Creating a Lean Culture, 3rd Edition

People—Predictable Interruption, Source of Ideas ◾ 269

This is a powerful attribute, especially in the context of Lean conversion

projects where the target is changing long-entrenched ways of doing things.

Failure to listen to employees’ ideas is often among those old ways. Coming

from that kind of history, one might think frontline people actually have

been “checking their brains at the door,” and either do not have any ideas

worth listening to or are uninterested in improvement.

In my experience, nothing could be farther from the truth. For one thing,

the opportunity to be heard is powerfully motivating for people. This is true

even when the only outcome is having been listened to. Further, in most

cases, those on the frontline have not sto ...