For the past 3 years I've fought to start some formal lean programs where I work. I finally convinced top management of the need (or they wore down). I was appointed champion and was given a training budget. I selected a team of consultants to come in and assist our lean team to understand the process and work through a particular process.

Over the past few months, we've worked together, primarily myself leading individuals or groups of employees that work on the production floor through some smaller projects. Because of those smaller successes, and frustration of others who have seen several wastes as I have, it was very easy getting people to volunteer to be a part of a lean team. We have a team of 10 (18% of our workforce) all that volunteered.

Due to waiting for approval for grant money, which will come the end of the month, I cannot begin the training with consultants until February. In the mean time, I want to keep the positive momentum we've established over the past 9 months. I'm looking for simple training ideas for the team before the consultants come in and train us.

Anyone have some thoughts on topics for a kick-off meeting to maintain, or even increase, the level of excitement already present over the next 6 weeks?

Hi
Maybe you could kick start a meeting with discussions on expectations from the external training consultants, or ways in which people can actively participate in the training sessions. Maybe they are really motivated now but in the back of their mind they are thinking about their workload that may be put aside during training, maybe you could open up discussions on delegation of duties temporarily or just offer some support or understanding. Another suggestion is some more of the small projects and continuing with small successes, or maybe do some brainstorming so you can offer this information to the consultants to save them time in understanding and gathering information about the culture and environment of your workplace. Hope this is of some help/??

JJ

Get everybody on the team a copy of, [/URL][URL="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963043935/qid=1136547618/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-4176209-8189700?s=books&v=glance&n=283155"]"All I Need to Know About Manufacturing I Learned in Joe's Garage." (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963043935/qid=1136547618/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-4176209-8189700?s=books&v=glance&n=283155)

Take the time to find out what your team perceives are the problem areas: machine downtime, set-up times, stock-outs of inventory, capacity constraints, low first-pass yields. Go out, collect the data, verify it and from there start to put a plan together. I'm not huge into the "low-hanging fruit" approach as they seem to have a greater chance of falling apart the higher the ladder is raised.

Develop a plan, someone once said to me, "A vision without a plan borders on hallucination." From your plan (Hoshin Kanri) you can identify training needs, where resources will be utilized, and the thought process alone will likely spark new ideas and possibly change some of the old preconceived notions.

Wayne

On possibility, if you have gone trough the training, is to give them some basics, and answer the questions, you can, on your knowledge level. In this way, there will be more time, for deeper debates, with professionals.
György

For the past 3 years I've fought to start some formal lean programs where I work. I finally convinced top management of the need (or they wore down). I was appointed champion and was given a training budget. I selected a team of consultants to come in and assist our lean team to understand the process and work through a particular process.

Over the past few months, we've worked together, primarily myself leading individuals or groups of employees that work on the production floor through some smaller projects. Because of those smaller successes, and frustration of others who have seen several wastes as I have, it was very easy getting people to volunteer to be a part of a lean team. We have a team of 10 (18% of our workforce) all that volunteered.

Due to waiting for approval for grant money, which will come the end of the month, I cannot begin the training with consultants until February. In the mean time, I want to keep the positive momentum we've established over the past 9 months. I'm looking for simple training ideas for the team before the consultants come in and train us.

Anyone have some thoughts on topics for a kick-off meeting to maintain, or even increase, the level of excitement already present over the next 6 weeks?

Mike 101338,

In a recent Quality Digest there was an article about Greenbelt Skills. How about training your lean team on those?

Doug

Thanks for the feedback thus far. A little more information for where we stand. A project has already been identified by management, that is the purpose of bringing in the outside consultant to help us. Smaller projects previously identified have all been addressed, with no feedback for more attention to them.

In the adminstrative end, chagnes abound that are forcing top managment through some big changes. New CEO, Plant Manager and Assistant Plant Manager in the past 4 months. One of two V.P.'s is leaving the middle of next week. His position is not being filled. Those changes have resulted in us hiring another consultant to address the issues directly related to top management. Because of that, I am reluctant to look at any other lean practices for management to demonstrate committment (walk the walk, talk the talk).

I am reluctant to do much training, as I want their minds to be open to go down the path the consultants want to take us. I've never worked with them so I dont want to cloud the minds of the team with information that may not jive with the consultants.

Mike - Just start with a 5S program. Its simple enough that you dont need a consultant to support it. It will also support the other lean efforts.