Comments on: Becoming Lean Isn’t about Lean http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2007/01/09/734/ The magazine for the project age Sat, 17 May 2008 06:13:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Norm Frenette http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2007/01/09/734/#comment-12957 Mon, 05 Feb 2007 20:16:50 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2007/01/09/734/#comment-12957 We always overlook that people resist change. People are no different at work than at home. People have habitual ways of doing things, and find it hard to change even when it's good for them. That's why it's so hard to diet your way to weight loss for example. Lean is a different way to work. But those people at work have been doing things a certain way for years. They won't change just because we trained them. I love this post. To me it highlights the two facets improvement. On the one hand we need knowledge, expertise. Lean has methods, processes even tools that must be understood and taught. But that is not enough. Lean has to be introduced in a way that removes our natural tendency to resist change. Management cannot mandate Lean, because Management cannot mandate Change. A structured approach would be good. But I think it goes deeper then that. We always overlook that people resist change. People are no different at work than at home. People have habitual ways of doing things, and find it hard to change even when it’s good for them. That’s why it’s so hard to diet your way to weight loss for example. Lean is a different way to work. But those people at work have been doing things a certain way for years. They won’t change just because we trained them.

I love this post. To me it highlights the two facets improvement. On the one hand we need knowledge, expertise. Lean has methods, processes even tools that must be understood and taught. But that is not enough. Lean has to be introduced in a way that removes our natural tendency to resist change. Management cannot mandate Lean, because Management cannot mandate Change. A structured approach would be good. But I think it goes deeper then that.

]]> by: Joe Ely http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2007/01/09/734/#comment-12381 Thu, 11 Jan 2007 14:22:30 +0000 http://www.reformingprojectmanagement.com/2007/01/09/734/#comment-12381 The very fact that they don't have a "structured way" to handle change is a statement for the need, though. Standard Work is foundational and very few have standard work, even those who pass ISO9001-esqe certifications. Higher order Standard Work for management is even more elusive. One thing you have always modeled and taught well, Hal, is the need to learn. Lean allows one to learn as one goes along. The very fact that they don’t have a “structured way” to handle change is a statement for the need, though. Standard Work is foundational and very few have standard work, even those who pass ISO9001-esqe certifications.

Higher order Standard Work for management is even more elusive.

One thing you have always modeled and taught well, Hal, is the need to learn. Lean allows one to learn as one goes along.

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