Why You Are A Factory
“The only fear worth keeping is the fear of standing still.”
People, and work, move in your organization - with some kind of repetition. This repetition makes you some form of factory.
Your operations might churn out ONE item per year (an annual auto show, for example) or 162 items per year (a professional baseball team). your operations are a factory.
Your project team is also a factory. Your project team churns out meetings, email, documentation.
My use of the term factory is not about being an oppressive, monotonous place. My use of the term factory is intended to foster good culture traits like discipline and minimal negative surprises.
You might not see your team as a literal factory, but you should manage it like one, because you care about all the same things: speed, quality, waste, and more. Whether its size is big or small, your organization needs movement and rhythm. Treat it like a factory.
These terms help you determine if you are a factory …
The world of Performing Arts has factories. Your favorite musician might be Beyonce, Bruno Mars, or the Beatles. Their music portfolio results from a kind of factory. You might like movie franchises like Star Wars, Harry Potter, James Bond, or Marvel. These artists lead a form of a factory.
A dysfunctional team is a disagreement factory. A healthy team is an Agreement Factory. Get familiar with what sits on your innovation conveyer belt and manage it with just Five Verbs.
Your project team is a factory! The Elegance methodology describes the discipline you need for a healthy innovation culture.