Great Work Systems Sustain Workplace Health
Great Work Systems Sustain Workplace Health
Hi! I'm Kevin McManus. Welcome to the Great Systems best practice work systems website. It takes great work systems to support daily kaizen and improve workplace health.
As sole proprietor of Great Systems, my goal is to help leaders create healthy workplaces where people want to work. On this site, I provide work team leaders with proven best practice tools, blueprints, workflows, and models to help make that possible.
I invite you to explore this site and ask questions. There are multiple ways I can help train and coach your team to improve workplace health, but first, we must make a connection.
Leverage the workplace health edge that great work systems design provides.
As sole proprietor of Great Systems, my goal is to help leaders create healthy workplaces where people want to work. On this site, I provide work team leaders with proven best practice tools, blueprints, workflows, and models to help make that possible.
I invite you to explore this site and ask questions. There are multiple ways I can help train and coach your team to improve workplace health, but first, we must make a connection.
Leverage the workplace health edge that great work systems design provides.
How Healthy is Your Workplace?
At the turn of the century, I started Great Systems with one goal - to make work fair, fun, and focused. Today, too many workplaces remain far from that goal. Workforce engagement levels are too low and staff injury rates are too high. Leaders spend valuable time in non-value added areas each day.
We react to problems instead of using data and staff input to proactively anticipate the need for process improvement. Combined, these gaps result in sub-optimized work systems and average performance at best.
We should spend our work time in workplaces that are positive, inspirational, and effective. Instead, our workplaces are autocratic, chaotic, waste laden, and a daily drudge. Operational Excellence may not be a current goal, but daily continuous improvement is necessary to compete and remain profitable.
To create great workplaces, we must upgrade our legacy 20th century work systems. The most common leadership practices from our vintage management past no longer apply.
We react to problems instead of using data and staff input to proactively anticipate the need for process improvement. Combined, these gaps result in sub-optimized work systems and average performance at best.
We should spend our work time in workplaces that are positive, inspirational, and effective. Instead, our workplaces are autocratic, chaotic, waste laden, and a daily drudge. Operational Excellence may not be a current goal, but daily continuous improvement is necessary to compete and remain profitable.
To create great workplaces, we must upgrade our legacy 20th century work systems. The most common leadership practices from our vintage management past no longer apply.
Great Systems News
Great Systems Website Redesign / Upgrade
During the month of January 2025, I completed the bulk of my Great Systems website redesign / upgrade project. This was my first major overhaul of this content, which has grown and shifted a lot over the past 20 years.
My goal is to create a smoother navigation experience for my visitors, while also enhancing site security and content. Please contact me via this form or send me an email (kevin@greatsystems.com) if you need anything to help optimize your workplace health improvement efforts.
2-day ‘Measurement, Trending, and Predictive Analytics – How the Best Use Data to Improve’ workshop
Tech advances over the past five years make it possible to rethink HOW we use data each day. Specifically, these changes allow us to rethink how we measure, analyze, and improve work. This workshop is designed to help you upgrade, if not innovate, your work measurement practices.
DOWNLOAD my 'How to Measure, Analyze, and Improve Next Gen Work' Workshop Overview
How do you use data to make decisions and identify high leverage change opportunities? What key measures do you use to reduce waste, increase profits and provide a safe and secure workplace?
This workshop helps you use data more effectively each day. For example, a predictive analytics and work team engagement focus are integral to the 2-day agenda.
Please contact me if you want to explore this highly interactive, application-focused learning experience. Cheers!
During the month of January 2025, I completed the bulk of my Great Systems website redesign / upgrade project. This was my first major overhaul of this content, which has grown and shifted a lot over the past 20 years.
My goal is to create a smoother navigation experience for my visitors, while also enhancing site security and content. Please contact me via this form or send me an email (kevin@greatsystems.com) if you need anything to help optimize your workplace health improvement efforts.
2-day ‘Measurement, Trending, and Predictive Analytics – How the Best Use Data to Improve’ workshop
Tech advances over the past five years make it possible to rethink HOW we use data each day. Specifically, these changes allow us to rethink how we measure, analyze, and improve work. This workshop is designed to help you upgrade, if not innovate, your work measurement practices.
DOWNLOAD my 'How to Measure, Analyze, and Improve Next Gen Work' Workshop Overview
How do you use data to make decisions and identify high leverage change opportunities? What key measures do you use to reduce waste, increase profits and provide a safe and secure workplace?
This workshop helps you use data more effectively each day. For example, a predictive analytics and work team engagement focus are integral to the 2-day agenda.
Please contact me if you want to explore this highly interactive, application-focused learning experience. Cheers!
Dr. W. Edwards Deming is one of the main gurus I have learned from over my 40+ year work career. My goal at Great Systems is to help leaders change their prevailing system of management so that intrinsic motivation is restored to every workplace, both small and large.
WATCH over 50 kaizen and workplace health improvement videos on my Great Systems YouTube channel.
WATCH over 50 kaizen and workplace health improvement videos on my Great Systems YouTube channel.
Most Popular Pages
Customer feedback is the best barometer of what is popular in the daily kaizen and operational excellence arenas. Here are my top five posts for the most recent month from a 'visits per day' perspective. How consistent is the population's interest with yours?
Root Cause Analysis Frequently Asked Questions
This page explores the pros and cons of five popular root cause analysis processes. For example, what is the difference between the Five Why's and the TapRooT® root cause analysis process? How do people use other root cause analysis approaches to help solve problems?
How to Measure Employee Ownership
Workplaces need high levels of work team ownership to help sustain great levels of customer services and product / service quality. How do you measure employee ownership in your organization? This page details ten best practice approaches to gauge work team ownership.
How to Measure Process Improvement Effectiveness
Many leaders say that they consistently improve their work processes. However, how many can prove it? What metrics give you confidence that the formal process improvement investments you make truly return value? This page gives you multiple options to measure such payback.
How to Improve Work Team Effectiveness
All organizations have teams. However, how many teams do they have in place? What team mix do they need to achieve strategy and improve performance over time? This page defines the three team types all organizations have.
Four Steps to Effective Rule Enforcement
Too many people struggle to enforce work rules over time. All too often, leaders use ineffective strategies to achieve consistent enforcement. Enforcement does not have to be a negative thing. The four-step process I detail on this page helps leaders achieve the levels of compliance they need day after day.
Root Cause Analysis Frequently Asked Questions
This page explores the pros and cons of five popular root cause analysis processes. For example, what is the difference between the Five Why's and the TapRooT® root cause analysis process? How do people use other root cause analysis approaches to help solve problems?
How to Measure Employee Ownership
Workplaces need high levels of work team ownership to help sustain great levels of customer services and product / service quality. How do you measure employee ownership in your organization? This page details ten best practice approaches to gauge work team ownership.
How to Measure Process Improvement Effectiveness
Many leaders say that they consistently improve their work processes. However, how many can prove it? What metrics give you confidence that the formal process improvement investments you make truly return value? This page gives you multiple options to measure such payback.
How to Improve Work Team Effectiveness
All organizations have teams. However, how many teams do they have in place? What team mix do they need to achieve strategy and improve performance over time? This page defines the three team types all organizations have.
Four Steps to Effective Rule Enforcement
Too many people struggle to enforce work rules over time. All too often, leaders use ineffective strategies to achieve consistent enforcement. Enforcement does not have to be a negative thing. The four-step process I detail on this page helps leaders achieve the levels of compliance they need day after day.
Teach Your Teams Daily Kaizen Workbooks and Workshops
I created each of my workbooks and methods through experience, practice, and experimentation. The content worked, and still works, for me. So, I want to share it with you.
The design of my learning events helps create a highly interactive and engaged learning experience. Primarily, I want to help you learn to effectively teach my content, plus other content you see as a value add.
Currently, three courses are live on my Great Systems YouTube channel. You can download course outlines for each of these three courses below.
Each 'Teach Your Teams' course contains full audio and video content to complement the print and eBook workbooks I sell on amazon.com. Plus, we can set up a virtual event to help you integrate use of this content into your leadership and team development plans.
DOWNLOAD my Facilitating and Leading Teams On-Demand Workshop Outline
DOWNLOAD my Lean Tools Basics and Use On-Demand Workshop Outline
DOWNLOAD my Pursuing Process Excellence On-Demand Workshop Outline
Please keep me in mind for your work system improvement needs. I am happy to facilitate a virtual 2-day workshop that utilizes any of the workbooks I offer on my Amazon.com Author page. There are no travel costs.
Plus, my workshop cost per participant is very reasonable. Do you want to learn more about my 'teach your teams' daily kaizen workbooks and workshops? If so, please send me an email at kevin@greatsystems.com
The design of my learning events helps create a highly interactive and engaged learning experience. Primarily, I want to help you learn to effectively teach my content, plus other content you see as a value add.
Currently, three courses are live on my Great Systems YouTube channel. You can download course outlines for each of these three courses below.
Each 'Teach Your Teams' course contains full audio and video content to complement the print and eBook workbooks I sell on amazon.com. Plus, we can set up a virtual event to help you integrate use of this content into your leadership and team development plans.
DOWNLOAD my Facilitating and Leading Teams On-Demand Workshop Outline
DOWNLOAD my Lean Tools Basics and Use On-Demand Workshop Outline
DOWNLOAD my Pursuing Process Excellence On-Demand Workshop Outline
Please keep me in mind for your work system improvement needs. I am happy to facilitate a virtual 2-day workshop that utilizes any of the workbooks I offer on my Amazon.com Author page. There are no travel costs.
Plus, my workshop cost per participant is very reasonable. Do you want to learn more about my 'teach your teams' daily kaizen workbooks and workshops? If so, please send me an email at kevin@greatsystems.com
Stay Current with My Real Life Work Podcast
I know that my customers have little time to invest in work systems research. That's why I do it for them!
On a regular basis, my ‘Real Life Work’ podcast explores current operational excellence best practices and daily kaizen challenges. My goal is to place a 'real life work' focus on 'how we create healthy workplaces.'
The podcast is now live, with more episodes in queue. Expect to see future episodes that focus on the key elements of daily continuous improvement. Such elements include Leader Standard Work, total team engagement, work system measurement, and proactive process improvement.
Plus, I plan to include safety and risk management best practices in the mix, along with more kaizen and root cause analysis content. If you want to be part of the show, drop me a line at kevin@greatsystems.com.
Popular Podcasts:
How to Change a Work Culture
Ten Ways to Measure Workplace Training Effectiveness
How to Use Predictive Analytics at Work
On a regular basis, my ‘Real Life Work’ podcast explores current operational excellence best practices and daily kaizen challenges. My goal is to place a 'real life work' focus on 'how we create healthy workplaces.'
The podcast is now live, with more episodes in queue. Expect to see future episodes that focus on the key elements of daily continuous improvement. Such elements include Leader Standard Work, total team engagement, work system measurement, and proactive process improvement.
Plus, I plan to include safety and risk management best practices in the mix, along with more kaizen and root cause analysis content. If you want to be part of the show, drop me a line at kevin@greatsystems.com.
Popular Podcasts:
How to Change a Work Culture
Ten Ways to Measure Workplace Training Effectiveness
How to Use Predictive Analytics at Work
Root Cause Analysis Best Practices
Effective root cause analysis is a 'must have' tool that all work team members should use to reduce daily errors, failures, and waste. Unfortunately, most root cause analysis tools rely on opinion.
For 20 years, my teaching and investigative experiences have shown me how the research-driven TapRooT® root cause analysis process consistently produces different, and better, results.
Five pages on my site have a root cause analysis-specific focus. If their content fails to answer your questions, just drop me a note!
Evaluating Root Cause Analysis Processes
Root Cause Analysis FAQs
Environmental Root Cause Analysis Best Practices
Measure and Improve Investigation Process Effectiveness
Explore the 3-day TapRooT® virtual root cause analysis training course
For 20 years, my teaching and investigative experiences have shown me how the research-driven TapRooT® root cause analysis process consistently produces different, and better, results.
Five pages on my site have a root cause analysis-specific focus. If their content fails to answer your questions, just drop me a note!
Evaluating Root Cause Analysis Processes
Root Cause Analysis FAQs
Environmental Root Cause Analysis Best Practices
Measure and Improve Investigation Process Effectiveness
Explore the 3-day TapRooT® virtual root cause analysis training course
How Can Great Systems Help You Improve Workplace Health?
Great Systems is NOW in its fifth year of virtual service! At little or no cost, you can bring my daily kaizen and healthy workplace content to your organization.
For example, the design of my Teach Your Teams' daily kaizen workbooks helps front line leaders teach continuous process improvement basics to their work teams. Videos to support three of these workbooks are currently available on my Great Systems YouTube channel.
Virtual Great Systems Workshops
My virtual workshop model dedicates 40% or more time to facilitated breakout group work and dialogue. Also, my use of individual assignments helps increase class engagement.
Assignment review helps drive learner accountability. Plus, my virtual workshop classes follow this content delivery model to make your experience more than just time spent online.
I offer both static (no live interaction) and dynamic webinars (full interaction) on a regular basis. Please let me know if there is a continuous improvement topic I can help you with.
DOWNLOAD my ‘How to Measure, Analyze, and Improve Next Gen Work’ Workshop Overview PDF
DOWNLOAD my 'Corrective Action Tactics and Mistake Proofing' Workshop Overview PDF
Lastly, please keep in mind that my costs are reasonable. My goal is to provide virtual courses, content, and coaching to help you maximize work team engagement and effectiveness, and optimize work system results.
Let me help you make kaizen a daily work habit and accelerate your workplace health improvement efforts.
For example, the design of my Teach Your Teams' daily kaizen workbooks helps front line leaders teach continuous process improvement basics to their work teams. Videos to support three of these workbooks are currently available on my Great Systems YouTube channel.
Virtual Great Systems Workshops
My virtual workshop model dedicates 40% or more time to facilitated breakout group work and dialogue. Also, my use of individual assignments helps increase class engagement.
Assignment review helps drive learner accountability. Plus, my virtual workshop classes follow this content delivery model to make your experience more than just time spent online.
I offer both static (no live interaction) and dynamic webinars (full interaction) on a regular basis. Please let me know if there is a continuous improvement topic I can help you with.
DOWNLOAD my ‘How to Measure, Analyze, and Improve Next Gen Work’ Workshop Overview PDF
DOWNLOAD my 'Corrective Action Tactics and Mistake Proofing' Workshop Overview PDF
Lastly, please keep in mind that my costs are reasonable. My goal is to provide virtual courses, content, and coaching to help you maximize work team engagement and effectiveness, and optimize work system results.
Let me help you make kaizen a daily work habit and accelerate your workplace health improvement efforts.