What Is Kanban

Anyone who has ever been on project management training knows that there are constantly new and innovative methods being introduced to help you become a successful project manager. These are often based on research within the field, and the observations of experts in the field of management. If you have recently been on one of these project management courses, it is possible that you may have come across the Kanban Method.Aims of the Kanban MethodThis approach was originally formulated by David J. Anderson and there are two main aims. The first of these is to help you to remove the chaos of a project by focusing and prioritising. The second aim is to make delivery more consistent by finding solutions to problems associated with workflow and processes.The catchphrase linked to the Kanban Method is 'stop starting and start finishing'.The Basic PrinciplesThis method uses four basic principles:1. Use what you already do now. You do not need to stop your current practices as the Kanban Method can be used alongside what you are doing now without making too many big changes in your workplace.
2. Make small changes gradually. This approach is designed so that you will get minimal resistance from team members. It encourages managers to make evolutionary and incremental changes one step at a time.
3. Respect and recognise the current roles and processes you have in place as these have value.
4. People at all levels can be a leader, regardless of whether this is their role or title.Core Properties of the Approach


The Kanban Method is divided into five core properties:1. You need to visualise the workflow to help you understand the process from beginning to completion. It is only by doing this that you can identify areas for change. One method of doing this is to use wall cards or columns to categorise your work requests.
2. Limit work-in-progress (WIP). The idea here is to keep work at each stage of the project limited by moving them to the next level before adding new work to that stage. This can help you to identify workflow problems.
3. Manage the workflow through positive change. Once you have identified problems, you need to implement a change to resolve the issue. This is a constant process, as when one problem is solved another may arise.
4. Make policies clear. To do this, you will need to make sure everyone understands the process by publishing, promoting and socialising the changes. If people don't understand they cannot make the improvements.
5. Collaborative improvement. Making the changes is not just the work of one person. Everyone in the team needs to be involved in identifying problems, finding solutions and making changes.On project management courses, you may have heard the term 'kaizen'. This is often used to describe continuous improvement which is the key idea of the Kanban Method. Overall, the Kanban Method is an approach that can be applied to many different working situations, although it is generally intended for improving project management.

How Leadership Training Can Help Leaders Get Better at Leading: These Four Tips May Help You

When I think of all that I have learned from reading leadership books, all that I have heard from leaders that I (and others) respect, all that I have experienced in my life (as a leader and as a follower when others are leading), I realize that, although the vision of what a great leader is may differ from person to person, we can likely agree that a great leader is someone who people believe in and want to follow.I suspect that many of us wake up each day and want to be somewhat better off than we were yesterday: we all likely want some improvements in our lives--our relationships, ourselves, our finances, our physical fitness. (If you wake up and want to be worse off each day, you should likely stop reading this article now.)To that end, this article explores what I hope will help us grow as leaders. Although certainly not an exhaustive list, these four suggestions will get us started:1. Learn what most people need to be successful at work: most of us will likely agree that four aspects of our work are important.2. Explore how you are perceived by others: To grow as leaders, we need to have awareness about ourselves as we are seen by others, and so leaders should continuously seek feedback.3. Ponder your strengths and consider your areas of opportunity: Once we have an awareness of how others perceive our leadership, we can consider what is working and what we might want to adjust.4. Seek resources to develop yourself: Although some of our growth can occur just by us wanting to change, we may also need some resources to assist us.Learn what most people need to be successful at workSince great leaders are likely addressing the basic needs of their followers most of the time, let's consider four areas of basic need that most followers likely want for their leaders to foster:1. A sense of belonging to the group/organization: Think of a group in which you truly fit in, a group that gave you the sense that you were part of their team, a group that welcomed you for who you are. What senses did you have in (or now that you are thinking about) that group: security, safety, involvement, liveliness, excitement, connection, motivation, warmth, hope, energy, comfort, satisfaction?What if you think of a time when you didn't get the sense that you belonged to a group or organization? What thoughts and senses did you have: apprehension, mistrust, impatience, unease, dislike, loss, detachment, trouble, self-consciousness, exhaustion, loneliness, depression, discouragement, anxiety, insecurity, doubt?When I think of times in my life that I belonged or didn't belong, I have strong feelings in both cases. But I greatly prefer the sense of belonging--and I suspect that most of us also prefer being connected with others.2. A feeling of being appreciated: What would our work be like if we never received any appreciation? What if our bosses, our colleagues, our significant others, our families, and our friends never appreciated anything that we did? How motivated would you be to keep doing your work?Not everyone, not every time, but with great regularity, many of us need some hint (or blatant praise to indicate) that our work is important, that what we do does make a difference.3. A feeling of being involved in meaningful work: Similar to appreciation, meaning is important for many of us. How tedious would our work feel, even if we did receive appreciation for it, if that work was useless; if, at the end of each day, our work were just thrown in the trash; or if others told us that what we do is pointless? How long would you be able to keep working on that "pointless" work?4. A sense of influence over (and input into) the things that directly affect them: The word autonomy comes to my mind as an important value for me, but even if autonomy isn't important to everyone, many of us likely still want to have a say--a voice--in our work, in any changes that affect us, and in any priorities that are important to us.


The alternative seems miserable: no sense of influence, no say--or worse--no knowledge of those things that may or will affect us. Have you ever worked for a micromanager--no fun?As I reflect on research from HR courses that I've taken and on the conclusions of a particular leader that I respect (Harold D. Craft, a former VP and CFO at Cornell University), most team members in just about any organization would likely agree that those needs are important--and maybe even necessary--in order for individuals (and teams) to be engaged at work.Explore how you are perceived by others:To grow as leaders, we need to have awareness how others perceive us: to learn what needs we are addressing well and what needs we may be overlooking.Agreed: we need to know how we are perceived by others. But how do we know that we are getting the truth? Have you ever gotten the sense that your direct reports (or their direct reports) are only telling you what is going well and are trying to conceal what is not working well?- Create an environment for feedback: My main suggestion is that you continuously try to create a safe, trusting environment so that your team members can give you the truth. (This article about forgiveness may also spark some ideas for you: http://blog.kevineikenberry.com/leadership-supervisory-skills/three-types-forgiveness-matter-us-leaders/ )- Ask people that you trust: Although you may be creating the right environment, some folks may still be hesitant, and so I suggest that you seek out those who you really trust, at work and outside of work. Get people to give you the hard truths.Ponder your strengths and consider your areas of opportunity: Once we have an awareness of how others perceive our leadership, we can consider what is working and what we might want to adjust.- Our strengths: Much has been written about leveraging our strengths (e.g., http://www.strengthsfinder.com/home.aspx ), and so I will only offer one thought here: celebrate what you've done well. Truly take a moment to be proud of what you are doing well, to fully absorb the positive impact that you have had. I make that suggestion because, if you are like many of us, you skip right over what you are doing well and look for what you need to do differently--"Where did I mess up and how can I fix it!?" It is almost as if we have a need to be perfect, and in pursuing that elusive perfection, we miss out on the joy that we have earned.- Our opportunities: Ah, yes, the areas that we simultaneously relish in working to eliminate and despise, due to our need for perfection. Thus, I have another suggestion: try to identify trends based on the data that you've collected (from one-on-one conversations, from 360 feedback, and from other sources). Then, choose only a couple of those trends as opportunities for growth.Once you select your top one or two opportunities, create a plan to address those areas.Seek resources to develop yourself: As you seek to address your areas of opportunity or just develop yourself in general, consider what you need to make progress. Do you need a mentor, a leadership coach, a written plan, some books, or other resources for inspiration and ideas?Or might you benefit from attending a leadership training, a corporate retreat, or a management retreat. Workshops offer an opportunity to meet (and develop relationships) with other leaders, to learn and apply some leadership models, and to challenge yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally.I encourage you to seek out whatever resources you need, and I am hopeful that you will make progress on your journey to become a better leader.

Team Building and Performance, Employee Retention and Partnership - Effective Mentoring

I speak for an entrepreneurial and dignified manner of managing your team.There is one salient feature about team performance; if someone on the team has nothing at stake in maintaining or promoting the team's performance, she will probably not maintain or promote the team's performance.The best driver for performance is creating a really good reason to perform - but most of these good reasons are secrets to you and for the team person. The trick is to ease and tease this secret out of the team person.Most people are too unaware, too shy or too scared to reveal what they really want in a job or team.You have to pull a 'ninja like' conversation on them to tease out this secret; what do they really want and what will have them not just satisfied, but compelled to perform for their sake and for the team?Step One: Safe and Workable PartnershipMaking it safe is the first key; to make it safe for them to share this secret with you. To make it safe, you create a context of fairness and partnership e.g. "I want to create a fair working partnership with you - one where you and I can ascertain and coordinate performance expectations; from me to you and from you to me. I want these expectations to be clear to both of us - sound fair?"Of course I am over simplifying (there are nuances), but this works because we treat each other with dignity and without letting anybody (you or them) off the hook for accountability to the company vision and objectives.Step Two: The Art and Science of Asking QuestionsThen ask questions about objectives - what objectives do they want or need to achieve and in what time frame and why are these so important to them?


Not going into verbose details here, but with training you can handle all the different kinds of responses (or lack of responses).Step Three: Measurable Game with Clear Progress MarkersOnce armed with what you want and what they want and in what timeframe, you have a measurable game.This game may change (and probably will if you manage it right), but you have a quantifiable and observable set of measures which takes the psychoanalysis out of the game.Step Four: Managing with Less Time and Less Unnecessary DramaThe next step is to make sure that you give them timely results and that they give you timely results. If the results are not happening, declare or prepare them for a stop loss - a fair ending of the partnership.The Advantages

No psychoanalysis required - having to deal with unnecessary drama

Finding out sooner rather than later - if someone is not going to work out on the team

Finding out sooner rather than later - if someone IS going to work out on the team

Saving time and energy
The InvestmentThe investment is a few hours a month to engage to see if you are both on track and what course corrections need to be made.Human Dignity at WorkThe greatest benefit and gift of this approach is the dignifying of the human relationships whilst uplifting the accountability to a honorable and rigorous level - in a measurable and observable manner, taking the guess work out of it or keeping it to a minimum.

Three Steps To Better Deal With Conflict

I am often asked by others with whom I work, how I am able to deal with stressful situations so effectively. It seems as though I maintain a cool composure and demeanor while others are losing their cool or even outright accusing me of something. This always makes me smile because I look at conflict very different from most people. First off let me say that in all cases I give the other person the benefit of the doubt that they are not intentionally trying to attack me. Rather that they are experiencing something that I most likely don't know about or they have gone through something fairly tragic. I take this perspective because I believe that people want to do well and succeed but sometimes they run into problems that they struggle to deal with. This usually results in blow ups in other areas of their lives. I also believe that most everyone has about 70% of the information regarding a circumstance when they begin to deal with it. This means they must fill in the other 30% with assumptions and experience.So with this understanding let's look at three simple ways you can improve how you deal with conflict.1. Tell it like you see it. If you see the person acting out of character let them know. Be gentle. Understand that they are in a highly emotional state and need your assistance with this particular situation. You becoming angry or defensive will only make the situation worse. Also, let them know how you see the situation. Not in an accusatory way but rather what you see not working and stress that you want to work more smoothly with them. Be compassionate and understanding.2. Get everything out on the table. First take the time to allow the other person to express what they feel at that moment. Do not interrupt or correct them. This will come off as condescending and close down the other person. You want open communication and trust. Provide a safe environment for the other person to express themselves. After they are done, take a moment to express your feelings and interpretations on the situation. Remember to honour their opinions and be compassionate and gentle. Do not be judgmental or accusatory.


3. Focus on the Future. Offer ideas on strategies to improve the situation. You can just listen to their ideas and build on what they have to offer. Remember in most cases the other person has moved outside their normal operating comfort zone and need someone to help give them perspective. They don't want to be told what to do, they just need someone to listen and fine tune what they most likely already know. This will often create an environment of safety for them to work through what they are struggling with.By using these three simple steps you as a leader can create a means for people to move through this situation and also feel that what they needed to say was taken seriously. You will also find that you will gain important insights into who that other person really is and what beliefs they have. The best part of perfecting this technique is that you create stronger bonds with others while really helping to develop them. Lastly, like all new skills be patient with others and yourself. You may go wrong once in a while but if your intention is to be helpful and you always go back to attempt a recovery you will always learn and be successful.

How Your Employees Can Thrive Under the Pressure When Facing Deadlines

Imagine working for someone who has constant deadlines. How will the employee behave in this process? Will he or she succeed or fail? One will discuss in depth on how to have employees thrive when under much stress in the work environment, so that deadlines are met with complete ease.Here are some tips to help management teach their employees, so that deadlines are achieved on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual basis. This will make all the difference on quality and quantity that each person puts into their work, so that all are a success.Management should consider the following techniques. Teach employees deep breathing exercises. When someone is under much stress, they tend to breathe shallow. This is because they may not realize that their anxiety is up, and that they need to relax as much as possible. Relaxation is imperative when having to meet the needs of others.Another area is to allow for meditation to occur. The individual can do this while using the deep breathing exercise too. He or she is focused and centered, which will cause him or her to think calmly and rationally. Management will immediately see a difference by the employee behaving rational and calm; furthermore, they may want to practice it themselves.


One should allow music to occur but at a soft level. This depends on the work environment, of course. Call centers this cannot occur because of how they are designed; however, management could allow headphones for everyone to use at their own discretion. When this method is allowed, people are able to relax, and some may sing out loud. One could consider having a karaoke night in order for people to work at their best.Management can teach their employees what it means to become a good steward of their time. This entails having a calendar and writing down the deadlines; furthermore, they can show them how to divide tasks into small parts, so the goals needed achieved are completed as scheduled. Always remember to have employees set short and long-term goals too.Deadlines are a part of life, and it is up to management and employees on how they go about meeting and exceeding the expectations of the one requesting them. At the time, he or she may appear overwhelmed, but it all will work out in the end because both benefit from what was put into it, which makes it all worth it.

Outsourcing Your Company's Janitorial Services

A clean office is an efficient one, where the health and safety of employees along with a general attitude toward organization is valued. Still, the question of whether to hire in-house staff to provide janitorial services or whether to outsource these services is an important one. Ultimately, you want to get the best bang for your buck while ensuring that your office staff can be as productive as possible. So what are the main benefits of outsourcing your company's janitorial services?ExpertiseYou might not realize it, but there are actually different kinds of cleaning companies often offering disparate services. There are even differences between companies when it comes to the experience of their staff. Depending on the type of company you operate, you'll likely find a number of cleaning companies that can provide you with the services you need. But remember to take care when selecting a janitorial service, traditional cleaning companies or even your own company may employ cleaning staff at minimum wage, while franchises are generally operated by their owners who invest their own time, money, and effort into the quality of service they provide. It should come as no surprise that owner-operators are often more dedicated to the job.AvailabilityBy outsourcing your janitorial services, you can generally find a company that can work within the parameters of your business. If you require cleaning staff on the weekends or evenings, or even on holidays, a contracted janitorial company will likely always adapt to your needs. This often means as a company owner you have peace of mind knowing that you never have to stress about replacing a sick cleaner or rescheduling cleaning jobs for any reason.


QualityJanitorial companies must provide a standard of quality or they won't be in business for long. If you opt to hire your own cleaning staff, you will be responsible for reviewing and managing the quality of the cleaning work. On the other hand, janitorial companies are motivated to ensure their standards are always achieved, or they risk losing business. Moreover, specialists are more likely to have the products and equipment to ensure the highest standards of hygiene and health.BudgetMost janitorial companies offer a range of services that can be tailored to the needs and budget of your company. Even if one company doesn't offer the services you need at a price you can afford, you'll have many alternative cleaning companies to consider. Ultimately, you'll be able to develop a schedule of cleaning services within your budget without concerning yourself with the day-to-day management of a janitor. More importantly, business owners often discover that they save money on maintenance, staff, equipment, and cleaning products that are related to cleaning services.

Too Shy to Network?

Being shy is something that holds many people back in their careers. They may have many other qualities that make them perfect for project management, but hold back due to their fear of networking. Although there are some project management courses that can help you to overcome this fear, it is still great to know some steps you can take to try to cope with this on your own. In the digital age, there are more solutions to this problem than you may think.Devise a Networking Plan
The key to many areas of success in life is to make a plan and then stick to it. Think about what you hope to achieve from networking and then devise strategies to achieve this. To a certain extent, some experimentation will be required to see what works for you and what doesn't. Think of every opportunity you have to network as being like an interview where you have to say something of value. If you are shy, then it can help to plan the content of these conversations in advance so that you always have something worthwhile to say.Use LinkedIn
This is the social media networking choice of business people. It is a chance to promote your skills and experience online while also taking advantage of the experiences of others. Setting up your profile to a high standard is vital on here. It is the first impression users get of you and they will usually make a judgement in seconds. Employers use this site to check out the talent available out there. Even if you have applied for a job in writing, it is not unheard of for an employer to search online to view your profile on LinkedIn. It is also important to make connections on this site, as the number of connections and the quality of these connections can also influence other users opinions of you and your eligibility for work.


Meaningful Contributions
The contributions you make in meetings will be remembered and showcases what you have to offer. Therefore, both what you say and how often you contribute is important. If you feel nervous about this, then think about the purpose of the meeting and its likely contents in advance. This way you can plan the things you want to say and ask.Blog!
Writing your own blog is a great way of showing off your knowledge and experience, while also connecting with other people. It is also a good option for anyone who finds conversation difficult. Instead of a lengthy talk about your areas of expertise, you can tell people about your blog and provide them with a link. Wait a few weeks before getting in touch and ask if they can give you their valued opinion on the subjects you have written about. This will keep you in their minds for several weeks and differentiate you from others they have met.No matter how shy you are, there is always a way to network and let people know about your skills and abilities. If shyness continues to be an issue for you, then project management training may be an option, especially if networking is one of the topics covered by the PM course.