| Dealing With Resistance: Kaizen 1 - Building More Lean | | | | brings significant levels of buy-in. If you can swing it, |
| Buy-InBuilding Lean Buy-In:Step 1: Discovery | | | | get the key people you need on board to actually |
| Know your audience very well - Assess the business | | | | participate in the Enterprise Value Stream Mapping |
| goals, needs, and priorities of those you are trying to | | | | TM exercise for your initial value stream. This is a |
| persuade to come on side. Make sure you select the | | | | huge plus. These people will see the benefits first |
| key benefits of Lean that address those particular | | | | hand, in the context of their own operation. Anyone |
| goals, issues and needs.Remember that people do | | | | taking part in a VS exercise will see the waste, see |
| things for their reasons not yours. Also be aware of | | | | its impact on operations, and also see the |
| the preferences that people have for styles of | | | | opportunities that Lean provides to remove that |
| presentation and persuasion. Some people want facts | | | | waste and yield substantial savings.If you are having |
| and data, others want to see that the vision is well | | | | a real struggle trying to understand what people |
| conceived. Some want to spend a lot of time going | | | | need to hear and how they need to hear it, consider |
| over the details and some will just want you to cut | | | | working with an advisor using some behavioral and |
| straight to the bottom line - "If we do this now, we | | | | values assessment tools. These are quick, user |
| will save $XX within this fiscal". If you have had | | | | friendly, group oriented tools that can save time and |
| mixed or even poor success at getting buy-in (from | | | | energy with key insights. They help working groups |
| above, from peers, from your staff), chances are | | | | understand why someone can't seem to hear what |
| that you haven't done your homework and | | | | you say when the same message seems to work |
| researched what their issues are. You may also have | | | | just fine elsewhere.Using these tools also eliminates a |
| presented your case in a way suitable for you but | | | | lot of cultural waste imbedded in conflicts (both |
| not for others.Make sure your style is a good fit for | | | | passive and active) that come from misunderstanding |
| the way others work - this is particularly true when | | | | the motivations of others. Joe or Sally may not be |
| persuading up and across the organization. The key | | | | trying to sabotage your initiative; they may simply |
| to good discovery is your ability to listen well. People | | | | need to hear about it in a different way.Sometimes |
| will always tell you or signal their needs; it's up to you | | | | getting help is the smartest thing you can do!Step 4: |
| to make sure you hear them! When you match Lean | | | | Never stop reinforcing the buy-in |
| benefits to both strategic and specific business needs | | | | Test for understanding and agreement on an |
| you get sustainable buy-in.Step 2: Stay results | | | | ongoing basis. Make sure you continue to actively |
| focused | | | | listen for any concerns or doubts about the Lean |
| There is a vast resource out there for you to tap | | | | implementation as it goes forward. Work on these |
| into for Lean metrics, proven results, statistics, | | | | issues together and do not let them build into |
| success stories, and bottom line performance | | | | significant roadblocks by ignoring or dismissing them. |
| improvement measures. Check the Internet, check | | | | Every concern you can successfully address, every |
| your local bookstore, check with Lean associations in | | | | concerned person who feels you really heard what |
| your area and, above all, go to see other companies | | | | they said, is a huge plus in building an ongoing |
| farther down the Lean road than you are. Have this | | | | committed Lean team across the enterprise. |
| data available for your meetings and one-on-one | | | | Remember those needs and issues from your first |
| discussion opportunities.There are people who like to | | | | round of discovery. Check in from time to time to |
| see the raw data and talk about numbers, while | | | | see if they have changed. You must commit to |
| others prefer to hear real stories from the shop, | | | | regular updates on the Lean implementation. If your |
| laboratory or office floor. Suit your presentation to | | | | results are not in synch with the business goals, |
| their preferences - this cannot be said often enough! | | | | needs, and issues of your audience (particularly senior |
| It is so easy to become a Lean enthusiast and | | | | management and peer departments) then your |
| forget that others need to come on board in their | | | | efforts could be dismissed as 'nice to have' but not |
| own ways and their own time.Be patient, don't try to | | | | 'essential'.Keep your eye on the ball in reporting |
| give someone all of the information in one fell swoop | | | | results - Lean is about meeting business goals faster |
| - pace yourself and adapt to the needs of others. | | | | and better!Step 5: Never be afraid to start again |
| Some will want a quick presentation and prefer to | | | | From time to time, Lean crusaders will make |
| make equally quick decisions. Others will want some | | | | mistakes and find their ideas marginalized in the |
| time to mull over the data, to think of what might | | | | corporate competition for resources and air time with |
| happen during implementation. These people are | | | | executives. Don't despair, go back to steps 1 and 2 |
| extremely valuable once on board. They will be the | | | | and start again. Find out where you made your |
| folks with the good questions, the interesting | | | | mistakes and learn from that. Move forward with |
| solutions, and they will be the 'stayers' for the long | | | | confidence. If you quit when the going gets rough, |
| term. Just make sure you give them time to reflect | | | | you'll never reach your Lean Future State.Lean has |
| and come back with their questions. Do not try to | | | | helped thousands of companies worldwide to |
| 'muscle' or force a decision before someone is | | | | increase profits, grow competitive market share and |
| ready.Patience, not pressure, is your best friend in | | | | add new business lines. The data is there to prove it |
| creating buy-in! Lean is all about 'pull' not 'push'.Step 3: | | | | - it's up to you to make sure your colleagues get |
| Use tools that really help | | | | that data in ways that suit their needs and |
| One of the most effective ways of getting buy-in is | | | | preferences.Lean is about learning and growing - that |
| exposing people to Lean training. Bring your major | | | | applies to both the technical and the human side of |
| players to one-day training sessions that will orient | | | | the Lean enterprise! |
| them to the Lean methodology. This approach often | | | | |