SIPOC
A one-page map of Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs and Customers.
- In my system
- Step 2 · Map once. My life's work on one page; the process column runs capture → triage → decide / route → do → file & improve.
- What AI adds
- Drafts a first SIPOC from my real email and calendar, then checks that every output serves a named customer.
Voice of the Customer → CTQ tree
List who you serve, write what they'd actually say, then turn each need into something measurable (critical to quality).
- In my system
- Step 2 · the stakeholder grid (family, spouse, work team, close friends, guests, myself) and a CTQ for each.
- What AI adds
- Turns “be more present” into a CTQ you can check, and keeps the list in context so every draft knows who it's for.
- Guardrail
- The customers are people I love. The AI suggests; I decide what “good” means.
Hoshin Kanri cascade & catchball
Cascade a few big goals down into yearly themes, quarterly rocks and weekly actions, checking each level with the one above.
- In my system
- Step 1 · Future self → macro plan (3–4 year-level themes) → 90-day plan → the week.
- What AI adds
- Reads my future-self lines before it helps with anything, and flags a rock that can't name the theme it serves (the catchball).
- Guardrail
- Values stay private; the AI reads a short, shareable version.
Virtual 5S
Sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain, so everything has one home.
- In my system
- Information homes: one cloud source of truth, a few lanes, a naming standard and the Downloads rule.
- What AI adds
- Runs the weekly shine nudge, suggests where stray files go, and can finally find things because they live in one place.
- Guardrail
- Nothing is deleted without my yes.
Baseline & data collection plan
Decide exactly what you'll count and how (operational definitions), then measure a normal stretch before changing anything.
- In my system
- Capture, plus two normal weeks of calendar and inbox data (Callie's time audit) as the baseline.
- What AI adds
- Measures quietly in the background (calendar tags, inbox counts, routine heartbeats), so the baseline builds itself.
- Guardrail
- Write the definition before you look at the number.
Flow metrics: cycle time & WIP
Measure how long work takes from open to done, and how much is stuck in progress.
- In my system
- Ari's numbers: action cycle time and weekly carryover. They roll up to the Dashboard.
- What AI adds
- Timestamps every action automatically, so cycle time and carryover are just there, no stopwatch.
Gemba & waste walk (value stream + 8 wastes)
Go look at the real work, map each step, and tag the waste: Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Non-utilized talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Extra processing (DOWNTIME).
- In my system
- The daily loop as a value stream (capture → triage → decide → do → file), walked with real screenshots, not assumptions.
- What AI adds
- Pulls the facts (a real month of email, calendar, open loops) so the walk is about what happened, not what I remember.
- Guardrail
- Look at redacted real data; keep private details out of anything shared.
Pareto (80/20)
Tally causes and sort them biggest first; usually a vital few make most of the pile.
- In my system
- Which few senders fill most of the inbox, and which few tasks eat most of the week.
- What AI adds
- Does the tally in seconds across a month of email or calendar, and proposes the rule that handles the top few.
- Guardrail
- Proposes filters and unsubscribes; I approve them.
5 Whys & fishbone
Ask “why” until you reach a cause you can fix; use a fishbone to sort possible causes by category.
- In my system
- When something slips (a reminder, a guest reply), find the root cause instead of trying harder.
- What AI adds
- Asks the next why, gathers the evidence for each answer, and drafts the countermeasure.
- Guardrail
- The AI can suggest causes; I choose the root cause and the fix.
Standard work
Write down the current best way to do a job: when, what, and how you know it's done.
- In my system
- The daily loop as a standard work card. Once a step stops changing, a routine can run it.
- What AI adds
- Runs the steps that have a clear “done when” on a schedule, every time, without being asked.
- Guardrail
- Only quiet, reversible, pre-approved steps run on their own.
Poka-yoke (mistake-proofing)
Design the process so the mistake can't happen, instead of relying on being careful.
- In my system
- Nothing sends, spends, books or deletes without my yes. Specialists produce drafts, not sends.
- What AI adds
- Makes draft-and-hold the default in every lane, so the safe path is also the easy one.
- Guardrail
- If it leaves the house, it waits for a yes.
Jidoka (automation with a human stop)
Machines stop and signal when something's off, so a person can fix it right away.
- In my system
- When a specialist is unsure, it stops and puts the item in “Needs you”; when a routine breaks, it fails loud.
- What AI adds
- Handles the normal case and stops at the edge case, instead of guessing.
- Guardrail
- When unsure, it goes in “Needs you.”
Kanban & WIP limits
A visible board of work by status, with a limit on how much can be in progress at once.
- In my system
- “Waiting on you” is a kanban column; a small limit keeps drafts from piling up on me.
- What AI adds
- Keeps the board current on its own, and holds new drafts back when the limit is hit.
Heijunka (level the load)
Spread work evenly instead of in spikes, so the system never overloads.
- In my system
- A level week: deep work, admin and people time spread across the days, with one day kept free.
- What AI adds
- Callie suggests where things fit, spots overloaded days, and protects the free day.
- Guardrail
- Proposes moves; never reschedules people without my yes.
RACI chart
For each task, name who's Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed.
- In my system
- Step 5 · every lane has a row; I'm always Accountable for anything that leaves the house.
- What AI adds
- Specialists can be Responsible for the work, and route updates to whoever is Consulted or Informed.
- Guardrail
- Specialists own the work, never the yes.
A3 brief & mind map
Put a problem or project on one page (background, current state, goal, plan, check), after mapping it out.
- In my system
- Step 8 · Deep-work lane: map a one-off, then hand Claude the brief, not a blank prompt.
- What AI adds
- Turns the map into a working brief and does the deep work, and the session ends with a finish line.
- Guardrail
- The “keep out” branch: private details stay out of the brief.
FMEA-lite
For each step, ask what could go wrong, how bad it would be, how likely it is, and what guardrail prevents it.
- In my system
- A short risk list for every agent: wrong tone, a missed reminder, a stalled routine. Each one has a guardrail.
- What AI adds
- Helps list the failure modes, and the guardrails (poka-yoke, jidoka, heartbeat) run automatically.
- Guardrail
- Re-check it when a new bot joins the team.
Control plan & signal vs. noise
For each key measure: the normal range, who checks it, and what to do when it's off. Plus the control-chart idea that one odd week is noise and a run is a signal.
- In my system
- The Dashboard measures, each with a target, an owner (a specialist) and a reaction plan.
- What AI adds
- Checks every day so I only look weekly, and flags real signals instead of every wiggle.
- Guardrail
- Reactions that leave the house still wait for a yes.
Visual management & andon
Make status visible at a glance, and give problems an obvious signal (the andon light).
- In my system
- Step 6 · Visual home: the “Waiting on you” card, green / amber / red, and the Dashboard.
- What AI adds
- Keeps the board updated and turns a tile red only when a decision is truly needed.
- Guardrail
- Red means a decision, not a guilt trip.
Leader standard work & tiered routines
A fixed routine of daily, weekly and monthly check-ins that keeps the system honest.
- In my system
- Step 7 · Routines: morning brief (daily), Saturday week-ahead (weekly), monthly look-back.
- What AI adds
- Runs the briefs on the clock and brings the right numbers to each tier.
- Guardrail
- Sundays are for being present, away from screens. The plan waits.
PDCA & kaizen
Plan, Do, Check, Act: small, steady improvements, tested before they're scaled.
- In my system
- The draft-and-hold loop: my edits and no's become style notes, rules and memory; new routines get a two-week pilot first.
- What AI adds
- Captures what I changed and learns from it, so the next draft needs less from me.
- Guardrail
- Learns preferences; it never learns to skip the yes.
Say-vs-do gap review
Compare what you say matters with what actually happened, then pick one small change.
- In my system
- The monthly look-back: my stated priorities against where the calendar time went.
- What AI adds
- Brings the facts, one observation and one experiment, with no judgment and no grade.
- Guardrail
- Facts, not judgment. One experiment at a time.