July Duty, Part 3

By Pascal Dennis

Last blog we began to build a SIPOC analysis around a high level Jury Selection process:

1. Jury Panel Selection --> 2. Jury Selection --> 3. Court Case

What can muck up the process?

Last time we discussed an important Direct Cause: Poor information flow at step 1

Here's a possible Five Why Analysis:

Why is there poor information flow to Jury Panel members at step 1?

Because people working in the Jury Panel Selection process do not know critical information such as:

• How many cases are in the pipeline?
• How many courts openings are available?
• How many Jury Panel members do we need to fill these cases -- (i.e. what's our standard)?
• How many Jury Panel members have we called?
• What's the gap? Are we ok or not okay?
• What's the countermeasure?

Why do they not know this? Inadequate visual management... (I saw almost no evidence of visual management in my three days in court)

My guess is this critical info is "in the computer" -- invisible...

If so, then Jury Panel members are called with little knowledge of how many are actually needed.

(For Production Physics aficionados: Are we not, thereby, buffering variation with inventory?)

Effect? Over-processing, delay & defect waste. Frustration, hassle & anxiety for Jury Panel members.

Longer & longer queues in the court system, and ultimately, bad guys go free.

Regular readers will recognize the importance of making the invisible, visible.

Best,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

July Duty, Part 3

True North, Strong & Free

By Pascal Dennis

Difficult week for the Great White North. Two of our finest killed in cold blood by extremist crazies.

Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, a 28 year veteran and tireless advocate of veterans causes, was killed in a targeted hit and run in a Quebec parking lot.

Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, a 24-year-old father, and a reservist with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, was shot in the back while standing sentry at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The extremist then ran into the Parliament buildings where he was gunned down by Kevin Vickers, the sergeant-at-arms for the House of Commons and 29-year RCMP veteran.

Patrice Vincent and Nathan Cirillo were buried with full military honours. Their families have been deeply touched by the outpouring of solidarity and support from across Canada.

And we’ve all been touched by the support of our American cousins, who sang our anthem at NHL games in Pittsburgh, San Jose and Boston.

Extremists evidently believe that random acts of brutality destroy morale and breaks a people’s will. This may be true in chaotic places where there is no rule of law, or tradition of stability and good government.

But in a free society such acts rouse the spirit and unite the people. Thousands lined Highway 401, the Highway of Heroes, to salute Cpl Cirillo’s motorcade.

The leaders of all three major parties, normally ornery as polecats, embraced and declared solidarity, then led the House in the singing of our national anthem.

The extremists have poked a polar bear.

A hundred years from now the crazies and their cheerleaders will be forgotten. But there’ll still be an honour guard at the War Memorial.

And people will still be doing yoga and playing Frisbee on the front lawn of Parliament.

Best regards,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Jury Duty, Part 2

By Pascal Dennis

In my last blog, I described my experience with Ontario's jury selection process -- (which is similar to that used in the US, UK etc.)

I experienced many of the Eight Wastes including delay, defects, over-processing, and inventory in my fellow prospective jurors!

I spent much of the time is a thick fog and felt anxiety and frustration. Chats with friends & colleagues suggest my experience was not unusual.

Yet, our trial by jury process is precious & we need to support it.

So, how might we improve?

We might start by doing a SIPOC analysis: Supplier - Inputs - Process - Outputs - Customer.

Here's how our SIPOC might unfold. Let's start, as ever, with the customer.

Who is the customer? Why, the public.

What does the customer expect? Here are a few thoughts:

• Justice for both the victim and the accused,
• Reasonable speed -- we might set a lead time or throughput target
• No bad guys should get off because of court delays,
◦ No unreasonable hardship for jury members

What's the process? At the highest level, process seems to be:

1. Jury Panel Selection --> 2. Jury Selection --> 3. Court Case

What can muck up the process? Based on my experience, here are some possibilities:

• Poor information flow at step 1 -- (as a result you show up when you're not needed, sit for days with nothing to do & no info etc.)
◦ How many jury panel members and jurors do we need?
◦ When, and for how long, do we need them?
◦ How many do we currently have? Is this above or below our standard?
◦ What do we need to do get back to standard?

Without this info, we're likely to call too many jury panel members, for too many days, thereby generating delay, over-processing, defects & other forms of waste.

So, information flow seems an important direct cause.

What are the root causes? I don't know enough about the process to say. But the countermeasure seems obvious:

• Use information technology better so al to provide jury panel members with answers to questions posed above.
◦ For example, can we not communicate with jury panel members by cell phone and e-mail?

• "We won't need you tomorrow..."

Again, I don't want to be misunderstood. The problem, is in the jury selection process, not the people, who I found to be courteous, competent and cheerful.

(I'd welcome their comments & insights.)

More to come.

Best,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Ebola at THBH – Is the Absence of Standards an Anomaly, or the Norm? Part 2

By Pascal Dennis

Last week’s Ebola blog triggered much fine discussion – thanks, folks.

When will we know how many people were infected at THBH? Ebola’s incubation period is 21 days, so let’s circle October 21.

The Ebola crisis conveys many lessons, not the least of which is the importance of Lean fundamentals.

Standardized work, visual management, quality in the process and other basics are not just nice ideas.

In a factory, standardized work for, say, die changeover, or work at altitude, is a life and death matter – for the worker.

In a hospital, standardized work is all that stands between the community, and a pandemic.

Here’s an Emergency Department doctor’s take on it.

I’m worried too, and am reminded of the Jeff Goldblum character in the movie Jurassic Park, who, as you may recall, was a scientist specializing in chaos theory.

“These are inherently chaotic systems,” he warned. “You can’t control them.”

In the absence of Lean fundamentals, I think he’s right.

Best,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Ebola at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital - Is the Absence of Standards an Anomaly, or the Norm?

By Pascal Dennis

No jokes today, folks. Serious situation at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital (THPH).

A man has died, and at least two health care workers have been affected.

Especially distressing is THPH’s seeming absence of basic standards, and weak adherence to those that exist. This despite numerous heads-up calls from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC).

Is THPH the anomaly – or the norm? When it comes to deadly, highly infectious diseases, one would expect clear, simple standards for:

• Patient accommodation
o Rooms – location, content & equipment, ventilation, surfaces
• Treatment protocol – in particular, how to eliminate exposure to toxic bodily fluids?
• Access - who has access, entry & exit process
• Personal protective equipment – use and disposal
• Housekeeping & disposal of hazardous waste – what, who, when & how
• Decontamination

Each standard should comprise:

• Content, sequence, timing & expected outcome, or
• Key point checklist

As for adherence to standards, is it too much expect visual tools, leader standard work and Kamishibai?

Instead, THBH issues a statement that’s pure ‘happy talk’:

"We have numerous measures in place to provide a safe working environment, including mandatory annual training and a 24-7 hotline and other mechanisms that allow for anonymous reporting. Our nursing staff is committed to providing quality, compassionate care, as we have always known, and as the world has seen firsthand in recent days. We will continue to review and respond to any concerns raised by our nurses and all employees."

Mama mia…

Don’t want to be misunderstood. I have no doubt that THBH team members are highly capable, committed and compassionate. (Some are likely heroic.)

But are they working a good management system?

Best regards,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Jury Duty, Part 1

By Pascal Dennis

Last year at this time, I spent three days on a jury panel, waiting to see if I'd be picked to serve.

My corresponding blogs generated some interest, so I thought I return to the topic.

A handful of countries, America, Canada and others, have been lucky enough to inherit the British system of law & order.

I strongly believe it's our civic duty to support it. So when I was called to serve, I answered.

The judge was a learned, humane and articulate man, who spoke eloquently of this same duty, and contrasted our system with those of other, less lucky countries.

Nonetheless, despite his eloquence, my commitment & that of my fellow jury panel members, our three days felt largely wasted...

Wasted in the Toyota Production System sense -- we experienced unnecessary delay, errors, over-processing, transportation and motion waste.

In the end very few of us were called as jury members. Many were frustrated by all the waste, and unlikely to want to serve again.

Our experience was no exception. Across America and Canada, court back-logs are reaching two & three years, and bad guys are getting off.

As ever, the problem is in the system, and not the people, who I found to be courteous & capable.

Here’s our challenge: How to preserve the integrity of a humane & splendid 19th century system -- while satisfying the needs of a 21st century society?

Can the principles of the Toyota Production System help?

If so, how?

More to come.

Best regards,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Toronto Maple Leafs – the Lowest of the Low

By Pascal Dennis

It’s official folks. The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey club is officially the worst sports franchise in North America.

ESPN ranked sports franchises according to a range of attributes including Affordability, Coaching, Fan Relations, Ownership Honesty, On-field Leadership, Stadium Experience, and Bang for the Buck.

The Maple Leafs ranked 122 out of 122! They also scored dead last in affordability, ownership honesty and fan relations.

A remarkable achievement, when you think of it. Toronto is arguably the heart of the hockey world. The Maple Leaf logo is iconic and goes back almost a century.

Imagine Auckland having the world’s worst rugby team; Munich, the world’s worst soccer team, or New York, the world’s worst baseball team. (I can hear Met’s fans saying, ‘But we do!”)

The All Blacks, Bayern Munich, and the New York Yankees don’t always win, but they never shame their uniform.

Are there any management and leadership lessons in the Maple Leafs sad decline?

1. Monopoly corrupts.

The Maple Leafs have for decades used their veto powers to keep competitors out of the world’s most lucrative hockey market. (To its discredit, the National Hockey League has let them do so.)

2. If you treat your customers with disrespect, you eventually lose your soul.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) are notoriously heartless ‘suits’. They regularly offend and abuse their fans by squeezing every last nickel out of ‘their asset’.

Sadly, the addiction to hockey is so deep, demand is ‘inelastic’, as the suits would say. Insiders suggest MLSE’s cost-benefit analysis indicates they make more money when the team is bad.

3. Purpose is more than just dollars and cents.

MLSE evidently believes their Purpose is solely to increase shareholder value. Jack Welch calls this ‘the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard’.

Can anyone imagine the All Blacks, Bayern Munich or any splendid sports organization taking such a position?

Are fans, employees and the community not stakeholders? How long-lasting is financial success if you lose their respect and loyalty?

I’m reminded of Toyota’s iconic logo – the three ovals. It’s significance was explained to me during my first week there.

“Something for our company, something for our team members, something for our community.”

Is Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment capable of improving? Or are they the bizarre exception that proves the laws of management and leadership?

Financial collapse will take a long time. MLSE has a monopoly and Maple Leaf fans, (like NFL fans), are deeply addicted.

Until then, BOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Pascal Dennis Bio

Creative Destruction and Newsome Photography

By Pascal Dennis

Capitalism is dynamic, creative and inevitably destructive. For all its faults, I wouldn’t want to live in any other system.

But sometimes creative destruction is tough. Last week I learned that, after decades of splendid work, Brett Newsome is closing Newsome Photography on Toronto’s Bayview Avenue.

Brett has been our company and family photographer for years now. Here’s just a sample of his work.

“People just don’t seem to value high-end photography,” Brett told me. “It’s a shame, because I’m at the peak of my game now.”

Digital photography has, to a great degree, obsolesced professional photographers. Brett will continue to support clients but not through his iconic store.

He’s smart & talented and will be okay. But Bayview Avenue and the city will be poorer.

The Industrial Revolution obsolesced the guilds and pulled entire populations off the farm and into factories and cities.

Something similar is happening in China today. Are people better off thereby? The question has been hotly debated for a century.

I’d say Yes, in spite of everything – dislocation and alienation, the awful stress of immigration, the ‘satanic mills’ and so on.

Truth be told, the ‘good old days’ were pretty lousy. Anybody who idealizes, say, the lives of English peasants in the early 1800’s, or Chinese peasants in the 1950‘s is a fool.

Subsidizing obsolete industries, as some feckless countries do, would be worse.

But creative destruction is tough, especially when it displaces talented people like Brett Newsome.

Best regards,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio

Time to Boycott the NFL (Part 3)?

By Pascal Dennis

Standards in Golf and the NFL


Our NFL blogs seem to have struck a chord. Thanks, all, for your thoughtful feedback.

I was especially struck by my friend Fletcher Groves’ insights into the difference between golf and NFL football.

Golf, Fletch pointed out, teaches the difference between right & wrong, self-control and respect for others.

We sent Matthew, our nine-year old to golf camp this summer. “What did you learn?” I asked.

“I learned about etiquette, Dad” he replied, with charming pronunciation. He went on to explain what the word meant & why it was important.

It’s striking that professional golfers are expected to police themselves, and take pride in the fact.

The overwhelmingly negative response to Tiger Woods’ dodgy ball drop at the 2013 Masters is a case in point. ‘Should Woods have been disqualified?’ continues to be a hotly debated question.

Woods himself acknowledged that perhaps he got the rule wrong, and seemed genuinely contrite. Let me also add that he took a costly two-stroke penalty.

The point is that professional golfers accept and even revere the rules.

Golf standards for amateurs, like Yours Truly, are not as stringent of course. Truth be told, I have been known to use the ‘toe wedge’ to get my ball out of comical lies.

And my frequent forays into the club parking lot or adjacent highway do not always trigger proportionate penalties.

“Let’s see now, you were lying seven when you went into BBQ pit. You hit out onto the roof of the maintenance shed, down the drain pipe, and into the drainage ditch along the highway. Then you sliced the ball onto a freight train headed for Alberta…”

But then again, I don’t record my scores (so as to avoid embarrassment) or play for money.

Golf has detractors and challenges of its own, which I know the PGA is working on.

But integrity isn’t one of them.

Best regards,

Pascal

Pascal Dennis Bio