Lean Coffee: VSM at the Leadership Level

Had my first in person Lean Coffee today!

Great discussions with Jonathan Hansen in Berlin! Thanks Joko for making the connection.

Topics and Epiphanies

Value Stream Mapping for Impact at the Leadership Level

• Start from leadership’s motivation to improve
• How will leadership measure success?
• What are measurable improvement goals for the next 3 months?
• What’s the value stream we need to focus on to achieve the goals?
• Who are the key people that know how it’s currently done?

See my VSM Planning Template for structuring these discussions.

Writing Recommendations to Leadership After a Value Stream Mapping Workshop

The goal is to provide a basis of Lean principles and practical recommendations that:

• Are applicable to the organizational context discovered in the workshop
• Will improve customer outcomes and achieve organizational goals

Structure recommendations using the STARS model to align with leadership priorities:

• Startup
• Turnaround
• Accelerate Growth
• Realign
• Sustain Success

Frame recommendations in terms of business impact:

• Raising revenue
• Lowering costs
• Avoiding costs
• Protecting revenue

Key steps:

1. Validate assumptions in conversation with leadership
2. Frame recommendations and Lean principles in leadership’s context
3. Present them as means to achieve business goals

References

• What is Lean Coffee?
• VSM Workshop Planning Template
• Napkin AI for the STARS diagram