Don't Run Out of Track... Boss Doesn't Support Lean?

Question: How do you deal with someone in leadership above you who does not actively support or push lean?

I try to mentor and coach as many people as I can. Not because I think I am an expert at anything specific, but because I believe that is what good lean oriented leaders do - show others the way and help them learn from their experience. I got a great question from someone in the community I remain in touch with from past lives and try to mentor from a far. The question was how do you deal with someone in leadership above you who does not actively support or drive lean?

This is a great question and one that I have some personal experience and failures with. My learning with this was invaluable. My short answer to him was it boils down to you. That's right. You. It boils down to YOU (1) checking your ego and YOU (2) managing upward, downward, and lateral. Let me explain more through an example.

Some years ago, I was running an operation for a division of a large company. The VP of ops, who was my boss, transitioned me into this role from a lean deployment one. He was a great leader, down to earth, and not only drove lean but understood it really well. I had deployed lean in some other factories and was given this assignment later.

Things started off great, first 6 months we made some great progress. Make no mistake though, this was a tough factory. It was a unionized operation, there was a lot of old guard type of guys who were resistant to lean, some more outspoken then others. This contingent when they realized I was a lean driver, the guy above me was a lean driver, and the guy above him (President) was a lean driver, fell back into the weeds (but didn't go away). They were still there and that is lesson number 1. Always be aware you will have a contingent group, small or large, that opposes lean and will be ready to pounce if given the window. You will always have this element unfortunately, small or large, so be aware.

After 6 months, there was a shakeup, like there always is in the corporate world. This particular division was split into two - energy (where I was now) and commercial (where I moved from). My boss, the VP, was put in charge of the commercial side and another guy was put over our business. The new guy was from the business/engineering side, smart guy, and was just not a strong supporter or advocate of lean. He liked the buzz words and the results of lean, but had little to no interest on the ground game with lean, the resistors complaining, or in essence, "upsetting the apple cart". He was an old guard guy himself in this business, having been around for many years. To compound things even more, the top divisional president (a strong lean supporter) left and was replaced with what I call a neutral lean guy - liked the results, but the process was a headache at times.

Here is where I screwed up again (first screw up was not being in tune to the latent insurgency). I didn't check my ego and kept driving at the same pace and rigor as I was previously. I was determined to work with my team to turn the operation around and get it "operating lean". At first, the new boss was supportive as we were still getting some results. But very soon, that latent contingent, acting on the fact that this new leadership not being strong supporters of the lean ways, began acting up and becoming more vocal and causing problems for my staff and I. This eventually got HR involved and of course, you guessed it, the new boss. That's when the pressure starting coming down on me but by then it was too late. It was too late to put the brakes on and it was too late to even slow down really. Things started happening out of sorts and too quickly and I ended up derailing (parting ways with the company). The old guard won, and last I checked in, they are still winning there today! More people have cycled through there!

The lesson here is straightforward, almost basic but I missed the mark completely back then. First is check the ego. I let my ego take control and keep me driving the team at the same pace and rigor as before when what I should have done when the org changes came down, is take a pause, step back, read the situation, and correct course. In this case, I would have gotten a better read on the new boss over time and staved off the latent insurgency in the plant - they would not have had as much ammunition to work with. Instead, I threw gas on the fire.

Number two was not managing up and downward. I didn't actively try to manage my new boss, get more of a read on him, and build more of a relationship (yes, you should be managing your leader). I should have spent more time doing this and making my team's efforts seem like a collaborative partnership with the new GM. Instead, I eventually looked like a cowboy on the wrong path with the outlier group. Likewise, I didn't do well enough managing downward - I was managing my direct team well, but not engaging enough to the floor level (ironically one of my strengths), particularly with the resistor contingent. My ego said, "get on board". Another dagger was not managing well laterally during this time. My ego drove me to focus on process and getting results in my factory that I at times disengaged form my peers and this didn't help me in anyway when reflecting. See, it all goes back to not checking my ego as a root cause.

So, I think my advice on this question is clear from the story, but if not, here are some points if you are in a new role or you have a new boss who may not be a strong lean supporter (yes, they are still out there!):

1. Check the ego. As outlined, this will get you into a bevy of problems. No matter how confident you are in your abilities and how determined you are in the lean transformation or how deep you are, step back and check your ego.

2. Assess the (new) upward landscape. Understand your new boss and what he/she expects. Bring lean up and some of the progress and see their reaction and feedback. Be aware that in early talks (honeymoon period), the feedback may be positive and encouraging. Don't take this as an endorsement to keep blazing trails. Pause or go slowly for a while (like 60-90 days) and get a couple more data points when the dust settles.

3. Assess your horizontal (peers) and downward terrain. Your peers are likely in a similar boat so respect and support each other. Now is not the time to go into silo mode. Also, be aware of your direct team and the folks in your operation. Remember the latent element of resistors I mentioned previously - they are always listening and looking for opportunities to wreak havoc (read: go back to the old ways, away from lean). They will likely be gathering intelligence as well and looking for ways to act up and encourage supporters to change their views. Now is the time to really be more engaging and over communicate - think more culture now rather than lean tools and processes. Focus on running the business now, making small improvements as you go but nothing extreme.

4. Reassess after a couple of months and see where things stand. If the new boss and the higher ups don't seem to be supportive of lean efforts, then you can choose to go at a slow (eventually non-existent) pace and "run the business", or you can seek opportunities elsewhere. That depends on how passionate you are about lean. If you are a lean practitioner and leader, you will likely go elsewhere and rightfully so.

 Failures can be the best teachers and learning experiences. While I don't view this shared experience as an utter failure, it was not a successful outcome and I learned a great deal from it that has helped me get better over the years in a variety of other situations.

 And what if your new boss is a strong supporter and a driver of lean? Buckle up and tell your team to do the same, because the ride is going to be fun and fast paced!