A paradigm is a set of rules and regulations that we use to help us make sense of our surroundings. Some may call it a mental model. It’s no secret that when Lean Thinking (the book by Jim Womack and Dan Jones) was introduced in 1996, most of us quickly realized that the Principles of Lean Thinking work!
They help companies set expectations about the “right way” of doing things to achieve success. We considered success the combination of reducing waste, and reducing lead time in an organization.
In recent the past, many lean practitioners and consultants myself included, have followed these prescribed steps for success;
1. Define Value from the Customer’s Perspective
2. Define the Value Stream
3. Make the Process Flow
4. Implement Pull from the Customer
5. Strive for Perfection
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But like anything, we Plan, Do, Check, and Adjust (PDCA) our way through life and adopt the best systems we find that allow us the advantage over the masses. After that, we are excited to share what works for us with as many others that will listen.
Today, success is something very different. Today success is developing people faster than your competitor is able to. Keeping in mind that in the Lean community we focus on operational excellence which challenges people to experiment their way toward better Safety, Quality, Productivity, Cost, and Morale performance measures. Again, success is about developing people faster who in turn develop more capable processes which in turn optimize these key performance indicators.
So what happens when our paradigm does not stand the test of time? What happens when our rules are not as effective as we expected? What then?
Luckily, we don’t have to make our way through the discovery process. Jeff Liker and Gary Convis already did this for us in 2012 with their book the Toyota Way to Lean Leadership, and we now have a 4-step model called the Lean Leadership Development Model to adopt as our new way of thinking.
Why is this 4-Step Development Model more effective today than the previous 5-Step Lean Thinking Model?
First, we now know that it takes ten times longer to develop people then it does to improve processes. The Lean Leadership Development Model identifies the weakness/strength in every implementation, the people.
This gives us a great starting point which is to focus on ourselves as learners. Are we committed to self-development? If we are, we will learn about the 5 Principles of Lean as a subset of this step.
Now, isn’t this really what it is all about? If it takes ten times longer to develop people than processes, don’t you want everyone on your team asking themselves, “What is the Ideal way to behave and what should I have done differently?”
Yes! Hopefully your company has identified the core values needed to guarantee a successful future.
If you want to work in any area, discipline, or industry that employs “Lean Thinking”, you should consider getting a clear understanding of the basics in Lean. Go to http://Lean101.ca.
The Lean Leadership Institute is offering the Principles of Lean Thinking online course for FREE for everyone that signs up for an Online Office membership. Watch the videos at http://leanleadership.guru/community.html. Register before December 31, 2014.
