Visual Workspace: Getting a Status at a Glance May 13 2015
What is the purpose of a scoreboard in a sports game? If the action is taking place on the field or court, then why are the fans interested in looking away and at a scoreboard? The reason is because that scoreboard provides important information about the game in one swift glance. Fans are able to quickly see who is in the lead and how long it will be until victory is secured.
In the workplace, it can be just as valuable to use a “scoreboard” in the form of a status board. This board will serve as a reference tool for your employees, management team, visitors, and yourself. A status board gives the opportunity for a clear understanding of the goals and measures of your business to be seen, and it provides unbiased information about company performance.
A visual workspace status board is created to offer immediate understanding of the current state of operations. Specifically, this status board should communicate the current situation of your business, the time line of the work process involved from start to finish, an evaluation of whether the team is performing on schedule, and whether or not there have been any abnormalities encountered during the project time line.
Ultimately, a visual workplace status board is there for you to use as a tool in any environment striving to become more Lean. A priority of Lean is to commit to efficiency and constant improvement. A visual status board is there to show you exactly what is working, what is not working, and gives your team a chance to see a visual concept of their timeliness in regard to specific tasks or projects.
It is also a good idea to implement a visual workplace status board in order to allow employees to align with you and the entire management team on expectations and the shared vision of the company. Sharing the full scope of your company goals through a visual status board will give your employees the chance to see your expectations of them and the projects in play, which gives your employees a greater opportunity to give positive, constructive feedback or input during company meetings. After all, your employees will be better able to explain to you the tactics being put to use for each project and whether or not these tactics are effective in relation to your expectations and the realities of your workspace, if they have a better visual understanding of the project and of their individual role in your organization.
Before you know it, utilizing a visual workplace status board in your factory or office will give your employees, management team, and yourself a better understanding of the status of your business.
Other posts you may be interested in:
10 Ways You Can Empower Your Team Today
Using PDCA Problem Solving to Stay Lean
4 Essential Tips to Create an Empowered Workplace
