The Skills You Need as an OpEx/CI Professional

This article and video emphasizes the relevance of the skills for various roles within OpEx and Continuous Improvement: full-time leaders, managers, consultants

Importance of Lean Methodologies

• Stating the significance of Lean methodologies in business improvement
• Addressing misconceptions about Lean, highlighting its essential role in organizational improvement
• Drawing parallels to teaching proficiency, stressing the need for accurate Lean teaching

Varied Roles in Improvement Leadership

• Delineating distinct roles such as practitioner, facilitator, and coach in improvement leadership
• Highlighting coaching parallels with child development, focusing on people development and results

Learning Approaches and Continuous Development

• Advocating for continuous learning, citing examples from various professions
• Recommending a reading list for self-improvement and emphasizing the importance of self-awareness
• Highlighting free resources like YouTube for learning value stream mapping and related concepts

Future Skills Inventory and Seeking Coaching

• Discussing plans for a comprehensive skills inventory for improvement professionals
• Addressing the need for finding a coach and suggesting hiring or seeking references for guidance
• Emphasizing the importance of coaches having practical experience and not just theoretical knowledge

Evaluating Programs and Industry Recognized Expertise

• Advising on questions to consider before investing in improvement programs
• Highlighting the importance of assessing program validity and the metrics used for evaluation

Challenges in Learning and Development Models

• Pointing out the absence of apprenticeship models in improvement professions
• Discussing the challenges in continuous learning and the need for ongoing education
• Highlighting discrepancies in Lean Six Sigma programs, especially in emphasizing Lean culture
• Stressing the potential harm caused by inexperienced coaches to the people they are coaching
• Addressing the development of Lean certification training and its impact on internal improvement teams