Teaming and Lean--Framing and Leadership

“I presume, Curmudge, that your apartment-office is finally getting organized.”

“Julie, at least the tsunami of files is receding from my living room.  It’s still not clear whether it’s best described as an office in my apartment or a bed and microwave in my office.”

“Nevertheless, Old Guy, we still have some lessons to share from Amy Edmondson’s book, Teaming (1).  We’d better do it before the neuropathy in your fingers makes them useless.  And as before, quoted statements are from her book.”

“Let’s start with a familiar example of a situation that requires teaming.  Here’s the scenario: An outpatient arrives at the hospital for several tests.  Her day becomes a series of long waits interspersed with brief periods in radiology, the laboratory, and other departments.  It’s clearly not the patient-centered experience that the patient and the hospital want.  So what is the hospital’s path forward?”

“That’s a tough but understandable problem, Curmudge.  Its value stream map is a disaster, and a chipmunk could comprehend its difficulties.  Are you sure that it needs this teaming approach?”

“You’ll see, Julie.  We’ll begin by discussing framing and leadership.  Edmondson defines frames as, ‘interpretations that individuals rely on to sense and understand their environment.’  Sort of like the paradigms we’ve discussed before.  In framing his role, the team leader must accept and express his and the team members’ interdependence, fallibility, and need for collaboration.  He must emphasize to team members that they have been picked for their skills and that they are vital to the project’s success.”

“Back in the hospital, I can see why team members would be picked to represent the various departments along the value stream; the team would also need schedulers and patient advocates.  Most people would have a different outlook and want to protect their silo.”

“It is essential that the leader develops an emotional and intellectual commitment in each team member.  In our example, they should be able to empathize with the patient and develop a shared sense of purpose despite their diverse duties in the hospital.”

“Do I understand, Curmudge, that a collective learning process is at the heart of teaming?”

“You’ve got it, Julie.  Edmondson calls this a learning frame as contrasted against an execution frame.  In the execution frame, what needs to be done is evident so one just does it, like in Lean.  In the learning frame, team members exchange ideas, learn from one another, test the new concepts, and reflect on the results.  It’s an iterative process, sort of like the familiar sequence, plan, do, check, act.”

“Curmudge, are we there yet?  My guess is that we aren’t.  There is more to be said about psychological safety and execution-as-learning, and you are not one to let interesting concepts go unblogged.”

“Right, as always, Julie.”

Kaizen Curmudgeon

1.  Edmondson, Amy C.  Teaming.  How organizations learn, innovate, and compete in the knowledge economy.  (2012, John Wiley & Sons).