Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Setting the Vision

Here's a clip from LEI's newsletter this week (courtesy of Sean Levy):

Respondents to our 2007 opinion survey said “middle management resistance” was the top obstacle to lean transformations. It replaced “backsliding to the old ways of working,” which was named as the number one obstacle in last year’s poll. In the latest survey, which was based on 2,444 responses, backsliding slid back to the number six spot.
What does it mean? A couple of you have speculated in the LEI Forums that the latest results actually reflect badly not on middle management but on senior management, who probably are not changing the metrics or setting the vision to gain support for the transformation among managers.

In my recent travels, I've found this to be true. Setting the vision is the most important thing that an upper-level leader can do to ensure success with Lean.

3 comments:

Ianbrown said...

I feel very fortunate to have a unilateral support group for Lean Conversion. The biggest obstacle we're facing is the sheer physical task of making changes to the departments . We have a Gordian Knot of several departments that are situated out of Flow. Correcting one problem creates another. Most Everyone is aware that change is needed and they are more than willing to work at it but a solution that works for all is so far ellusive.

Michael Lombard said...

If you find that one problem just reveals another, then pat yourself on the back. You're getting Lean! That's what it's all about - problem-solving.

Unknown said...

I agree totally with your assessment of problem solving in Lean. The key is that I / we have to have the discipline every day to not be afriad of change but embrace it. If not we will revert back to where we feel our comfort zone is.