Yeah, so.
I hate Kaizen events.
There is the way the real world works, and the way the event coordinators and managers seem to think it will work.
The Managers each submit the people from their department they want on the team.
We are each supposed to work together as a team to accomplish the objectives.
In the real world, what we are supposed to achieve has already been determined for us. The overall area manager has decreed what space we will be allowed to have, what our allowed budget is, and what we’d better hit for a target.
But oh yeah, as long as we hit all those marks, we can do what we want.
Of course, we all work as a team, right? Right?
Sigh.
In the real world, some folks are outspoken and confident in sharing their opinions, and some are meek. And some of those folks are knowledgeable about the topic under discussion, and some aren’t.
And those two lists don’t line up.
I know, walking in, that some folks that don’t want to speak up are going to have great ideas and solid experience, and will need to be encouraged to contribute. They will need to be reassured that yes, we do want and value their ideas and suggestions.
And some of the vocal people are going to be closed minded and ignorant, and since we can’t just say “shut the hell up you redneck hillbilly, this ain’t your dad’s garage”, we have to somehow encourage them to open thier minds to other ideas that may not perfectly match theirs, WITHOUT stepping on toes or having anyone feel their ideas are being stifled.
And also, a ton of physical labor will be required to bring this final design of a work cell to life… and the lazy ass bastards need to realize that, no, their role on the team is NOT to make sure we do what they want while they watch, screw you very much.
I was assigned as the co-leader. I have never worked in the affected work area before.
The leader is, of course, an engineer that’s been in the company for 24 years. And has no command presence whatsoever. Nor does he have any initiative. Damnit.
Our tasked mission is to take about 15,000 square feet of production area, and condense it into a functional work cell about 500 square foot in size.
I made the massive error of taking a leadership role on day one, and worked to forge the group into a team that shares ideas and works together.
I say mistake… because now I am so f’ing sick I can barely breath. My chest is locked solid in this congested cold from hell. And I absolutely CANNOT take this week off.
Now everyone is looking to me to lead and organize and babysit, and all I want to do is let the assigned leader take charge for a bit while I just coast for an hour or two.
And as soon as I try to talk, I go into a wracking cough and bring up chunks of lung. Which I am sure is just as attractive to see as it is to read about.
/cry.
WTB a gallon of Dayquil. PST.
Entries (RSS)
May 6th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Sorry to hear that BBB, feel better soon!!!
The people part of the equation is ALWAY S the most challenging, in WOW as in life
May 6th, 2008 at 11:20 am
The congestion… I’ve a recommendation, take with appropriate grain of salt. Get a couple of large thermos bottles. Fill both with the broth portion of a good hot and sour soup - not the mushrooms and tofu and all that, just the broth. Drink some, constantly. The hot (temp AND spice) will open, the broth will make the coughing productive and also open you up some.
The Kaizen - it’s a raid, friend. Worse, it’s a PUG raid. And I keep writing advice and remembering I don’t know your situation. So I’ll simplify it - my preference is to follow two guidelines: don’t fight gravity, and small ponds are easier to control. Good luck.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Ouch.
Bummer to have to deal with RL Raid Drama when you’re the plague bearer.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:23 am
When one of my employee’s comes to work in your condition, I send them home. One, it is better for them to get their rest, and 2, I don’t want the entire office (myself included) to catch what they have, and 3, the work will still get done.
So, take your big ass bear butt home and force the leader to lead. Or they can wait till you get back.
May 6th, 2008 at 11:28 am
The broth suggestion is a good one, and a hearty chicken broth (technically a stock, not just the salty chicken flavored stuff) will work well too - chicken soup really *does* help you get better! You can also try steeping some finely chopped fresh ginger in hot water with lemon, a cinnamon stick, some cloves, and lots of honey. (whiskey optional. >.>)
Feel better soon, and good luck with the work mess.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I recommend using this.
I’m sorry you are feeling bad. Get some rest and take some yummy meds. My wife and I will be praying for you.
May 6th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
You know when I read those first few lines I thought you were writing an article about Karazhan events…
Karazhan/Kaizen….they’re close…sortof…maybe?
/wtb gnomish reading goggles…sighs
I think I’ll have what she is having (Anna)…whiskey not optional.
May 6th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
“(whiskey optional. >.>)”
It’s optional?
May 6th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Ermrac says:
It’s optional?
Well… if you want to be all traditional about it, no, it’s not optional at all. But if you want to bring it to work in a thermos…
May 6th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Suck it up Marine! You’ve been through tougher junk than this! Knock back a handful of cold medicine, wash it down with a swig of Nyquil or whatever and move on…
Just kidding dude. Sucks being sick. Hope you feel better. As for the others, people suck, what more can be said. Maybe you should take a different approach and explain to them what will happen if you DON’T work together. Threaten them with the Epic Fail button or something.
May 6th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Aw, Bear
Sorry to hear it. I hope you feel better soon.
May 7th, 2008 at 12:19 am
Forced together teams with artificial goals in a limited timescales?
Kaizen, or Daily Heroic PuG?
Sorry to hear you’re sick at a time when all faculties need to be on the top of their work-y game… How long a session is it? All week?
As someone above said, I don’t know you in a work-y sense, so probably shouldn’t give random advice,as it’s most likely teaching Granny the whole Egg Sucking thing, but hey, everyone’s an expert on the Interweb!
One tactic for the team stuff is to give the vocal closed mind people specific things to think about - something slightly out of their “comfort zone” and that they can sink their detail needs into…
The quiet innovatora are harder - they’ll probably respond to personal example and empathy… Maybe slightly bigger problems in small groups that can reinforce each other’s opinions…
Get well soon!
May 7th, 2008 at 12:22 am
Forced together teams with artificial goals in a limited timescales?
Kaizen, or Daily Heroic PuG?
Sorry to hear you’re sick at a time when all faculties need to be on the top of their work-y game… How long a session is it? All week?
As someone above said, I don’t know you in a work-y sense, so probably shouldn’t give random advice,as it’s most likely teaching Granny the whole Egg Sucking thing, but hey, everyone’s an expert on the Interweb!
One tactic for the team stuff is to give the vocal closed mind people specific things to think about - something slightly out of their “comfort zone” and that they can sink their detail needs into…
The quiet innovators are harder - they’ll probably respond to personal example and empathy… Maybe slightly bigger problems in small groups that can reinforce each other’s opinions…
Get well soon!
May 7th, 2008 at 6:35 am
Pesky Blackberries - sorry for the double comment…
May 7th, 2008 at 6:45 am
Why can’t you say “shut the hell up you redneck hillbilly, this ain’t your dad’s garage”? I mean, if the guy is really that annoying and stupid, why not say it? Sometimes, people are to nice for their own good or the good of others.
Meh, guess it’s just my natural “shut up and get things done” attitude to most things.
Hope you get to feeling better.
May 7th, 2008 at 8:46 am
BBB… just cough on the ones you want to get rid of. You must learn to use the tools you have available.
With a little luck they will not be as responsible as you and not show up when they are sick. The bad side to this strategy is a couple less bodies. The good side is that you no longer have to carry those bodies either