An article on LeanTransformation.com defines Lean as the art of continuous improvement, focusing on efficiency through minimizing waste and maximizing value, guided by principles of relentless innovation and respect for people.
This definition seems to outline a clear path for Lean transformation. But in practice, many organizations still misunderstand what Lean really accomplishes.
According to Lean transformation expert Keith Leitner, the root cause of Lean failures is rarely a lack of technical knowledge. Rather, he asserts failure arises when organizations misinterpret Lean’s intended purpose.
“The goal of the organization is not to be Lean,” he stresses. “The goal is to better satisfy the mission of that organization, whatever that mission may be. And Lean is a set of concepts, tools and management prescriptions that help organizations better satisfy that mission.”
Too often organizations treat Lean as a destination. When they do, they end up measuring activity instead of impact. But when organizations start with mission, Leitner says Lean becomes a means, not an end.
A common mistake is focusing on Lean tools rather than organizational purpose, according to Leitner, the author of “The Journey: A Guide to Lean Transformation Success.” He explains organizations celebrate how many 5S areas they’ve rolled out, how many Lean events they’ve completed, or how many employees have been trained.
But these things, he cautions, are not mission metrics.
Leitner stresses before launching a Lean transformation organizations should consider: How well are we fulfilling the reason we exist? Next, he says to examine: What can we do to better satisfy the reason we exist?
Once those questions are answered, “leadership needs to create a clear vision of what the organization could look like if it does things differently,” Leitner says.
Leaders can then communicate the mission to staff and start integrating Lean principles. “Your employees may know nothing about Lean or Lean tools, and frankly, they don’t care. But they will identify with the mission of the organization,” he says.
Leitner states that regardless of the industry, the success or failure of Lean transformations hinges on people, not processes.
“The human side of the transformation is foremost in every industry,” he explains. “Successful Lean transformations are human transformations.”
He says too many organizations start a Lean transformation by adding tools, software and structure and assume employees will naturally follow. They won’t, he warns.
“There’s a common misconception that people resist change,” he says. “I don’t think people resist change. I think people resist being changed.”
That distinction matters. When change is imposed, resistance is natural. When people understand the goal and help design the path, they will change themselves. The key is to consider the changes that are needed, so that people want to change, he says.
Lean strategies also cannot succeed in a culture that punishes problems, silences employees and prioritizes quick wins over continuous improvement.
“Culture is determined or shaped one decision at a time,” Leitner says. “You can have beautiful placards up on the wall that say, ‘We are this’ and ‘We do this’ and We want this,’ but if you make decisions that run counter to that, that’s the culture you’re going to have.”
Lean transformation exposes these inconsistencies, he says.
For Lean principles to succeed, leaders must constantly make decisions that align with the company’s mission. When they do, culture will begin to shift. When they don’t, Leitner says no amount of Lean training can compensate for that.
Another common failure point is measuring Lean activity instead of mission performance. Organizations will track tool usage, audit scores and training counts. But Leitner cautions that none of these things are measures of success.
Organizations must measure their mission, not how Lean they are, he says.
This starts with setting mission-focused metrics, which will differ across industries. In healthcare, it may be patient access. In manufacturing, it may be on-time delivery or quality. In facilities management, it may be equipment availability, downtime and reliability.
The metrics directly reflect the organization’s foundational objectives and offer teams a valuable benchmark for improvement. Leitner says performance improves when teams measure their work against mission-focused metrics.
“What really drives performance improvement is a group of people who understand what is important to the organization,” Leitner says. “When employees or teams measure themselves [against specific metrics], they are able to see when they do something that makes things better, and when they do something that makes things worse.”
Another reason Lean transformations fail is the absence of leaders on the ground. In fact, Leitner says one of the clearest signals of effective Lean leadership is physical presence.
He shares leaders who remain behind desks quickly lose touch with reality on the floor. Effective leaders dedicate time to observing operations, actively listening, and removing obstacles.
At world-class Lean organizations, even the organizational structure reflects this mindset, he adds.
“If you look at their organizational charts, the triangle is upside down,” Leitner says. “The CEO is at the bottom of the organization. The CEO’s job is to make sure that they’re supporting what their managers need, and their manager’s jobs are to support what’s needed by their direct reports.”
This organizational structure shifts supervisory roles from that of task managers to facilitators.
“In facilities management, a supervisor’s job is not to manage the technicians,” Leitner explains. “The supervisor’s job is to support their needs.”
A common challenge in Lean transformations is implementing changes too quickly. Rather than attempting widespread organizational reform, Leitner recommends starting with focused Lean pilot programs.
“I typically recommend starting small,” he says. “Start a Lean transformation in one area, then roll out Lean in other areas.”
Yet, when extending Lean to different departments or teams, the goal isn’t to replicate what was successful in other areas, but to enhance the organization’s capacity for improvement.
“The benefit of a Lean transformation is not the transformation itself,” Leitner says. “The benefit of a Lean transformation is an organization that knows how to transform.”
Perhaps the most consistent lesson Leitner has learned over his career is the importance of trusting frontline teams. Too often, Lean transformations start at the top and do not involve these employees.
“I’m always amazed by the creative solutions teams develop when they’re in the right setting and context, with a clear understanding of their objectives,” he says. “I’m consistently impressed by their ingenuity in driving progress.”
He adds that creativity can’t be forced. Instead, it needs to be encouraged, nurtured and maintained.
Finally, the reason many Lean transformations fail is a deficit in dedication. Leitner stresses that Lean is not a short-term initiative.
“It is a lifetime commitment,” he says.
Ultimately, successful Lean organizations are not defined by perfect processes. They are defined by people who know how to make processes better, over and over again.
That is where transformation becomes real.
Leitner’s book, “The Journey: A Guide to Lean Transformation Success,” and other information about Lean transformations can be found at https://leitnercg.com/
Ronnie Wendt is a freelance writer based in Minocqua, Wisconsin.
