Before Training...

We learn something new every day. Our brain doesn’t switch from learning mode to any other mode. We keep learning all the time.

If so, we must not send conflicting messages about what has been trained and daily practices. Otherwise, what has been taught becomes just a waste.

A factory held a training on Muda, especially “Over-production.”

The next day, a worker ignored a Kanban and kept running the machine. Since the machine kept operating, the OEE increased. He received a comment, “Great job!” But by the end of the week, the same worker received a message from the manager saying, “We are working overtime on the weekend. We need to produce more just in case.”

A slogan said, “We must follow the standardized work.”

Instead of following the standardized work, a worker kept watching his phone while the machine was running. As a result, his output was below target. A manager came by and said, “He is tired.” Great. The worker was underperforming during the early hours, and the underperformance had no link to fatigue. But the manager came and made excuses for not following the standards. What a great manager! Let’s make sure the manager gets a good 360-degree review.

“5S is the foundation," says another slogan.

Materials from a supplier were put on hold. Since they had nowhere to go, they were stored randomly. A few days later, the team leader received a poor review on 5S, even though he didn’t place the materials there. In fact, the materials have been on hold for several months, wandering around the plant, and the person responsible for them has already left the company. Now, this team leader has learned to tape everything, even unnecessary items. “I need to tape everything, even those unnecessary things. Otherwise, they will blame me.”

Andon was introduced.

An operator pulled it. Upon the arrival of the supervisor, he was told, “Deal with such a problem by yourself.” He tried again the next day. “Stop calling me for such a reason.” The third time, he got yelled at. The operator concluded that “Andon is a lie.”

There is a company that offers training in problem-solving. They teach different techniques, believing that the more methods people learn, the better they will be at solving problems. (Search social media for a list of various approaches.)

A group of graduates was in a meeting room discussing some problems. “Let’s change the scale of the graph so this doesn’t look bad.” “Let’s change the categories.” “Let’s debate what technique is best for this problem. Hmm… we need more data to decide.” In the end, the team didn’t carry out any problem-solving. They became experts in excuses for not doing problem-solving.

A manager said, "We need to do Kaizen."

A team identified a bottleneck and came up with an idea. They decided to install a fixture and teach some methods to the workers. It showed promising results in the first week. However, the same manager later canceled the approach and chose to install a $3 million robot in the same process. A year later, they filed for bankruptcy.

There are many conflicting messages between what is taught and what people experience daily. Yes, training is essential. However, before running a training session, the environment where the trainee will return must support and reinforce what was learned. For example, if we attend a Sumo wrestling training, the trainee should go back to practicing Sumo. If they start playing other sports instead, the value of the training diminishes or becomes meaningless.

We begin with “Model line.” A model line for a factory, and the plant manager is responsible for it. This is because the plant manager is responsible for ensuring that the messages sent out do not conflict with our objectives. And we face these contradictions every day. The plant manager should experience these conditions and learn to handle such conflicts on a smaller scale. The plant manager should collaborate with other functional managers, as their actions have also created many contradictions.

And, the training content must be confirmed with the plant manager before it is conducted. Once, a CEO happily talked to my coach about the new training center they built. My coach immediately said, "Let’s go and see the actual training." The CEO resisted because he had recently attended the opening ceremony, but my coach insisted. “If they are training the wrong thing, it will cost you more to fix.” Upon arrival, the CEO saw the truth. “Why are we paying to sleep?”

The plant manager should oversee the training content. If the training team conducts sessions independently, they will focus on what they are capable of training rather than what is essential. If all departments start doing their own training, the content will become overwhelming and may conflict with each other. The ultimate responsibility always rests with the plant manager for training within the plant. It is their duty to prevent waste and maximize the use of training materials.