Lean is not just tools. It rests on two pillars: continuous improvement and respect for people. These are the behaviours we practise every day, in every training room and every project.
The three leadership principles summarised by Fujio Cho, former Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation, which we teach in every programme:
We go where the work happens. Decisions are based on what we see, not on assumptions.
We ask “why” every day, until we reach the true cause of a problem.
We respect people, their knowledge and their time.
Observe, Engage, Improve.
We respect the people who do the work. We do not blame individuals, we look for the cause in the process.
We try to see the work through the eyes of the employee and the customer.
In our training sessions and at the gemba we listen first. The best ideas often come from the front line.
We say what we see, clearly and with good intent, even when it is not pleasant.
We know our limits and our biases. We ask for feedback and we use it.
We do not have all the answers. We have the right questions and we learn from every organisation.
Change is hard. We support people through the transition, without pressure and without fear.
We do not promise results we cannot measure. The data speaks.
After every training and every project we review what went well and what we can do better.
Before proposing solutions, we understand the process, the context and the constraints.
We build relationships of trust. What we learn in an organisation stays there.
Small groups, questions instead of lectures, real examples from participants' own workplaces and room for every view.
We start at the gemba, involve the front line in the solutions, measure with data and transfer ownership to the teams.
Confidentiality, clear agreements, honest feedback and reflection at the end of every phase.
Continuous improvement and respect for people. Without the second, Lean tools do not last.
Gemba is the real place where value is created. Go to Gemba means leaders go there, observe, ask and listen before deciding.
Because improvement starts when we accept there is a better way, and that the people doing the work often know it best.
Through Lean Leadership training, coached gemba walks and leader standard work, so the behaviours become daily practice.
Talk to us about Lean Leadership training or an Operational Excellence programme. We work with organisations in Greece, Cyprus and across Europe, on site and online. Telephone: +30 231 231 5681, email: info@greeceleansixsigma.gr