There are many philosophies of lean, and there is a lot of discussion about the journey to lean. A journey implies there is a finite destination or finish line. I believe operational efficiency, a.k.a. lean, is a lifestyle, and like most lifestyles, lean is rooted in culture. Lifestyle changes are not a destination; rather, they are the result of transition.
When companies have a positive corporate culture and trust is clearly established between the leadership and the workforce, they are ready to begin the transition to a lean lifestyle.
There are many approaches and project plans to navigate a path in support of the transition to lean, and most will work. Companies should choose a plan that suits their specific business needs and the needs of their team. For example, manufacturers with predominately highly skilled, highly technical team members will choose a different path than manufacturers in a labor-intensive environment comprised of unskilled team members.
Regardless of the plan you choose, be prepared to modify it. Change is like a bend in the road. Helen Keller once said, “A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn.”
The path to a lifestyle of operational efficiency will include several challenges. The transition will be filled with successes, failures, obstacles and setbacks that will season the team and the leadership. While frustrating, the way the company handles challenges determines the depth and stability of the business culture and its lean lifestyle.
To increase the probability of success, leadership at all levels of the organization should follow these guidelines:
1. Have a consistent leadership presence in all business areas. Walk the floor, chat with the people. Come in before work and socialize with people as they arrive. Leadership should make themselves accessible to everyone on the team. When team members want to talk, it is important that the leadership listens.
2. Recognize the little things. Small improvements matter because the people who make the improvements matter. Leadership should find three good things to say every day and be genuine. Some days, successes are hard to find. Find three distinctly different people in different situations to make positive comments to and about them. Seek those responsible for the changes and make sure they know you appreciate them and what they have accomplished. Positive communication from leadership is a force multiplier in every organization.
3. Be present and current with the daily activities. Sincere, positive communication from a leader gives your words gravity. Without sincerity, your words are just empty words.
4. Identify when leadership or team members fall short. Address it quickly and take corrective action in a positive light. When addressing failures, avoid blaming people at all cost. Suggest an alternative path that may have yielded a more desirable outcome. Suggest evaluating the process and the instructions together and suggest that the process or direction may not have been as clearly worded as it could have been. Affirm your understanding that given the information available it is understandable how failure could occur. Most of all, ask for the person or people to help evaluate the failure and to identify ways to prevent this in the future. Thank everyone for their time and input. Look at each failure as an opportunity to learn and improve. It is going to sting sometimes. Recognize the person or people who identified the failure and thank them for their attention to detail.
5. Positive reinforcement is critical. Endlessly deliver the message that people will not be disciplined for their mistakes. It is crucial that team members feel safe when they share bad news. We don’t know what challenges our team members face in their personal lives, and often we cannot influence their personal situation, but we can provide a safe working environment as part of the lean lifestyle. People need to be able to trust their leaders and know that leadership will not be punitive. Leaders cannot discipline their way to prosperity or success.
No one or two things will assure progress is sustained. Rather, it is a combination of trust, positive communication, sincerity and consistency. These are the same essential elements that will assure overall success. Think of lean as a lifestyle choice that slowly becomes the new normal.
Carl Livesay is the general manager at Mercury Plastics in Baltimore. Carl has more than 40 years of senior operational leadership and manufacturing experience as a lean practitioner. He currently serves on the BOD for the Maryland World Class Consortia and is appointed to the District Export Council.
