10 commandments

Over the past few weeks Norman Bodek, author of Kaikaku, has been discussing his "10 commandments of Kaikaku" on the NWLean group.  He has agreed to compile them into a brief article for Superfactory, which will be posted on the site in December and appear in the December issue of the Superfactory Newsletter.  The commandments are:

1. Throw out the traditional concept of manufacturing methods.
2. Think about how the new method will work, not how it won’t work.
3. Don’t accept excuses; totally deny the status quo.
4. Don’t seek perfection; a 50% implementation rate is fine as long as it’s done on the spot.
5. Correct mistakes the moment they are found.
6. Don’t spend money on Kaikaku.
7. Problems give you a chance to use your brains.
8. Ask "Why" five times.
9. Ten person’s ideas are better than one person’s knowledge.
10. Kaikaku knows no limits.

The article explains each commandment.  I find that the 4th commandment can be a little troubling until you think about what Norman means.  Traditional Lean talks about "seeking perfection".  That does not change; what Norman wants us to focus on is creating change, even if that change does not get us all the way to the goal at once.  The important thing is to execute the change, immediately.  It is also critical to accept that mistakes will happen, and to foster a culture that both encourages appropriate risk-taking and accepts mistakes.

Look for the full article on Superfactory in a few days.