How Leader Standard Work Improves Communication, Coordination and Collaboration: Department of Maintenance and Operations Success Story
By Kailyn Haskovec & Josue Reynoza, Process Improvement Intern & Media and Marketing Intern
March 10, 2020
Steve Gillespie from DMO is proud to integrate Leader Standard Work with his team.
To achieve Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT)’s goal of being the best department of transportation in the country, employees embrace Lean practices to improve daily work. Recently, The Department of Maintenance and Operations (DMO) developed some of these techniques through the Leader Standard Work (LSW) training facilitated by the Office of Process Improvement (OPI) and Office of Employee Development (OED).
DMO focuses on real-time maintenance and operations services as well as near-term improvement projects. This department, newly-created in April 2019, supports the crucial work of staff across the state by providing optimal service and safety enhancements for the traveling public. As part of the restructuring of the department, OPI recommended that all upper-level managers attend the LSW training. As a result, DMO has improved and implemented new LSW strategies which has opened the door to what Steven Gillespie, CDOT’s Statewide Operations Center Coordinator, refers to as “the three C's: communication, coordination, and collaboration.”
LSW is a set of behaviors and recurring activities that advances a Lean thinking culture, empowering employees and promoting process improvements. LSW encourages collaboration and “creates opportunities for synergy (capitalize on the strengths and talents of the masses),” states Gillespie. As the employees recommend improvements, managers can implement the new standard. LSW fosters leadership at every level, which is crucial for Lean transformational change.
Attention managers: You too can be active in standard work! Gemba walks, a visual management system and stand-up meetings are ways in which you can implement standard work in your teams.
A Gemba walk is when the manager or other leader observes the day-to-day work that is being done. Gemba (現場) is Japanese meaning “the actual place”. Before heading to a Gemba walk, go in with a specific intent. This will maximize your time walking around while also building relationships with your team. Make sure your employees know when and why you are coming. Ask questions to workers in the field and actively listen to them. Always balance your observation time with building respect and trust with the people on the floor.
A visual management system helps keep your team updated, focused and accountable. It can be a board, post-it notes or even a digital board like Trello. The board can be used to highlight items such as accomplishments, milestones, or current and upcoming projects. It does not have to be visually pleasing, but it does need to be functional, effective and accessible.
Stand-up meetings can give you and your employees time to reflect and discuss weekly goals and accomplishments. These meetings are quick and effective. They let employees offer peer-to-peer support on assignments or projects. Managers can also gauge employee productivity and whether workloads are evenly distributed and appropriate.
Thanks to the training, the DMO has improved stand-up meetings and implemented Gemba walks. Gillespie says that through these processes, “we get stuff done, we get it done right, we get it done on time, and everyone gets a voice and has ownership of the process- win-win!”
Your department can also implement leader standard work. The simple techniques listed above are some of the effective strategies used to build stronger teams and improve internal processes. For more information read more on Lean’s website on LSW.