Lessons from a Lean Consultant

2. The Change Commitment

For years, lean practitioners have been preaching about the importance of getting management’s commitment to change. This necessity is as old as the lean philosophy itself. It’s well known that a lack of commitment from management is the one definable reason that lean implementations fail. Yet many company leaders embark on a lean journey with initial zeal, only to allow it to fall apart like every other new idea or program.

Why does this kind of failure occur? It is because change can be difficult. Even though positive transformation can result, changing a paradigm, breaking old habits, and discarding established routines can be tough transitions for anyone, management included. In contrast, maintaining the status quo ...