Here the open form question this week. What do you think is the main reason Lean Fails?

There are many reasons not to consider Lean in your business. Some are valid. Most are just stupid. Many are misconceptions. Still, many are pure fiction. Here are 5 commonly cited reasons I have heard over the years:

1. Fear of the unknown or failure to have management buy-in.

2. I’ve never heard of Lean as an overall concept to reduce cost.

3. Lean is a fad, just like Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, and Business Process Re-Engineering.

4. We don’t have time for a Lean journey or program, and this not the right time.

5. We’re too small. Lean is for large companies.

Bonus; We’ve tried Lean years ago and did not achieve lasting results.

While there are a lot of reasons not to consider Lean, the question you should be asking yourself, “Can we afford not to embrace Lean in our business?” So let’s look at the #1 reason for failure – Communications. #2, no clear vision. We all know the 7 wastes of Lean. The 8^th waste is the spirit of people, according to Norman Bodek, the godfather of Lean.

For 35 years, I have said the power Lean is the culture starting with the CEO. People are a simple reflection of your leadership.

 How many consulting firms are offing a 3:10 ROI guarantee with a track record of 10:1 ROI? Contact me at johnballis@leanyourway.com or johnballis.net for guidance

Please ask more questions and place your comments here on my blog site.

Contact John Ballis at johnballis@leanyourway.com

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