Tag: how to be a supervisor

Standard Work

What is the Job Relations Training?

Job Relations Training (JR) is the third program of the Training within Industry group.  It teaches supervisors how to evaluate and take proper actions to handle and to prevent people’s problems.  The focus is to train workers to solve personal problems with other coworkers. The process seeks to be analytical minus emotions. Also, the emphasis is on treating people as individuals and understanding people on all levels.  This class is divided into two parts, the foundation for good relations and how to handle a problem.  The outline below is taken from the JR card.

Foundation for Good Job Relations

People must be treated as individuals

  • Let each employee know how he is getting along
    • Find out and communicate the expectations you have. 
    • Point out ways to improve.
  • Give credit when due
    • Recognize extra or unusual performance, as soon as possible, while it is still fresh.
  • Tell an employee in advance about changes that will affect him.
    • If it is possible, start explaining WHY.  
    • Get people to accept the change. 
  • Make the best use of each person’s ability
    • Look for ability not now being used. 
    • Never stand in an employee’s way.

How to Handle a Problem

  1. Get the facts – Be sure you have the whole story!
    • Review the record
    • Find out what rules and plant policies apply
    • Talk with individuals concerned
    • Get opinions and feelings
  2. Weigh and Decide – Do not jump at conclusions!
    • Fit the facts together
    • Consider their bearing on each other
    • What possible actions are there?
    • Consider objective and effect on individuals, 
  3. Take Action – Do not pass the buck!
    • Are you going to handle this yourself?  
    • Do you need help? Should you refer this to your supervisor?
    • Watch the timing of your action and how will affect production, attitudes and relations.
  4. Check Results – Did your action help production?
    • How soon will you do a follow-up?
    • How often do you need to check?
    • Watch for changes in output, attitudes, and relationships.

The objective of this program is to build positive relationships between employees. It does so by resolving conflicts that arise in the workplace following a standard procedure. The foundation is the principle of treating each person as individuals. Also, it seeks to prevent problems from happening as a way to maintain a positive environment.

This module was the precursor of one of the continuous improvement or lean tenets, respect the people.  It presents honest, on-time, and effective communication as a way to prevent problems.  Other ideas that we know today as part of lean thinking are team development, making decisions based on facts, and reflecting on the result of your actions.  Let me remind you that this was written in the US in the early ’40s by the War Manpower Commission.  It is time that we put these ideas into practice again. You can read the original reference materials with this link.

Job Relations Training Summary Card
Job Relations Card
Standard Work

What is the Job Methods Training Program?

Job Methods Training (JM) is the second program of the Training within Industry group.  It teaches supervisors the procedure to improve how to do the job continuously.  It focuses on improvements to get more quality products in less time with the effective use of the resources available.   Supervisors and employees learn how to improve processes by breaking them down into smaller steps questioning each one as a way to generate improvement ideas.  

JM teaches four steps to improve the job, break down the job, question every detail, develop a new method for performing the job, and then apply it.  See the program summary taken from the JM card, at the end of the post.

The first step of the Job Methods Training is to break down the Job

  • Use the Job Breakdown sheet to list each step and detail of the job as it’s currently performed. 
  • Be sure to include all aspects of material handling, machine work, and work performed by hand.

Question every detail

  • Review the list of job steps and details and question each one. 
  • Ask questions using the 5W’s and 1H
    • Why is this necessary?
    • What’s the purpose?
    • Where’s the best place to do it?
    • When is the best time to do it?
    • Who’s the worker that’s most qualified/most appropriate to do it?
    • How is the best way to do it?
  • Also, question every other detail related to the job task, like materials, equipment, workplace layout, process flow, and housekeeping.  

Develop new job methods to perform the job

  • Eliminate unnecessary steps and details
  • Combine steps to reduce waste when it is possible
  • Put steps into the best sequence (order)
  • Simplify all details possible, like motion, layout, tools, and handling.
  • Work out and review your ideas with other workers
  • Write up a proposal

Apply the new method

  • Begin the process of getting change approved and implemented
  • Get approval based on considerations related to safety, quality, quantity, and cost
  • Implement change
  • Make sure people involved in proposing change get due credit or recognition.

If all this sounds familiar, is because it is.  You heard this before when we talk about how to create Standard Work to solve problems.  Once you prove the new method accomplishes the purpose of getting more quality products in less time using effectively the resources available, it is time to create the new standard.

Job Methods training program
Standard Work

What is Training within Industry?

While getting ready to write about Training within Industry, I remember my experience with the lack of this type of instruction. My first day as a team leader was exciting and terrifying.  I had no idea how to be a team leader.  While my supervisor and I discussed the job description, she highlights a few things. Nevertheless, there was nothing about how to supervise people.   When I asked, all the answers refer to instruct people what to do and how, follow-up, and fix problems.  Yet, that was not a good enough answer because how do you give instructions, how do you do a follow-up?  How do I know everything was all right?  Whenever I thought about how I was going to guide the team and ensure we meet our department goals, my brain went into overdrive.  The wheels inside my head were turning so hard that I could hear them.  In summary, I had no idea how to do my job.

How the Training Within Industry Program started?

Many years before my experience, a leadership development program was created by the U.S. government during World War II.  The program provides supervisors and team leaders with the ability to lead, instruct, and improve the methods of their jobs.  

The USA Department of War created the Training Within Industry (TWI) in the early 40s. The objective was to help ramp up the production of war materials and equipment. During the occupation period after World War II, the United States Air Force (USAF) initiated, developed, and introduce the Management Training Program (MTP) to Japan.  The American occupation forces brought in experts to Japan to help to rebuild their industry. Edward Deming and Joseph Juran were part of the group.  

MTP teaches the importance of human relations and employee involvement. It explains how to continuously improve processes and products and the value of practicing CI. The program also explains the scientific method approach (Deming Cycle or PDCA) to manage operations.

What is TWI?

TWI is a group of programs that are intended to be used together for comprehensive workforce development.  It introduced three standardized training programs, Job Instruction Training, Job Methods, and Job Relations Training.  Each program had a manual and a card summarizing the program, like a memory jogger. The first module, Job instruction training teaches how to prepare and train the “one best way” to do the work, which we now call standard work. The second, Job Methods teach employees how to improve processes by breaking them down into smaller steps questioning each one as a way to generate improvement ideas.  Job Relations Training teaches how to solve people’s problems. This training teaches supervisors how to evaluate and take proper actions to handle and to prevent people’s problems.

Although these programs were very successful, their use in the US gradually disappeared over time.  But in Japan, they were the foundation for developing the roles, responsibilities, and kills of supervisors at Toyota.   Why don’t we use these pieces of training as the baseline to create customized development plans for our supervisors?  I have no idea of the answer. But for sure, I would have had a lot fewer headaches if my former company had something like that.  In the following posts, I will give more details about each of these programs.