How much time is wasted in your organization waiting for responses, reworking due to lack of communication or using outdated methods? How many talented team members are underutilized? Inefficiencies can creep into an organization in many ways, resulting in wasted time and money.

In an August 16 ICMA web conference, Lean Government expert Harry Kenworthy explained the major causes of waste in local government and how you can begin to change the culture and move toward efficiency. In "Fiscal Distress and Workforce Development: How to Improve Efficiencies Without Clobbering Morale," Kenworthy began by addressing the serious toll the economy has taken on local governments.

He outlined nine key types of waste in local government: transportation (moving a project from one desk to another), overproducing, excess motion (looking for things), waiting time, inferior methods, storing and retrieving, reworking, over-processing, and underutilizing people. Kenworthy detailed a Lean Government approach that focuses on "continuous improvement through relentless elimination of waste coupled with leadership-driven cultural change."

Lean Government, as Kenworthy detailed, is a true cultural shift in the way an organization operates. One key element in the cultural shift is transforming an organization from being government-focused with complex systems and processes to becoming customer-focused with efficiency and streamlined service delivery.

This realignment of priorities is part of a larger plan that requires commitment of the team members at all levels, from senior management to mid-level supervisor to front-line team member. Kenworthy explained that with Lean, local governments can foster collaboration among teams and achieve performance improvements that can be measured and celebrated.

To learn more about Lean Government, a CD-ROM or online streaming of the event is available here.