FT Guide to Lean

10

Developing the Lean culture

Introduction

This chapter discusses the Cathedral model that is deployed to cultivate the development of a Lean culture. The model is a systematic framework for deploying the social behaviours that are required to bring the Lean culture to life.

A parable

Two bricklayers were working side by side. When asked, ‘What are you doing?’ the first bricklayer replied, ‘I’m laying bricks.’ The second bricklayer when asked the same question responded, ‘I’m building a Cathedral.’

This parable provides a powerful moral to management about the fortitude of employees driven by purpose and vision. Many leaders understand that the second bricklayer ‘sees the big picture’ but they miss the emotional significance, that the ...