Hey there, if reading about how to innovate remotely or clearly define a problem has gotten you in the mood to go hyperlink surfing for more process improvement information, you’ve probably noticed something…
There are a TON of resources out there. Such a mind-boggling amount that the biggest challenge can be simply figuring out where to start.
While Bill and I love reading and discussing the arcane details of process theory, having so much information at your fingertips can be a real obstacle too. Especially if you’re just beginning your process improvement journey.
So today I want to share a simple framework I use to organize my own self-study, along with a few of what I consider absolute MUST-READS in each category. Hope you Enjoy!
The Tripod of Knowledge
(a bit dramatic, but it makes life fun)
Like many people, my method of navigating excessive amounts of information is to seek recommendations. At the beginning of my career this began with a book recommendation by a trusted mentor. Over the years it has been followed with many more. As I organized these books and articles I found they tend to fall into three general bodies of knowledge; Methodology, Data, and People.
While powerful on their own, gaining competence in all three areas has a compounding effect that will provide you with a super charged platform to effect positive change.
I tend to naturally gravitate to one topic, so I’ve found it extremely helpful to use this tripod as a balancing tool to make sure I’m not neglecting any key skills I’ll need to tackle my next big process challenge.
In the remainder of this post I’ll give a quick description of what I bucket into each leg of the tripod, why it’s important, and two of my absolute favorite books for each.
Methodology:
This is typically what we think of when we imagine a process improvement professional.
While having an understanding of the major methodologies is considered table stakes for most process improvement roles, it’s easy to get lost in the many schools of thought (Lean, Six-Sigma, Agile, Scrum, to name a few) plus dozens more off-shoots.
Generally I recommend folks start by gaining a “Wikipedia” level of understanding of the major methodologies and then pick one that resonates to go deep on first.
The end goal is to know them all well enough that, rather than needing to verbatim follow whatever 3-to-7 step process they provide, you can play Jazz with them and incorporate parts of each fluidly to solve dynamic problems.
Two Methodology Must-Reads:
Data:
To avoid the dreaded “ivory tower” label, Bill and I have found it incredibly helpful to pair our methodology knowledge with some “hard” skills (a terrible term, but that’s for another post).
Equipping yourself with some basic statistical skills will give you near-magical abilities in the eyes of you business counterparts. And understanding how to powerfully visualize data to tell a clear story will help you avoid spending 20 minutes explaining what that graph on slide 6 of your PowerPoint means.
Additionally, as the resident process improvement specialist you’ll often find yourself acting as translator between your company’s business and engineering departments. Understanding the basics of SQL or how to do some ETL work will allow you to better relate to your engineering counterparts (and also call “BS” when they say it’ll take six months to pull a data set for you).
Two Data Must-Reads:
It’s a textbook, so use it as a reference rather than for light reading.
People:
This is the leg of the tripod that most often get’s neglected, which I get. It’s not typically viewed as a “hard” skill you can put on your resume. And it can seem more immediately impactful to bone up on your DMAIC knowledge.
“It’s a Trap!”
DO NOT BE FOOLED! This is a linchpin skill that will enable all your other great abilities to shine.
Why? Because, knowledge unshared has no value to anyone but yourself.
And no matter how much awesome stuff you know, if you can’t motivate a group of people (who don’t report to you) to make uncomfortable changes then your impact will equal zero. On the other hand, when you learn how to listen and understand a group’s needs, and can use your expertise like a scalpel to clear away obstacles and open paths – it’s incredible to see what people can achieve.
Two People Must-Reads:
So now What?
Well, that’s really up to you.
This is the Frankenstein framework that I’ve cobbled together to help me organize and focus my self-education efforts. If this resonates with you, I’d recommend doing a quick self-assessment (or asking a co-worker to do it with you) to determine where your current strengths and weaknesses are.
Hungry for more book recommendations? Check out the full reading list I share with friends and mentees below. And let us know if you see any amazing books missing – we are always down to read something new!
If you have your own process for continued learning, we would love to hear about it. Let us know what you do down in the comments or email us at processforthepeople@gmail.com