Lean Leader's Guiding Principles

Lean Leader's Guiding Principles is the top 10 things the person driving Lean should be doing besides implementing Lean tools. Focusing on success.

1-Get Involved – If you are driving the Lean efforts in your company you need to be involved in all aspects of the Transformation (kaizen events, coaching/mentoring, training, measurement system, audits, etc…).

2-Go & See – You should be going to where the action is. Walk the shop floor, talk to employees about items that are causing them pain (at a minimum of twice a week). You need to also encourage the management team to “Go & See.”

3-Tie Lean Goals to the Business Goals – If you are going to drive the efforts you want it to be important to the management team. If you tie the Lean goals to the business goals it gives it visibility and focus. Both are very important to the success of the Lean Leader.

4-Promote Lean Activities – A Lean Leader must get everyone involved in the Lean initiative. Communication of the plan is key to your success. Everyone should know how to get involved and the expectations. Top Down and Bottom Up.

5-Listen – You need to listen to the people inside your organization. It is very important for you to focus on solving problems and without understanding the problem completely you may find an up hill battle working towards the solutions.

6-Set the Example – Use the Lean principles in your daily work and talk about how it is helping you to be more efficient. The more you use the tools the better you will understand how to apply them in other areas of the business.

7-Inspire Others – Help to inspire others in the organization to get involved. Take advantage of opportunities to publicly reward or acknowledge success. Work with management so they understand the importance of them being involved.

8-Continue your Lean Education – It is important to keep a fresh outlook on your Lean Implementation. If you continue to educate yourself it will make it easier to find new ways to eliminate waste and improve company performance.

9-Stay Aligned – Don’t be afraid to use outside resources to continue down the Lean path. There is a lot of value in experience and finding a good resource to help you succeed will only enhance your efforts. As time goes on you will find problems you don’t know how to solve or tools you don’t understand. Don’t be afraid to admit you need help. Bringing in the right person will help you save creditability.

10-Audits & Direction – Remember to audit your progress and measurement system on a regular basis. You have to make sure you stay aligned with your business goals and objectives. You should have a good idea of where you are at all times, and report back to the management team on your progress as often as possible. It is important to show results and value from your efforts.