Man, sounds like you had a very bad experience! Sorry, to hear about that. I’ve seen the mayhem from plenty of kamikaze kaizen events. I don’t doubt that it was ugly.

However, I don’t want to risk throwing out the baby with the bathwater. In order to achieve that which is reflected in future state value stream maps (pretty much a staple for holistic improvement planning), there’s typically at least a handful of kaikaku level improvements. These improvements are usually done through kaizen events and projects and serve as an important foundation. Daily, true kaizen (small continuous improvement) won’t close gaps anytime soon.

That said, The Shingo model talks about transitioning from tool-driven kaizen (kind of indiscriminate application of kaizen events…very bad) to system-driven kaizen (kaizen events as pulled by things like value stream improvement plans) to ultimately principle-driven kaizen (system-driven kaizen, plus daily kaizen – frequent, small kaizen done by an empowered and engaged workforce). Daily kaizen, in the end should be the vehicle for the majority of improvements. However, often the way an organization first learns how to kaizen, and make significant improvements, is through well-executed and sustained system-driven kaizen (as supplemented by a build-as-you-go lean management system).

In any circumstance, we need to be sensitive to the prevailing culture and be thoughtful in the way that we implement lean. Implementation considerations includes leadership alignment and commitment, training, typical change management stuff (proof of the need, vision, communication, guiding coalition, etc.) and the application of an implementation strategy. That strategy, one which I am a proponent of, is often a pilot to initial deployment to full scale deployment path. This method allows for the proving out of technical issues, the identification and addressing of technical scalability and human resource development issues, among other things. Pilot site selection should consider local leadership and culture, implementation difficulty and impact. Also, there’s got to be a robust management of change process once you get to into the initial deployment process so it’s not (to borrow a quote I heard today) “copy, paste” but “copy, kaizen” as you deploy the improvements.

I could continue and ultimately get into a guns don’t kill people etc., kaizen event analogy. Mark, please feel free to send me an email if you would like. Perhaps we can chat on the phone (don’t want to give out my cell here) later.

Best regards,
Mark

When our hospital learned about lean, we had the best of intentions. The problem was, we tried to cut, copy, and paste the kaizen event style of continuous improvement from another hospital, and it was 2 and 4-day kaizen events. We were not sensitive to the culture of our own hospital, and after 2.5 years we hit the wall. Our staff was angry, frustrated, and vocal about it. We are still feeling the aftereffects. I hope the kaizen event method is well-received by your people and that it fits your culture. From the sounds of the blogposts, it sounds like perhaps it does. For me, that is one mistake that I know I will NOT make again. Kaizen events can be good for LEARNING lean, but unless it fits the culture and management/staff buy into it, I wouldn’t go there – wouldn’t even LOOK in that direction.