Basic tips on Gemba & the importance of questioning techniques.

1. Walkinga mile ..in someone else’sshoes
GEMBA
LB

2. Every person
you meet knows
something
you don’t
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3. Ask questions to understand how
things really are, why they are that
way & whatcould be improved
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4. Things To Look For
ü Focus on the user process rather than how the tool
works. How many times is a person in & out of
different applications to complete a task?
ü Question how much value each step adds
ü How intuitive is the flow between steps?
ü Labour intensity
LB

5. Open/Probing
Usedtogaindeeperinsights
• “How does it impact _______?”
• “How would you describe _______?”
• “Why do you believe ___________?”
• “What is the objective of _________?”
• “Tell me more about ________”
• “Can you help me understand _________”
Closed
Expect yes ornoresponses
• Used to ask for more detail around a particular
point.
• “What date should the campaign start?”
• “Have you engaged with _______?”
• “Who looks after the _________?”
• “When is ________?”
Refer to presentation notes for more questions
LB

6. ü Trap to avoid– Don’t bag out your tools. It always
comes back to haunt you.
ü Not everything is going to work exactly as each
user wants it. every tool has its strengths.
ü People are either working in a way that is inherited
based on how they were taught, or what
experience has shown them. There’s always choice
& something to worth learning (but there isn’t
always empowerment).
ü Draw on previous examples to help position your
ideas: “What has worked well in the past....you can
see this is supported with these
results/outcomes...”
LB

7. Post Gemba: Determine Hierarchy of Needs
• Hierarchy helps us to understand the drivers
behind the need, and how important meeting the
need is for that person.
• The lower down the hierarchy, the greater
importance the need has, as it is more fundamental
to life and existence.
• The higher up the hierarchy, the less fundamental to
existence it is, but it becomes more significant to
quality and richness of life.
LB

8. ACTIVE LISTENING
ACTIVITY
You are the driver of a red double decker
bus. Along the route you pick up some
school children from the local
primary school. At the next stop you need to
help an elderly passenger with their
groceries. After stopping at the shopping
centre you need to stop for road works on a
busy main road. There are two police
directing traffic and you are now three
minutes behind.
Heading towards the railway station you see
the connecting train depart from platform 1
and there is a large group of passengers
waiting to board.”
How old is the bus driver?
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9. Reflective Listening
• Helps to understand the content as well as the intent of what is being said
• Involves paying attention to verbal and nonverbal cues
• Includes paraphrasing to confirm what has been understood
• Assists in focusing on what the other person is saying
• Encourages the airing of differing opinions
• Helps in understanding the reasons behind a particular issue
LB

10. References
• Author: Linda Brunetti
• Images sourced from Shutterstock
LB