15 qualities of a continuous improvement leader

1. Explain why Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) is important
2. Empower team members, but be a facilitator to plan their macro activities
3. Demonstrate himself in Kaizen event as active participant
4. Ask for Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) ideas and opportunities
5. Emphasize small but creative ideas
6. Ask for more than just cost savings like people engagement, value enhancement, customer satisfaction, etc.
7. Look at the improvement in process or system instead of blaming people
8. Don’t hide ideas (be transparent) with team
9. Quickly respond to every idea
10. Turn “bad ideas” into better ideas. Even turn complaints into ideas
11. Coach, but don’t find fault. Help people see the bigger picture
12. Create time for people who have to take action
13. Don’t forget the sustainment at the end of improvement cycle
14. Give people recognition for ideas (effort, not just results)
15. Compile the results and celebrate them

5 Things zapping your Diamond planners’ productivity

5 Things zapping your Diamond planners’ productivity

It is always been tough to establish a workplace that encourages creativity to think out of box, generate synergy and yet also promotes productivity. But it is always important to put our head to ask for “How exactly do you determine what's helping and hurting my most important persons’ productivity?”

If you're struggling to maintain a productive diamond planning function, here are five things that may be working against you:

1. Your unique company culture

It is seen over a period of time in diamond industry that, a person finds it difficult at most of the diamond processing departments to have place to work alone where no-one is accompanied with him. This is considered necessary to achieve peak productivity irrespective of financial rewards & recognition. Our constant interaction with diamond processing department heads and key value generators / enhancers has given an insight that 80 percent of respondents preferred to work alone when they need to get a lot done. Make sure your entire team has access to quiet areas for their time to focus.

2. The office layout

If your team is experiencing low productivity and struggling to deliver what has been always asked by management, it may be signal / trigger to switch up your office layout. According to our diagnostic study in most of the diamond manufacturing companies, younger adults are more likely to prefer to work in a newsroom set-up than their older counterparts. Also, men are much more likely intended to work in a cubicle with co-workers compared to women. Depending on product type and estimated time to complete the rough article, you may find that large, open rooms are best for creating collaborative spaces. Don't be afraid to poll your workers on how they would like to switch it up. Always observe that the product is being transported within minimum hands offs safely all the time.

3. Noisy neighbors

Our one to one interaction, interviews and meetings with the diamond planners and checkers have put on light like 70percent of respondents said most of their distractions come from noisy colleagues. To evaluate &judge the stone to derive optimum value needs high level of concentration to observe minute impurities / inclusions inside thestone. This is serious because everyone knows that once stone gets processed and then realizing its optimum value is a biggest mistake we do in planning

To avoid such instances, cut the noise level at the working area by setting up an internal instant messaging system for employee communication like skype, online messenger, etc, or simply asking them to ping each other on Gtalk when they need to get in touch.

4.  Management

That's right! You could be the one impeding office productivity. The boss not sitting with his most valuable group sometimes hampers the productivity. Eyes on desks always get rid of unproductive stuff. More than a third of those who have a boss said they have little desire to work alongside them means thirty percent of workers would opt for more work over a desk next to their boss. If your workers are getting tense from too much micromanaging, it may be time for you to relocate.

5.  Communication Gap

Since the planning is the most important element of diamond processing, a minor communication gape can hamper the effectiveness of whole process. It is vital to effectively communicate about the parameters & price-list to be considered while planning the stone. This occupies more importance considering the fact that planner department operates round the clock in 3 different shifts.During survey, almost 40% raised the concern about effective mode of communication between the management & planners. Communication gape can be overcome with the help of written instructions/SOP/guidelines in local language pasted/displayed across the workplace with the latest version number and date.

Consider ways to avoid these potential distractions, and you'll kick your company's productivity to a new height.