Yamazumi Your Life!

The Power of the Pattern Interrupt

The pattern interrupt is one of the time-tested classics of cognitive psychology. You're grappling with and trying to overcome a particularly challenging problem or roadblock. The frontal attack strategy isn't working - it's like the proverbial "broken record". The answer is often simply to step out of the rut and spend a couple of hours doing something totally different. This will frequently release trapped mental energy, almost like the dam in a reservoir bursting. You often find that when you return to the original problem the problem has not changed, but you have.

So far, so conventional. Yet if we all know this, why is this so hard to do? First, there's the heavy weight of social expectation, particularly in a commercial environment. We are told to relentlessly focus on a single goal, so that even re-framing the problem can appear like a sign of defeat - a blow to our pride. That's is why it's always best to remind ourselves of the Pareto Rule - that the critical success factors that deliver the 80% of results are contained within the 20% of inputs. There is no glory or honour in slogging through the dreary and irrelevant 80% of inputs. That's why I recommend using the Yamazumi Board as a key control device to assess what REALLY matters in any projects.

Pattern interrupt, if managed prudently, can work at a "lifestyle design" level too. We all realise the importance of a change of scene at an intuitive level, which is why we take holidays outside our home town and even travel to far-flung and exotic locations. Of course travel is aimed not primarily at changed our surroundings but ourselves. You may not wish to take a gap year from integration testing to travel to Japan to qualify as a snowboarding instructor (as a friend recently did) but a simple walk in the park could have a similar refreshing effect. 

The power of the pattern interrupt to re-frame problems and recharge energies is dramatic. Here on the written page it seems blindingly obvious, but applying it is as usual the tough part. Proper process control is essential. When does a genuine and beneficial pattern interrupt become a distraction or a simple avoidance strategy? If you're working on a big project,the follow guidelines will help.

• Keep the pattern interrupt short (two hours at most)
• Keep it tightly defined in scope and beneficial in effect. Do not exceed the initial plan.
• Reflect on the process afterward. Take time to think and recharge. What has the pattern interrupt given you?

Now, on to the next project!

James Rozel 

You may not need a holiday - just a quick pattern interrupt...:-)

 

Yamazumi Strategy - The Personal FMEA

Yamazumi lean production techniques can revolutionize your own life too.

They have already transformed manufacturing business. Why do jet engines perform so reliably? Why do modern car engines almost always start first time? Businesses have applied quality-focused production techniques to revolutionise manufacturing in recent decades.

The FMEA, or “Failure Modes Effects Analysis”, has been used by engineers for many years to systematically identify and eliminate the root causes of failure in all kinds of products and systems.

It's a comprehensive technique – you start by listing every single fault, error or failure that can arise. These are called "failure modes" - every way in which the jet engine can fail, every kind of error or sub-optimal performance that can possibly happen.

The next step is to rank each of these "failure mode" by giving them a score out of 10 for

• Severity – What are the consequences of the defect? If a jet engine failed, the end result could be catastrophic, so a rating of 10 out of 10 would be appropriate.

• Occurrence – If a failure can happen frequently, it is given a high score.

• Detection – How easy is it to spot the defect? If it’s hard, then give a high score.

You then multiply the scores (Severity * Occurrence * Detection) and this gives you a Risk Priority Number.

Now you know the most urgent problems to tackle first. You'll find the Pareto rule usually applies here – i.e. 20% of your "failure modes" will cause 80% of the problem.

The Personal FMEA

If there’s anything in your life that’s not perfect yet, try a personal FMEA to identify the root causes.

Simply complete the grid below to apply a structured approach to tackling and resolving problems.

Failure Mode	Failure Effect	Severity	Occurence	Detection	RPN	Action	Resp. Target  date

It may seem strange applying an industrial technique to your own life, but the FMEA is a great way to flush out all the possible causes of a problem and also prioritise which ones needs to be addressed first.

Maybe start with your golf handicap and see what happens?