Upgrading Performance at Work

10 Areas that a Visual Workplace Will Improve

May 21, 2009 Paul Larson

A visual workplace is a workplace that speaks for itself.

It communicates what is going on in regards to the objectives of each working group and how that group is doing with those objectives. It is also set up to display feedback as to where the organization stands in relationship to its vision and mission.

It is the cornerstone to the use of self directed teams because it is centered on the principle of self-control. The late Peter Drucker is often credited with coining the phrase "Management by Objectives" but he is seldom remembered for the complete concept he was referring to and that is management by objectives and self control.

The Power of Self-Control

Self-control is a very powerful level of control and is the driving force behind the visual workplace. For self-control to work there have to be effective and formal feedback systems in place. The visual workplace provides that feedback.

10 Areas that a Visual Workplace or Visual Factory Will Improve

1. It emphasizes finishing the work. Many people are remembered for their starts, but seldom for finishing anything. The smoke from the excitement of the launch becomes less exciting and the heat and light of the finish become more apparent in a visual workplace.
2. Implementers get noticed. This is what happens with an individual or a group that is strong on ideas and concepts but weak on implementation. In a visual workplace only the implementation gets measured and displayed.
3. People can fix things without expensive technology. Much can be accomplished with the resources already available to a group. This is in contrast to those with the bias that there are technical fixes to many problems that require only investment in technology. In the visual workplace, people are looked to first to fix things and maybe a small emphasis is placed on technology.
4. Appropriate motivation is employed.Napoleon once observed that he could not pay men enough to endure the hardships of weather, cold, disease, starvation, and fatigue to be soldiers in his army but he noted they would be willing to risk their lives for a little piece of cloth displayed as a decoration on the front of their uniform. The good communications practices of a visual workplace are a reservoir of recognition feedback.
5. Very little or nothing at all is written down in a visual workplace. This preserves the freshness in information that often gets stale as it is reduced to writing and then translated orally again later on but without its original zip.
6. It captures organizational learning. Everyone knows about the flashy outgoing individuals they run into all day long but few can reach those who are quiet and hard to understand. Since there are usually more of the latter there is more to be learned from reaching them and getting their input. The visual workplace helps discover and use this knowledge.
7. It emphasizes the Scientific Method This is not an academic in charge of the business processes. It is the application of the methods routinely used in the scientific disciplines to understanding what customers want and translating those wants into company capabilities. Investigation, experimentation, and research are part of everyone’s job. Make their progress visible.
8. It uses the entire workforce. Imagine the situation where the weakest employees possess robust math and language skills. Now imagine all of those employees actively involved in solving and eliminating process problems. The visual workplace encourages self-education and it encourages active participation with its prominently displayed information. The work area becomes the teacher with everyone having the capability to learn from all the information that is visible.
9. Real customer data drives decisions. There is a need for daily data on customers. That data is immediately reviewed with everyone. Over time, most of the internal measures will evolve into measuring the affects of the group’s activities on customers. This all starts and is driven by the visual workplace and its need for meaningful data.
10. It makes invisible assets visible. In the visual workplace this is the spark for those with the dull and everyday jobs. There are some real surprises here as those without the social activities and networking opportunities that normally allow visibility can show what they have accomplished.

The copyright of the article Upgrading Performance at Work in Business Management is owned by Paul Larson. Permission to republish Upgrading Performance at Work in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Little Information is Hidden in a Visual Workplace

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