Aaron U. Bolin, Ph.D.

After completing the one-day Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics course yesterday, I felt compelled to comment on the course techniques from a Continuous Process Improvement perspective. In a very simple sense, the course is a Lean Six Sigma project on the reading process. The reading techniques eliminate a lot of variation in the process, cut out some non-value added reading steps, set a reading takt time using a 'pacer', and provide clearer instructions to the 'users' of the reading process. After completing the material, I really did double my reading speed and increase my comprehension. The Evelyn Wood reading process (like most post-improvement processes) really is better and faster. Next, I went home and did the thing that frustrates every CPI practitioner: I abandoned the new and improved process in favor of the more familiar though less efficient pre-improvement process. I read a book using my tired, broken-down method. It was a little eye opening to realize that even ...

Yellow Belt students "manufacturing" Lego (TM) pyramids are very intense (from our March 27-29, 2012 class). We ran the process simulation across three rounds. In the first round, the five student teams collectively delivered 25 pyramids. After training and the application of process improvement techniques, production skyrocketed. In round three, the same five student teams delivered 245 pyramids. Although we fell short of the 250 pyramid goal, we were successful in eliminating waste, reducing process variation, and managing the system constraints. Increasing production in a simulated environment by 1,000 percent is difficult but achievable. Now, we've just need to take the lessons back to the real world and apply them.