We talked about lean and its basic principles in the yesterday’s post. Today let’s take this little further by first looking at how this can be applied and what are the basic principles which can be applied for startups or small business without having to spend a bomb on so called sophistications and advancements of the world.
From a business point of view, Lean’s is to shorten product development cycles and rapidly discover if a given business concept is viable.
There are 5 Basic Lean Principles (How to Create a Lean System?) for an entrepreneur to follow and take this forward…
With CUSTOMER NEED in the center and these 5 principles revolving around it the concept is easy to understand and implement if followed by spirit of the same.
The 5 principles are –
~ Identify Value
~ Map the value stream
~ Create Flow
~ Establish Pull &
~ Continuous Improvement
Let’s look at each one of these independently and then we shall talk about the integration and the meaning to be derived…
1. ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐
Every company strive to to offer a product/service that a customer is ready to pay for. To do so, a company needs to add value defined by its customersโ needs.
The value lies in the problem we are trying to solve for the customer. More specifically, value lies in the part of the solution that our customer is actively willing to pay. Any other activity or process that doesnโt bring value to the end customer is considered waste.
So we first need to identify the value we want to deliver and then proceed to the next step.
2. ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐
This is the point where we literally need to map the workflow of our company. It has to include all actions and people involved in delivering the end product to the customer. By doing so, we will be able to identify what parts of the process bring no value.
Applying the Lean principle of value stream mapping will show us where value is being generated and in what proportion different parts of the process do or do not produce value.
When we have our value stream mapped, it will be much easier for us to see which processes are owned by what teams and who is responsible for measuring, evaluating, and improving that process. This big-picture enables us to detect the steps that donโt bring value and eliminate them.
This second step is the most critical and important step in the entire cycle of Lean Management and often requires external support of people who are working in the domains of Process Re-Engineering.
If you are looking such support for your business please do reach out to me orย Synergeze Consultants Private Limitedย at our websiteย www.synergeze.inย and we shall be glad to support you in your journey towards being efficient and being valued.
Lean management has become a universal management tool for delivering value and optimizing workflows. Let’s talk and discuss on what the Lean methodology and its benefits are in this mini series of posts spread over the next some days.
We all have probably heard of the Lean management concept & its growing popularity in the business world. But if you haven’t heard or gone through it yet… donโt worry. This series is aimed at creating awareness and refreshing basics related to the subject.
It’s a no brainer today, that Lean management is now widespread across industries. Its core values & positive impact on companiesโ overall performance is the key behind why, the Lean concept appears to be a universal management tool.
The concept of lean can be applied in any business or production process, from manufacturing to marketing and software development or even service industry.
The Lean methodology relies on 3 very simple ideas:
~ deliver value from your customerโs perspective
~ eliminate waste (things that donโt bring value to the end product)
~ continuous improvement
Even before we start with the basic Lean principles, one need to realize that the Lean methodology is about continuously improving work processes, purposes, and people.
Instead of holding total control of work processes and keeping the spotlight, Lean management encourages shared responsibility and shared leadership. This is why the two main pillars of the Lean methodology are:
~ Respect for people
~ Continuous improvements
After all, a good idea or initiative can be born at any level of the hierarchy, and Lean trusts the people who are doing the job to say how it should be done.
Will write more on this. Till then if any thoughts in mind or questions if any, feel free to ask me in the comments.
A wise man once decoded his success and came up with these three tips for success –
~ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ช๐ด ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ
~ ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฌ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฏ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ด๐ฆ ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ &
~ Do something no one else is doing
Easy isn’t it… But where to get all this
I read these lines way back, in my early days of career and tried to decode them in my own way and implement them for myself. Now in the entrepreneurship journey I am feeling that those are all the more important for me in this journey and thought of sharing here…
~ ๐บ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ – Each one of us have the capability to look at our journey in a different way. Just that we should know that its not only our journey but many journeys weaved together of the people around us. We must also know what to observe and how to imbibe it. Believe me, you’ll get something which no one else is looking at.
~ ๐ฉ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ – Observations done by self or others, feedback from people around, critics talking about you and that one person, who keeps reminding you of your failures – repeatedly, every minute rather with every breath of yours. Just ensure you take from all this – what eases your journey & remain honest with yourself when you implement it. Believe me, you are reading something which no one else is reading.
~ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ – How many times has it happened that while evaluating options for a given problem after all the considerations, contemplations & deliberations, you landed up with the same option, which occurred first to you. Do we really have this much time everytime? Being prepared is good however; being over-prepared has its own drawbacks. If you are following your first instinct – believe me, you are doing what nobody else is doing.
Step 4 – ๐ญ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ – This step isnโt absolutely required, but it can really help our brand stand out. If we can become associated with an issue, or if we take a controversial or counterintuitive point of view, itโs often easier to gain notice. Having an angle also gives you an anchor โ a unique perspective โ that will mark each piece of content you develop as yours.
Step 5 – ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ – This is perhaps the most challenging part of the program if we are doing it ourself. Not because it takes a great deal of effort, but because it is so hard to be objective about our own strength & weakness. Are you as good a writer as you think you are? Are you a strong public speaker? Develop a prioritized list of these skills and try to figure out which you can work on alone, and which will require a guide.
Step 6 – ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ – Last thing we need to do is decide if we really want to try to make a solo ascent, or an experienced guide might make our climb more successful.
The roadmap I am going to talk about is just a listing of certain milestones in the journey. You are free to travel between one to other milestone your own way, add pitstops, halt where you feel like & travel at any speed and make it your own. However, pl ensure that whatever you do, consistency is not compromised at all.
Step 01 – ๐พ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ – Before we can begin our ascent, we need to know where we are starting. What type of person we are & how we want the world to know us.
Step 02 – ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ – We are already an expert in something, but is that โsomethingโ fairly broad, or very specialized? The more niche our expertise, the easier our rise will be. We don’t need to pare down the services we offer, but at least plan to narrow what we write & speak about.
Step 03 – ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ – Who will be buying our services, Who will influence our buyers, What industries do we serve, roles in the companies who buy our services? The answers to these questions are the people for whom our every action should be crafted.
A personal branding strategy is a plan to take our reputation & career from relative obscurity to high visibility. It describes where we stand today & what level of visibility we want to achieve in the future. A carefully planned strategy takes the uncertainty out of our quest for Visible Expertise so that we can concentrate on carrying it out.
There are 5 levels of visibility as per the experts –
~ Resident Experts. They are well respected within their circle, but have little visibility outside of those audiences.
~ Local Heroes. These individuals are beginning to become known outside of their circle. They are more active in their local business communities.
~ Rising Stars. They have developed a regional reputation. They are fairly well known among peers in their area, & they speak and write frequently on their area of expertise.
~ Industry Rock Stars. These names are well known across the nation for their niche areas of expertise.
~ Global Superstars. The worldโs elite experts, they’ve broken out of their niches & become recognized more broadly in their domain.
We talked about 2 types yesterday. Let’s look at the remaining ones.
~ ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฏ๐๐๐๐๐๐ – Refers to a recognized subculture of progressive individuals, embracing individuality above all else. Also a person who likes to try things first & share them with others. They can adopt aspects of both altruism & careerism. For them, sharing is seen as an essential part of their existence.
~ ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ – People who share content & generate interactions simply to create discord through controversy. Mostly, they don’t necessarily agree with the content-choosing to pass on the information for the potential of being seen as provocative.
~ ๐ป๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ – People who pride themselves on their ability to bring people together. Individuals who are well connected & openly use their network to unite. Typically creative, they obtain validation & satisfaction through others.
Every branding type represents a motivation through which individuals share information & establish how they’re seen. Only self-analysis can determine which type fits our branding efforts. We must remember to be true to who we truly are, to be successful.
More than just a marketing strategy, our personal brand is how we appear to the world.
We talked a lot about personal branding & myths related to it last week. Now it’s time to move ahead and see how to do it and what to consider.
There are six different categories of personal branding which stands out & I will be discussing them here in this series. Hope this will enable to identify self & decide what branding type to select.
~ ๐ป๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ – Individuals who are highly recognized for their commitment to helping others. People who not only dedicate themselves in terms of actions, but also with regard being mindful with their personal relationships.
~ ๐ป๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ – Those who have shown a preference for professional advancement above all other personal achievements. More often associated with business-related networks they constantly share info that will raise their status in their industry.
~ ๐ป๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ – They only shares information with specific people. They usually carefully curate information based on general needs & interests of target audience. They’re largely known as being resourceful.
๐๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก 5 – ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ – If at all the final deliverable is to become known, then YES you are taking a narcissistic approach & it probably wonโt be very successful. However, most revered & coveted personal brands are a way to deliver value to others & contribute in a unique way. Whenever we think about our brand as a way to achieve our personal mission in support of others, weโre on the right track.
๐๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก 6 – ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ญ-๐ฉ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ง๐จ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ – If we think that personal branding involves telling people how great we are. Sure, there is a little self-promotion involved, but the most important part of personal branding is in the โshowโ not the โtell.โ Personal branding means demonstrating what makes us great in everything we do every day. Know your brand promise & then integrate it into all your daily activities.
I am hopeful that this series may have given you some clarity on the hurdles you faced in the journey of personal branding.
In case you wish to talk in length & develop one for self do reach out to me for anything & everything.
We talked about lean and its basic principles in the yesterday’s post. Today let’s take this little further by first looking at how this can be applied and what are the basic principles which can be applied for startups or small business without having to spend a bomb on so called sophistications and advancements of the world.
From a business point of view, Lean’s is to shorten product development cycles and rapidly discover if a given business concept is viable.
There are 5 Basic Lean Principles (How to Create a Lean System?) for an entrepreneur to follow and take this forward…
With CUSTOMER NEED in the center and these 5 principles revolving around it the concept is easy to understand and implement if followed by spirit of the same.
The 5 principles are –
~ Identify Value
~ Map the value stream
~ Create Flow
~ Establish Pull &
~ Continuous Improvement
Let’s look at each one of these independently and then we shall talk about the integration and the meaning to be derived…
1. ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐
Every company strive to to offer a product/service that a customer is ready to pay for. To do so, a company needs to add value defined by its customersโ needs.
The value lies in the problem we are trying to solve for the customer. More specifically, value lies in the part of the solution that our customer is actively willing to pay. Any other activity or process that doesnโt bring value to the end customer is considered waste.
So we first need to identify the value we want to deliver and then proceed to the next step.
2. ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐
This is the point where we literally need to map the workflow of our company. It has to include all actions and people involved in delivering the end product to the customer. By doing so, we will be able to identify what parts of the process bring no value.
Applying the Lean principle of value stream mapping will show us where value is being generated and in what proportion different parts of the process do or do not produce value.
When we have our value stream mapped, it will be much easier for us to see which processes are owned by what teams and who is responsible for measuring, evaluating, and improving that process. This big-picture enables us to detect the steps that donโt bring value and eliminate them.
This second step is the most critical and important step in the entire cycle of Lean Management and often requires external support of people who are working in the domains of Process Re-Engineering.
If you are looking such support for your business please do reach out to me orย Synergeze Consultants Private Limitedย at our websiteย www.synergeze.inย and we shall be glad to support you in your journey towards being efficient and being valued.