Silvia Blazquez – Continuous Improvement Manager
5 November 2024
As we already know, LEAN is a CULTURE, in which the objective is, that each of us, we are able to detect and eliminate everything we do that does not add value to the customer, but consumes resources: the WASTE.
Undoubtedly, this culture will allow us to increase the margin of each of our products and services, in the long term and consistently.
But creating a culture is not an easy task. It is a matter of getting everyone to acquire habits that, in most cases, do not come as standard, nor do they come naturally. To do this, it is necessary to carry out a series of steps, which can be summarized as follows:
1-The management of the company must adopt LEAN personally and not delegate its implementation to the team.
2-Meet regularly as a team to address issues, talk about improvements and problems, and teach the LEAN principles.
3-Learn and teach the 7 wastes.
4-Make simple videos or presentations before and after improvements.
5-Never point to someone else and say, “look at all your waste”. Always point to yourself. You have enough waste in your own life for 10 lifetimes. “The problem is you. It starts and ends with you. Stop talking about how you have to change others. Lead and people will follow you; point and people will run away.”
6–Don’t find anything to improve? Just fix what’s bothering you. Fix whatever you have problems with. Anything that doesn’t flow is an easy opportunity for improvement.
7–Where should I start? How should I find these potential improvements? Look anywhere the work has stopped. Work should never stop, it should always flow. If it stops, there is waste.
8 Do I need someone to help me, should I hire a consultant? The answer is no! If you hire a consultant, it will guarantee your dependence on someone else. Becoming a LEAN thinker is easy, despite what others tell you. If you learn it yourself, it will be deeply ingrained in the way you think about anything.
9- Never try to impose on others to adopt the LEAN culture. Do it yourself and do it well and you will become a magnet for every thinking person on the planet.
10-What if I am not the top leader in my organization, how can I influence change and build a LEAN culture? Regardless of your position in life, every human being has influence over something and someone. Build LEAN into that sphere of influence and you will become a leader in no time.
11-Never look for a complex solution to solve a problem. Always look for the simplest and easiest. Use your head, not your wallet!
