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Results for: Lean

Keep the conversation going forward

April 28, 2021

Do you ever feel like you keep having the same conversations about shared projects over and over? You spend half your time just talking about the same ideas you chewed on last time with little forward progress. And now with the addition of a video conference platform, conversations can feel even more frustrating and less productive. What can you do? This article will introduce three continuous improvement tools that focus on helping a team make incremental progress.

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Light bulbs against yellow background.

Turn disruption into momentum for positive change

December 1, 2020

As a manager, are you using the disruption of the pandemic to just get by or to thrive? Disruption provides you a unique opportunity to advocate for change. In times of disruption, such as the pandemic we’re experiencing now, it can be easier to get employees to make the decision to participate in a change.

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Coffee cup with smoke floating up

Lean Coffee perks up online facilitation

November 10, 2020

The Center for Government Innovation has been co-hosting Virtual Lean Coffees about once a month to gather Lean facilitators from state and local government so we can learn virtual process improvement facilitation tips and tricks from each other. Another meeting is planned for November, and we would love to have you join us.

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Human hand with mobile phone, tablet, laptop and interface icons.

Managing remote teams: Communication channels

October 8, 2020

Managing remote teams is a critical, new skillset to develop. National surveys indicate that a third of local government employees would prefer to continue working remotely. This is the first in a series of blog posts that will look at insights from Lean management principles that can help today.

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Compass with needle pointing to the word vision.

Lean leadership: Are you ‘leading’ or ‘doing’ the work?

October 1, 2020

Some might call leading “staying in your lane” or “playing your position.” Another way to think of it is simply doing the job the organization hired one to perform. A leader must “lead” even when it seems more difficult and risky to give up control. Determining how to make the transition from a great worker to a better leader can pose a difficult challenge.

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Coffee cup with smoke floating up

Process pros brew up Lean Coffee for the virtual workplace

June 17, 2020

COVID-19 has challenged many governments to consider remote work strategies and how their work processes would need to change. Process improvement specialists have started gathering – virtually – to share their experiences and lessons learned during the pandemic. We are calling these sessions “Virtual Lean Coffee.”

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Change Management Lesson 5: Moving from competence to mastery

February 18, 2020

Employees who have knowledge about a new process aren’t automatically proficient at achieving the desired results. Even with the best of intention and motivation, if I just depend on my individual knowledge and desire, I might never attain the needed ability level to make a new or changing process successful. So how do we incorporate a new skill into our ability?

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Change Management Lesson 4: Training for knowledge

February 4, 2020

Change management starts with building awareness and desire because it recognizes that success requires each employee to choose to adopt and use the new process. Training for new knowledge will yield best results if the people involved have enough awareness and desire to embrace the change, and to seek knowledge and put it to use.

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