Our Weekly Challenge comes from Author and Consultant Robert B. Hafey.  Robert is the author of Lean Safety: Transforming your Safety Culture with Lean Management. Robert has creatively combined lean concepts with safety management to continuously improve organizations. You can learn more about his concepts here at his website Lean Safety Book

Quote: “You can continuously cope or you can continuously improve – the choice is yours!”

Challenge: Engage Others by taking Gemba Walks. (Gemba walks denote the action of going to see the actual process, understand the work, ask questions, and learn) Going to Gemba is a great way to find ideas or improve upon ideas.

Just like how Robert connected the dots with his unique combination of concepts, you can identify ground breaking ideas by getting out to observe and asking questions. As an added challenge Robert suggests drinking good beer! We agree! 

Robert B. Hafey has worked in manufacturing operations and maintenance for forty years. The first part of his career was with U.S. Steel Corporation followed by twenty plus years at Flexco. For the last eighteen years he was directly involved in the definition and implementation of continual improvement. He has been an AME (Association for Manufacturing Excellence) volunteer for the past fourteen years and acquired much of his lean knowledge through this involvement. He has served on the national board, as a regional board president, regional board member and has been a volunteer member of three AME annual conference teams. He is a skilled presenter and keynote who has presented continuous improvement material at AME, SME, PMA, APICS, NIBA, Manufacturing Institute (Manchester, UK), NAEM, Assembly Technology Expo, MRO Today, IMTS and Reliable Plant sponsored conferences. He firmly believes in the email signature tag line he created, “You can continuously cope or you can continuously improve – the choice is yours!” He considers continuous improvement a creative endeavor and he enjoys and finds time for many other varied activities that center on creativity. His creative instincts and an undergraduate degree in professional arts are the foundation that enabled him to master detailed wood carving, gourmet cooking and guiding others on their continuous improvement journeys. One of his joys in life is preparing good food to share with friends and family. You can connect with Robert here Robert’s Linked In Profile