For companies to be competitive, leaders must engage people at all levels to focus their energy and enable them to apply lean principles to everything they do. Strategy deployment, called hoshin kanri by Toyota, has proven to be the most effective process for meeting this ongoing challenge. In Getting the Right Things Done, Pascal Dennis outlines the nuts and bolts of strategy deployment, answering two tough questions that ultimately can make or break a lean transformation: What kind of planning system is required to inspire meaningful company-wide continuous improvement? How might we change existing mental models that do not support a culture of continuous improvement? Getting the Right Things Done tells the story of a fictional midsized company, Atlas Industries, that needs to dramatically improve to compete with emerging rivals and meet new customer demands. While Atlas had already applied some basic lean principles, it had not really connected the people and business processes so that the company could dramatically improve. Something was missing: a way of focusing and aligning the efforts of good people, and a delivery system, something that would direct the tools to the right places. The book provides readers with a framework for understanding the key components of strategy deployment: agreeing on True North for the company, working within the PDCA cycle, getting consensus through catchball, the deployment leader concept, and A3 thinking. It links action to theory and reminds us that lean tools are only the means to an end, not ends in themselves. It takes a step-by-step instructional approach to the strategy deployment process. Through this unique combination, Getting the Right Things Done balances the human and technical dimensions of making strategy deployment a vital part of the daily culture of any company.
Pascal Dennis is a professional engineer, author, and President of Lean Pathways Inc., an international consultancy.
Pascal developed his management skills at Toyota and has worked with leading senseis in North America and Japan. Winner of four Shingo Prizes for Excellence, Pascal's latest book is The Remedy -- Bringing Lean Out of the Factory to Transform the Entire Organization (Wiley, New York 2010).
Pascal grew up in a Greek restaurant in downtown Toronto -- The Imperial Grill -- which often figures in his books.
Pascal studied Aikido for fifteen years and was an instructor at Toronto Aikikai. He plays guitar & piano and has been a member of several dreadful bands.
Pascal lives in Toronto with his wife, Pamela, and three children.
Website: www.leansystems.org
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