Current State of Lean

I have been reading numerous articles, posts, blogs, etc. from well-known and very experienced lean experts lamenting the lack of sustainable culture change. On the Planet Lean site alone, John Shook ( http://planet-lean.com/john-shook-on-failure-innovation-and-the-resilience-of-lean ), Jim Womack (http://planet-lean.com/jim-womack-on-where-lean-has-failed-and-why-not-to-give-up ), Dan Jones http://planet-lean.com/dan-jones-says-lean-is-the-management-strategy-of-the-future) have provided personal insights into failures with lean and what can and should be done. If these leaders of the modern lean movement struggle with lean culture change, what chance do I have?

 I find myself falling victim to the “quietism” that Womack refers to:

“Meanwhile, in the Lean Community I detect a growing quietism – an acceptance of things as they are without attempt to resist or change them. The focus has shifted from lean leaps for dramatic organizational transformation, including value stream compression, to small-scale kaizen and coaching of individuals (usually middle- or lower-level managers) without expectation of quickly changing the management systems in which they operate. This is fine as far as it goes, but can it ever go very far?”

 Womack suggests that that we not surrender defeatism, but instead showcase wins in an effort to keep the lean movement alive. Since successful lean culture changes are so difficult to come by, I have decided instead to share the struggles of a lean professional trying to make a difference in an effort to let others learn from my mistakes. 

 I just heard word of an employer broadcasting to their employees that they were rebooting their lean strategy in an effort to reduce expenses and improve efficiency. This announcement is in tandem with announcements of layoffs and restructuring. This reboot includes a new web site where everyone can find the lean tools to help reduce costs. The website contains forms and examples of A3’s, standard work documents, and even leader standard work. Several leaders chimed in on the announcement about the importance of the cost savings.

 This is the environment we live in. Lean is a program for cost savings. If you stand up for what lean really is, a strategy of focusing on providing more customer value in the most efficient way possible through deep respect for the value-creating workers, don’t expect a glowing performance appraisal. Even if you have successfully created a lean culture change somewhere in the middle of the organization, don’t expect lean culture change to receive any credit for achieving cost and productivity targets. Don’t expect any lean reboot to include the aspects of focusing on leadership behaviors developed through coaching. Lean is still just seen as a program. 

 So what should we do? How do we create effective change? How do we get leaders to understand that lean is not a catalog of tools and techniques applied as a cost-saving program? I have started a new approach recently. I emphasize principles before systems; systems before processes; and processes before tools and techniques. I start with the simple principles of respect for the worker and bringing value to the customer. In hindsight that sounds obvious and cliché, but so many lean professionals are stuck between a rock and a hard place as we have to compromise the lean principles to satisfy the demands of our leadership. 

With the principles stated to assure constancy in direction, I focus on a continuous improvement system. I prefer a simple system that includes developing priorities, defining process expectations, making deviations from the expectations visible and solving problems shown by the deviations. If nothing else, at least the principles have been stated now. I do not know if this (most recent) effort will be successful, but that is my current experiment.