Selection of lean leader and KPO

At the beginning of January 2008, I have a chance to discuss with some friends for how to select a suitable candidate for lead leader and KPO in company. It was so surprise me that they have already started to implement lean manufacturing or lean enterprise but they still don’t understand a most basic concept of lean.

What was that? “RESPECT TO PEOPLE!”

When the productivity improved and the demand of manpower reduced, it doesn’t mean that we can layoff the worker or any employee. It gave a chance for the company to ramp up its sales amount without any facilities investment or additional manpower demand, in another words, use the same resource to grow up the business. How about if the employees know they will be fired after they improve the output? It is a totally incorrect concept!!!

On the other hand, during the lean manufacturing implement, it is similar to run a project and no doubt we need a strong leader to manage and coach the team to execute the improvement actions. Some guys thought they have budget and can get a “superman” outside to be the lean leader or KPO, afterward, everything will be alright. It also a serious mistake! As a lean leader, who needs to identify the opportunity of improvement in the production floor or company operation system. The most suitable solution is selecting the suitable guy and promotes him/her to be the leader or KPO internally. Off cause it has so many conditions required for the job, but, it is also an attitude of “respect the people”. Any company has room to be improved but it doesn’t mean nobody can improve the situation in the company. May be somebody in the company already has ideas how to improve but they finally understand they have no chance to lead the project. What will they do?

I give you some conditions to select for lead leader or KPO as below,
1. Aggressive for working,

2. Willing to change,

3. Well understand the company operation system or procedures,

4. Well understand the weakness of company,

5. Technical background,

6. Honorable in contribution for company,

7. Well communication skill.

Why we need a technical people to lead the lean transformation? As a technical guy myself, I am not going to promote the people in professional of technical. In lean implementation, we always start the improvement from workshop, especially in manufacturing process improvement. Therefore, we need the technical guy lead the lean in the first stage. Afterward, all the people in the company can find the improvement result easily, in other words, it is one kind of lean culture promotion. That's why I strongly recommend we need a technical guy to lead in the beginning stage.

Actually, I am sure that the suitable person existed in every company and the problem is the senior management is willing to search or not! They respect their employees or not?