Recently, someone asked me, "What is the most important thing an organization needs to start and maintain a Lean journey?" In the rush of the moment, I gave them a generic answer of, "Committed leadership and time". But since giving that answer I have had time to process this question some more and have come to realize there is another factor.
Having good leadership in the Lean journey? Of course! This element is key! But if the leadership of any organization is working with and directing their team toward Lean and Continuous Improvement, I would say this is a good leadership team. Why? Any leadership team who understands the value of Lean and Continuous Improvement and is guiding their team toward getting a little bit better every day is a good leadership team!
So, for me, the most important element of success is the state of the organization's collective mindset. How does the group, big or small, view the challenges it faces and more importantly, how do the individual team members view the problems they confront? To understand what I'm writing about, you can watch a great video of the topic by clicking here. Yes! Stop now and click the link. You'll enjoy the video, I promise!
The questions below are not some type of a quiz but rather thought-pokers for your introspection about your mindset and the collective mindset of the team you work with. Take the time to view the video and then honestly ponder the questions below. Enjoy!
After watching the video-
- Do you recognize which mindset you possess today? Do you like that answer?
- How would you identify the mindset of the team you work with- The whole organization? The direct team you are involved with?
- Explain why I would say that the mindset of the organization is key to starting and maintaining Lean and Continuous Improvement? (If you can spare the time, I would enjoy hearing from you on this one)
