Leader Standard Work

What is Standard Work for Leaders (SWfL)?

Leaders Standard Work is a method for creating and subsequently carrying out sets of crucial leadership routines in order to bolster a world-class enterprise. 

Similarly to operator’s standard work, critical work elements are established as part of the standard work.  However, with leader standard work, the elements are task related.  “Did I do, what I said I would do, when I said I would do it? “.  Operator standardized work is more prescriptive, it details the step-by-step work elements to complete a task. 

SWfL is an opportunity for the leader to set the example, the expected standard and best practices for their team. Establishing SWfL is a chance to reset the expectation of what good looks like. For some organisations this may mean a mindset shift, moving from a traditional command and control environment with a compliance mentality to a coaching and capability building ethos.

Which Leadership Level is Standard Work Appropriate for? 

The short answer is all levels. However, the amount (%) of the day/ week or month time that is standard differs vastly from level to level. 

Standard Work for Leaders (SWfL) - percent of work that should be standard by level, a guide

What Would a Leader Expect to Include in their Standard Work?

When first establishing standardized work, Leaders often start with what good looks like and detail the subsequent tasks that should be done to enable the organisation to achieve excellence. Often these tasks are activities that we know we should be doing, but often find ourselves unable to spend time on them (or enough time on them) when daily tribulations cross our paths. There are several critical success factors that enable SWfL to be effective. 

Standard Work for Leaders (SWfL) Critical Success Factors

Strategy Deployment

Leaders Standard Work should include tasks that enable the execution of the strategy and the communication events in the work sequence to support the plan. These activities are upwards, downwards, and horizontally. Whether it’s a monthly business review with the leader’s line manager or a daily performance review with the leader’s direct reports, all these events should be a part of the leader’s standard work. 

Visual Management 

Visual Management should enable the execution of standard work to be as efficient as possible for the leader. Performance should be visualized so status can be ascertained at-a-glance, at all levels within the organisation. So, communication events can be effective, concise, and accurate. The leaders standardized work should be visualized too.

Develop The Team (Mentorship)  

Formal and Informal coaching. Informal coaching opportunities aligned to the standardized work when they present themselves. Typically, tactical.  For example, supporting a direct report or new employees as they lead a daily management system review. The support can be pre, during and/or post review.  Formal coaching and mentorship would typically be in an office or private work locations and would be both strategic and tactical and more long-term in direction compared to the informal coaching. 

Sacred Time (and Sacred Spaces)

Sacred Time is time allocated for the leader to focus on their actions. The work that they wish to focus on without interruptions. During this time, the leader should only be interrupted if entirely necessary and their attention is required before the end of the sacred time.  Sacred time does not necessarily mean the leader working on their own, it relates to the activity being sacred to the leader. 

Sacred Spaces are required to complete the work. These spaces need to fit the users in terms of the environment. 

Personal Development

Personal Development time should be allocated in Leaders Standard Work. This differs from Sacred Time. Whereas Sacred Time concentrates on task completion that is critical to the leader, Personal Development time focusses on improving the leader’s capabilities. The development time can range from self-study to external training, from benchmark visits to attending conferences. 

Support Incremental Performance Gains

Leaders should allocate time to go to Gemba (the place where the value is created) in their standardized work. This will enable the leader to see for themselves where there are problems and opportunities to Kaizen (change for the better). Their presence at Gemba will enable the organization to maintain baseline performance levels which provides the basis for Kaizen. To maiximise the effectiveness of the time at Gemba there are certain routines that should be applied to gain a quick understanding of the current status. Firstly, visual management will provide an ‘at a glance’ health check of the area. Secondly, the leader should have a set of questions that they can ask each time they ‘go to see’ and collect data. In Mike Rother’s 2009 book, Toyota Kata, he recommended the ‘Five Kata Questions’

1. What is the target condition?
2. What is the actual condition now?
3. What obstacles are now preventing you from reaching your target condition?
4. What is your next step? (Start PDCA cycle)
5. When can we go and see what we have learned from taking that step?

The time spent at Gemba provides the leader with an opportunity to glean who is deserving of both formal and informal recognition. Recognition should be applied appropriately when responding to green “well done”, “what has it taken to get to green”, “what is it taking to maintain green” and to red “why do you think are we off target” “what can we/ I do to help you” “thank you for your efforts to improve the situation”. 

How does Standard Work for Leaders Drive Improvements? 

Repetition. There isn’t a moment, a switch that can be flicked when SWfL becomes effective. It just does not work like that. By following the standardized work and making it part of best practices, with a high adherence rate, the leader is demonstrating commitment to the process. This is where practice makes permanent. If we want excellence to be enduring, then there must be some level of endurance. We know endurance is a result of a lot of practice, patience, hard work and effort. A marathon runner isn’t successful because they had a couple of warm up runs prior to the marathon. The success is down to the execution of the 16-20 weeks training plan ahead of the marathon. Followed by the continued work to maintain marathon running conditions. Mike Rother’s book ‘Toyota Kata’ looks at exactly how Toyota have managed to sustain and improve the Toyota Production System (TPS) through the practice of Kata. Kata are the small routines that allow for continuous improvement. 

What are the Obstacles to Implementing SWfL? 

Time, or more accurately, spending time on the wrong things. For some Leaders Standard Work may seem like a wish list. “Activities I would like to get onto”. Often what is preventing the leader being able to adhere to their standard work or even being prepared to have a go at using standard work is firefighting. Firefighting can become a way of life and quickly becomes the norm. Recognising this, and being prepared to do something about this will be required if time is deemed a factor for avoiding Leaders Standard Work or poor adherence to Leaders Standard Work. 
Leaders should review their current activities – challenge the status quo

• Is this value add? 
• Is this value add for me to be doing?
• Can this be done more effectively? 

What are the benefits of implementing SWfL? 

• Drives daily continuous improvements 
• Increases problem solving focus on process rather than people
• Enables leaders to respond more rapidly to potential problems
• Creates an environment for positive change 
• Improves processes and communication
• Eradicates silos and blame 
• Prompt for action and leadership accountability
• Sets the expectation

How will SWfL make me a better leader? 

SWfL will enable you to learn from your failures and successes faster, as the most efficient method to apply the learnings to and meet challenges head on.

You will learn to delegate. You will understand your team better. You will learn to let go and create space for your team to grow. You will enjoy the journey more and become less fixated on the destination.  

SWfL Training

Are you located in or near Wigan in England? We invite you to join us for a 2 day training event 11-12 October, 2023. Learn more and register today!