WATCH NOW: A Systematic Approach to Creating a Culture of Structured Problem Solving

How can you create a Company Culture of problem solving with Lean?

How we solve problems is critical to fixing issues within our operations. 

In order to create a culture of structured problem solving, we have understand how systems drive behaviors.  Enterprise level culture is really the behaviors of people at the unit or local level. Essentially, the principle follows; In order to engineer the culture we want in our organization,  we have to find a way to change specific behaviors. 

Remember that a behavior is an action that can be videotaped. For example, a nurse or physician washing their hands before examining a patient is a behavior linked to reducing infections. With this in mind, it only makes sense that behaviors are driven by the systems we create.  The behavior around structured problem-solving could be anything, from:

• Writing out the actual problem in clear terms
• Graphically displaying the barriers
• Using a “fishbone” to identify root causes
• and so forth. 

We can drive those desired behaviors by creating a system made of  literal items such as an A3 sheet of paper that requires a written problem statement and root causes, which would drive a Kaizen event where teams can graphically denote the issues they are faced with. 

It comes down to the systems. Creating systems that drive a behavior around structured problem solving will create a culture of structured problem solving.  Once you create this specific culture you have the system to design a different culture or modify the existing culture through the use of systems to drive behaviors. 

WATCH NOW: A Systematic Approach to Creating a Culture of Structured Problem Solving

About the Video Presentation:

Key Learning Takeaways include:

• Systems govern behavior; behaviors create a culture
• Define what a system is and how one gets created
• Identify what systems you need to in order to do structured problem solving
• How is this different from what we do now and what will it lead to?

Watch Mustafa's Interview on BTOES Insights 

About the Author

Mustafa Abdulali is the Director of Lean Transformation at NCH in Naples, FL.   Mustafa is focused on engineering a culture that embraces structured problem solving using tools and techniques from process improvement methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma.  He previously worked as the Director of Performance Improvement at Main Line Health in Philadelphia, PA and had spent over a decade in the Automotive and Aerospace industries where he held a variety of positions.  

Mustafa has a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, an MBA from the University of Florida and is an American Society of Quality Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.