Key Points

• There is no question that Lean is a great way to look at long-term culture results.
• Culture is a crucial function for any organization that values its people.
• The hope is that Lean can help establish a long-term culture that lasts and lasts.

In today’s competitive landscape across various business verticals, the concept of Lean has become a leading philosophy for organizations seeking to grow and thrive. Whether it’s to optimize processes, reduce waste, or better serve customers, Lean is not just a tool, but a cultural shift that drives change for the better across an organization. 

It’s essential to recognize that Lean is more than just a compilation of various processes combined into one. Operating Lean requires more than just the right mindset; it’s also based on developing a culture that lasts. Culture is best defined as the personality of an organization, or its set of beliefs, behaviors, and values, all rolled into one system that determines how well both it and its employees succeed. 

What Is Lean Culture? 

For the most part, Lean culture is found in a company that focuses on continuous improvement, which means it’s not just the organization itself, but also its processes. When employees learn to embrace the concept of Lean, it fosters a culture that prioritizes learning and improvement, enabling the entire organization to better meet customer expectations. 

Said differently, Lean culture is a combination of all the experience, knowledge, skills, and talents of the entire organization. All of these will be combined in a way that enables a business to continuously improve, which includes identifying and eliminating waste in every possible form. The idea behind Lean culture is that improving the company is an ongoing process and is simply how things are done. 

It’s also critical to recognize that creating a sustainable Lean culture is among the most essential successes a company can strive for. If a short-term Lean initiative fails, it’s likely due to a lack of deeper cultural integration. A Lean culture should be akin to a sturdy tree with deep roots, which symbolize the shared values of an organization. 

Key Components of a Lean Culture

Building a sustainable Lean culture requires certain foundational elements to be in place, which shape the way an organization thinks and operates in responding to challenges. 

Start with Leadership Commitment 

The entire idea around building a Lean culture that lasts starts at the very top of an organization. Without strong leadership commitment and buy-in, Lean initiatives will struggle to gain traction almost immediately. Leaders will have to be the champions of Lean principles, at least initially. 

Perhaps most importantly, leaders must lead by example, conducting activities such as Gemba walks to observe the actual progress of day-to-day work. They should also host problem-solving events to gain a deeper understanding of the issues that may be causing bottlenecks, roadblocks, or broader organizational problems. 

Leaders also have to be the ones to set clear and well-defined goals, as they have to determine what success looks like. These same leaders also have to establish Key Performance Indicators so that progress can be measured and determine if Lean is truly having an impact. Perhaps most importantly, leaders must ensure that they invest in training for both themselves and their teams to gain a deeper understanding of Lean. 

Engaging and Empowering Employees

When a new Lean culture thrives from the start, it’s likely because employees feel empowered to make the right decisions and drive their own improvements. It should go without saying that employees are the closest to their work, and they likely already know where inefficiencies and waste are happening. 

Of course, none of this matters if employees don’t feel as if they have a voice. One of the most important ways to establish a lasting Lean culture in any organization is to ensure that employees feel empowered to have a voice. If employees can offer suggestions without fear of repercussions, a Lean culture has a far better chance of success. 

The same can be said for providing employees with the right training, just as Leaders need to be trained as well. It’s also essential to equip employees with the right technology, just as it is to recognize them for their achievements. 

Communication and Transparency

At the same time, employees are being empowered, and leadership is setting a good example. Communication and transparency are essential. The introduction of Lean presents an opportunity to foster honest and open communication. The primary reason is that people want to understand why these Lean initiatives are being implemented. 

For the most part, creating a safe space where employees can provide feedback is one of the most important ways to start building a culture that will last. Not only do you want to share successes, but you also want teams to be transparent about where things are going wrong and how the team can adjust accordingly. 

Encouraging ongoing conversations between leadership and front-line employees will be critical. As mentioned earlier, Gemba walks are one of the best ways leaders can engage with employees on the front lines and understand both their challenges and success stories. 

Continuous Training

The fourth and final step in truly building a Lean culture that lasts focuses on continuous training, improvement, and development. Culture isn’t something that is a one-time thing that you set and forget. Instead, Lean, like other business and process methodologies, requires ongoing learning that never stops. The most effective way to establish and sustain a Lean culture is to prioritize continuous improvement. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that changes have to take place weekly, but they should occur at least every year. Offering workshops and hands-on training on topics such as Value Stream Mapping or Kaizen should be conducted among business leaders to help them understand where improvements can be made regularly.

The same can be said for celebrating learning by allowing existing employees to work with newer employees. This is the best way to learn, as existing employees can provide real, hands-on experiences that newer employees need to be successful. 

Addressing Common Challenges

While the idea of a growing and lasting Lean culture is a great thing, there will be some challenges that need to be overcome as this initiative rolls out. 

At the very top of this list is resistance to change, which is to be expected. This comes down to the communication and leading by example tenets of Lean that really need to happen in a big way. Front-line workers are undoubtedly going to be somewhat hesitant as they are worried about job security, so the fear really needs to be addressed through very direct communication. 

In addition, ensure that you avoid a short-term focus that prevents the company from viewing Lean as a long-term cultural solution. This is the wrong approach, and it will only lead to more problems in the short and long term. 

Last but not least, one of the common challenges is that if leadership changes take place, it’s essential to maintain the momentum. Every new leader wants to put their own stamp on things, but it’s crucial that the overall view of Lean culture outshines any individual’s desire to make changes. 

Other Useful Tools and Concepts

If you’re someone who is very much into Lean as the process methodology of the future, there is plenty more to read. For example, what challenges might you face in implementing Lean Six Sigma in highly regulated industries? The same can be said for tracking the return-on-investment in what a Lean impact would look like for your business; it’s a must-read. 

Separately, if you are looking to add some other knowledge tools to your build, how about taking a read on the subject of the hidden costs of neglecting process improvement? There is no doubt that this is a significant issue and one that businesses of all sizes must address seriously.  

Conclusion 

At the end of the day, Lean is one of the most popular business methodologies for a reason, and it’s not because it frequently fails. On the other hand, there’s something to be said for the success that Lean can achieve when it’s implemented properly and utilized effectively. Not only will teams be more successful internally, but the whole company will also likely do better.