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Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean? Building the bridge from job satisfaction to corporate profit

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Finally---a book that looks at the Lean Process through the eyes of an organization's most critical resources---the human beings charged with implementing it.

As a coach and consultant for leadership and team development over the past 15 years, I have worked with numerous organizations attempting to implement and integrate lean principles into their daily processes.

Although research and experience has shown these principles to be organizationally sound and beneficial, it seems almost inevitable that employees will initially balk at the day-to-day behavioral changes that are necessary to make Lean work.

Gradually and almost inevitably, a gap begins to widen between those leading the charge for lean and those responsible for making the necessary changes. Lean advocates see the work force as resistant to change and stubborn while the work force sees those leading the charge as heartless and out of touch with the "real world". A vicious cycle of misunderstanding, mistrust, and polarization begins to build as each side digs in their heels.

The core issue then becomes one of engagement and buy-in. The best principles of change and improvement are of absolutely no use if those responsible for implementing them are not fully aligned and on board.

Unfortunately, it has been my experience that most organizations are not adequately prepared to deal with the natural human resistance associated with such wide spread organizational change. Tough questions, conflicts, and resentments are often dismissed, minimized or completely avoided. Inevitably, this proverbial "elephant in the living room", becomes large enough to virtually squash all well intentioned effort at necessary and beneficial change.

In his book, "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean", I believe that Jeff Hajek takes a very logical and unapologetic stand for why lean is so necessary but at the same time holds a truly empathetic and supportive view toward those employees in the trenches that will be most impacted by the changes. Without genuine empathy for the needs and challenges faced by employees in this process, it's my belief that any true attempt at alignment or "closing of the gap" will ultimately be unobtainable.

"Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean" offers very practical answers to some of the most common, but often unasked or unaddressed questions associated with an organization's implementation of the lean process. I've often found that employees become hesitant to ask the most basic questions for fear of appearing slow or incompetent. As a result, many employees adopt a "nod along" strategy and never become fully bought into or engaged in the lean implantation process, simply because they don't understand or cannot "catch up".

This book provides a very effective and safe venue for employees to onboard at a pace that works for them. In effect, "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean", becomes a critical, ongoing, user friendly companion for understanding the ins and outs of a very challenging and rewarding process.

"Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean" is a must read for anyone engaged in the lean implementation process.

Kevin Bush
Director / Principle
Teams & Leaders Inc.
Seattle, WA
[...]

Jeff Hajek's "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean" is a must-read for front line workers in a organization that is going through a Lean transformation. It is a highly suggested book for managers, supervisors, and Human Resources in Lean enterprises. I also think the book has value for unsatisfied workers in any field.

The book has some great advice for helping people cope with Lean changes. It is laid out in a way that you don't have to read it cover-to-cover but can turn right to the section that you are currently struggling with. I think the description of how people think and then decide to take action is fundamental for people to grasp in any organization (Lean or not). Recognizing how your interpretations bring emotions which can fuel your decision to act is something I have had mentors teach me in the past but I have experienced many people who do not understand this or practice it. This part of the book will really help anybody looking for more job satisfaction.

The value for managers and supervisors is to really understand what your staff may be thinking. There are things in this book I never considered before that affects staff-satisfaction such as how it feels to people with seniority that end up on an even playing field as newcomers due to standard work. While the changes make sense, it can be difficult to consider all of the personal reactions for your staff. This book helps you reflect on what people are going through and more importantly provides advice that you can use while coaching.

Hajek's chapter on the basics of Lean is outstanding. The concepts are explained in a very relatable way such as a lemonade stand used to describe wastes or linking Lean tools to common things we use like Netflix as example of Kanban.

The "Hard Truths About Lean" chapter is a good "tough love" discussion. I am an overly positive person (the cup is half-full and I know where the pitcher is to refill it) so this chapter really helped me recognize the difficulties faced in Lean transformations. While I knew them already, this book served as a reminder of what it is like in the beginning. I may work with people farther down the path but Lean is still only in beginning stages some parts. This chapter is helpful when you work throughout your enterprise and people are at different stages.

I highly recommend this book.

Just like people, companies do better without excess fat. "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean? Building the Bridge from Job Satisfaction to Corporate Profit" is a guide to optimizing one's company to doing a lot more with less. "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean" is not a manual of excuses for bosses to undertake mass firings, but rather an inspirational guide for employees to do more for their company. Touting one hundred lessons for both employer and employee, "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean?" is an intriguing read for a unique approach to better business.

Finally, a book that speaks directly to the frontline about Lean transformations and WIIFM (what's in it for me?). Chapters 1-5 provide a well-written primer about what Lean is and what it can/will do for both the organization and the individual employee. After reading these chapters, the frontline is very likely to embrace rather than resist lean (assuming it's effectively implemented). Chapters 6-11 present the psychological and cultural issues that make or break lean transformations, in a way no book has.

Hajek's writing is crisp, clear, and accessible. This man knows whereof he speaks. No Lean book has covered this much ground, making Hajek's a must-have on every improvement facilitator and every business leader's bookshelf.

From its catchy title and thorough yet lighthearted table of contents to the overall upbeat and conversational tone, this is a pleasant, easy read. Particularly insightful are the "Strategies" offered which identify "Problems," "How this affects you," "Action to take" and "Why this works." Also includes some helpful illustrations and thought-provoking "What you already know" tidbits. Very enjoyable and informative--the author is exceptionally knowledgable about the Lean process.

"Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean" is a well written book about Lean manufacturing. Not only does it tell you the steps to take to ensure your successful journey, the book also explains the "why" behind the steps. Many lean books just tell the reader to follow these ten steps to be successful at lean. Those ten steps may or may not be relevant in all environments. It is critical to know the why behind these steps to be able to tweak the rules to meet your unique set of circumstances. I feel the author gives you the real life examples that explain the how and why to ensure your success.

I am an Operations Manager and have implemented lean manufacturing concepts at numerous different companies. When starting to implement lean concepts, one of the hardest things to do is counter the attempts to discredit the lean process or attempts to characterize a company as different and there for can't comply with lean philosophies. The author does a very good job answering most of these common dodges with real life examples that can be used to support a lean position. I think there is much to be learned from this book. I plan to have a book club with supervisors, touch labor and others to discuss the points made by the author and how we can implement the concepts. This is a great book for anyone to read who is just starting out in lean manufacturing or is in the middle of implementing lean at their facility.

If there is anything you don't like about continuous improvement (especially early on in the Lean transformation), this book will make your life easier. The author describes everyday problems that a lot of strategy books overlook and he offers multiple practical solutions in simple and easy to understand terms. One of the unique things about this book is that it not only teaches the workforce how to eliminate the "thorns in their side" but it also helps supervisors understand their employees' struggles. Overall, well-written with a lot of useful content for managers and their teams.

This book is helpful and easy to read. I like that 1) it addresses the difficulties that managers and employees face in Lean transformation 2) it provides realistic, useful solutions to frequent problems 3) it emphasizes employee-manager teamwork as a way to improve the bottom line and make everyone's life a little easier.

My background includes over 10 years working in urban and community hospitals, and I am very familiar with the nuts and bolts of performance improvement initiatives, as they are crucial in the hospital setting. However, in my opinion, very few quality improvement "gurus" target the group that has the most influence on quality improvement: managers. Thankfully, Jeff Hajek gets it. "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean" provides managers with a step-by-step guide for rolling out the Lean concept to the front line, managing the Lean process, anticipating and proactively responding to resistance to Lean and, most importantly, obtaining buy-in from the front line. If it is, indeed, possible to achieve corporate profit without sacrificing job satisfaction, "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean" offers the best blueprint I've seen so far!

As an editor on this project, I can assure you that Jeff packed as much information into this volume as he could get! Whether you are new to Lean or an experienced user of Lean strategies, you'll find an orderly, almost overwhelming, presentation of applications and ideas.