I believe a key to building a successful and sustainable journey of operational excellence is through evolving rather than a sudden upheaval.
Back in high school I was taught that evolution occurs over a long, long period, it takes time. It’s cyclical. I think of this type of change as natural, that’s driven from the inside.
When I think about Revolution, I think about massive change in a short period of time. I feel that this kind of change is forced, not necessarily occurring naturally.
In my experience there are very few cases where Lean is the silver bullet following the Revolution model. Sure, it does happen, but in my experience, the bulk of cases, don’t follow this path, they follow the Evolution Model.
Many consider Toyota as the bench mark in Lean operations but the model that seems to fit Toyota is the Evolution model.
Hear are my top 5 to develop an Evolution model to create a successful Lean journey:
1. Fit Lean to your current culture, don’t try and change your culture to fit Lean. I truly believe Lean has to be moulded to fit the current culture.
2. Lean is not a strategic goal it’s the way we work. While the pathway might be similar from organisation to organisation, the footsteps are very different. Create a framework that’s flexible.
3. Everybody is on the journey. I think Lean requires everybody to be on the path. Everybody has a part to play, everybody can contribute. Make your program inclusive.
4. Learn as you go. Allow what you’ve learnt to be applied and practiced during your day-to-day activities. Create a safe environment for everyone to apply what they’ve learnt. Learn and continue to learn.
5. Celebrate your success. When you observe evolution, acknowledge those who are championing the change. Have those that have made advances, share with others. Communicate broadly the good work being done.
Above all, give it time. Evolution takes time.
I’m sure you’ll find this useful.