The Smartspeed Performance Improvement Blog

The ' C oncern - Cause - Countermeasure ' approach is a really practical and effective method to identify and deploy change. One of the difficulties in using this method is remembering what you are concerned about in the first place. I developed the simple Pocket CCC app (for Android) to get around this. The simple interface means that you can be up and running in just moments; capturing concerns and identifying improvement actions. See a concern? Capture it on your smartphone there and then. If you would like a free copy of my Pocket CCC Android app then check out Google Pla y this week: Available from Google Play The promotion ends this Sunday (14th June 2020). Giles About the author Giles Johnston is a Chartered Engineer who specialises in helping businesses to grow and improve through better business processes. Giles is also the author of Effective Root Cause Analysis and ' What Does Good Look Like? ' .

Do you want to get better results from your Kaizen programme? Improve your business results quickly with my downloadable kit (including guidebook, workbook and templates) for only $39. Are you looking for a sustainable way to identify and implement improvements across your business? Practical improvement strategies The Kaizen Checklist is a downloadable kit that you can use with your management team to develop a system that suits your business and allow you to quickly implement Kaizen effectively at your place of work. This works great if you use it as the centre piece of your own internal workshop. The kit includes a 40 page guidebook, a workbook, four appendices and three templates. All parts of this kit are designed to get you up and running as fast as possible. If you are unfamiliar with Kaizen, let me stress that this is a simple improvement philosophy that is so much more than just  ‘a Japanese word for continuous improvement’. I’ll cover what it...

Do you feel under pressure when you have to make changes happen in your business? It can be scary when we try something that we have never done before. I remember thinking to myself 'how on Earth am I going to figure this out?' on many occasions. I think the last time was a few weeks ago! Years on from becoming reasonable at the art of change I am still faced with the same dilemma. It is scary and it is clear to me why so many people shy away from making change happen. It is natural to get stuck in this oscillation. On one hand you need to make change happen; the business needs the improvement benefits. On the other hand you don't want to screw up... Last week I was talking to a young engineer that I am mentoring. He was paralysed. Changes were not happening at all. There was always some early promise with his projects and then, as completion (and judgement day) loomed, progress would evaporate. The engineer asked me for my views on this  during a recent conversati...

If you haven’t created your improvement action plan for 2020 yet then I have something for you. I have just completed my latest project – The CI Focus Tool . This Android App is now available on Google Play and provides a simple method for generating as many effective improvement ideas as you need. This is the same basic method that I describe in my book Effective Continuous Improvement  and is now available as a simple to use app. In essence it is a brainstorming focus tool. Press the focus button and you will be presented with a random continuous improvement focus. Brainstorm ideas around this focus with your team (whilst the timer is running) and there you go – a number of great ideas for you to prioritise and implement. The reason that this works so well is because of the focus. When your business runs out of its immediate problems to fix you need a different strategy. Very focused brainstorming helps you break past this problem and configuring the app to me...

Get your copy from Amazon today I sat in my last management meeting yesterday for the year. They experienced a problem that many businesses have. The problem has nothing to do with the specifics of their business or their sector. It is a personal productivity issue . Most of their staff, during their meetings, don't write their actions down... Do your team do the same? Or, have they learned the art of capturing their tasks in writing and then working on them? None of this is rocket science, but it makes a massive difference to the results in most cases. I nagged my client's staff yesterday. I refused to start the meeting until everyone had something to write with and something to write on. We even captured an action log for the meeting, to refer to next time we meet. I know... outrageous cutting edge stuff! And here is my prediction. The chances of the team closing out their tasks will be higher. The chances of us closing down the issue they are workin...

I'm pleased to announce that my new book is now available on Amazon . Even better - it is free to download on Kindle from the 18th of November until the end of the 20th of November . My reason for writing this book was the lack of results I see businesses get with root cause analysis methods. The thrust of this book covers two main areas: 1. How to better use root cause analysis methods to solve your business problems more effectively (in one go). 2. How to extend the root cause questions to get maximum impact for your business. I put a 'warning' at the start of the book as it focuses heavily on personal responsibility. I don't think this slant on personal responsibility and improving control at all levels of a business will bother any of my email readers. I know, however, that some people don't like to look in the mirror when it comes to business problems. To download your free copy of Effective Root Cause Analysis click on one of these links. ...

How many times have you tried to make an improvement in your business and watch it come to nothing? For many of us real life doesn't resemble our plans. One of the common issues I see is that the way that we want a task to be organised on paper is difficult in reality. The frequent result from this situation is that the improvement grinds to a halt. So, how do you overcome this situation? Firstly, accepting that this is quite normal is a good place to start. When you move from 2D (paper) to 3D (reality) the translation might not always be perfect. Secondly, be willing to learn from your experiences. Embracing the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check and Act) cycle is a good strategy here. Over time you will become more effective at deploying change, if you learn from your earlier experiences . Thirdly, approach your improvement from the principles you are trying to deploy. Let me give you an example here to underline this point. Get your copy from Amazon today I sat in on a clie...

As I drove between clients yesterday I caught part of a BBC Radio 4 programme. The programme's callers were speaking about how disability had suddenly changed their lives. Listening to the courage and tenacity of the callers was inspiring. One caller in particular caught my attention. She had been talking about all of the obstacles she had overcome as she tried to regain her independence. There had been a theme through the last few calls around not waiting for other people to hand 'things' on plates. She quoted her mother: "Success comes in cans!" She carried on by saying that so many people talk about all the reason that they can not do something rather than finding a way to do something. Her point was that the solutions are there, just the attitude needed to shift. This resonated with me because of the work I am involved with. There are always a million reasons why something can not happen but it is the results that count. Some people will find a way...

My new book is now out... If you have ever wondered if there is more than meets the eye when it comes to root cause analysis then the answer is "yes!". This book will show you how a couple of simple twists to 5 Why and Fishbone Diagrams can yield some huge changes to the performance of your business. Better still, if you ask the right kinds of questions your own personal performance will dramatically improve . The book includes some real world case studies so you can see exactly how powerful these tools can be when applied with the right mindset and approach. I have not written a book for nerds... I have written a book that is for business managers and owners that are sick and tired of the control and performance of the business not being where they want it to be. You can get your copy now from Amazon - click here . Enjoy, Giles About the author Giles Johnston is a Chartered Engineer who specialises in helping businesses to grow and improve through be...

When I speak to managers about their continuous improvement programmes there is a common concern. ‘ Am I doing it right? ’ is the question that they often ask me. There seems to be a common belief that there is a right way to do continuous improvement. There isn’t. There are lots of ways to make it better, but there isn’t a single one right way to carry out continuous improvement. Note – over time you will likely find ways that work well for your organisation in terms of how you manage change. This can become your one best way to implement continuous improvement projects. But if you haven’t got there yet, don’t worry! The Standard Operating Procedure for making change happen in your business can come later. A path with unexpected turns One of the joys of continuous improvement is the learning that can take place . The journey is full of twists and turns. People are unpredictable and that can bring with it new ideas and difficulties.  Learning from these as y...

I have had numerous conversations with  numerous businesses over the past month about under performance within their business' processes. They haven't been achieving the results that they had hoped for and don't seem to be too happy about what their staff have been up to. It was pretty much the same conversation repeated for each business I spoke with. When I responded to these businesses I asked them about the clarity their team had about their roles. I was interested to find out what each individual business leader had done to make sure that the requirements of their processes, the business' needs and their own requirements had been passed on effectively. Having clear expectations in terms of activity, performance and deliverables is key to ensuring that your processes are being executed in the most effective manner. Well executed processes usually lead to good results if the process has been designed to be effective and efficient. If you spell out exactly how yo...

I have recently published a new free guide, with the title: Six Quick Tips to Help Continuous Improvement Deliver Results Faster In the guide I share how to: Use the continuous improvement cycle properly. Get projects moving, if they are slow to start or have stalled. Identify the 'biggest bang for your buck' when reviewing opportunities. Determine the level of change you need to achieve through your improvements. Flip staff grumbles and concerns into positive improvement actions. Increase the overall rate of progress on your projects. All of the tips are highly practical and are no-cost strategies. To get your copy, just click on the button below and access the guide in just a few moments from now. Enjoy reading, Giles About the author Giles Johnston is a Chartered Engineer who specialises in helping businesses to grow and improve through better business processes. Giles is also the author of Business Process Re-Engineering and creator of the ' Ma...

I sit in a lot of meetings where people talk about their continuous improvement projects. Sitting and talking doesn’t always equate to getting the changes put into effect and that’s what we need; the results count for everything. So, is there a simple way to help move projects from being stuck, delayed and appearing to wait for a perfect plan (or time)? The short answer is yes, and it revolves around our old friend the ‘80/20’ rule. Can you remember the 80/20 rule? This is the simple principle that states that a small number of inputs leads to a disproportionately large amount of rules. A little bit can go a long way, if you choose the right things to focus on. The opposite of this is also true; a lot of things can take a lot of time / effort / resources and yield very little in terms of overall results. The 80/20 rule (or Pareto principle) - a little bit of the right stuff can produce a lot of results! Phase 1 – quick wins and focus on the 20% that gives the 80% of resul...