Virtual Visual Management Boards - Friend or Foe?
Moving your Visual Management Boards to a virtual environment is the uncomfortable reality that has been thrust upon us over the last couple of months. For some, this has been the opportunity to get the dinosaurs into the digital world. For others, it is a chance to hide in the background and blame the questionable data and displays. The often enthusiastic munchkins that jump on to the digitisation process will risk destroying the true value of Visual Management Boards if they do not maintain focus on the problem that the boards are trying to solve, and the psychological / behavioural / cultural purpose of the engagement with the boards.
When run correctly, team huddles provide the forum to clearly communicate the most important measurable standards for the team to focus on (using the SMART criteria). Then provide the environment to share and/or escalate performance and risks. The true magic occurs when the interaction triggers the neurotransmitters: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphin, or as I like to refer to them, the DOSE of Happiness.
- Dopamine is released in the brain when we expect a reward. It's the contentment in reaching for the green marker as you report your status. It is the "great job Ronnie" we hear during the huddle.
- Oxytocin is released when we feel trust. It's that good feeling when you hear a colleague say "how can I help your Ronnie".
- Serotonin flows in the brain when we feel significant or important. When we have achieved a significant milestone or averted a catastrophe, or helped out a colleague.
- Endorphins are released when we are feeling stressed to give you a brief moment of euphoria as a survival mechanism. This is the jolt you get as you reach for the red marker when filling in your shortfall in performance against the plan.
Remember, Visual Management Boards exist to set the standard, provide the focus, and regulate the behaviours of your team. They are not there for the boss to feel happy seeing green graphs.
Directeur de site
3yEn visual management, rien de plus efficace et vivant qu’une feuille remplie chaque jour à l’aide d’un crayon. Rapide, visuel et pragmatique. Le but n’est pas de faire de l’extra beau mais surtout que cela soit simple à remplir et garder son énergie à améliorer en continu nos process 👍
Chargé Des Relations Entreprises chez EPSI - L'école d'ingénierie informatique
3yThere is always pros and cons. I would say we should never been afraid of new solutions and digitalisation of our classic tools. It depends really on how we use it.
Lead Auditor: ISO9001, ISO 45001, ISO14001 and NDIS Quality Auditor
3yNotice boards or digital boards and the like are just tools to present information. The happiness that can be achieved at the work place is the result of strong leadership and capable team work supported by the right resources.
Lean Program Manager at GrainCorp
3yGreat thought provoking article Ron. You have hit on a topic close to Lean Practitioners hearts. I agree with many sentiments raised and agree that the data is a means to an end in order to drive aligned business improvement. The medium to review the data, whether tactile / digital or a blend of both must facilitate the development of a culture that drives improvement action of varying scales depending on the level within an organisation. As many on this post know, and comments also reflect that the leadership, coaching and systems to develop this culture are vital to make this happen. When done well, digital can provide scalability, and very importantly visibility of the data across geographically dispersed businesses. I also agree on the point that to engage the current generation of lean practitioners and employees coming through that we need to embrace and develop digital. Done in the right way it can magnify the power of the lean systems that many of us commenting have developed our skills with.
Excellence Strategist | Speaker | Author
3yGreat article Ron and I too love the DOSE acronym. A book to read is "Meet Your Happy Chemicals" by Loretta Graziano Breuning. I was wondering if Cortisol & Adrenaline (the stress chemicals that on the opposite spectrum to the DOSE chemicals) play a part when we hit the red triggers and if Endorphins are responsible for capturing the action to cover the gap? This is the euphoria of I feel the pain but I know what I need to do, to get across.