Lean Smarts Podcast: Lean Manufacturing | Leadership

It's too easy to "go to the gemba" and only go through the motions without gaining deep insight into the real production conditions. So in this episode Daniel shares the second half of 10 best practices, tools, and tips to take your gemba game to the next level. To download all ten best practices as a one-page reference, go to leansmarts.com/gembatools.

Your ability to make informed decisions and effectively problem-solve and improve depends largely on your knowledge of the gemba. But here's the thing: just "going to the gemba" and paying it a visit isn't enough! It is very easy to go through the motions without getting the intended results. So in this episode we explain what the gemba is, why visiting it isn't enough, and how the true practice of going to the gemba is more like meditation and "thinking with your whole body" vs. just your brain at a distance.

Leaders are invaluable to the health and effectiveness of your lean organization. You MUST have enough of them for your management system to function AND for you to effectively grow and develop people. In this episode we give five reasons why you may need more leaders at your organization. We also offer a simple recommendation for how to increase the quantity of leaders at your company in a way that is financially feasible and reasonable.

The quick recommendations people make (like "start with 5S") assume too much about an organization. Even though 5S can be a good first tool to apply, many organizations would do well to do some ground work prior to picking up lean methodologies. This includes things like developing true teamwork, demonstrating a commitment to employee training and development, or even establishing basic metrics and engineering functions. While a list of questions to evaluate your preparation for "starting lean" doesn't do justice, here are ten questions to ask yourself to help gauge your readiness.

People, consultants, and books often say to start lean with 5S... but why? In this episode you'll discover five reasons why starting your lean journey with 5S is a smart and strategic move. "Becoming lean" is not so simple as the copy-and-paste of lean tools, but it is true that doing 5S well requires you to create a cultural dynamic in your organization that is invaluable as you move forward with lean thinking.