Dr.
Shigeo Shingo, a Japanese industrial engineer who brought
lean manufacturing principles of the Toyota production system
to a global audience, once said that it is a universal
truth that those who are not dissatisfied will never
make any progress.
Yet, even if one feels dissatisfaction,
it must not be diverted into complaining.
It must be actively linked to improvement.
As you lead a lean transformation, you will notice dissatisfaction
being diverted into complaining.
You will encounter a mindset of, if it isn't broken,
why fix it?
Keeping things the same way rarely satisfies customers because
customers become complacent and their needs change.
Humans desire change and innovation.
Within Lean, the culture of the organization must change for the
techniques and tools to be effective.
The status quo changes from a mentality of fixing things when
they are broken to being more proactive.
I want to acknowledge that this is hard.
You are managing others through a change process.
This type of change needs guidance, encouragement,
empowerment and support.
Unwavering leadership commitment is the most critical component of
success in managing a lean environment.