Running for the long run, and the grit of Lean

Continuing on the thoughts about running, I want to bring up the idea of how we look at continuous improvements. You hear a lot about continuous improvements, more and more companies start continuous improvement programs and departments, it is added in the centre of the corporate value proposition and the aim of companies’ long term goals. Measurement KPIs often include things as number of improvement ideas or value of saved time per improvement idea. Improvement boards are set up with the intent to identify and remove waste. Employees are spending time to find things around them to improve. Continuously improve things sounds very good, but what do we really mean? And what is the real outcome?

Returning to my dream about running a marathon I signed on to a training program and got myself a virtual coach. In sets of 8 weeks I receive a training program and now and then I have to do a benchmark run that will update my program, adding or reducing the intensity of the sets. Although my goal is to run a marathon, the program do not only include long runs, it also include intervals and workouts to build muscular strength. After just a few weeks in to the program I started to get a sharp pain in a hip (after having two kids I guess that is not too uncommon) and I stated adding rehab workouts after each run. The pain disappeared and also, I cut almost half a minute off on my long runs.

Now, thinking about my running in terms of continuous improvements I could also argue that I need to focus on improvements, maybe finding better shoes, a better training watch, a better trail to run etc. Though my focus would then not remain on the part of running. The biggest improvement comes from actually running.

Keep running is the key, and keep doing it in a pace that keeps me from being injured, all the time adjusting to my current condition, such as building strength through workouts and adding interval runs. But I still need to keep running. That is the part I am missing in the visions about continuous improvements. It is not something we add on the side, as separate initiatives, but it should be a part of what we do everyday. I think this is a problem with how we look at success and high performance teams, we think that our team is already marathon runners and all we need to do is to add a few improvements, preferably ones that we can measure and count. Add as a task on that improvement board. But what I see is that we lack the grit. And then we add things as empowering programs and motivation sessions for our employees, asking for them to get involved and take responsibility for improving their own results. Actually continuous improvements is just grit, keep doing small steps improving the performance of the work. The focus of the long term goal (the marathon) and the focus of continue on working hard and feel achievement of the small everyday improvements.

I do not need to try to find ways to identify improvements, it will be the result of continuing on running. The difficult thing about Lean is to be in it for the long run, work up the grit to keep going and never give up. And as a side effect, it really gets you involved! The focus of the effort keeps me motivated, my virtual coach that just keep giving me a new plan, slightly more challenging each week, keeps me going. I am in it for the long run, as is my coach and he is not pushing me to run that marathon any time soon but at the same time not giving up on me based on where I am right now. My coach just adjust my next weeks plan according to my current results, no blame, and I feel seen and listen to, and over time I get better, faster and run longer.

And I think that is one of the disruptive way we need to look at our core business as well. The everyday work that our team and employees do is the focus, we need to become coaches, setting up the 8 week plan with that long term goal in mind and re-plan according to the current conditions. We need to make continuous improvements become the grit that make us go out for that run everyday, even when it rains, the feeling at the end of the day is then a sense of accomplishment and pride. That is true empowerment, to believe in people's ability and to be in it for the long run.

A sincere thank you to my virtual coach! I hope you have one as well.