{"id":118040,"date":"2023-11-27T14:42:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T18:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=118040"},"modified":"2023-11-28T15:34:20","modified_gmt":"2023-11-28T19:34:20","slug":"what-is-the-kanban-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-the-kanban-system\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is the Kanban System? The Best Way to Stay Productive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is the kanban system? How does having your own personal kanban improve productivity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you start developing your own personal kanban, it’s helpful to understand the system’s background. In Personal Kanban, <\/em>Jim Benson and Tonianne DeMaria explore what kanban is, its origins and benefits, and the difference between traditional and personal kanban.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s break down the basics of the kanban system below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is Kanban?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is the kanban system? Kanban is a visual tool for keeping track of tasks as they move through your workflow. The authors explain that, in its most rudimentary version, kanban is a chart divided into three sections laid out as columns: to do, doing, and done<\/strong>. All tasks (usually written on individual sticky notes) begin in the \u201cto do\u201d section, move to \u201cdoing\u201d once you\u2019ve begun working on them, and eventually make their way to \u201cdone\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of Kanban<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kanban originated in Japanese manufacturing. In an effort to reduce mistakes and waste, manufacturing companies implemented lean manufacturing<\/a><\/em>, a management philosophy that argues that all work should be visible to everyone so that every worker is empowered to keep things moving forward and to bring attention to problems or mistakes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authors explain that Taiichi Ohno, an engineer at Toyota in the 1940s, came up with kanban as a way to empower line workers to take ownership of the finished product, not just the part they were working on. Ohno believed that they could increase productivity and reduce waste if all workers could visualize the entire process, understand how their work contributed to it, and raise the alarm if they spotted a problem\u2014even if it wasn\u2019t their <\/em>problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By implementing kanbans, according to Benson and DeMaria, Toyota was able to overhaul its production system and massively improve its efficiency by respecting line workers enough to share information with them and give them a voice in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benson discovered kanban when he worked in software development, where it helped him and his team track their tasks as they progressed through their workflow. The visual and low-effort nature of kanban made collaboration easier because everyone could see what work was being done, what was coming down the pipeline, and where the bottlenecks were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of Kanban<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Benson and DeMaria argue that kanban offers benefits that other productivity tools can\u2019t. These benefits include transparency, prioritization, and adaptability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Reveals Patterns in Your Workflow<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A personal kanban board<\/a> houses all of your tasks, no matter the size, importance, or type<\/strong>. Once you start paying attention<\/a> to your patterns, it also shows you at a glance where your bottlenecks are, the tasks you\u2019re struggling with, the tasks you\u2019re procrastinating on, how much more you\u2019re able to take on, and many more insights into your work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visual and kinesthetic nature of a kanban board makes the information on it more digestible than other planning tools. The physical movement of dragging a task along your workflow, and the mental exercise of putting all of your tasks in one single board helps you understand the life cycle of your work, your limitations, and your priorities. This gives you insight into ways you can improve your efficiency and effectiveness<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It Tells You the Truth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since everything is out in the open, it\u2019s impossible to hide from your kanban. It will make your limitations obvious because, for example, you\u2019ll quickly realize that you can only accomplish X number of tasks on a given day, week, or month. The authors advise that you lean into this and make sure that you limit how many tasks are in your \u201cDoing\u201d column to a number that you\u2019re confident you can accomplish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s Nudges You in the Right Direction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Personal kanban helps you see all of your options before deciding what to work on. Having all of your tasks in one place, from walking the dog to preparing for a meeting, helps you identify the right task to focus on <\/strong>now<\/em><\/strong>, making sure your energy is going where it will have the most impact. By forcing you to limit the tasks you\u2019re working on at any given time, you ensure you\u2019re focusing on priorities you can accomplish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s Adaptable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Personal kanban can adapt to your personal needs in several ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n