You're struggling to get frontline workers on board with Lean initiatives. How can you win their support?

Teach them to fish. Empowerment is the only way to drive a Lean Culture and true Continuous Improvement. Teach EVERYONE the 8 wastes, how Lean isn't about cutting costs and how it's about growing business flexibility, agility and stability. Then give them the keys to be process engineers for the processes they own. Allow them time daily to make improvements and eliminate barriers that restrict change. Lastly yokoten... if they can't share their innovative ideas with peers across the globe... then innovation won't foster and the "horse blinders" will grow back. Celebrate success... but Celebrate lessons learned from failures ten fold. Open your doors to tours so your team can share their pride and culture with the world. God bless

To get frontline workers on board with Lean initiatives, start by understanding their resistance. Listen to their concerns and find out why they're hesitant. Show that you understand and care about their viewpoints. Explain the benefits of Lean initiatives clearly, showing how these changes can make their jobs easier and more efficient. Involve them in the process, ask for their input, and make them part of the solution. Provide training and support to help them adapt. By understanding their resistance and addressing it directly, you can build trust and gain their support.

Identify Concerns: Talk to frontline workers to understand their specific concerns and reasons for resistance. It could be fear of job loss, lack of understanding of Lean principles, or past negative experiences with similar initiatives. Empathy and Feedback: Show empathy towards their concerns and gather feedback. This helps in building trust and identifying the root causes of resistance.

When frontline workers are hesitant to embrace Lean initiatives, it can hinder the success of implementation. Leaders must shift to collaborative methods to engage stakeholders. Providing adequate training and support, recognizing their efforts, and showing them how Lean can improve their work processes can also help in gaining their support. By valuing their input and addressing their concerns, frontline workers are more likely to become active participants in Lean initiatives and contribute to achieving organizational goals.

Pour bien leur communiquer les avantages des initiatives Lean, avez vous pris le temps avec eux pour bien comprendre leur travail quotidien, leur opinion, leur problématique, leur proposition d'amélioration ? Plus que les employés sont impliqué dans les décisions et changements, plus qu'ils seront les premier à vouloir l'évolution.

Most important aspect is "respect". Respect and value your employees as a family member. Human capital is the most important asset in any business even with modern technological advances. A successful manager will ensure various methods are available for employees to contribute their input to ALL processes. Utilize verbal & written methods to incentivize employees. Keep some form of record keeping of all employee participation. Reward employee participation even if ideas are not adopted. Keep interactions short, NEVER criticize comments, and ALWAYS thank them for their input. Too many mgrs "belittle" subordinates. Team members must ALWAYS feel valuable or they will lose interest. Human feelings are more valuable than monetary compensation.

Um jeito prático de iniciar é através da gestão visual divulgando de maneira clara e simples os resultados de projetos e ações dos times. Desta maneira fica fácil replicar as boas práticas e envolver mais pessoas nas ações de melhoria contínua.

Clear Messaging: Communicate how Lean initiatives will benefit the workers, such as making their jobs easier, safer, and more efficient. Success Stories: Share examples and success stories from other departments or companies where Lean has been successfully implemented, highlighting tangible benefits like reduced workload and improved job satisfaction.

Cuando un proyectos Lean / TPS está correctamente implementado, la comunicación es más fluida, porque esta comienza desde la estrategia y llega a todos los trabajadores de la misma manera. Actividades como 5S, Resolución Práctica de Problemas (PPS) se conectan a las Celdas de Comunicación, por lo tanto, en todo momento estás comunicando sobre lo que ocurre en la organización, sobre los resultados diarios de tu trabajo, y lo más importante es que cada colaborador es escuchado y puede aporta sus ideas en reuniones diarias de no más de 5 minutos.

CONVERGE AND CONVERT! Implementing lean is a fundamental cultural change, journey. The culture of an organization depends on several factors – corporate culture, organization’s history, local socio-cultural aspects, etc. Therefore, we must find the right balance in converging the cultures and in converting into receiving culture. Converting into receiving culture means finding with the Colleagues the right manifestation of given (lean) principle in their socio-cultural context. That creates very strong involvement and buy-in. The right cuvee of conversion and convergence is developing in space-time during your lean journey.

Sin participación no hay compromiso. Esto es clave. Cada mejora requiere sus propios colaboradores hagan el trabajo. En cada empresa que ayudo a través de las consultorías o capacitaciones, les pregunto a los colaboradores, ¿Qué sentirías un día llego a tu casa y cambio de posición todo en la cocina, dormitorio, living, etc., de la manera que a mi me gusta? La respuesta es obvia, "no me gustaría", "me sentiría pasado a llevar", "no corresponde". Lo mismo ocurre si tu como consultor, o jefe, decides por ellos. Nuestro rol es guiar con un objetivo claro, pero no hacer el trabajo del otro.

Creating an environment where problems are automatically visible through visual management is key to involving employees in lean efforts, this involves displaying visuals about production issues along with goals. This visibility ensures that everyone is on the same page and aware of current challenges and objectives. Also, when management actions consistently align with these communicated goals, workers are more motivated to engage in improvement efforts. Conversely, inconsistencies between management actions and stated goals can demotivate workers, making them less likely to contribute.Further, providing a platform where workers can share their ideas and receive credit for their contributions further encourages engagement.

A melhoria contínua é 100% feita de pessoas, então quanto mais elas forem envolvidas mais rápido os resultados e forte se torna todo o sistema. Um programa de reconhecimento de ideias, onde as implementações mais inovadoras e com maior redução de custo são premiadas é uma das inúmeras maneiras de se envolver os funcionários.

Lean Projekte müssen in gute Zeiten an der Hand genommen werden. Wenn Personalreduktionsabsichtet von der Belegschaft vermutet werden, sind die Projekte zum Scheitern verurteilt.

Provide training on how efficiency enhances profitability for both the business AND the employee. Ensure they understand the opportunities available to them in the event current tasks are eliminated. Provide examples of transition prospects to ensure employee buy-in. Same as a business plan, each employee should have a growth/stability plan to ensure they consider their productivity more than just a job. Provide hope and avenues of satisfaction. Measure their understanding of initiatives through interactive verbal conversations. Kindly and creatively ask them to reiterate their understanding of initiatives ensuring effective communication. Don't use written surveys to monitor understanding - employee surveys are a cop-out.

Comprehensive Training: Offer sessions on Lean principles and techniques to ensure everyone understands the purpose and methods. On-the-Job Training: Provide ongoing, firsthand training and support to help workers apply Lean principles in their daily tasks, and also, in their lives.

Nuestro modelo de trabajo en Makoto Flow es claro. 30% de formación teórico y 70% práctico. Si lo leo, lo olvido; si lo veo, lo recuerdo; si lo hago, lo aprendo”.

Cada projeto realizado utilizando-se corretamente as ferramentas de lean manufacturing / melhoria contínua torna-se um prato cheio para realizar treinamentos. Cada líder de projeto, ao receber a devida certificação pode-se tornar um replicador da metodologia e realizar treinamentos para os próximos líderes.

Give workers the training they need to use Lean methods confidently. Offer hands-on sessions, ongoing learning, and easy-to-access resources. This helps them feel capable and supported, making it more likely they will embrace the changes.

Acknowledgment: Regularly acknowledge and celebrate the contributions and achievements of frontline workers in Lean initiatives. Incentives: Consider providing incentives or rewards for those who actively participate and contribute to the success of Lean projects. In my experience, recognition for all team and coworkers is critical to have a successful process implementation.

Cuando fui gerente de producción en una empresa de manufactura, tuve que trabajar con todo tipo de personas. Sin embargo, el esfuerzo de las personas con problemas físicos, muchas veces cerca de jubilar, por estar de pie 9 a 12 horas diarias con zapatos incómodos, merece todo el reconocimiento del mundo. Si aportan con ideas, estas se valoran y se reconocen como corresponde.

Bien d'accord. Mais , pourquoi attendre une réussite pour dire a vos employés que vous êtes reconnaissant de leur travail ? Faire le tour de votre usine/ bureau pour aller dire bonjour a chacun de vos employés, leur donner une poigné de main et les remerciers de leur dévouement pour votre entreprise. Vous verrez la différence :)

Reward participation DIFFERENTLY than rewarding completion of above and beyond successes. Too many businesses use reward rotation and diversity confusion to reward contribution/success. I've been told "Even though you are the best and most successful contributor, we have to recognize others because they will perceive discrimination." Outside of regulatory requirements, diversity has NO PLACE in the reward process. Everyone is equal on the job - no one should be favored based on any form of diversity - that is DISCRIMINATION. The best performers/contributors will loose faith in the business. You will loose a great deal of productivity rewarding diversity versus success it also creates division among employees.

Celebrating the success of lean initiatives reinforces their sustainability, and sets a positive precedent for future projects. Recognizing contributions can take various forms, including non-monetary rewards such as presenting findings at the next annual shareholders' meeting and showcasing the outcomes of the initiative. Studies show that companies implementing lean initiatives experience up to a 30% increase in operational efficiency (McKinsey & Company). Further to that, organizations that celebrate successes publicly tend to see a 48% higher engagement rate among employees (Gallup). A win-win for all as celebrations foster a culture of continuous improvement and motivation, which is crucial for long-term success.

Work together to identify what winning looks like. Establish ownership for KPIs by growing leaders who demonstrate lean philosophy. Meet where the work happens for continuous learning. Implement Kaizen improvements rapidly. Repeat!

Desde nuestro puesto, podemos ver y escuchar lo que se dice a diario, lo bueno lo malo, pero si prestamos atención, nos están brindando la información que se necesita para generar la filosofía Lean, sin saber de que se trata, solo hay que tomarse el tiempo y ver lo que se esta haciendo y lo que según ellos les parecería que seria lo mejor y alentarlos hacer el cambio probar, muchos no se animan o ven una pared invisible, que piensan que no se puede, a nadie le gusta trabajar sabiendo que lo que hace es aburrido o no tiene inferencia en la organización, hacerlos participe de pequeñas acciones, mejora la actitud, y se nota, dando a futuras acciones de corrección, mejorando desde compras de materia prima, o tercerizados, como servicio técnico.

There are 5 “W’s” Who- Identify the user base and what are they seeking from us. This identifies the impact of the Product. Why- This is the most critical of the “W’s”, In this, the complete analysis is done of the Product. Why are we solving the problem? Is It worth solving? What- All the possible solutions are generated in this “W”. It helps to get the scope of the problem. Where- This “W” helps us with understanding the context and how frequently the user will use the solution which is proposed. When- Every problem has a priority for the user which is to be solved according to the user's timeline. So it’s very important to understand the priority of the problem and solve or the user will look for alternative solutions.

I have implemented following mechanism to Sustain the Lean initiatives 1. During Gemba walk set up new challenges or targets and check the progress 2. Provide training to come out with New processes and Automation opportunities 3. Set up an internal benchmark competition and also bring external benchmark performance metrics 4. Sponsor teams to participate in Competitions to showcase their success stories and also bring in new ideas from their learning in the competitions 5. Reward suitably and timely 6. Engage employees with focus on Safety, Quality and Delivery metrics and increase Gemba Walk quality for identifying more abnormalities

I believe the issues go beyond just lean principles. Throughout my career, transitioning across various industries, I’ve observed that trust is stronger when the divide between field and office personnel is minimized. When office staff remain isolated in an ivory tower, rarely visiting the field except for audits or inspections, it creates a significant cultural rift. Building trust and fostering open communication require effort and intentional engagement from both sides. Only then does a lean strategy have a better chance of succeeding.

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Be willing to get your hands dirty and stay persistent. Be directly involved and involve the team as well in the improvements. Constantly solicit feedback from the subject matter experts and follow up regardless of feasibility. Try to connect on a personal level - winning over key team members and getting them to spread that trust goes a long way.

TOUCH MY SOUL! I have worked in different cultures in the last 30 years and utilized the lean philosophy and methodology in all my transformational improvements. One secret of success was how to touch our Colleagues’ soul. Understanding the local culture – rooted in the national history and local language(s) – we can find the right analogy of the essence of the lean in that socio-cultural context. In China I explained the essence of lean through flowing the chi. In India the analogy of river Ganga opened the soul and mind of my Colleagues. Having that fundamental, deep internalization, it was a great experience to develop and nurture the lean approach in that culture.

Lean principles also benefits their pay/raise, and workload. To ensure they are never overworked and appropriately staffed and paid for their hard work. Ensure to sell that to them, let them know this can and will benefit them in the long run and also show them data to support that fact.