Innovation and Culture: Lessons Learned from a Women's Prison

Did you know that if you combine face cream and coffee, you can make a mock-mascara?

Or that, using that same cream combined with some grape juice and a bit of the wax from the inside of the juice carton stirred well, you can make a workable lipstick?

I'll bet you didn't.  Why would you?  After all, you can just go down to your local store and buy what you need.  There's no reason to make it from scratch - and particularly not from such an odd combination of ingredients.  Not for you.

But for women in prison, this is how they create makeup.  They may be living in someone else's "house" during their incarceration - with rules that say 'no makeup allowed' - but, because they want to look and feel as good about themselves as possible, they find a way.

Even more than that, they teach each other the 'quality of life' tricks they've learned - even orienting the newbies who come in unprepared for all that this particular version of an off-site will have to offer.

Why, you may be wondering, am I telling you about makeup in women's prisons?

Because what you're looking at is, in fact, the culture you want manifest in your organization.

Take the emotion-laden part out of the story and what you see is people who:

1. Want a particular outcome and find creative ways to make it happen,  
2. Do so within a system that doesn't support innovation in any form, and
3. Share it with others so that the benefit of their creativity grows exponentially.

That's what you're missing in your organization.  Those are the lost opportunities that are going on around you all the time.

Everyone likes to talk about an "innovation culture."  They (and I include myself in this) toss around examples like Google and Apple to show just how innovative an organization can be and how you can adopt and adapt their innovative techniques in your enterprise.

And that's true.

But when you take it down to its foundation, it's about the people.  Your people and the ideas they have, every day, about how to make their jobs - as well as your products and services - better.

It's also about how they 'share' those creative solutions - all without you knowing (or wanting to know).  As a result, your organization isn't benefiting in ways that build success.

I have a friend who has spent a good portion of her career trying to bring civility to women's prisons.  She talks of creating a learning environment so that the women have the opportunity to improve themselves and their lives while they're within the prison system and - particularly - when they leave.

But what she doesn't talk about - and I'm not sure she even realizes or knows - is that the women are finding their own way of doing exactly that.  By their definition.

Organizational systems are like transparent prison walls.  Employees do things a certain way because that's the way they're done.  If they're good at working within the walls, they get rewarded with promotions and bonuses.

But if they're really good at what they do, they leave an organization whose walls are just that bit too confining.  Because what they know is, there's another entity out there whose walls are either more permeable or wider than the ones from which they just came - and that those organizations want them.  A lot.

The lesson learned for you is to recognize that you have people - your people - who are finding and sharing wonderfully creative and innovative ideas and successes every day...all within your walls.

Your job - now and on an ongoing basis - is to find those people and support them while determining where you have built your transparent prison and taking action to tear it down.  By doing so, you free everyone from those walls, leaving all your stakeholders with unlimited access to all that creativity and success.  Every day.

CUSTOMER SERVICE: Why I Hope Gordon Ramsay Never Opens a Restaurant in Paris

This is a post from my personal blog, Leslie, Life and Paris - but because the topic is customer service, I thought I'd share on this site as well. Enjoy!

I don't like Gordon Ramsay.

No, it's not because of his over the top, oh-so-offensive persona on his television shows.  Nor is it because he swears so much and is so willing to be abusive to those around him.

Or not quite.  Because it was a form of that abuse - in a policy sort of way - that led me to my conclusion and the fact that, for years, I've boycotted his restaurants.

And have told everyone I could that they should, too.

Here's why.

A few years ago I was in London on vacation, staying at the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair and, basically, doing myself proud.  This was the longest, most luxurious vacation I'd ever given myself and I was pulling out all the stops.

Place Vendôme, Paris

As part of that adventure in the luxe life, I had contacted the concierge at the Connaught prior to my arrival to make arrangements for theatres, dinners, a tour of the Houses of Parliament (little did I know that a few years later I'd be asked to give testimony on small business development there!) - and even a personal automobile tour of the central boroughs of London with one of the better-than-best "Blue Badge" tour guides.

I was beyond excited.  This was the London trip of my dreams.

One of the restaurants for which I had dinner reservations was a Gordon Ramsay property.  This, I was assured by my helpful concierge, was going to be the dining experience of a lifetime.

It was - but not in the way I expected.

I arrived at the restaurant, seriously duded up (St. John, doncha know). I figured it was up to me to live up to the experience and represent myself well. After walking through the bar, I reached the maitre d's stand and, while he was taking care of the couple ahead of me, I took a look into the restaurant.

What struck me immediately was that there was what could only be called a "line-up" of single women at tables for two, all sitting facing out toward the entrance.  Some of them had books or magazines.  Others were simply trying to look as if they weren't being stared at by everyone who walked in the door.

There was an empty one of those tables at the end - and, while I noticed it, I didn't really pay it any attention.  I was too busy looking at the rest of the restaurant (white linen, gleaming silverware and glistening glasses), the servers (very elegant in their black and white) and the diners (tables of single men, couples and larger parties) dotted throughout the rest of the restaurant.  It was lovely - and it smelled good, too.

The maitre d' - a small, slight man - came back and asked my name.  I gave it to him and he responded that, yes, he had my reservation and that I should follow him - at which point he turned his back to me and walked quickly and directly to that last empty table in the line-up.

That wasn't okay with me.  Not by a long shot.

It's hard enough for women - particularly women of a certain age - to take themselves out to eat alone.  Especially in fine restaurants.  From diners to dining establishments in the US, there's that built-in, always to be expected, slightly pitying, definitely demeaning, "Just one?" that we can expect - always followed by some version of the same by the server as they decide whether or not to remove the 'extra' place setting you'll not need.

At Gordon Ramsay's prices and on the trip of my dreams, there was no way I was going to be put in that box - especially by some little, snooty guy who I probably could have beaten up without trying very hard.

Instead, as he stood over the table waiting for me to conform, I very quietly said, "This table is not okay with me.  I don't want to sit here."

Looking and sounding highly affronted, he sniffed (seriously - he sniffed) and then said, "Well, then, where would you like to sit?"

I took a moment to look around the restaurant again, selected the table I wanted and walked over to it.  He followed and, as he joined me, I said, "Here."

Huffing out a clearly offended "Fine," he waited for me to sit, gave me the menu and then, after slightly tossing his head, he huffed away.  (It was very dramatic in a musical comedy sort of way - which I don't think was his intent.)

Reception Room, Hotel de Ville, Paris

I opened the menu and, even as I was wondering whether the food would be better than the dining experience so far, my waiter appeared, greeted me, asked me if I'd like a drink or bottled water and then left me to my study of the menu.

A few moments later, he came back with my sparkling water and a lovely plate of appetizers.

This was a surprise to me as, of course, I hadn't ordered anything yet and it was quite a bit more than an amuse bouche to awaken and prepare my taste buds for the treats to come.  This was a veritable sampler tray.

As he put it down before me, he said, "This is from the staff.  We're so proud of you!  The host is always putting single women at those same tables and we always feel so bad for them.  You're the first woman who's said no and insisted on a different table!"

And that set the tone for the rest of the dinner.  Not only did I have what I ordered served beautifully,  but, somehow, there was also a little something extra that was given to me by one of the chefs or the staff - always with the same message.  They were so proud of me.

So was I.

And that brings me back to Gordon Ramsay and why I hope he never opens a restaurant in Paris.

One of the great joys I discovered upon coming here is that it is perfectly normal and acceptable for women to eat alone at any time of the day in any cafe, bistro or restaurant.  No matter how casual or formal, all diners are treated the same - male or female, single or groups.

It's a joy.

So, while Ramsay has two restaurants outside Paris and is just about to open one at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel, I hope that that's as close as he ever gets to the real thing.

Because what I know from all my years in business is that the little wimp of a maitre d' would never have gotten away with his dismissive and demeaning treatment of women if it weren't perfectly okay with his bosses - the restaurant's owner.  And that's Ramsay.

Let him keep his chauvinism and his cooking out of this town - because, as good as his meals might be (and my dinner was delicious) - he has no idea of how to create a civilized dining experience.  At least not one of interest to any woman of taste and style.

Like me.

LEAN: Jim Blasingame on Quality and Profitability

For over ten years, Jim Blasingame and I have been having conversations on his radio program, The Small Business Advocate about how to make small businesses succeed. Most of them have been about how to implement quality for the quickest and highest levels of profitability.

He very generously wrote the Foreword to the 20th Anniversary Edition of my book, Managing for Quality and, now, has created a video that gets to the heart of the matter.

Take the three minutes.  He's definitely worth watching.

LEAN: Lessons Learned from Banking Regulation

There's a fascinating piece in Joe Nocera's New York Times column today about bank regulation and complexity.  In it, he raises the question of whether the over-complexity of new banking regulations worldwide are going to cause greater difficulties and possible failures than a more sensible, streamlined approach.

This is an easy one. The answer is: Yes - because complexity causes failure.

Big failures or little.  Lost time or opportunity. Lost money, customers, employees, profits, revenues, parts...you name it, if there's complexity built into your system, there are losses and failures going on.

The problem is, in most cases, it's hard to see them.  That's because, in most cases (and unlike what's going on now around the world with banking regulations) the complexities are so deeply built into the way you do business that you don't even see them anymore.

That's actually why Quality, Lean and all the rest exist: to hunt out the variation (for which read 'complexity') in your systems.  Once you can see them, then you can decide whether or not they serve your purposes.

Just so you know - in most cases, they don't.  They're there because someone at some point came up with a solution that made sense at that moment that was reactive to a situation that no longer exists.  Or wasn't as well thought out as it should be.

What we know is that the banks need to be better regulated - simply because the world can't afford another meltdown like we saw in 2008.

What we also know is that, not only because of Dodd-Frank in the United States, but in looking at banking regulation being imposed around the world (and, yes, that includes China, too) there is no coordination or consistency.

The threat - at least by the banks - is that the regulations are so overly complex and onerous that they won't be able to operate or keep their best talent.  That may or may not be correct, but, let's face it, they've got skin in the game and a real reason for not wanting to be held accountable.

Putting their arguments aside, we come back to the same issues you need to be addressing in your own enterprise:

• Where does complexity exist?
• Why? What was the purpose of those policies or procedures?
• Do they still apply?
• If no, how do we get rid of them without causing replacement complexity?
• If yes, how do we redesign what we've got to reduce the complexity?
• And, finally, do we have the right measures to ensure that this - as well as other - complexities in our system are findable and addressable?

Go through that mini-assessment and you'll suddenly find that there are LOTS more profits available in your existing organization than you currently gain.  Fast and easy, too.

Then you can start taking on the hard stuff.

For more information on successfully implementing Quality and Lean, take a look at:

• Managing for Quality: How to Implement and Manage a Business Strategy of Continuous Improvement
• Strategizing and Managing Quality Implementation: From Lean Start-up to Six Sigma Turnaround
• The Proactive Guide to Troubleshooting Quality, Change and Development Initiatives

Innovation: Why Julia Child and Steve Jobs are the Same Person

They don't look alike.  They weren't in the same industry.  One began her career by learning all there was to know in France and bringing it to America then the world.  The other started his vision in America and grew a world.

They're Julia Child and Steve Jobs - and as different as they are and as different as their experiences, they are to all intents and purposes the same person.

Why?  Because in both their cases, they didn't invent anything.  They created industries.

Photo by James Sherer

Over the holidays for some unknown reason, I decided to go to the PBS website and watch the first episode of Julia Child's "The French Chef" cooking show.  It was a joy and an eye-opener.  (See video at end of post.)

I remember those programs in their grainy black and white from when my mother watched - religiously - when, as children we weren't allowed to speak.  She was as good as communing with Julia Child and, happily, I now understand, as a result her cooking seriously improved.

But what really made me interested in Julia Child was her autobiography, My Life in France.  (This is the book which, in combination with the charming Julie and Julia, was the basis of the movie of the latter's name...which wasn't as good as either book.)

Her love of eating is what brought her to cooking - and once she decided that that was what she wanted to learn and be and do she was unstoppable.  She took Escoffier's foundation as learned at Le Cordon Bleu while living in Paris and, with her vision, turned it into an industry from which chefs - and manufacturers - today are still and will always benefit.

Julia Child was a force of nature.  This was a woman who took no prisoners, fought her side without pause or hesitation and simply wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

It didn't matter who said the 'no' - from instructors to head chefs to publishers to producers.  Her answer was always a far more resounding 'yes I will - just watch me.'  More important, when she achieved her goals, she brought others along in her success.

Sound familiar?  Starting to sound a bit like the Steve Jobs we've all come to know - particularly since the Isaacson biography was published?

There's more.

Let's go back to that first television episode.  Julia Child made Boeuf Bourgignon - which, let's face it, in 1960s America was a far cry from the "beef stew" to which she compared it.  But, it was as she was making it that she created the industry we all now take for granted.

From her comment about liking to use a wooden spatula to noting how easy it is with the advent of electric clothes dryers to be able to correctly dry your freshly washed mushrooms in a clean towel before preparing them for sauté, she had women across America going out to their shops looking for the new tools, equipment, paraphernalia and major appliances they needed as they started on their way to becoming French Chefs.

Her cookbook laid the groundwork for all the chefs' cookbooks since.  And the television shows.  As well as the chef-branded cookware, tools, ingredients, frozen food lines and restaurants.

She built an industry.  But she built it on what she loved, her aesthetic and her indomitable will to succeed - herself - and to give others the ability to succeed and enjoy the fruits of their labors.

Again, sound familiar?

Since Steve Jobs' death, we've read and heard everything from the paeans of praise for his global vision and achievements to those, like Malcolm Gladwell, who have attempted to put him into a more 'realistic context' to those who bad-mouth him and call him a bully.

No matter what is said, though, his achievement was building an industry that far exceeded where it was and created opportunities for the generations of entrepreneurs and audiences who come after.

Just like Julia Child - only Julia Child's world tastes better.