I believe that the Traffic Light model can provide us with some tips to help us to sustain lean from a Leadership perspective.
One of the fundamental reasons why Lean is not sustained is due to Leadership. So, we need to ensure our leaders are engaged in our Lean journey right from the start.
ere are 5 aspects to help your leaders perform more effectively:
1. Purpose. The purpose of Traffic lights is simply to provide you with a signal, to keep you safe and allow traffic to flow more efficiently. The purpose of your Leaders is the same. A leader is to provide the right signals, guidance and provide you with the right direction. Not only to keep you safe but to make your tasks flow more efficiently.
2. Positioning. Traffic lights are always located in the right spot. You’re never too far away from the right signal. Likewise, with leaders in your organisation. They need to be positioned always in the right spot, never too far away from providing their Team members with the right direction. This means they have to lead at the gemba, not from behind their desks.
3. Visible and clear messaging. Traffic lights are highly visible. the signals that they provide are very clear and easy to understand. The signals follow a standard set of rules: green is go, red means stop and amber means prepare to stop. Leaders to be effective, must provide clear communication with easy to understand messaging.
4. Alignment. Traffic lights work in harmony with each other. they provide complimentary signalling to enable the total traffic to flow efficiently. Leaders need to do the same. They need to be aligned, working together for the benefit of your people and more importantly aligned with each other.
5. Care and Support. Due to the importance of the equipment, traffic lights need a regular maintenance schedule. Such as technicians cleaning the lenses and replacing the bulbs. It is critically important that you care for your leaders. This means spend time with them, checking how they’re going. When they encounter a difficult situation support them. When they have conflict support them with methods to resolve issues as smoothly and amicably as possible.