Thinking Thursday – Characteristics Of A Lean Company

Thank you to those who responded to yesterday’s wiki. If you didn’t get a chance or want to expand on your thoughts please post them to the comments.

Yesterday’s wiki post:

“What are the defining characteristics of a Lean company?”

The wiki is a divergent wiki. A convergent wiki is looking for 1 “correct” response to a question. A divergent wiki just asks give me all the answers you can think of for the question.

I’ve also launched a lean wiki site http://leanway.wikidot.com/ so please add articles and join in.

Responses:

1) -Learning organization

-Solutions come from the people who work the area
-PCDA (plan do check act) is clearly in action
-Everything is visual and visual controls are apparent

2)Respect for people (the real kind, including things like accountability)

A clear focus on understanding and delivering customer value

The courage to face the really tough and ugly problems head-on

3)-Humility – the more you strive for Lean, the more you realize how little you know, and how much more there is yet to learn

-Trust – If you truly believe in participation and cutting waste, we have to build trust. Trust allows for de-layered, streamlined, and more creative organizations.

4)Vision, mission, costancy of purpose

5)Think deep. Act small. Care for all

If you have any thoughts or additions please post them in the comments section.