Gemba Academy Training Videos Summary

"Improvement Learning, Improved"

By Kourtnei Osborn

November 15, 2021

Gemba Academy is an online learning platform specializing in Lean and Six-Sigma training. Hoping to build a culture of continuous improvement, both personally and professionally, this platform offers its users many resources, tools, and certification opportunities in multiple languages with an annual subscription. Gemba Academy was co-founded by three men, one of which grew up in Japan, hence the heavy influence of Japanese phrases, ways of thinking, and vocabulary. Many organizations and companies around the world, including Toyota, use Gemba Academy to help them grow and learn.

Here at the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), we utilize Gemba Academy for business improvement, project & change management training, and continuous improvement in operational excellence, measurement and problem solving. Access to the online learning platform is free for all CDOT employees and you can find more information in Learning Lane.

There are over 1,500 videos on the Gemba Academy website. Within the School of Lean, a great place to start when picking a video series is: 

The videos listed above are a great way to learn about continuous improvement, Kaizen, Lean, and how to be a Kaizen leader. It is recommended that you watch them for yourself if truly interested. However, if you want a sneak peak of Gemba Academy, or a quick summary of the topics covered, then simply continue reading. 


Continuous Improvement 

Continuous Improvement (CI) is a way of thinking - a mindset. It is a philosophy focused on improving processes while also seeking out ways to improve the lives of people. This requires daily practice, and is centered around people and respect. 

According to Gemba Academy, there are 10 Commandments of CI:


“Blaming people doesn’t solve the problem because problems are due to complex root causes.” 

- W. Edwards Deming


Continuous Improvement should be a focus for every CDOT employee, no matter the job title. If just one CDOT'er has an idea to improve a process or aspect of their job, then that can have a huge ripple effect and possibly improve the lives/jobs of many others. Time is money, so be present. When you, or a member of your team, identifies a problem, stop and fix it. How is a problem identified? The answer is simple, by going to the Gemba (where the work is done) and seeing it, otherwise known as Genchi Genbutsu (“go see”). Once a problem has been identified, you define it, measure it, analyze it, improve it, and then continue. This CI strategy for identifying a problem, along with many others, can be used in order to confront problems and improve processes. CI as a whole is a very high level concept, so it’s no surprise that there needs to be simple, quick, and easy ways to actually implement this concept into everyday work. Another example of a CI strategy is the 3 Gen Principle.

The 3 Gen Principles are:

These principles help encourage decision makers to get to the actual location of the process and/or product(s), and learn the facts on the ground from Frontline workers. Getting information from the source, at the source, reinforces the abilities of decision makers to make smart decisions, facilitate improvement implementation, and build safe relationships. This strategy allows you to see the process and end goal in its entirety, with all the people involved in that process actually showing you how their part of the process is completed. When using the CI way of thinking, or the 3 Gen Principle, it is important to remember to be aggressive, unafraid to make mistakes, and to never give up. 


What is “Lean”?

Lean is also a way of thinking, not an acronym. By definition, Lean is an operational excellence strategy that enables people, and organizations, to change for the better. This system is focused on improving quality, stability, and customer value. If executed correctly, you can receive results without excessive inspection, excess inventory, and expediting while also receiving benefits such as improved safety, reduced operating costs, and improved employee morale and engagement. This way of thinking also includes the persistent pursuit and elimination of waste such as waiting, defects, excessive motion, lost productivity, and injury. 

Gemba Academy likes to think of Lean in terms of a house, with the foundation being Kaizen, challenge, and teamwork (in that order from bottom up), the pillars being CI and respect for people, and the roof being Lean.

Lean house diagram

Gemba Academy Lean house

You can use lean thinking processes in order to improve just about anything! When trying to understand how to implement lean thinking within the workplace, a great improvement project or exercise you can try is reorganizing a space. The Gemba Academy YouTube video and the 5S in the office video, demonstrate it perfectly. So, taking a familiar environment and/or system makes it easier to understand and easier to implement . When creating the most efficient, clean, and safe workspace, the 5S System is helpful tool:

You start this exercise by taking all of the papers, knickknacks, supplies, etc. and sorting them into piles based on similarity. This step includes recycling outdated/underutilized materials, making a donation pile, and Red Tagging. Red Tagging is keeping a log of every item during this lean process. Each sorted pile has its own label and each item within that pile is recorded (electronically or handwritten), in order to keep track of what you have, where everything is moved to/from, and for future reference. Next, straightening refers to putting things in place - putting the piles where they belong. This step also includes thinking through new ways of flow to reduce waste. After this is complete, you will sweep/shine the work area, making sure it’s clean and presentable. The fourth ‘S’, standardizing, is referring to sustaining or properly maintaining this newly in place system. Lastly, self-discipline is the step where this revamped system is formed into a habit. For an example of a successful 5S Project, check out this short 4-minute video from the Nebraska Department of Federal Affairs.

Here at CDOT, we actually use a 6S System. We have added an additional step at the end of the 5S System, so now the final ‘S’ stands for Safety. Safety is one of six Core Values at CDOT: 

SAFETY:  We work together to achieve a high performing safety culture.  We promote and apply consistent and sustainable work behaviors in everything we do.  

Since Safety is something all CDOT’ers focus on in their daily life, we wanted to be sure it was included in the 6S System as well. Once you have completed the 5S system, the final step would actually be to check that the area is free of hazards. This ensures that you and your co-workers still, and will, have a safe environment in which to work with the new system in place.

For more information on Lean, check out this Lean Overview on the CDOT Innovation Center, as well as the quick videos at the bottom of the page.


Creating a Culture of Kaizen


“Culture is what people do when no one is looking.” 

- Herb Kellerher


Culture in the workplace is a reference to the way things get done. Examples of culture in the workplace could be: a culture of teamwork, competition, or even corruption. There are also two types of cultures within the workplace: non-adaptive or adaptive. Non-adaptive cultures within an organization revolve around arrogance, selfishness, and high levels of bureaucracy. This creates companies that may perform well in the short-term, while conditions are favorable, but they’re typically inflexible and can’t adapt long-term. Studies have shown that non-adaptive cultures in the work environment lead to smaller growth and less profits. Adaptive cultures within the workplace, on the other hand, revolve around respect for people, trust, and autonomy. This helps support long-term strategies, immediate needs, and typically positively impacts personal and professional lives.

Gemba Academy has adapted the work of Professor Edgar Schein, and came up with an ABC's of Organizational Culture. A stands for Artifacts, which is the things we can see with our eyes, B stands for Behaviors, which is the conscious and unconscious habits/routines for all, and C stands for Convictions, which is the mostly invisible characteristics, or in other words the purpose/why.

ABC's of Organizational Culture

ABC's of Organizational Culture

Kaizen

Image of the Japenese Symbol for Kaizen: “Change” (Kai) “Better” (zen)

Japenese Symbol for Kaizen: “Change” (Kai) “Better” (zen)

Kaizen means to change for the better. It is people-centered, scientific problem-solving, directed towards the benefit of society. When thinking about the lean house, Kaizen can be found at the base. There should always be a respect for humanity within the culture of Kaizen. Much like the “Toyota Way”, which highlights respect for human rights, Kaizen culture respects all people and highlights Ningensei Sonchou (“humanness” or “humanity”). Having this mindset and set of behaviors results in enhanced creativity, teamwork, trust, mutual development, teaching/sharing of talents, and the “first things first” principle.

When creating a culture of Kaizen it is important to remember that everyone is human, as in, everyone wants to feel safe and appreciated, find meaning in their work, and have fun. As humans, we also want to be accepted by our coworkers and society. When acceptance isn’t part of the equation, work isn’t usually fun, meaningful, or possibly even safe. To reduce these social threats and help people relate to each other, the SCARF Model can be used. The acronym stands for:

Status refers to the way groups of people tend to arrange themselves (social status/ranking system/seniority/pecking order/hierarchy). This way of thinking is helpful in terms of business operations and organization, however, when executed poorly this can cause many problems socially and beyond. A Kaizen culture still incorporates Status, however, it needs to be executed authentically and transparently. People need to be assigned/earn their status using a fair and honest system.

Certainty serves to remind us of the fact that humans always want to know what is going to happen. We feel a sense of security being certain because an increased amount of certainty releases dopamine. If we are happier, we are more confident and better able to learn. An example of this would be pulling out of the driveway or boarding a plane. We take our environment (what’s around us) and combine that with our past experiences to determine our level of certainty. If I have backed out of the driveway or boarded a plane many times before, I have a basic understanding of how the process works, what to expect, and what to do if something changes. That knowledge, in addition to the current environment (weather, location, time, etc.), will determine my level of certainty on the matter at hand. Applying Lean thinking and the Kaizen culture on this concept means creating standards and taking actions in the workplace that will increase certainty. Remember that standards are always improving, so setting standards doesn’t always result in decreased motivation.

Autonomy within the SCARF model is referencing individual autonomy - webinars are available if you would like to learn more about how to foster healthy autonomous teams. Individual autonomy means having more say in what you do and more freedom in decisions that need to be made. Nobody likes to be micromanaged, bossed, or controlled. Allowing individuals to have more decision making power in regards to their own job has a positive long-term impact and enhances the environment revolving around Kaizen.

Relatedness, somewhat similar to Status, deals with whether or not people within the organization have safe connections. Humans naturally want to belong to a tribe/group, no matter the age. Therefore, we are constantly deciding whether the people around us are friends or foes and if they’re “in” or “out” of the social group. This way of thinking helps to understand the reason behind cliques. If a person cannot find safe connections or relate to others, they will start to feel isolated, depressed, etc. and will also start to trigger strong threat responses. To avoid this, helping people find safe connections with others within the workplace is key. You can do this by implementing mentoring/coaching/buddy system programs or even well-run Kaizen events.

Fairness is a key factor in the SCARF Model. When people sense unfairness, it literally triggers the brain into feeling disgust. Things like favoritism, unequal pay, etc., as you can guess, are not conducive to the Kaizen culture. Increasing fairness means increasing transparency and communication. This idea of fairness can be referenced in the idea of respect for humanity within Kaizen.


Brain Science

Even though it may not seem obvious, it is important to understand how the human brain functions in order to influence people, and ultimately create a culture of Kaizen that follows the Lean way of thinking. Leaders, and people in positions of power, should understand that people often act the way they do because of their brain’s chemical makeup at that moment in time. This chemical makeup fluctuates, and can be influenced by all different kinds of triggers.

There are 5 brain chemicals that influence people’s emotions and choices:

The first four chemicals are known as “feel good chemicals”, so you want to receive boosts in these chemicals in moderation with good timing to receive optimum results - much like watering a plant. The last chemical, Cortisol, needs to be regulated - can’t dip too low or peak too high.

Every situation/encounter/stimulation that a human faces is perceived and marked as either good or bad, in our minds. Then, based on how the situation made you feel and if the reward of the situation was worth it, our brain decides whether or not it’s worth remembering. If it is worth remembering, it can then start to be formed into habit. Habits are processes that have become automatic, solidified, well-defined, and are often repeated over and over. For example, a process that becomes a habit quite quickly is brushing your teeth. Habits are formed in the basal ganglia part of the brain, and because our brains are naturally lean, they are constantly trying to figure out ways to save time and effort. This process of forming a habit can be referred to as the Habit Loop. It’s important to note that once a habit takes root, when our brain receives the cue, we go into autopilot whether it’s good or bad. Also, it has been found that the ‘cue’ and ‘reward’ are most important, but what we change is the ‘routine’.  When attempting to modify a habit, you change the routine, not the reward or the cue, that way your brain still remembers the habit loop and its importance while changing the way in which it is conducted. In order to ensure positive results and a culture of Kaizen when creating/modifying habit loops in the workplace, it is important to look at Keystone Habits. 

Keystone Habits are habits, or small changes, that carryover into other aspects of daily life. For example, when Paul O’Neill took over as the new CEO of Alcoa, he stated the company’s main focus would be safety. Many people were concerned or confused by Paul’s first course of action being restructuring to focus on safety, but the habit loop that formed around safety ended up rippling out into every other aspect of the company and showed tremendous growth and improvement. Another example is the “Fastcap” 2-second everyday improvements initiative. The characteristics of a Keystone Habit are:

Whether you’re working with habits or keystone habits, you must remember to never do it alone. It is much easier to form, change, and maintain habits when you have support. Understanding the five brain chemicals, how the brain functions to form habits, and then using this knowledge to positively influence people in the workplace is the mark of a great Kaizen leader. 


“All our life, so far as it has a definite form, is but a mass of habits.” 

- William James


Kaizen Leaders

A Kaizen Leader takes into consideration the science behind our actions, yes, but they also genuinely care for people. Instead of worrying about the ‘what’ or ‘how’, they worry about the "why." A good leader knows when the costs are too high and benefits are too low. They aren’t afraid of change and see problems as opportunities. A Kaizen leader knows that a simple job title, or rank, doesn’t make you a great leader. There are many characteristics to a good leader, but according to Gemba academy, there are the eight that separate leaders from Kaizen leaders:

It can be stated that #8 in the list above is the most important - Aristotle and the Cowardly Lion would agree. Without courage, a person would never be able to do the other items on the list. It takes courage, knowledge, and self-motivation to bear the responsibility of being a leader.


“Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.” 

- Aristotle


Employee Engagement


“If management stopped demotivating their employees, then they wouldn’t have to worry so much about motivating them.” 

- Dr. W. Edward Deming


According to a 2013 Gallup Poll, 30% of the U.S. workforce is engaged in their work. That means that 70% of U.S. workers are disengaged and not reaching their full potential at work. Understanding what motivates and demotivates people improves organizational performance, and quality of life, for all involved. Change of any kind can create fear, resistance, and can demotivate if not handled well. Motivation by definition is the general desire or willingness of someone to do something, it’s the reason(s) one has for behaving a certain way. In order to create a culture of Kaizen that utilizes the lean way of thinking to motivate employees, you must first understand the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivators.

Extrinsic Motivators are things/beings that motivate people to complete a task or exhibit a certain type of behavior because of outside causes (external causes). This means that simply getting the job done or behaving a certain way, isn’t enjoyable enough or rewarding enough. They need an outside incentive, prize, or extrinsic reward (ER) - a separable outcome - in order to get the job done. A common example of this type of motivator is the ‘carrot and stick’, when you dangle a carrot just slightly in front of an animal in hopes that they will work hard enough and long enough to reach it. This can, in fact, be a helpful type of motivator when seeking short-term results for highly repetitive tasks, but it can be damaging in the long-term. 

Intrinsic motivators are basically the opposite of extrinsic. This type of motivation is based on the work itself. People are actually motivated to do the work because they enjoy it and they can see it benefiting themselves, or the cause, enough. According to Daniel Pink, intrinsic motivators are examples of Type 1 behavior, a counterbalance to the old-school Type X behavior which focused on extrinsic/external rewards. Studies have found that people are far more motivated to perform well when they sense their intrinsic reward (IR) is within their grasp. When IRs are available, work satisfaction goes up, which results in released feel good chemicals (Dopamine, Serotonin, and Oxytocin). These happy workers are far less likely to battle the effects of the anxiety producing chemical Cortisol because they are not worried about if they will ever reach the reward or not, it is just a matter of when, how, and why.

In order to go from an ER reward system to an IR reward system, there are 3 steps:

When trying to engage employees with their work, motivation isn’t the only way of achieving engagement. Another strong means of attaining engagement is through persuasion. An important part of the Kaizen culture is rhetoric, which is the art of speaking and writing effectively. In fact, many regard Aristotle’s treatise The Rhetoric to be the single most important work on persuasion ever. Aristotle believed that words have a powerful way of influencing people, as such, he was the mastermind behind the Modes of Persuasion: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.

Ethos is all about establishing trust, credibility, and authority. This is when we attempt to persuade others by establishing the character and credibility of the speaker. It is often why we quote famous people, in attempts to borrow their authority. Examples of using ethos in the workplace could be credibility boosters or endorsements.

Logos is all about facts and logical reasoning. This is when you make a claim and back it up with real data. Some like to call this the “academic approach”, using charts, graphs, etc. in order to persuade. Logos was probably Aristotle’s favorite.

Pathos appeals to emotions, values, and beliefs. This mode of persuasion triggers an emotional connection. Pathos is the use of storytelling to persuade, you have to create a personal connection. Within the Kaizen culture, pathos is most important.

It is important to remember that persuading someone of something is not an easy task. It needs to be taken seriously and approached with a level of respect. Even though these modes of persuasion and tools can be helpful and powerful, they need to be used ethically and morally.


“People will forget what you said, People will forget what you did, but People will never forget how you made them feel.” 

- Maya Angelou


Take Care of Yourself

The saying that there is no “I” in TEAM is only partially true. Teams are composed of individuals, and at the workplace, teams are composed of individuals whose lives exist outside of work. Therefore, it is very important to understand and evaluate oneself in order to take care of yourself, and in turn the team. Things like regular exercise, sufficient sleep, personal hygiene, and a healthy diet are habits that you can cultivate (with help) outside of the work. Within the workplace, there are mental health resources available for all employees and their families as well as support from coworkers. It’s important to practice self-reflection (Hansei) at the individual and group levels, Hoshin Kanri is a management tool and strategic planning process with built-in review, improvement, and learning activities that could be of help. Ultimately, it must be noted to try your best at balancing your work and personal life. 


Recommendations

Throughout the Gemba Academy videos, there are many instances when books that further the subject matter are recommended. Here is a list of all the recommended books from the videos:


To learn more about Gemba Academy, Kaizen Culture, the Lean Way of Thinking, or Continuous Improvement, feel free to check out the numerous resources on the CDOT website or Gemba Academy website.