Sometimes, I’m asked the question, Is Lean ‘kind’”? Or, a version of that theme, “Since Lean is about ‘respect for people’ that means people who practice – or teach – Lean, should be held to a higher standard than others, right?” This is always surprising to me, because I’ve never worked with – or in – an organization that didn’t have acting with integrity and respecting others as part of its values. Lean is a way of managing and working. And in Lean, respect for people – believing that everyone can be developed to do more than they ever thought they could do, and be more than they ever thought they could be – doesn’t simply mean treating people kindly, respectfully and in accordance with the organization’s values. Lean isn’t ‘kind’ or not. People are. And being kind, is the way we should treat everyone (people, animals and our world), each and every day. So, the question is, “How can we, as people, act more kindly?” At work. At home. Wherever we are. There’s always a way.
Is Lean ‘Kind’?
