Want an Effective Kaizen Event? Don’t Forget the Human Side!

Guest Article by Mark R. Hamel and Charles J. Wolfe Tofukuji Reiun-inGaun-no-niwa(click to view full) Kaizen events often represent the initial rapid deployment vehicle for lean transformations. Effective events drive step-function improvement, momentum and organizational learning and engagement. But while many people gravitate to the technical side of kaizen events (hey, check out this cool kanban system!), it’s as much, if not more, about embedding lean principles and capabilities within the culture. Only then can improvements become sustainable. Only then can the organization move from purely event driven kaizen to the much more powerful combination of (occasional) events and true daily kaizen – the frequent, small, process focused improvements conducted by engaged and enabled employees in their everyday work. This is what separates the lean pretenders from the lean practitioners. * The 2 Cores * Case Study: An Aerospace Success * Eleven questions that lean leaders need to answer * Tip From the Pros: When the Kaizen Circus Leaves Town * The Transformation Leadership Model [NEW] * Case Studies: What about that second shift? [NEW] * Emotions… really? [NEW] * Tip From the Pros: Fear Not [NEW] * Conclusion: Ultimately, more than an event [NEW] The 2 Cores Be Mindful(click […]