A Kaizen Event Leader is Really an Undercover Project Manager

Erin King, Corporate Continuous Improvement Manager, Cleveland Cliffs Tooling & Stamping, Amherstburg, ON, Canada

Keywords: LSS Tool Box, Project Management, Kaizen Events

Industry: Manufacturing

Level: Intermediate

Abstract

Do you have lots of informal titles? What is your official title? Maybe you are a Kaizen Event Facilitator. A Lean Leader. A Continuous Improvement Champion. Maybe you are also a Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Regardless, you are a change management professional. Undercover, you are also an informal Project Manager.

This talk takes a look at the similarities between Project Management philosophies and Kaizen Event leadership. During this session, we will review similarities between leading continuous improvement initiatives and compare it to leading a formal project. Then, we will invest the majority of our time together looking at the gaps between official project management and informal change management initiatives.

Has a project ever become too overwhelming due to scope creep? Has the project been supported, in theory, until a financial investment requires approval? Tools in the Lean Six Sigma toolbox include PDCA, 5-Why, and A3’s, but do not necessarily address all the needs for managing a project. Tools in the Project Management toolbox include risk analysis, constraint considerations, and stakeholder management, and can be used to provide upfront clarity and greater executive support.

This talk will introduce several of these project management tools and provide additional resources to consider adding to your current LSS toolbox. These tools can provide you with a more well-rounded approach to project management and assist in ensuring success in future project initiatives.