Going to Gemba Isn’t Sufficient

As I’ve mentioned before I’m one of several coaches for a high school football team here in Texas. Like just about every other high school football team (and many middle school teams) we film every game and carefully dissect each and every play with detailed notes for the players to review.

Quickly Identify Abnormalities

What’s especially interesting about this process is how easy it is to spot abnormalities on film. For example, when an offensive end doesn’t seal the edge during a running play it jumps right out when you slowly watch the play frame by frame.

On the other hand, during the actual game, it’s not always easy to spot these issues. If a defender bursts through the line of scrimmage it’s not uncommon for coaches to yell “where did that guy come from…who had him?!”

To counter this issue we now have JV players (who may not play in the varsity game) film every play from field level with an iPad which allows coaches to quickly watch the playback right after it happens. We don’t use this iPad footage for the “official” film study…but it really helps during the game. To be sure, without film study we’d be at a huge disadvantage.

Lean Thinking Video Use

And while the video camera has long been used for lean thinking activities like SMED / Quick Changeover I personally feel it’s an underutilized tool. We often speak about going to gemba, or the place the work is done, in order to see what’s happening. And, make no mistake, this is crucial. But, I dare say, simply going to gemba isn’t sufficient.

When we’re trying to study the movement of people and equipment using video is extremely effective. You and your team are able to sit back, and really study, what’s happening frame by frame. And if trimming minutes, or even seconds, from a process is important, breaking down the film in order to identify things like the wastes of motion and transportation will almost certainly add value.

Beware of Danger

And while video is powerful…it’s also potentially dangerous to your lean thinking efforts. When people feel like they’re being watched, or judged, or asked “to go faster,” the stress hormone cortisol will flood their bodies. Not good.

So, the worst thing, I repeat worst thing, you can do is simply run out to gemba and start filming people with your smartphone. In some countries this is illegal…and everywhere else it’s just a bad idea. A better approach is to follow this 3-step process:

1. Communicate that the purpose of filming is to study the process in order to make the work safer and easier to do. Explain it’s not to simply make people work harder or faster.
2. Ask the folks doing the actual work to film one another instead of someone who may not be familiar. This typically reduces the stress levels of everyone involved.
3. Involve the people being filmed during the “film breakdown” study. They will typically have the best ideas for how to make things better plus it’s the respectful thing to do.

I’d be curious to hear in the comments below, or on LinkedIn, if you have used, or currently use, video to study and improve your processes. What’s worked well? What have you learned?

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