Gemba Walk - Testimony of True Leadership

Organised Gemba walk is one such Lean methodology, most of the organisation have started embracing in its pursuit towards operational excellence. When the Gemba walk is in the process of execution, Leaders have tremendously great role to play in the overall exercise. They act as a catalyst in the approach for continuous improvement with a renewed focus, unwavering clarity and organised methodology. Gemba Walk is undoubtedly the most essential element for organizing the entire effort towards sustaining continuous improvement journey.

GEMBA - PLACE WHERE VALUE IS CREATED

Lets understand the Gemba Walk!!

Gemba - A Japanese term which means the place where Value addition takes place. Gemba Walk grants an opportunity for the Leaders to come out of their cabins and get an organised walk to their areas of scope, to identify wasteful activities.

In the Lean terms, wasteful activities are those, which might keep the workforce engaged but, certainly does not add value to the customer. When we say, these Gemba walks are required to be organised, it means the process need to be well planned, structured and systematic, instead of being arbitrary & situation based. Giving true credence to the sanctity of Gemba walk involves commitment and focused attention from the Top Management with an attitude to continually fostering best practices by identifying the areas of improvement.

Are all the Gemba Walks sacred?

Is their any metric or measurement system to analyze how do organisation perform in conducting its Gemba walk? Yes there are Visual trackers, check sheets, KPI's and matrices to track the performance of Leaders and various functions in organizing the Gemba walk. But what is essential significant to understand here is that, Organised Gemba walks are not merely about the check sheets and Visual displays, its about the deep rooted commitment that management exhibits in its day today business affairs. It's the intangible leadership attribute which relentlessly affirms its values by approaching the grey areas of the organisation and helps the team to inculcate continuous improvement mindset.

Top Management commitment is the Prerequisite!!

Leaders in Toyota exemplifies this with Monthly, weekly, daily, shift wise Gemba walks, covering each and every layers of the organisation. Culture to facilitate Gemba walks on regular basis despite any other priorities, brings distinction to its legacy of evolving continuous improvement mindset. Gemba walks in companies like Toyota is led by the Head of organisation, which transmits a powerful message down the line, engrossed with commitment and passion to make a change in the way we conduct business affairs. Top down deployment, Total employee engagement and throwing constructive challenge to the Team members are the prerequisites for a cultural transformation through Gemba walk.

How to conduct the Gemba Walks ?

Asking questions is important, but asking right question at right time shows the Leader's Wisdom, which develops the opportunity and possibility of refined belief system. With change in belief system comes a new beginning which eventually surges in challenging the status-quo. This ultimately open the door for transformation. A true leader, post visiting the Gemba, do not primarily start preaching suggestions and directing improvement opportunities. In fact, when Leaders in Toyota conducts Gemba walk, they first invest some time in observing the processes and systems, as it is, without even noting down in a piece of paper. This process is also referred in most organisations as 'chalk circle', meaning circle is drawn using chalk, on the ground at the gemba, at an appropriate place. Leaders stand in the drawn circle and observes the processes and operations for some time duration (7-10 minutes) depending on the complexity. Post that, Leaders note down key observations, ask certain questions to team members, which are generally open ended in nature, rather than of Yes/No category. For this process, Leaders in most organisation use 5W & 1H technique for asking questions.

8 Waste during Gemba Walk !!

8 Wastes are generally referred as TIMWOODS, which stands for Waste of Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Overproduction, Over processing, Defects and Underutilized Skills. Leaders need to carefully observe each and every element of the process from its conceptualization, design, operation to the final shipment at customer end. Noting down all such opportunities in the Visual control board and having a track of the same are the next steps.

Paradigm Game changer!!

Cross Functional Team Members are involved post the Gemba Walk, Brainstorming sesions are conducted in order to get better ideas for improving the current state and reach the Future state. This Process is repeated with PDCA approach and what organisation get in incentive is the unending cycle of Continuous Improvement culture which are sustainable and flourishing in spirit.

Small things done in repeated manner brings big results. It is rightly said, Great organisations do focus on Processes, result is the bi-product. Gemba walk is one such small thing and the fine process which must be embraced by Leaders at all the levels, which than becomes the testimony & paradigm game changer to the organisation's long lasting commitment towards business excellence.