95%.
Like, It’s almost 100%, but not quite. It’s almost a done deal, but not guaranteed. You can almost take it to the bank, but it’s still risky.
Should is like a foundation with a crack. It looks strong but you’re not entirely sure you can trust it.
Imagine jumping out of an airplane. “Will my parachute work?” you ask. “It… should”
Doesn’t give you a lot of confidence does it?
It’s confusing because when it is used, the intention is actually to convey something sure and dependable.
And yet, in reality, that 95% might as well be 5%.
I’d venture to say that Should… should have a warning label.
“Warning: when using this word, understand that you are almost certainly guaranteeing a failure at some point”
It’s a dangerous word to throw around.
But, if you’re observant, it can be one that can help you hone in on potential issues in your business.
Try this exercise. For the next week, look for any shoulds that you come in contact with in your own conversations or with others. And then do some investigative or follow-up work. Whenever someone has used the word, dig deeper. If it’s used before an event (“I should be able to get that done”), challenge the user to solidify their goal or see if there is a reason why they aren’t more confident in it.
If it is used after an event (“they should have known that we agreed on that”), consider pulling all parties together to figure out where the gap occurred (if it did) and what needs to happen to make things more clear. Maybe it’s instructions that need to be clarified or someone was left off an email chain or was outside the loop in some way. Or maybe the main person in the area was out and their fill-in wasn’t aware of some tribal knowledge.
Should is expensive. And Should can be dangerous.
But should is also an opportunity, both to teach and to find those leaks in the boat and shore them up.
Well, that should be about it on this topic.
by Shawn | Mar 9, 2021 | Podcast
Excel and Google Sheets are one of the most used tools at most companies… and yet are often the most underutilized. I’ve been customizing, teaching and helping businesses get the most out of Excel for the last 25 years and I’d love to help you as well. Get some great tips and tools out at shawnwashburn.com/excel and let me know how I can help!
It’s time to talk some Sheet about your business. See what I did there.
I’ve got some things to get off my chest. About you, your business… and how you use spreadsheets.
I know, I know. “Oh awesome, that sounds like riveting conversation”
Don’t worry, I’m not going to get into all the mind-numbing details… unless you like that kind of thing (in which case you can head to for some great Excel lessons).
But here’s the deal. You and your team have so much untapped potential just sitting there on your desktops. Whether you use Excel or Google Sheets, every time one of your team member touches a spreadsheet you are losing out on time that could be saved, processes that could be automated or communication that could be clarified.
How do I know this? Because I have secret cameras hidden in your office. Creepy, I know.
No, seriously. Because for 25 years I’ve been learning and customizing Excel (and more recently Google Sheets), as well as teaching coworkers, friends and businesses how they can do so much more with this tool that they use every day.
Picture this with me.
We meet up for coffee and you are super excited to show me this new device you got. It’s called an iPhone.
I look on as you pull it out of your pocket and prepare to show me what you can do with it.
You proceed to open up the calculator and show me some calculations, followed by the flashlight.
“Isn’t that awesome?” You ask. “Have you ever seen a flashlight with a calculator before?”
“Um, no” I respond. “Can… can I show you something?”
“Sure,” you reply.
I reach over, take the phone and proceed to find the nearest Panera while also answering the question of who was the 20th president of the United States (it’s James Garfield in case you needed to know). Then I call your mom, play some music, send out a tweet (you might want to delete that one), record my pulse and play a game of Candy Crush.
“I didn’t know it could do all of that…” you say, slowly pulling the phone back into your hand.
While Excel can’t do most of THAT, the parallel is real. In fact, if you’re using the Desktop version of Excel, you’d be blown away by all that it can do. Online Excel and Google Sheets are also super powerful, but Desktop Excel is where the real magic happens.
I guess, sort of like how someone with OCD can’t just leave that picture alone that’s hanging slightly off to one side, I’m the same way with Excel. When I sit in a meeting where a file is shared or someone sends me a file to work on, I find it impossible to not just want to “tweak” it.
When you know the potential of something, you want to help it reach that potential.
I know you feel the same way. It’s how you look at your people. And it’s how you look at your processes as well.
But somewhere along the line, spreadsheets became that super-charged Ferrari that only gets taken on 25 mile per hour side streets. It’s meant to see the open road, to hit the high end of that speedometer.
I’ve worked with tons of individuals and businesses over the years to help them see what’s possible with Excel. And I’d love to help you as well.
If you head over to shawnwashburn.com/excel, you’ll find 30 free Excel tutorial videos that will give you a great foundation. I designed them to do one a day for a month, but you can use them however you’d like. They cover beginner, intermediate and advanced tools and tips.
While you’re there, if you’d like more info or want to chat just head to the contact area and shoot me a message.
I’d love to help you get your Sheet in order.
