Uncategorized
The ABCs of Peak Academy Black Belt
Well, people, I missed Dr. Seuss Day (Never heard of Dr. Seuss Day?! It’s March 2nd, tell your friends). But we are sending our 91st cohort through Black Belt this […]
Well, people, I missed Dr. Seuss Day (Never heard of Dr. Seuss Day?! It’s March 2nd, tell your friends). But we are sending our 91st cohort through Black Belt this week, and I have a 15-month-old at home so now I present to you the ABCs of Peak Academy Black Belt.
The ABCs of Peak Academy Black Belt
By Megan Williams
A is for Agreeing to Group Norms, because respect is key
B is for Black Belt – in innovation, not karate.
C is for Communication Circle, to help you find the overlaps
D is for DOWNTIME, the acronym that identifies wasteful traps
E is for Eliminating Waste, now that you have found it
F is for Fishbone Diagram and the 6Ms that surround it
G is for Gemba Walk – go see the work being done!
H is for How You Show Up, you can be the darkness or the sun.
I is for the Innovation Form, seriously, call us if it gives you stress
J is for Joining In and learning about others in the process
K is for Kanban, the Japanese word for billboard
L is for Lean Simulation so you can see the end result you’ve worked toward
M is for the matrix that shows your ideas by effort and impact
N is for Nudge techniques in the BIT deck – it’s definitely stacked!
O is for Opportunity to Innovate, when you see it don’t be scared
P is for Process Map where each step can be declared
Q is for QMEATY, use it to measure Current and Future State
R is the Reason for Action, it’s the WHY that makes it great!
S is for Sticky Notes and Sharpies, we use a lot of these
T is for Time, innovate to use more of it for what you please
U is for Understanding Your Customer, be sure to hear their voice
V is for Value Added steps, innovating around these is a choice
W is for the 5 Whys, they’ll get you to the source
X is for Six-S – Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain and Safety of course!
Y is for Yearly Cost and Savings, we’ll see your hard work here
Z is for Zippy Ignite Presentations, after which everyone needs a beer.
If this delightful poem made no sense whatsoever to you, it’s time to sign up for Black Belt. I can’t believe it’s taken you this long. GO, go right now!
meganpeakacademy
Megan is the Director of Denver Peak Academy. Megan was first introduced to Peak Academy in 2014 when she took the Black Belt training as the Community Relations Manager for the Town of Frederick. During her nine years in Frederick, Megan created the town’s community outreach programs and department while also empowering staff internally to improve processes and enjoy coming to work every day. Megan is beyond excited to be working where she lives, helping the people that serve her community reach all their wildly important goals. When not at work, Megan makes up songs with her daughter Leona, attends Rockies games with her husband Zach and gives belly rubs to her big dog, Blue.
Megan holds bachelor’s degrees in Journalism Studies and English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from the University of Denver.
Denver Peak Academy 