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How to Do Lean—Cultural Change Fundamentals 97

having the necessary skills—by that, they mean the technical skills; and by implication
they believe that all of the requisite skills can be taught. These managers then believe
that all that is required is to train these people in the necessary technical skills.
Our experience does not support this logic. While it is true that few people have the
technical skill inventory listed earlier, there are some who have the requisite technical
skills yet are not effective problem solvers because they lack other requisite traits. So
what are these other traits that are required?
First, we must define some methodology to solve problems. Various ones exist, but
they all take the form of:
1. Some observation/evaluation occurs and it triggers the thought that “we have
a problem.” Someone then defines the problem.
2. Observations about the problem area must be made.
3. Evaluations must find the cause of the problem.
4. Solutions must be imagined, created, and compared to values.
5. Decisions are made.
6. The decisions are turned into action plans.

Second, let me say a word about individual personality development. C.G. Jung
developed a theory of personality that is widely accepted today. In short, he said there
were two major aspects of how we incorporate and handle information (see Fig. 6-1,
Personality Types diagram).

1. The first aspect was the “Observing Scale.” This is the way in which individuals
accept information. It is done by “sensing it,” by touch, feel, smell, and so on.
We call these people “sensates.” Or this information can come in via the process
of “intuition.” This is characterized by such things as “my gut feeling” or “I just
sensed that…” Although to most people intuition is a lesser form of accepting
information, its value cannot be underestimated, especially in problem solving.

Personality Types

Thinking
Evaluating Observing
scale
scale

Sensation Intuition

Feeling
FIGURE 6-1 Jung’s scales for personality types.