Connection of Mental Models to LPM — Calm The Chaos. Part 9

Mental Model #4 In Action: Make Work Visible

Kanban + LPM In Action: The Big Classroom Project

Scene: Kindergarten

Your class wants to make a big Mural on the wall.

But you cannot paint everything at once.

You need to decide:

1. What to do
2. When to do it
3. Who will do it

That’s what LPM (Lean Portfolio Management) does for the school. And Kanban helps everyone see — visualize — the plan… making work visible.

Step 1: Ideas go to the “Funnel” box.

One kid says: “Let’s paint a big Nativity Night mural since Christmas is just around the corner!”

One kid says: “Let’s paint a rainbow.”

One kid says: “Let’s paint animals.”

One kid says: “Let’s paint a car.”

The teacher says:

“Put your ideas in the “Idea” box first.”

That is the Kanban “Funnel” column.

Step 2: We choose which ideas are best

The teacher and helpers look at (Review) all ideas and ask:

1. “Does this fit with our class goal?”
2. “Can we finish it this week?”
3. “Is it too big?”

This is the LPM “Review” column. We only keep the good ideas, so our project does not get messy.

Step 3: We make a simple plan

We pick the Nativity Night idea and write a “tiny plan.”

1. We need paint
2. We need paper
3. We need helpers

This is the “Analyze” Column of our Kanban Board… and the “tiny plan” output is the “Lean Business Case (LBC).”

Step 4: We put the plan in the “Ready” box

Now the Nativity Night idea moves to: “Ready to Start” column of our Kanban Board.

That — the Nativity Night — is the Portfolio Backlog.

Kids can pull it only when they have space (Capacity). That is the WIP (Work In Process) Limit at work: not too much at once!

Step 5: Doing the work

We move the card to “Doing!”

Different teams help:

1. The paint team
2. The stars team
3. The animals team
4. The landscape team
5. The floor-covering team
6. The “don’t spill paint” safety team

This is the ARTs and Teams doing features.

Everyone sees the Kanban Board. This way, we don’t get confused. We make work visible!

Step 6: Show the work (MVP — Minimum Viable Product)

We finish the first part of the “Nativity Night”: The stars with night-sky blue backdrop.

The teacher says:

“Let’s show it off (demo) and see if they like it!”

This is first part — the MVP — being demonstrated.

Kids / folks who have seen it say:

1. “I like the stars!”
2. “I like the night sky.”
3. “Perhaps the night sky should not be of the same color. Gradient color is better.”

This is Validating the idea.

Step 7: Done!

Once the whole “Nativity Night” is finished and everyone loves it… we move the card to “Done”

We clap, take pictures, and learn.

“What worked well? What should we do better next time? What to do next?”

This is LPM Continuous Improvement.

In Kindergarten words:

Kanban = your class chart (using card moved from step 1 to step “Done”) that shows:

1. What you want to do
2. What you are doing
3. What you have finished

LPM = the teacher making sure:

1. The project is the right one to do at the right time
2. You have what you need
3. You don’t do too much at once
4. Everyone learns and improves

Together = Happy kids + finished Nativity Night + No Chaos!

To be continued…

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