Understanding and Applying the Two Lean Pillars Can Change Everything!

The application of the two Lean pillars (tenets) in combination can help develop your people, change your culture, and make major improvements not previously thought possible. The challenge is to understand these two tenets and to make a concerted effort to apply them as you lead your team. And, to teach other leaders that report to you to do the same. The two Lean tenets?are 1) Continuous Improvement?and 2) Respect for People; let’s start with continuous improvement.

?Lean Tenet?#1, Continuous Improvement

Where does the idea of continuous improvement?reside? It resides in the minds of people. That’s why I often describe a Lean transformation?as a people transformation. This thought aligns directly with the fifth principle of Lean, “Perfection”.

A proper definition of the Lean principle, “Perfection,” would be “to work continuously to eliminate all waste?of resources and time in a process.” However, for “Perfection” to become a reality, this concept must become a part of the way people think. The culture will change in a positive direction once an individual, or group of individuals, truly embraces the concept of Continuous Improvement?as their daily norm.?

How do we positively change our culture? How do we help people embrace the tenet of Continuous Improvement? We do so through involved leadership, persistence, and through leading by example.?

Note: This type of persistence and leadership is often needed when applying many of the Lean tools and concepts such as building and following Standard Work, actively participating in a 5S program, participating in daily huddles, etc.?

The next tenet, “Respect for People,” will better describe how to be more successful with the first tenet, “Continuous Improvement.”?

Lean Tenet?#2, Respect for People?

What do you think of when you think of respect for people? Like most, you may think of being polite, treating others as you would like to be treated, saying “please” and “thank you” or asking for others’ input. While all these behaviors demonstrate some level of respect for people, they’re not the genesis of this powerful Lean tenet. To better explain “respect for people,” I normally ask people to think about their past.?

Think back in your life about someone that pushed you to a higher level of performance, like a coach, music teacher, schoolteacher, a parent, or guardian, etc. Whoever you think of, or whatever memory comes to mind, it will likely include someone that inspired and/or encouraged you. This individual likely had expectations for you that were higher than the expectations you had for yourself.?

These are the people that cared about you and took an active interest in your life. They cared about you enough to not let you get by with substandard, or average, performance. These individuals pushed you to perform at a higher level, beyond what you thought you could do, or what you wanted to do.?

For those of us lucky enough to have had such people in our lives, they are who we remember, who we admire, who we talk about, and think fondly of. Why? Because they cared for us, they inspired us, they pushed us, and gave us the confidence we may not have had. The time they invested in our lives made a real impact, a real difference, that truly made us better. This is more of what the Lean Tenet, “Respect for People,” means.?

So, how do we apply this practically in our day-to-day work life? A good start is to think of your staff with the same mentality as a coach, mentor, teacher, etc. You set goals with them or for them, and make sure they have the training and tools they need to meet those goals. In many instances, the training and tools needed are already there; it’s the motivation and drive that’s lacking. You show “Respect for People” by providing inspiration and encouragement to facilitate motivation, and by not accepting substandard or even sometimes average performance.?

Leaders that practice this type of leadership will help people see they can do so much more than they ever thought they could. These leaders develop confidence and become the people staff will remember and talk about with admiration throughout their career.?

It’s important to understand that while you’re caring, pushing, coaching, trying to inspire, etc., you will likely not feel the admiration and respect I mentioned; that often comes later. This is especially true if staff are accustomed to only meeting the basic, minimum requirements.?

Understand there will be pushback and a small percentage of staff may feel they’d rather work for a competitor than to make professional improvements. However, once you apply coaching, demonstrate patience, and the staff see you genuinely care for them as individuals, the percentage of those wanting to leave will likely be very small, if any at all. Once people get past the shock of the new reality, most will appreciate you and what you’re doing for them. The key is consistent leadership and support; stay with it and don’t give up!??

Note: The information in this article was taken from the book “How to Make Lean Work in Your Hospital”. If you’re interested in leading a Lean transformation, or simply want to make measurable improvements to critical processes, visit LeanHospitalsWork.com for more information.??

Author: Terry Norris, MBA, is a Lean Certified Master Black Belt, author, speaker, and fulltime Lean consultant.?

References?

Norris, Terry, How to Make Lean Work in Your Hospital (Lean Consulting Works, LLC, Publishing, 2022)