I'm sure your cowpokes are wondering what I mean when I state "safe practice of Lean". You all may have thought..."OK, Cowboy has left the range, wandered into a patch of loco weed and started eating." That may be a first thought yet let's walk this trail for a piece.
When we enter a new organization, how do we show up? Do we show up with questions and smiles or do we make an assessment of a broken down building with substandard equipment knowing all the solutions to the problems that workforce faces? How many of us have made that mistake? I have and let me tell you what, once you insult folks with a know it all attitude it is harder to earn back than picking out prickly pear cactus spines from your backside.
Presence of an open mind, leading with questions and smiles, being open to the needs of the organization and its individuals is necessary. Just because we may have an answer doesn't mean it is the best answer. Just put yourself in the place of a team member. You see a new trail boss who is married to "The Lean Lady" and you may think, "Oh he is a know it all here to change the way I work yet doesn't know anything about me." Does that scenario or a semblance thereof sound familiar? If not, I tip my hat to you. Along this trail I've made errors, yet I've learned from them as opposed to continually making them. Rolling out tool after tool, demonstrating A3's, Fishbone, 5Why's, accident maps.... That is all nice and good yet how many of us actually teach the individuals how to use them. Giving all these tools to folks is just like giving whiskey and car keys to a group of cantankerous old cowhands on the range just raring to take that old time sedan into town to swoon all the fair maidens.
What I am getting at is this. We are overburdening our students when we as teachers haphazardly toss tools and terms around without following thru and making sure our students understand and can demonstrate proficiency in their use. I've seen this time and time again. Company X wants to "do Lean", they hire a consultant, get the ball rolling and boom!!!!! Ownership thought Lean was a magic bullet and he shifts the scope of the consultants work without knowing the outcome for he doesn't think about his end customer nor the value stream. Ownership throws a tantrum because "Lean isn't working" yet ownership doesn't take the time to slow down so the organization can speed up. Ownership is at fault so they throw a tantrum, disguise their failed attempt at a Lean journey and continue their trail of misery and confusion.
We must be responsible when we practice and teach. Slowing down to solicit input from the customer of our knowledge for they are the implementer and we are the advisor. Then senior team members must drive it from the top down as the floor drives it from the bottom up meeting in the middle at the campfire where true learning takes place. We have a responsibility to our students, the practice of Lean and to ourselves ensuring that when we roll things out people understand what is going on. Communication is vital, visual management is vital, we as the leader must oversee and continually teach as the organization transforms piece by piece, area by area, and individual by individual. Failing or disregarding warning signs when individuals don't understand something or are confused is not practicing the art safely.
Safe practice requires due diligence and a thirst for what is right. Sure we will make mistakes, yet we learn from them and remember/log the results so that others don't have to eat our dust. We pull them forward as they pull us forward.
In closing I'd like to say thank you to those that help me and my new teams who truly are engaged at my new organization. You are teaching me as much as I am teaching you and together we are moving that herd of cattle closer to our goal. It's a journey folks and whether we are walking or horse or riding, we must always be aware of what we are doing for if we don't. We could fall into the trap of leaving people behind, derailing the teams, causing undue burden on people, etc. all due to the fact we as leaders were not listening and practicing safe teaching habits. Thank you for stopping by and reading my post this week and may you all have a Merry Christmas. Home here in Arizona I'll be waiting for Santa to show up so he and I can discuss single piece flow at the North Pole.
--Cowboy
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