Lean and Management. How to engage employees in continuous improvement ?

The paradox of Lean is that it challenges human nature

People tend to cling to their routines, habits, and work methods, especially if they have devised or built them themselves. They also seek to find meaning and motivation in their work, as long as it excites them and aligns with their values.

But most people are resistant to change, even when it promises to improve their work environment. How then can we persuade employees to participate in a process of continuous improvement that aims to save time, reduce resources, and increase their autonomy, versatility, and responsibilities?

“Asking employees to improve processes without offering them a stake in the outcomes is a losing proposition. There is a difficulty in making the participatory systems and continuous improvement specific to Lean Manufacturing work. Performance will not be sustainable.”
Jeffrey K. Liker

For a culture of continuous improvement to thrive, employees and stakeholders involved in the project must have a clear vision of the company’s goals, understand how they contribute to the common good, see their working conditions constantly improved, and benefit from a fair share of the value created (bonuses, profit-sharing, participation).

“There is a significant gap between theoretical Lean and the results obtained. Two dimensions are essential for the success of a continuous improvement project: the commitment and the participation of the teams.”
Torbjorn Netland

If the Lean animation routines are not sustainable, poorly animated, or if everyone’s commitment is simply not shared, after an initial phase of enthusiasm, the continuous improvement system will regress and will inevitably lead to exhaustion, leaving the strategy leader facing failure.

Reasons why a Lean approach fails

Daniel Jurburg identifies several reasons for the failure of a Lean approach. The lack of training, the lack of recognition, the marginal decline of the gains obtained, the lack of valorization of the little quantifiable progress…

Implementing Lean over the long term requires a strong commitment from management. Governance must guarantee its long-term commitments.

These participatory governance systems enable competitiveness over time, unite teams around a high-performance collective project, and develop the employer brand. The performance and sustainability of German and Japanese industries, where employees are an integral part of decision-making processes, are a good example.

This is precisely the opposite of what is criticized for “imposed” Lean approaches where the efficiency gained by “pressured” employees only benefits shareholders at the expense of their physical and mental health.

As we have seen, the optimization of processes and the hunt for waste does not have as a priority the reduction of resources, stocks, the acceleration of lines or the productivity of employees. On the contrary, without the full support of employees, a lean approach can never work.

In the context of a learning company and continuous training, it is the long-term involvement of individual employees that is sought and encouraged.

In summary, how to engage employees in continuous improvement ?

People tend to resist change and cling to their work methods, especially if they have devised or built them themselves.
For a culture of continuous improvement to thrive, employees need to have a clear vision of the company’s goals, understand how they contribute to the common good, see their working conditions constantly improved, and benefit from a fair share of the value created.
Two dimensions are essential for the success of a continuous improvement project: the commitment and the participation of the teams.
Implementing Lean over the long term requires a strong commitment from management and participatory governance systems.
The optimization of processes and the hunt for waste does not have as a priority the reduction of resources, stocks, the acceleration of lines or the productivity of employees.
Without the full support of employees, a lean approach can never work.
In the context of a learning company and continuous training, it is the long-term involvement of individual employees that is sought and encouraged.

“Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.”
Mark Twain

References:

Jurburg D., Viles E., Tanco M., Lleó A., 2015. “What motivates employees to participate in continuous improvement activities?”, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence.

Liker J.K., 2012. “The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from The World’s Greatest Manufacturer”, McGraw-Hill Education.

Netland T.H., 2015. “Critical Success Factors for Implementing Lean Production: The Effect Of Contingencies”, International Journal Of Operations & Production Management.