The Skill of Observation

When I bring someone new onto the team, the first thing I teach them is how to see waste.

Why? Because waste is a leech—sucking the life out of your business. It drains the fun, humanity, dignity, value, and profit faster than you can say “inefficiency.”

So what does waste look like?

It’s making something that no one asked for.

It’s waiting—for information, for material, or just to be told what to do next.

It’s doing your work instead of improving your work.

It’s shuffling information and materials from one place to another.

It’s storing stuff—whether that’s data or physical inventory.

It’s even the simple act of people moving from one place to another.

It’s just in case instead of just in time.

These are the eight forms of waste you’ll find in every business, on every team:

1. Overproduction.

2. Defects.

3. Excess Processing.

4. Waiting.

5. Unused talent.

6. Transportation.

7. Inventory.

8. Motion.

Why should you care?

If you can’t spot waste, you can’t fix it.

And if you don’t fix it, it’ll grow as your business grows, eventually becoming a monster you’ll have a hard time controlling.

One common excuse I hear from leaders is: “I’m the only one who knows how to do it right.”

Sure, you’ve got a gut sense for what works and what doesn’t. But up until now, your team’s been trained to just do their job, not improve it.

Here’s the good news: spotting waste is a skill.

The foundation of this skill?

Observation.

Let’s break it down with a real-world example:

The F1 Pit Stop

Pit crews are there to serve the driver, right?

The driver’s main goal? Racing—crossing the finish line.

Every second they spend in the pit is a second lost on the track.

The stop is necessary, but it’s pure waste in the context of winning the race.

That’s why the pit stop philosophy is all about minimizing waste: do only what’s absolutely necessary, as quickly as possible, and get the car back on the track.

The driver needs fresh tires, sure, but what they really care about is moving.

Every second in the pit can make or break the race.

Now, let’s talk about your business.

Too many people read about waste and think, “That’s just how it is.”

But your customers don’t care about your internal processes—they care about their problem being solved.

And they want that solution now.

The Value Stream

If you’re on the pit crew, your job is to nail the pit stop.

But you can’t lose sight of the bigger picture: you’re part of a team that’s trying to win a race.

Your role is critical—it keeps the car on the track—but it also literally takes the car off the track.

You have an internal customer (the driver) and an external one (the fans).

The driver depends on you to deliver the value (the win) to the fans.

But remember, it’s not just about the pit stop. It’s about winning the race.

Practicing the Skill

Everything is a process—whether it’s a pit stop or flipping burgers.

Next time you’re at a fast food joint, order a meal and time how long it takes. While you wait, observe.

Are the employees actively contributing to the creation and delivery of your food?

Or are they standing around, doing something that isn’t directly related to getting you your meal?

If the latter, ask yourself—why?

Is it necessary maintenance?

Or is it something that shouldn’t be broken in the first place?

The key to improving your business starts with seeing what’s holding it back.

And the starts with spotting waste.

Everything in your business is a process.

And many of them might be causing you headaches.

My team of process engineers would be thrilled to come alongside you and your team to eliminate the waste out of your business.

If you have a team of at least 5 people and don’t already have a process engineer on your team—let’s talk.

Chances are… you have some processes in your business that you just wish an expert could help you streamline and prepare the proper documentation for your team to be trained on it.

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