Christian Paulsen helps companies optimize performance. He is a Senior Lean Six Sigma Consultant who adds value to organizations by driving continuous process improvements and bottom line cost savings. Christian brings over 20 years of manufacturing leadership experience and Lean Manufacturing expertise.
Christian’s experience includes the use of Lean principles in Food and Beverage manufacturing plants using a variety tools. Christian successfully led Kaizen Teams with a track record of yield and efficiency gains, process improvement, cost reduction, as well as safety and quality improvement in ten manufacturing plants competing in highly competitive markets. Christian’s experience also includes the TPM Instructor Course training and leading the implementations of 5S, Autonomous Maintenance, TPM, PDCA, DMAIC, and Six Sigma.
Christian attended Purdue University on a Navy ROTC scholarship and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics. After serving in the US Navy, Christian pursued a career in manufacturing with Frito-Lay, Unilever (Lipton), and Nestle USA as well as smaller private manufacturers. Christian also has MBA coursework at Lehigh and Regent Universities. Christian is a husband, father, and a follower of Jesus Christ.
Lean Leadership 
What Changed!
To use change to its upmost benefit, one must first know what a change is and then to identify it as a change. Surprisingly many do not know when a change is at work. “What Changed” is more than two simple words. When used in combination with awareness, observations and improvement it is a powerful and sometimes life saving tool. By identifying changes, your life and work place will run more effectively and efficiently.
The key point is “What is a Change” and how can one identify a “Change.” Changes can be identified by any deviation from:
1. normal practices
2. normal results, and/or
3. specified conditions.
Changes can be planned or unplanned. Planned changes are to introduced through standards or through management consent when non-technical. In either case, preliminary information must support and justify requests for planned changes and finally verified or validates through data and documentation.
Finally, “identification” of unplanned changes in methods, materials, machines and manpower though uses of our senses and intellect are the responsibility of “EVERY” employee where observation and attention to detail is expected to be the norm.Once a “Change” has been introduced and/or identified, than the change can be structured to provide beneficial results.
For example: Let’s say while at the wheel of your car you feel a strange sensation and abnormal handling. You “think” either your tire is either under inflated or possibly flat. What would you do? Obviously, most of us would slow down and when in a safe place, stop the car. Then what? Well, you would get out of the car and first “look” around at the tires. Sure enough, if one tire is flat or nearly flat, you would either change the tire or call for help. Few of us, would continue to drive, the car for any length of time. Why is that? If you continued to drive, you could lose control and have an accident. Also, if you continued to drive, you could further damage the tire and possibly the car. So in your mind, you unknowingly preformed a safety and cost analysis and came to the conclusion to “stop” and identify “What Changed.”
However, the key points are what “triggered” your actions and what steps you took to “identify” and “resolve” the change. Trigger, identify and resolve. Sounds a lot like an age old problem solving strategy or scientific method of analysis:
1. Stating the problem (something change with the handling of the car),
2. Formulate a hypothesis (hope it is just a tire),
3. Design an Experiment (stop and get out of the car and look at all 4 tires),
4. Make Observations ( tire #1 looks OK, tire #2 looks OK, tire #3, is flat, tire #4 is OK),
5. Interpret the data (need to change only tire #3),
6. Draw conclusions (keep tires properly inflated, don’t let the tire tread wear down as bad as it was, or don’t drive where all that construction was),
7. Introduce (use “as is”), fix, correct, modify or eliminate.
Barry,
You have a very good point about unplanned changes. While the focus of this series has been on leading, managing and implementing planned changes, the unplanned changes need to be properly managed as well. Thanks for your thoughts.
Best,
Chris
Hello Chris,
I found your blog mention from the Blog Zone group on Linkedin, thought I’d drop in and say hello, take a look around. Looks like you have some valuable insight and information for business management and proven strategies for growth, promotion and best practices. I’ll spread the word among my peers to come by and check out your site.
best,
Rory Dean
http://www.rorydean.wordpress.com
Above the Line:Practical Movie Reviews
Hi Rory,
Thank you for your comments and the feedback. I really appreciate the word-of-mouth advertising as well.
Best,
Chris
Christian,
I am trying to introduce the concepts of lean philosophy into my country through a website which works like a portal of news, articles and other helpful material (in two languages). It would be nice if I could include some of your posts on the website. The posts will have a link-title where the viewer clicks on them and be led to your blog.
Title-link will be in 2 languages (English and Greek-The english title will be the same as the one in your blog). Please, have a look and let me know whether this is ok for you. http://sites.google.com/site/leanlearningportal/home
I look forward to your thoughts
I am not working for any company, I am just an individual who has studied (MBA), practised and likes lean, so simple.
You have some great Lean material on this site. Go ahead and link posts from my blog as you see fit. Thanks for including my articles and thank you for asking.
Chris
Hi Chris,
You got some very interesting post. Keep posting Mate !
Hi Chris,
I came across your Blog via Linkedin and am in the process of going through it. Im a Ph.D. research fellow in Health Care Optimization and your site is very helpful.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Rgds
In more detail I meant 🙂
Thank you for checking out the Lean Leadership blog. I am pleased that you find it helpful. Thank you for your kind comments.
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Great post! People often say “trust your gut” and then question people who actually do that. Personally, I am of the opinion that you should educate your “gut” and then make “gut” decisions based upon that gained knowledge.
Thank you for the inspiration.
Thank you, Renee. I’m glad this post resonated with you.