We are encouraged to see a significantly increasing interest in lean and agile strategy. As we have emphasized in previous posts, the culture and work environment are as critical to the success of your initiatives as are the specific techniques, methods, and / or technologies that you will choose to use. One of our favorite phrases to put our work environment into perspective is, “What you see is how we think.” We trust you will find the references in this post to be inspiring, thought provoking, and maybe even a little entertaining.
Analytics – In Perspective
The study of data can lead to some very interesting interpretations of the results. We all have theories and with enough time and data we can prove them right or wrong. Most statisticians, accountants, lawyers, and politicians can attest to this. Data is typically studied and presented from a pre-conceived framework and variations are interpreted based on our chosen understanding of the model.
We have been researching cognitive dissonance and how this may affect the success of lean initiatives. During our research, we found an article that describes how our thinking may actually influence or impede our ability to clearly see the problems or opportunities before us. This article is self-explanatory and does not need much more by way of introduction.
Click here to view the Wired Magazine Article.
TRIZ: We were recently asked to present a simple example that demonstrates the TRIZ concept. While we agree that certain aspects of TRIZ can appear to be too complex to integrate into everyday problem solving, we found an excellent real world example that may surprise you. This short video is only a few minutes long but speaks volumes.
Click here to view the video clip we found on TED.com.
The simplicity of this example makes it easy for everyone to understand at least one of the premises on which TRIZ is based. Secondly, it serves as an excellent example to demonstrate how our perception and perspective can affect our ability to communicate new ideas and strategy to people who may not be familiar with our culture or environment.
Until Next Time – STAY lean!
We have been inspired by many of the talks that can be found at http://www.TED.com. The range of topics is diverse, the talks are relatively short, the presentations are professional, and most of all, they are very educational.
Enjoy!