We are pleased to announce that Eric Lussier, Principal at NEXT LEVEL Partners, has been named one of Industry Week’s “Dazzling Dozen: 12 of the Best in Lean and Continuous Improvement in 2023.” This prestigious recognition highlights Eric’s valuable contributions to the field of lean leadership and his innovative approach to driving organizational excellence.
Eric’s article and the other top 11 stories can be found HERE.
Lessons in Lean Leadership: The Breakthrough Tennis Ball Challenge
Eric’s article, “Lessons in Lean Leadership: The Breakthrough Tennis Ball Challenge,” resonated with Industry Week readers for its practical insights and actionable strategies. The piece delves into the core principles of lean leadership, encouraging readers to challenge assumptions, embrace experimentation, and continuously strive for improvement.
The article highlights Eric’s extensive experience with the strategy deployment process, also known as Hoshin Kanri (also known as Strategy Deployment or Policy Deployment), emphasizing its unparalleled effectiveness in driving discipline, rigor, and accountability for breakthrough priorities. The “tennis ball” exercise is used to initiate discussions on breakthrough thinking and overall process improvements.
Through timed repetitions, the team discovers the importance of practice but recognizes that substantial gains require changes to the process itself. The exercise reveals that defects often occur at handoffs between team members, emphasizing the significance of minimizing physical distance for better communication. Introducing a challenging stretch goal stimulates breakthrough thinking, a hallmark of the strategy deployment process.
The article concludes by underlining the importance of tapping into the ingenuity and skillsets of team members through process change and continuous improvement, aligning with the foundational lean principle of respect for people. Ultimately, the key takeaway is that changing the process is essential for achieving transformative results.
This recognition aligns perfectly with NEXT LEVEL Partners’ commitment to empowering organizations through comprehensive lean solutions. We are proud of Eric’s achievement and believe it reflects our collective dedication to providing industry-leading expertise and impactful solutions to our clients.
To learn more about Eric’s groundbreaking “Breakthrough Tennis Ball Challenge” and gain valuable insights into lean leadership, click HERE to read the full article on IndustryWeek.
