Page 108 - How To Implement Lean Manufacturing

CHAPTER 6

How to Do Lean—Cultural

Change Fundamentals

his chapter and Chap. 11 center on cultural issues. We have made a concerted
effort to steer away from many of the deeper cultural issues, but any time you
Tmake a change, you will need to consider how the culture will need to change.
Consequently, we will discuss only those few cultural issues you need to understand
and properly address so you can make your initiative a success. In this chapter, we
focus on the three fundamental issues in any cultural change—something you might
call Cultural Change 101. These three cultural issues are leadership, motivation, and
problem solving, and they provide a foundation for the efforts described in Chap. 7. In
addition, we also discuss interdependence, the need to focus on foundational issues,
and the jidoka concept as key cultural concepts that are deserving of special thought
before the implementation plan is completed.

Three Fundamental Issues of Cultural Change
Any time any major culture-changing initiative is undertaken, such as the implementa-
tion of a Lean initiative, three fundamental issues must be addressed. Stated in question
format, these are:
• Do we have the leadership to make this a
success? “…Management must
awaken to the challenge,
• Do we have the motivation to make this a must learn their responsibili-
success?
ties, and take on leadership
• Do we have the necessary problem solvers in
for change. . . . ”
place to make this a success?
W. Edwards Deming

Leadership
We will address each question, with the issue of leadership being the first and the most
important to explore. (See Chap. 14 for a good example of leadership in action.)
Just what is a leader? Simple: It is someone who has a following. His followers
are willing to do what he says, just because HE says so. They may follow him
because of his character or they may follow because of his position, or maybe it is
his personality, or his competence, or just maybe a critical combination of these four

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