**5. Main features of effective CI systems**

To be effective a CI system needs top managers to master not only the technical management skills side but also the behavior and cultural side. Mike Rother [2] refers to the visible and the invisible side. The visible part has been more easily copied from Toyota many times without success because the invisible part is difficult to copy and is often overlooked. This type of division is also referred to in other forms such as the Shingo Model, dividing the KPI (Key Performance Indicators) and KBI (Key Behavioral Indicators) [25].

This invisible side of organizations or the side of behavior and culture is as present and vital as it is neglected. Edgar Schein argues: "The only thing leaders do of real importance is create and manage culture. If you don't manage the culture, the culture manages you, and you may not have the slightest idea of the extent to which it is happening."

Leaders in the organization must define the long-term vision trying to include a higher purpose that may create among all workers a sense of being part of

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*Continuous Improvement*

**5.1 Operational teams**

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93638*

something big. Something that makes them proud of being part of such organization. Leader and managers must also fully understand principles such as "respect for people" and "lead with humility". These principles must be more than just understood, rather they must be really living in their hearts. Devine's 'Rapid Mass Engagement Process [reference Conference Book?] amplifies this effect when the employees themselves create their own CI culture, and, sometimes, their own Higher Purpose by consensus with their senior leaders. In the face of a problem managers must behave in a systematic way starting with a "not blame and not judge" attitude. Most problems occurred because the systems allow them to occur and blaming on workers is the wrong approach to start with. The idea is to try to find the root cause and eliminate it. Manager must welcome problems and encour-

Another important feature of CI is teamwork. A common feature in effective CI systems is the presence of teams everywhere in the organization. Workers are organized in teams and managers gradually empower those teams with management responsibilities such as performance measurement and monitoring, scheduling their work, problem solving, and routine meetings. Transparency is an important tool to the benefit of all. Visual management must be used by teams to show and

These operational teams, also sometimes called "natural teams", are teams that normally share the same workspace and the same tasks, or complementary tasks. The term "natural" is used because in fact these teams already exist in a natural way even if they have no formal routines, no goals, and no team spirit. These teams are the essential units of CI systems as they are largely responsible for adding value to products and as such where CI is first most important. When we hear the term "operational teams" we often associate with teams operating in the production units, but the operational teams extend to all levels of the organization. These teams can be teams with administrative tasks, development tasks, sales or even management tasks.

The size of a team is a major factor as their performance can vary with their size. A good rule is to try to create small teams. On this team size issue, Sutherland [26] suggests that teams of 3–7 people needed 25% less effort than 9–12 people to do the same job. The size of the team is often determined and/or forced by constraints of context and typology of personality and relationship between team members. There are teams of 3 that work very well but others there are the same number but that do not work at all. Whether or not a strong team leader exists is also a key factor in the

The meetings of the operational teams are events of enormous importance for the sustainability of continuous improvement. The frequency of these meetings is commonly proposed as one meeting per day. In the Kaizen Institute CI model, it is even called Daily Kaizen. Typically the meeting follow a standard agenda lasting 5 minutes and in general terms the objectives of these meetings are: to preserve and improve the cohesion and motivation of the team, to become aware of the state and evolution of performance indicators, to plan the work of the day, to monitor ongoing improvement actions and if necessary to report occurrences. For these meetings to be effective it is necessary for teams to be trained and monitored very closely in the first few weeks. It is necessary that someone with experience accompanies the first meetings giving suggestions and feedback on the content of the agenda

age workers revealed them since they promote improvement.

update daily most important aspect of their work.

team's performance and ideal size.

**5.2 Teams meetings**

#### *Continuous Improvement DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93638*

something big. Something that makes them proud of being part of such organization. Leader and managers must also fully understand principles such as "respect for people" and "lead with humility". These principles must be more than just understood, rather they must be really living in their hearts. Devine's 'Rapid Mass Engagement Process [reference Conference Book?] amplifies this effect when the employees themselves create their own CI culture, and, sometimes, their own Higher Purpose by consensus with their senior leaders. In the face of a problem managers must behave in a systematic way starting with a "not blame and not judge" attitude. Most problems occurred because the systems allow them to occur and blaming on workers is the wrong approach to start with. The idea is to try to find the root cause and eliminate it. Manager must welcome problems and encourage workers revealed them since they promote improvement.
