To create a lean culture where employees are empowered and the organization buys into a system that consistently looks for improvements, you need leadership support, a common language, and a commitment to thinking differently.
While I’m sure some companies come into existence with lean thinking at their core, I’d guess that 99% of the time the lean thinking is brought into an organization that already has a culture and processes in place. No matter where the culture and processes fall on the spectrum of good to bad, a lean transformation can inspire improvements in worker and customer experiences and lead to better products, services and conditions.
To kick-off a lean transformation, leadership buy-in is critical. Leaders must grasp the importance of lean thinking — not just lean tools — and the importance of creating a culture where PDCA (plan, do, check, adjust) is the norm and fear of failure is minimized.
To help individuals and organizations take the first steps of their lean journey and to refresh others on lean’s foundational elements, I am excited to announce the AME Back to Basic Lean Summit. The virtual summit will take place in March over the course of four Wednesdays (March 9, 16, 23, 30). Best of all, this summit is free for each and every AME member! All you need to do is pre-register on our website. Non-members can participate either by becoming a member or by paying a $150 event registration fee.
Hearing about lean’s building blocks from experts will allow you to kickstart or add a boost to your journey. We’re grateful for the volunteers who have organized this summit and those who will be speaking on topics including A3 problem solving, 5S and safety, gemba walks, 2 Second Lean, lean leadership, value stream mapping and more.
AME plans to host two additional virtual summits this summer that will also be free for AME members. I hope that you will take advantage of this powerful member benefit and join us at these virtual summits. These three summits will all ramp up to our first in-person AME International Conference since 2019. Together, the summits and AME Dallas 2022 will be an indispensable professional development opportunity through which you’ll dive deep into lean basics, emerging technologies, the workforce of the future, and the powerful influence of disruption.
I invite you to learn more about the AME Back to Basics Lean Summit today. If you’re a member, sign up now, and if you’re not yet an AME member, there’s no better time to join our thriving of community committed to our mission to share, learn and grow.
As always, please stay safe and keep looking out for one another.
