NC State of Business

We all know what walls are, what they look like, and why they exist. That is generally true for walls we can literally see, but it is not necessarily true for those walls we can not see. Walls we can't see; what does that mean?
Well, let's take a moment to both explain and reflect on this concept. In lean discussions, we often use the term "silos" to indicate the presence of walls or barriers to the elimination of waste and improvement of flow in our processes. The fix to these silos often lies in moving the culture of an organization toward a true lean enviornment.
How do we manage the true and effective removal of these barriers to continuous improvement, generate more flow of improvement ideas, and thereby grow a truly lean culture. The first step, right after getting top management committment is the education of the team. People need to know and understand the what's, the why's, and the how's to Lean Tranformation. The level of true understanding at all levels takes time. The light comes on at different rates for different individuals.
Some of the specifics necessary to break down the barriers are as follows:

* Teach and attain a clear understanding of the concept of true value add for the customer at all levels of the organization.
* Make sure everyone understands the true "goal", and that winning teams perform as a cooridinated unit, not as individuals.
* Speak with data, and make the primary focus on improving the process, not on blaming people.
* As managers, understand that coaching and team building is a critical need and a priority of their position. Do not be afraid or reluctant to change the team as required.
* "Listen" to both your associates and your customer. Emphasize the concept of internal as well as external customers.
* Pursue improvement continuously, never get totally satisfied or confortable with the current state.
* Communicate results to all levels, and make sure performance metrics are fair, understandable, pertinent to the goal, and tie to true bottomline performance.

In conclusion, in our world today with businesses that are as diverse as they could possibily be, there is a common thread that runs thru most. They all have "WALLS", which they themselves often recognize. The challenge for all is really how to bring these barriers to Continuous Improvement down. The success of the Transformation is dependent on the results of that effort.