Using The Red Card/Green Card Method to Develop Lean Leaders
Written by Jerry Bussell
During our Lean Journey at Medtronic Surgical Products in Jacksonville, we developed a robust process to modify and improve individual behaviors. We named this method Red Card/Green Card and found it to be highly effective. I previously discussed the Red Card/Green Card method in my book, Anatomy of a Lean Leader, and will provide a summary below.
I strongly believe that integrating this method into your Lean operating system will prove to be a valuable game-changer throughout your Lean journey.
Many of us have experienced 360-degree feedback reviews, which allow us to reflect on our behaviors compared to the feedback of others. These reviews provide a comprehensive list of personal opportunities for improvement based on formal feedback from colleagues and direct reports.
However, the information from the 360 system can be overwhelming and isn't always aligned with Lean leadership behaviors. While there are many areas for personal development, the lack of clear focus often leads to unimpressive returns. From my experience, the 360 approach can be disjointed, cumbersome, and ineffective for our needs. We needed a system that better aligned with our culture.
At our Jacksonville facility, the A3 method had been fully embraced and utilized as part of our standard work for several years. We decided to leverage our expertise in A3 problem-solving and incorporate it into an approach that could reliably and positively impact leadership behaviors and actions. We found that the Red Card/Green Card method provided a clear framework to sustainably improve the capability, performance, and coaching abilities of our leaders.
I later discovered, during a Lean Enterprise Institute conference, that Toyota had been utilizing A3s to address behavioral issues for many years. This revelation was not surprising; it reinforced my belief that employing the A3 method in people development is highly logical. Although our approach had its own unique nuances compared to Toyota's, it shared the same fundamental goal: to harness Lean Thinking to perpetually enhance the capabilities and performance of both our leaders and workforce.
This is how the process worked:
1. A leader, specifically the value stream manager, distributed both a red and a green index card to each of their direct reports.
2. On the red card, each subordinate identified two specific ways in which the leader was not meeting expectations.
3. Conversely, the green card allowed subordinates to highlight two positive behaviors exhibited by the leader.
4. To ensure anonymity, team members were instructed not to include their names on either card.
5. The leader's boss, along with a representative from HR, reviewed all the cards to gather insights.
6. From this review, the two most frequently mentioned behavioral traits were selected to be included in an A3 report.
7. The leader then met with their boss to discuss the feedback and set a date to complete and review an A3 focused on both negative and positive behaviors.
8. Using the A3 and DMAIC methods, the leader outlined the current state, identified root causes of the behaviors, developed countermeasures, and crafted an improvement plan.
9. Positive traits from the green cards were also incorporated into the A3 and the overall improvement plan. This exercise aimed to demonstrate how the leader would adopt habits to reduce negative behaviors and enhance positive ones, not just with direct reports but in all interactions.
10. Upon finalizing the A3, the leader displayed it in their workspace, allowing direct reports to review it monthly to track progress and hold the leader accountable.
11. After three months, if there was a consensus that the leader had successfully addressed the improvement goals for both the red and green card behaviors, a celebration of success would follow. If the goals were not met by the first review, monthly evaluations would continue until expectations were achieved.
12. The process was iterative; we consistently repeated the cycle, challenging leaders to improve additional behaviors. In Lean, we embrace continuous improvement.
Analysis
Incorporating this process into our standard work enabled us to reinforce positive behaviors in a systematic, disciplined, yet easily manageable fashion. We conducted this process at various levels of the organization with great success; leaders became more accountable and productive, significantly improving their communication and overall leadership skills.
The greatest challenge I’ve faced while leading and supporting Lean transformations is helping people effectively acquire and apply the necessary Lean mindset. Change can be difficult, and many individuals naturally resist it. As many top Lean leaders have noted, it is often easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting. The Red Card/Green Card approach effectively supports this principle.
I firmly believe that this system equips you with the essential tools to effectively cultivate leaders who embody the Lean mindset. It offers leaders practical learning experiences and the opportunity to apply the A3 method directly to their work. Mastering this process will not only shift thinking but also foster the growth mindset needed to successfully and sustainably implement—or accelerate—the adoption of Lean principles within your area and across an organization.
Summary
Purpose is about reaching for something larger than us, and then sharing that vision with others. It is a great gift to view others with larger goals and grander themes. Lean thinking offers everyone in an organization, the opportunity to be involved in transformation--significant, lasting change. It is a rare opportunity in a world where too many people feel undervalued and overlooked.
As a leader, mentoring people to do more than they thought possible has been one of my greatest satisfactions. Helping people step out of their comfort zones, helping them to see failure as a first step toward learning, and attributing their efforts as contributing to something larger, has given me greater purpose as well. This never would've been possible and a command and control environment, and knowing that I've made a difference in people’s lives has made all the difference to me.
- Jerry Bussell, Co-founder, The Jacksonville Lean Consortium
About Jerry Bussell
From 1999-2011, Jerry led the Operations Group for Medtronic Surgical Technologies, serving as VP of both Global Operations, and Operational Excellence. Under his leadership, Medtronic’s Jacksonville facility received several awards for achieving operational excellence. Industry Week recognized it as one of North America’s 10 best manufacturing plants (2002). The facility also received the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence (2003) and the Shingo Silver Medallion (2010).
Jerry received Medtronic’s Wallin Award (2003) for creating a national model for Lean manufacturing and was inducted into the Shingo Academy for outstanding contributions to operational excellence (2005). Additionally, Jerry received the Shingo Research and Publication Award for his book, “Anatomy of a Lean Leader (2013),” and was inducted into the Association of Manufacturing Excellence's Hall of Fame for his achievements in Lean Thinking throughout his career (2017).