Improving on Improvements - Leave Your Ego at the Door

Taichi Ohno, considered the godfather of the Toyota Production System, identified 10 precepts to Think, Act and Win. Precept 9 is "Re-improve what is improved for further improvement."

In theory almost everyone agrees with continuous improvement. Of course we want things to get better and better by eliminating waste.

However, there is the small matter of the human ego.  Have you ever made an improvement and felt that dopamine drip?  Every time you walk by or think of your improvement you feel a sense of pride? Perhaps it's a cleaned up workspace or an SOP that solves a big problem and then BAM! someone improves your improvement. That's the continuous part right?

Sometimes, that can hurt a little and you think, "but my improvement was already so good." (That's ego). This is where Lean really helps you be humble. There will ALWAYS be more waste to identify. ALWAYS. There is no finish line and improving is at its best when it's collaborative.

Celebrating Others' Improvements

The best antidote for "improver bruised ego syndrome" is to celebrate other's improvements and get started on your next one. 

• Document Improvements – Document your improvements using tools like  youtube, Whatsapp, or a simple chart. It can inspire others and it's fun to look back and see how far you've come. 
• Take Time to Recognize Other's Improvements – You know how good it feels to be recognized - so make sure you invest the time to observe and recognize others' improvements.
• Use Them to Inspire Your Next Improvement – Often times, an improvement someone else makes can spark an idea in your own mind that you might not have had otherwise.

Waste Is a Moving Target

One of the key reasons waste will always exist is that waste is context-dependent. What constitutes waste in one phase of a process might not be considered waste in another. For example, what is seen as overproduction today may not be viewed the same way tomorrow if customer demand changes or new technology is introduced. As businesses grow, processes evolve, and the landscape changes, so too does the nature and source of waste.

Keep on Improving!

Knowing that there will ALWAYS be waste is kind of like job security for the improvers of the world. So, leave your ego at the door and as we say at TrippNT: Improve Today for a Better Tomorrow. 

We'd love to hear your thoughts on improving, Lean, egos and waste. Please share your thoughts with us at lean@trippnt.com.