FIX YOUR KANBAN BOARDS!
Are you using Kanban boards?
Do the column's look like those in the left side of the picture here?
Well, then rejoice because you can improve the Kanban board a lot, with a very simple change.
The one shown on the right side.
Let's see why.
In particular, if you are accustomed to splitting any activity column into two semi-columns like DOING and DONE, ask yourself:
Does it make sense?
To put the reflection in context, maybe revisit the "Patient in the Hospital" metaphor?
twitter.com/tendon/status/1524814642819698692
When you go to the hospital, what is the first thing that happens when you need to be subject to some action?
With a few exceptions, you start by having to WAIT.
It is the same at your work.
Most of the work that needs to be DONE, typically starts of by having to WAIT.
Typically because people are already busy doing other stuff.
So why does the Kanban board model activities with an initial DOING?
That's not what happens in reality.
Furthermore, once an activity is "done" whey is it kept in the column of the activity that just finished?
Ask yourself again: does it make sense?
If you're done.. why do you keep on hanging on to the work? Shouldn't you pass it over to the next activity in line?
A simple change in the design of the Kanban boards fixes this misrepresentation of reality and work dynamic.
We split any activity into the two semi-columns:
WAITING FOR...
and
...IN PROCESS.
Ask yourself: does this make more sense?
By renaming the semi-columns we effectively represen the fact that work startsby having to WAIT.
Only after some waiting work is started.
Once the work is "done", it is passed over to the next activity's WAITING FOR... semi-column
Ask yourself: does this make more sense?
This change transforms the Kaban board into what in #tameflow we call a:
FLOW EFFICIENCY BOARD.
The change allows us to better focus on Flow Efficiency.
Revisit the Magic Want Experiment to recall why it is important and makes business sense.
twitter.com/tendon/status/1524978237692006400
This change is not just a renaming of columns and semantic sugar coating.
The change will allow the *proper* collection of FLOW METRICS.
Flow Metrics are essential in order to identify the CONSTRAINT and apply the ideas of the THEORY OF CONSTRAINTS.
There are many other operational consequences of this change, that we pursue with #tameflow.
But in particular one has relevance for the team spirit: the psychological and motivational impact of having an explicit WAITING FOR... semi-column in front of the work process.
Teams start to attend to wait states.
There is no false sense of accomplishment ("I'm done!... now it is someone else's problem!") when in reality the work is still in process and is waiting.
When work is waiting for YOU, then you are prompted to action, not celebration.
Did you find this thread about fixing Kanban boards with Flow Efficiency Boards interesting?
You can read more about Flow Efficiency Boards in "The Book of TameFlow."
leanpub.com/tameflow/
Steve Tendon
@tendon
I help executives achieve superior financial, operational, organizational and human performance by adopting the power of Flow@Scale™.
