StackMan. Project coaches as helpers in the CIP process

In the broad church of continuous improvement process (CIP) there are a wide range of methods for achieving process improvements. But what use is even the best training in lean, Six Sigma, 8D or Basic Problem Solving if, after the employees are released back into the “wild,” they do not receive any support in putting what they have learned into practice? This is where a project coach provides the “freshly hatched” project managers with the support they need. The same applies to project management tools, to Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), as well as to many other areas, such as facilitation or teamwork. 

My assignment at a turbine manufacturer for power stations was to introduce the future project coaches to their new role, and hence to their new tasks and duties. The goal was not about intervening and “doing it myself” but more about applying the Montessori principle of “help me to do it myself.”

Which tool?

For this target group, I decided to use StackMan, because it is a very good way to approach the topic of project and process management. At the same time, the tool provides a lot of momentum and fun – that is, just the right mix to kick off the training.

Staging

I inform the group that we will look at the role of the project coach. Then I ask for a volunteer and a group member raises his hand. I tell him that he is now the project coach. In order to be easily identifiable, he is given a coach’s cap.

Next, the team is briefed: “Your task is to complete the project as a team! Each of you has his or her part to play (one piece of a StackMan) and, as a member of the team, will contribute to making this project a success.”

The coach is now really curious and wants to know what his role is. The explanation is deliberately brief and vague. He is the coach – His job is to see what the team members are doing and to do something if he has the feeling that the group needs help.

Procedure

The group gets started and attempts to get to grips with the project. While they do so, I make sure that the group doesn’t finish too quickly so that the coach has enough time to do his job (or not). Particularly in groups containing engineers, it can happen that the description is too quickly converted into a finished structure. By way of intervention, the situation could arise that “the CEO is going to send the head engineer to Australia.” This causes confusion in the team and a helpful coach asks the first questions in order to help the group quickly get back into the production process.

Depending on the group, the people in the project coach role react in quite different ways. In one training group, the project coach remains more in the role of observer, while in another group, he or she tries quite early on to provide structured intervention. One time, the coach takes his hat off, and plays with it for a while before dropping it onto the floor: He has given up and is now in the thick of the project ...

Evaluation/reflection

The project team has done it! The team members are happy and the group is buzzing with energy. I ask them what helped them complete the project so successfully. The insights simply gush out of them and I write down what they say on the flipchart. And then I ask about the project coach: “You had a project coach. What did he do that enabled you to complete the project so successfully?” The responses vary depending on how active the coach was. Sometimes the participants become quite contemplative, so I ask a follow-up question: “What could he have done to enable the project to be more successfully completed?” At this stage, I start to collect ideas and insights on what tasks and skills a good project coach should have. 

The project coach also has something to say: What was his understanding of his role? How well did he think he performed his role? Where does he believe he could have done more or less? If he were to do it again, what would he do differently? The combined answers of the entire group create a clear picture of the project coach’s tasks.

Summary

Through the use of the METALOG© training tool StackMan, the role of the project coach is experienced emotionally and then examined in all of its aspects in order to clarify the project coach’s future tasks. A powerful impression at the start of the training workshop!

Anna Langheiter is a trainer and training designer from Vienna, Austria. She sees her role as a learning enabler. Her training programs cover hard skills such as process improvement, lean management and Six Sigma, as well as soft skills in the areas of train-the-trainer, coaching, change management, and facilitation.