No Problem IS A Problem

Presented By:

Crystal Davis

Session Description

My sensei Mr. Yamada would always say to me, Crystal, no problem is a problem. He taught me to look deeper. If someone indicated that things were fine, and there were no problems, he would not move any further.

Many organizations on the lean transformation journey struggle to admit they still have problems which impact the daily operations. These organizations are so conditioned to addressing kaizen opportunities identified in value stream mapping, yet overlook smaller problems in daily operations even when using daily management practices. The beauty of just-in-time coaching is learning to leverage these real time problems to develop others to see deeper.

This interactive session will engage the participants in three case study sessions which will allow them to practice just-in-time coaching scenarios. The three sessions are:

1. Seizing the Moment – often coaches plan time in their leader standard work to coach. This session helps them to recognize and
respond to coaching moments in real time situations.
2. Leaders Ask Great Questions – often lean coaches have been trained to start with leading scripted questions and/or Kata questions, which are great, but might not fit the specific real time issue. Also leaders tend to revert to giving direction instead of coaching when put on the spot. During this session, participants will be presented some ad hoc situations that allow them to practice asking real time questions to ensure they don’t start directing or providing solutions in the heat of the moment.
3. Identifying Behavioral Triggers – good coaches learn to see beyond what they hear, and learn to listen for calls for help that aren’t blatant. People often display behaviors that indicate when they need help, but aren’t sure how or what to ask. Often, their requests have fallen on deaf ears, or they feel that if they express their challenge it will appear as though they aren’t supportive of the transformation. This session will provide participants an opportunity to practice identifying and responding to these triggers which may require coaching at multiple levels within the organization.

Learning Objectives

In this session participants will learn to…

  • Understand how to seize the moment to coach during ad hoc situations
  • Learn how to ASK GREAT QUESTIONS in the moment when the situation may not be applicable to scripted questions
  • Develop skills to identify behavioral triggers which indicate an opportunity for just-in-time coaching

Facilitator Bio:

Crystal Y. Davis became a student of lean early in her career at Delphi, about 20 years ago, while working as an industrial engineer in Juarez, Mexico. She would soon become a member of the lean team, with opportunities to support struggling facilities in Europe, Alabama, and Mississippi. Afterward, she joined the Lean Supplier Development Team. At that time, Delphi under the guise of lean consultants, began focusing on the extended value stream. Crystal was taught and mentored by Rick Harris of Harris Lean Systems during this time, and then named Delphi’s Lean Supplier Development Engineer.
After the automotive industry downturn, Crystal went on to join Coca-Cola Enterprises, where she worked on the corporate team
developing the Continuous Improvement methodology, material and training for the company. There she had the privilege of being mentored by Mr. Yamada, a Toyota consultant of Lean Enterprise Institute. Her lean leadership in the Southwest region was featured at the 2011 Lean Transformation Summit.
In 2011, after Coca-Cola Enterprises was acquired, Crystal left to join Thermo Fisher Scientific. During her tenure, she led a facility to earn the Industry Best Plant recognition for their lean journey. Crystal has always had a passion for leadership and developing others. In 2013, Crystal received her coaching certification from The John Maxwell Group.
In 2014, Crystal founded The Lean Coach, Inc., a boutique lean practitioner consulting, training, and coaching firm. She has worked
with clients such as Carlisle Transportation Products, Borg Warner, Coca-Cola Refreshments, Moog Inc., and Google.
Crystal is also an international speaker, who delivers energetic and informative talks on disrupting in lean and leadership. She led a ‘LEAD Lean’ breakout session at the IISE Lean Six Sigma Conference, and has hosted ‘Ladies of Lean’, an informal online talk about continuous improvement, with her partners Leslie Henkler and Karyn Ross.