"Lean" aka the Toyota Management System, simple in concept, hard to "do". There are only 2 things we need to figure out how to "do"....."Respect For People" and "Continuous Improvement." RFP is the understanding that the true process experts are the people who actually DO the work. CI means trusting those people (and giving them a process) to make improvements in their work every day.
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In 2001, as co-owner of a 70 employee manufacturing company, we were faced with a "sink-or-swim" situation. I turned to "lean thinking" as a business strategy and developed a way to demonstrate RFP and CI very day. Not by doing periodic kaizen events, Power Points or painting floors. The p4 method busted silos, and changed the way we managed, coached, taught, learned & communicated. In 3 1/2 years, sales almost doubled, with the SAME 70 employees! Our company was then named "One of the Best Companies to Work in CT" 5 times! (A famous Toyota quote is "we build people before we build cars.")
At the end of 2011, I decided I wanted to serve, teach & coach others what I learned. I've had the chance to work closely with thousands of people from newly hired temps to CEOs. I don't teach and coach in a conference room-it is learn-by doing from day one.
If you've had stops and starts with lean thinking, just not happy with the results or the level of employee engagement, maybe I can help!
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Lean leaders from Atlas Stamping (Newington, CT)