As a thought leader, author, educator, and change leadership practitioner, I write a weekly article that benefits leaders who want to improve their organizations significantly.
Preparing for Christmas, I looked at the parallels to launching a lean implementation at some companies. Joseph found no room at the inn, so the Christ child was born in a manger. Someone new to an organization at a lower level might suggest that the company adopt lean practices. The response is a cold shoulder from the executive team, so the approach is a grassroots attempt from an abandoned room in the back of the plant.
A bad system will beat a good person every time. - Dr. W. Edwards Deming
It is rare that current executives in many manufacturing operations have been taught the value of lean manufacturing in their coursework in college or as they have risen through the ranks. Instead, they were taught to focus on the financial bottom line to meet the monthly, quarterly, and annual projections. The scribes and Pharisees concentrated on "the works they do for to be seen of men: they broaden their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments" when Jesus was on the earth. In both cases, the focus was not on the people in their organizations or synagogues.
Regardless of the education and experience, change is difficult for many to embrace. Many examples of companies have been highly successful in adopting lean manufacturing. A significant issue is the need to adopt a long-term perspective where developing the necessary culture can take several years. There can also be an initial dip in the financial performance before the benefits to the bottom line appear. It may also require a change in the leadership to achieve the results that the current executives will fight. Jesus was of the Jewish faith, but the leaders of that denomination saw him as a threat to their well-being. When He questioned their actions, they decided that eliminating Jesus was necessary.
Many leaders prefer to make business decisions from the corner office or mahogany paneled wall of the board room, where frontline workers will likely never tread. The Jewish religious leaders would also restrict access to the Holy Place and Holy of Holies to their assemblies. Neither group would go to where the workers interact with the outside world, and the Jewish leaders would never sit in the pews with the worshipers.
Company executives can tend to look for short-term paybacks in an attempt to improve the latest financial projections. They are looking for quick wins at the expense of long-term organizational perspective. The Jewish leaders believed they were perfect in the eyes of the Lord, so they would not see a need to be better individuals. In each case, there is a tendency to take the perspective that the employees or worshipers are a nuisance to tolerate but do not set them up for success as employees or focus on improving the congregation's spiritual needs.
The above comparisons are not a conclusive list. We tend to become that which we know from those that we follow. It can be challenging to break the cycle. Intelligent leaders should step back from what they know, scan the environment, and then determine if they need to adopt a new approach to leading their constituencies. Manufacturing executives would benefit from taking a long-term perspective of fully adopting lean practices.
What is old is often new again when leaders make decisions regarding threats to their organizations. The same issues of leaders when the Christ child entered the world occur in board rooms in many organizations today. Recognizing the problem is necessary as an initial action to make a transformational shift in our organizations.
An excellent first step is to ask if what Dr. Deming states about are your good people fighting to make things happen in a bad system. A way to gauge this situation is to take the Undercover Boss approach and immerse oneself into a real-life setting to experience what they deal with daily in various settings.
I admire the leaders of organizations willing to embrace lean principles fully. Those who do have put themselves in positions where they improve the future state for all stakeholders, which will enhance the financial benefits of their shareholders.
Next week's blog will pause to reflect on the four years I have written each week's blog post.
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