Many years ago I worked with a senior manager. He was very savvy about continuous improvement and TPS – he had been engaging in the space for many years before the word “lean” entered the lexicon. He understood it at a deep systems level, saw how all of the pieces interacted into a coherent whole, and was incisive in his observations (in spite of his disarming demeanor that led one to (wrongly) conclude he only saw superficial things.)
Like many of us, though, he was searching for a concise way explain how it all works to others. I think his underlying assumption was something like, “If they could just understand the system, then they would adopt the principles.” That, then, translated to, “If I could just explain it well enough, they would understand it.”
What I saw was that he was continually trying to create the ideal model, diagram, that he could use to create this enlightenment.
It seems so simple. The foundational principles are simple. It is putting everything into consistent practice that is daunting. The organization, as a whole, has to learn to think differently.
I used to do the same thing – maybe because he was a bit of a mentor to me, and I was often a sounding board for his latest models. Those were incredibly [some superlative word here] conversations because I, like he, really enjoyed having my systems thinking pushed by someone willing to challenge it (and vice-versa).
In the end, though, I think this is a futile exercise. He and I could have that conversation because we both deeply understood what we were attempting to explain. But our understanding was gained through years of trying it and learning from whatever results we observed.
What I know today is the nature of the questions to ask, with the intent of provoking thought, but I am carrying the belief that my role is to help shape their journey through their own discovery of how it all works.
What has been your experience with the perfect model?
The only thing that I might suggest is that Respect for People should be the foundation of the house.
The pic is just the classic TPS house model as modified by hundreds of companies.
A timely post! I am prone to mapping out schemes on large pieces of paper in search of “one model to rule them all”. It doesn’t really help others but it does clarify my thinking. I find as I gain experience that conceiving of how ideas fit together helps consolidate my learning. Then I throw away the paper and meet my client wherever they’re at….
Ted –
I think that’s a really good approach. The model is in my head as a compass, but I have to “start where they are” and apply the model in ways that help them solve their problems, rather than telling them what their problems should be – which seems to be a more common approach. Ironically, that is classic “push” production, isn’t it?
I write this as I file away my printed copy of Spear’s dissertation in a new office. Spear’s dissertation provided a wealth of examples that I would not have gotten by only reading his paper (and the simplification of his five rules to four). Yet the whole thing could be further abstracted to Rother’s work on Kata, or even further to some kind of statement like “use the scientific method and teach it.”
“All models are wrong, but some are useful.” The right model is the right one for the context and the moment based on what the audience needs to see and hear.