When CI isn’t continuous

I am a supervisor in a medium-sized company which operates a cellular manufacturing system where machines are grouped together according to the families of parts they produce. I have big ambitions for my cell which comprises 12 people – I really want it to stand out as a shining example of best practice. To achieve that, I am keen to implement a continuous improvement programme to ensure my cell works more leanly and smarter. However, I am unsure of the commitment of my managing director to the idea. He assures me that he supports me in my CI aims. Indeed, he has made what I think he considers to have been an inspiring speech to the shopfloor employees, extolling the virtues of CI and encouraging them to get involved. But, by what he says to me privately, I can see he clearly fails to understand the fundamentals of CI, for example, that it is not a short-term project. The clue, after all, is in the name – continuous improvement. The MD seems to be paying lip service to the prospect of a CI programme and to think that we can simply implement a few improvement actions and then reap the rewards of lower costs, better quality and higher profits with no long term commitment to the process. Also, my company has a pretty bureaucratic culture – lots of rules, procedures, form filling and box ticking for little useful purpose. I have a number of questions: First, what can I say or do to convince the MD that he can't expect quick wins and, just because we don't make a massive impact in the first few months, that is no reason to write off the entire CI project? Also, how can I convince him that we need training in CI if it is to take off? Secondly, how do I prepare my cell members for the CI project? Finally, although I have big ambitions for my particular cell, I am well aware that CI is about everyone improving everything, not just a single group doing all the work. Given that, how can I persuade my fellow supervisors of other cells to take up the CI cause? --CI Solution Pete Austin of Suiko gives the expert view-- It sounds like your MD knows that something needs to change, but doesn't know what – after all, he did at least bother to write a 'speech' and deliver it to the masses… Unfortunately, your description of your company culture suggests it may not be ready for a change. You have a dream of a shining example of success for your area which is completely understandable, and even admirable, but embarking on a CI journey alone in your area is almost certainly going to fail. There are several step-by-step change management models out there, all variations on a common theme, but I suggest you take a look at the eight-step process for leading change developed by American professor Dr. John Kotter. Interestingly, your MD appears to have made a very common mistake by kicking off with a 'communication' – missing perhaps the most critical elements. The Kotter model starts with the following steps: Create a need for change – Kotter talks about burning bridges and positive visions, but the bottom line is you need to be able to present a case for changing. Create a team – there is no need to get into psychological studies for this; you just need to find a few like-minded people to work with. Set your vision – once you have a few people around, try to work up what it is you are aiming for. This is not about blue sky thinking, but a practical view of what could be different. Communicate to get buy-in – the key words here are 'to get buy-in'. Doing steps one to three will almost certainly enable a far better speech, and therefore achieve a more lasting effect. There are another four steps – which you can read at your leisure, but my advice is to focus on one to three first. This will enable you to get the buy in from the MD, your peers and your team. You said that your boss has an expectation of quick wins and this concerns you. I don't think this is a bad thing. Once your team is engaged, you will inevitably want to tackle some of the easier issues first, not necessarily the toughest issues. This generates quick wins which will, no doubt, please the boss, but the financial benefits fade into insignificance compared to the confidence benefits of actually getting something done. There shouldn't be any surprise then that getting quick wins appears in the next step of the Kotter model. The key here is to ensure that any savings are invested wisely, particularly if the saving is in time. Make sure that the time is given back to the team to work on the next issues. But beware – this is where your supervisory skills will be needed to ensure disciplined ways of working on the next issues. Ultimately, this approach needs to become part of the day job.