Books and articles are available by the thousands. Consultants are everywhere. Toyota shares ‘secrets’ freely. So why do lean programs fail? YOU could be the reason.

On the surface, implementing lean manufacturing seems simple- working towards continuous improvement by:

· creating more efficient processes

· reducing waste

· improving quality

· reducing production time

While principles of lean methodology are relatively straightforward, the IMPLEMENTATION is not- there are probably as many reasons that it fails as there are failed attempts. It is a multi-layered process, but in my experience the most common AND most critically important denominator is leadership.

Taking an organization through a lean transformation can be extremely difficult, and interestingly enough, you hear the same reasons that ‘it won’t work here’ today as in 1995. A successful transformation impacts all areas of an organization in some way. Most people outside manufacturing respond negatively because it is incorrectly and widely regarded as just for ‘manufacturing’. And resistance to change key; it is found even in manufacturing (where ‘lean’ supposedly belongs). This attitude is absolutely toxic to potential profits and progress.

How do you get around this resistance? It requires more than support from top management. Some may think support is nothing more than allocating resources, hiring a consultant, and providing high level direction. The reality is that it requires more. The people within your organization have to know WHY- there must be a valid reason for taking them through the change. It has to come from the top and spread through all levels of leadership. If the leaders are not passionate about the ‘why’, how can you expect an entire organization to get behind this effort?

The WHY must be valid, believable, and meaningful (to everyone). It is more than a mission statement; it has to be a passion. It has to be shared, valuable, and psychological. Without passion, your people will just go through the motions until this ‘flavor of the month’ dies a slow, inevitable death.

As an example, early in my lean journey I asked my sensei from Toyota why we were struggling in a particular implementation. In short, he told me the implementation of Lean Manufacturing was a revolution against current practices. That was a powerful message that I have reflected upon often.

What did he mean by revolution? Two definitions from Merriam-Webster seem appropriate:

1. a sudden, radical, or complete change

2. a fundamental change in the way of thinking about or visualizing something

In order to be successful in transforming from traditional business approaches to one that embodies the philosophies AND results of lean manufacturing, the following elements are required (and it all comes back to leadership):

1. Strong leadership that can communicate the need for change, share the vision of the new environment, allocate resources, and motivate the organization through the transformation.

2. Persistence. People in the organization will face many obstacles. Resistance to change, lack of knowledge or confidence, an overwhelming number of problems and challenges.

3. An enthusiasm for improvement must be developed. The work and results need to be valued by top management so it becomes part of the culture.

4. A willingness to start small and learn by trial and error. Not small in thinking or action, but small in scope. The entire organization cannot be transformed at one time. It is a journey of a thousand miles that begins with one step and continues on step at a time.

ALL of these elements have to come from the top down. Missing these key elements or failing to implement/develop them will result in failure at the beginning, and losing these key elements sometime later in the transformation will result in backsliding and eventual abandonment of the revolution.

Questions? Experiences to share? I want to hear from you, so feel free to comment below.