<p>Human resource (HR) management is a key area in today’s business. It is the most important of all resources any organisation has. HR department can help in conducting training sessions, and awareness campaigns among the employees which further help them understand the need, reason and benefits of following certain rules and processes. Human resource management has a definitive impact on the organisation’s competitive capability. The major challenge faced by the HR community is to measure performance. Lean is the identification and elimination of non-value-added steps in a process. It is also about people, culture, and leadership. However, HR departments seldom seem to take an active role in lean transformations. <br /><br />Lean means change and continuous change if not monitored will result in unhappy employees leaving the organisation. HR can make a significant contribution to lean success by managing the change in a manner that gives a positive outlook. Continuous communication and sharing the objectives of lean with the employees and explaining the needs of change to them will help in this exercise. <br /><br />There are two facets to the relationship between lean and HR. First, it is self-evident that the HR function — just like any other department in a company — needs to apply lean practices and principles toward process improvement in its own work. Second, the HR function needs to actively support lean transformation throughout the company. The HR function, by virtue of its interactions with practically every part of a company, is in an ideal position to be a powerful ally in lean transformation. <br /><br />Lean HR has been implemented for a long time in manufacturing operations — for their deployment in human resources. It focuses over the removal of waste from the entire value chain. An organisation that is based on individual performance, such as piecework pay or a strong focus on individual accomplishments, will struggle to get the collaborative behaviours needed for lean success. <br /><br />A second is how performance is calculated, communicated and tied to incentives. Adopting lean principles well beyond core manufacturing has dramatically changed many other corporate internal functions, including product development, supply chain management, and more recently, accounting. But in too many companies, HR remains untouched by their company’s commitment to lean. And for those who have engaged HR to help with lean transformation, the contribution has not reached its potential. Too often, employees go home at the end of the day with only a gut feel of whether or not they have accomplished their goals. <br /><br />HR must have an effective process by understanding the activities, connections, and flows, which are the building blocks. Lean HR helps organisations engaging employees in training and development through the use of work groups for quality, product development and task flexibility. Lean transformation is one of the most powerful means to improve businesses. HR creates better organisational conditions to support lean transformation. Success of lean implementation can be measured by five following key variables: <br /><br />* Development of teams as a supporting structure: Teams are an important element of a lean organisation. The development of effective teams extends deep both inside and outside of lean transformations. Teams in a lean environment need the following: first, a common language, common principles, and common tools. Second, a common drive provided by vision, metrics, and goals. Third, they need to design the work around them visually so that there is high agreement about what work must be done and how it should be done — and immediately exposing problems so that they may be resolved. <br /><br />* Calculation and communication of metrics: Metrics keep score and determine if progress is being made. In a lean environment, several criteria should be considered when developing metric systems or scoreboards. These metrics should support daily decision making, predictive metrics offer much more useful decision support than those that are rearward facing. The metrics must point in a steady and consistent direction toward the ideal state.<br /><br />* Communication across boundaries: Companies that are successful in lean are also successful improving their communications, particularly across boundaries such as departments and functions. In a lean environment, process focus takes priority over functional focus. <br /><br />Lean changes both the work and the way people think, so employees need to see that individuals at the top of the organisation are changing the way they think before they will do the same. The ability to communicate, and for that communication to be received and used, is important to assure process experimentation where the work is done. <br /><br />* Communication to employees regarding their role: Part of the management’s communication for lean implementation includes clarity of each employee’s roles and responsibilities. Roles must change as an organisation goes toward lean maturity, so the rate at which an organisation reaches maturity partly depends on lean role clarity and integration throughout the journey. Maintaining role clarity as these roles dramatically change appears to be an important criterion of success. <br /><br />* Acknowledgment and celebrations of successes: Most corporate initiatives have a distinct beginning and a clear, objective outcome, but lean is a never-ending journey. If objectives remain clear, employees at all levels can feel a sense of accomplishment and if appropriate, the accompanying reward. Companies that find ways to celebrate success along the journey are more successful at lean. They clearly define milestones, communicate progress toward them, and celebrate successes along the journey. Recommendations for HR Departments: The HR team should be able to create a lean culture environment that supports the above mentioned key variables. Certain traits like ability to communicate, work in teams, create and follow measurements, work across organisational boundaries, and identify and celebrate successes should be present in employees implementing lean which should be identified by the recruitment and hiring process. <br /><br />A fair and suitable reward and recognition programme is vital in the recruitment and retention of employees, especially in a lean implementation process. <br />Leadership in a lean environment can quickly be distinguished from traditional views on leadership. <br /><br />Lean is a long-term, evolutionary, and inclusive environment. Lean in human resources must be distinguished from HR-enabled lean. Lean in human resources is defined as driving waste out of HR processes. HR-enabled lean is how the human-resource processes and functions help create lean success throughout the organisation<br /><br />The writer is Founder & MD – Cnergyis</p>
<p>Human resource (HR) management is a key area in today’s business. It is the most important of all resources any organisation has. HR department can help in conducting training sessions, and awareness campaigns among the employees which further help them understand the need, reason and benefits of following certain rules and processes. Human resource management has a definitive impact on the organisation’s competitive capability. The major challenge faced by the HR community is to measure performance. Lean is the identification and elimination of non-value-added steps in a process. It is also about people, culture, and leadership. However, HR departments seldom seem to take an active role in lean transformations. <br /><br />Lean means change and continuous change if not monitored will result in unhappy employees leaving the organisation. HR can make a significant contribution to lean success by managing the change in a manner that gives a positive outlook. Continuous communication and sharing the objectives of lean with the employees and explaining the needs of change to them will help in this exercise. <br /><br />There are two facets to the relationship between lean and HR. First, it is self-evident that the HR function — just like any other department in a company — needs to apply lean practices and principles toward process improvement in its own work. Second, the HR function needs to actively support lean transformation throughout the company. The HR function, by virtue of its interactions with practically every part of a company, is in an ideal position to be a powerful ally in lean transformation. <br /><br />Lean HR has been implemented for a long time in manufacturing operations — for their deployment in human resources. It focuses over the removal of waste from the entire value chain. An organisation that is based on individual performance, such as piecework pay or a strong focus on individual accomplishments, will struggle to get the collaborative behaviours needed for lean success. <br /><br />A second is how performance is calculated, communicated and tied to incentives. Adopting lean principles well beyond core manufacturing has dramatically changed many other corporate internal functions, including product development, supply chain management, and more recently, accounting. But in too many companies, HR remains untouched by their company’s commitment to lean. And for those who have engaged HR to help with lean transformation, the contribution has not reached its potential. Too often, employees go home at the end of the day with only a gut feel of whether or not they have accomplished their goals. <br /><br />HR must have an effective process by understanding the activities, connections, and flows, which are the building blocks. Lean HR helps organisations engaging employees in training and development through the use of work groups for quality, product development and task flexibility. Lean transformation is one of the most powerful means to improve businesses. HR creates better organisational conditions to support lean transformation. Success of lean implementation can be measured by five following key variables: <br /><br />* Development of teams as a supporting structure: Teams are an important element of a lean organisation. The development of effective teams extends deep both inside and outside of lean transformations. Teams in a lean environment need the following: first, a common language, common principles, and common tools. Second, a common drive provided by vision, metrics, and goals. Third, they need to design the work around them visually so that there is high agreement about what work must be done and how it should be done — and immediately exposing problems so that they may be resolved. <br /><br />* Calculation and communication of metrics: Metrics keep score and determine if progress is being made. In a lean environment, several criteria should be considered when developing metric systems or scoreboards. These metrics should support daily decision making, predictive metrics offer much more useful decision support than those that are rearward facing. The metrics must point in a steady and consistent direction toward the ideal state.<br /><br />* Communication across boundaries: Companies that are successful in lean are also successful improving their communications, particularly across boundaries such as departments and functions. In a lean environment, process focus takes priority over functional focus. <br /><br />Lean changes both the work and the way people think, so employees need to see that individuals at the top of the organisation are changing the way they think before they will do the same. The ability to communicate, and for that communication to be received and used, is important to assure process experimentation where the work is done. <br /><br />* Communication to employees regarding their role: Part of the management’s communication for lean implementation includes clarity of each employee’s roles and responsibilities. Roles must change as an organisation goes toward lean maturity, so the rate at which an organisation reaches maturity partly depends on lean role clarity and integration throughout the journey. Maintaining role clarity as these roles dramatically change appears to be an important criterion of success. <br /><br />* Acknowledgment and celebrations of successes: Most corporate initiatives have a distinct beginning and a clear, objective outcome, but lean is a never-ending journey. If objectives remain clear, employees at all levels can feel a sense of accomplishment and if appropriate, the accompanying reward. Companies that find ways to celebrate success along the journey are more successful at lean. They clearly define milestones, communicate progress toward them, and celebrate successes along the journey. Recommendations for HR Departments: The HR team should be able to create a lean culture environment that supports the above mentioned key variables. Certain traits like ability to communicate, work in teams, create and follow measurements, work across organisational boundaries, and identify and celebrate successes should be present in employees implementing lean which should be identified by the recruitment and hiring process. <br /><br />A fair and suitable reward and recognition programme is vital in the recruitment and retention of employees, especially in a lean implementation process. <br />Leadership in a lean environment can quickly be distinguished from traditional views on leadership. <br /><br />Lean is a long-term, evolutionary, and inclusive environment. Lean in human resources must be distinguished from HR-enabled lean. Lean in human resources is defined as driving waste out of HR processes. HR-enabled lean is how the human-resource processes and functions help create lean success throughout the organisation<br /><br />The writer is Founder & MD – Cnergyis</p>
