Management and Leadership

Hersey, P. and Blanchard stated that, "Leadership occurs any time one attempts to influence the behavior of an individual or group, regardless of the reason. . . . Management is a kind of leadership in which the achievement of organizational goals is paramount." It is obvious that management and leadership are not the synonymous.

A clear distinction between management and leadership may nevertheless prove useful. This would allow for a reciprocal relationship between leadership and management, implying that an effective manager should possess leadership skills, and an effective leader should demonstrate management skills. One clear distinction could provide the following definition:

· Management involves power by position.
· Leadership involves power by influence.

Warren Bennis drew twelve distinction between two groups as below,

· Managers administer, leaders innovate
· Managers ask how and when, leaders ask what and why
· Managers focus on systems, leaders focus on people
· Managers do things right, leaders do the right things
· Managers maintain, leaders develop
· Managers rely on control, leaders inspire trust
· Managers have a short-term perspective, leaders have a longer-term perspective
· Managers accept the status-quo, leaders challenge the status-quo
· Managers have an eye on the bottom line, leaders have an eye on the horizon
· Managers imitate, leaders originate
· Managers emulate the classic good soldier, leaders are their own person
· Managers copy, leaders show originality

Share this with my friends and hope we can have a deep consideration how we can do better!

Catholicness of lean

At recent moment, I get some information from website for electing the first company which is well implement lean manufacturing. Personally, I am not interesting the result of election because I am so sure that Toyota will be the first one. But, I am so interesting which are the competitive company. Please check the above company names.

To the moment, I was making a presentation for lean committee meeting, so I used the above info to have a culture promotion to all committee member. below is the main point of the presentation,

Including all companies in automotive industry, there are 10 companies related in those 25 companies. It is only 40%.

For the top 10 companies, it is only one company is making automotive.
Lean manufacuring is appling in different industries around 60%, although it was started by Toyota.
The industries covered such as electronics, food, funiture manufacturing, ...etc. We can find the catholicness of lean concept applied in diverse industries. Nowaday, lean is absolutely not only apply in automotive industry.

What is the main factor for apply lean concept to other industries?
Apply lean from
lean manufacturing, transforms to
Lean management, transforms to
Lean product development, transforms to
Lean supply chain, transforms to
Lean enterprise.

Whatever the stage you are, whatever the industry you are, eventually, we need --- Lean thinking!

Gemba walk

"Gemba" is a word from Japanese language [現場] which is meaning of "go to the place, look at the process, talk with people!". There are some explanation as below,

1. Learning model.

Gemba walk is way to build up the learning model liked sensei's apprenticeship. "Sensei" is also a japanese word means "teacher or coach". The subordinates just like the students or apprentices. Sensei should also instill in the students the discipline needed to effectively sustain a lean conversion and have it improve consistently. Sensei has the responsibility of showing the "True North" direction of his students, coach them which is the right direction, when to stop and when to go. Sensei teach by stretching the student's thinking and perceptions through questions that stimulate the student to consider entirely new possibilities. Students might consider questions such as these:

What would you learn if you measured in smaller intervals of time?
What is the team leader supposed to be doing in this situation?
How could these expectations be made more clear?......etc.

Please remember this is not the concept in conventional, "I say, You do!" Gamba walk is a way of learning model helping you gradually to establish a new, lean way of seeing and thinking.

2. Methodology

The gemba walk should be set up in regularly scheduled basis. The time period must be, long enough to all team to digest the advice and complete the task assignment, short enough to maintain a sense of pace. We always suggest to setup the gemba walk by weekly basis.
The team of gemba walk should be firmed with necessary members and should not be changed with no reason. The gemba team should be well informed the schedule, they also need the patience and tolerance for frustration. Sometime, I saw the senior management walking in the workshop without any communication. They just liked a spy to investigate the problem, afterward, they sent a long email to challenge everyone related. And then, everyone was busy in reply his email by explanation. What is benefit to do that? Please remember, the gemba walk must be set up in transparent form.
All grading of management should setup their suitable level of gemba walk. The higher of level, the wider to check, the longer of time interval. Offcause, it is no sense of a VP to carry on a gamba walk with technician. They should a relative and suitable member such as the plant manager or general manager.

3. Focal points

As the details of item 1, The leader of gameba walk must have well knowledge in both technical elements lean manufacturing system and lean management system. During the gemba walk, they should lead the team to focus on the below items,

3.1 Process focus,
3.2 Process improvement,
3.3 Leader availability,
3.4 Labor planning,
3.5 Standard works,
3.6 Comunication,
3.7 Workplace organization.

According to the above items, the leader (sensei) should assign the tasks of improvement accordingly. They also has a responsibility to follow up and trace the assigned tasks implementation. It is also a way of leadership discipline.

Finally, we don't to fix everything in one gemba walk. The main purpose of it is going to fine tune the direction of continuous improvement. Make sure that all the subordinates are working in the same goal. at the same time, we control the speed of the improvement. Is that running too fast, so that many improvement can not sustian? Is that running too slow, we ignore the opportunity for further improving? The factor of success for gemba walk, even in overall lean transformation, is PATIENCE.

OK, any comment?

The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way

The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way is a management philosophy used by the Toyota corporation that includes the Toyota Production System. In long term thinking, company is going to have a process for solving problems, to add value to the organization by developing its people, and to recognize that continuously solving root problems drives organizational learning.

The 14 Principles The Toyota Way has been called "a system designed to provide the tools for people to continually improve their work". The 14 principles of The Toyota Way are organized in four sections: 1) Long-Term Philosophy, 2) The Right Process Will Produce the Right Results, 3) Add Value to the Organization by Developing Your People, and 4) Continuously Solving Root Problems Drives Organizational Learning. The principles are set out and briefly described below:

Section I — Long-Term Philosophy

第一部份 - 长期理念

Principle 1 原则一

Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals.

甚至损害短期财务目标的前提下，管理决定亦须建基长期理念

Section II — The Right Process Will Produce the Right Results

第二部份 - 正确的流程产生正确的结果

Principle 2 原则二

Create a continuous process flow to bring problems to the surface.

建立一个连续的流程，以把潜藏的问题带出来。

Principle 3 原则三

Use "pull" systems to avoid overproduction.

利用拉动系统，以避免过量生产。

Principle 4 原则四

Level out the workload, work like the tortoise, not the hare.

平衡工作量，工作时像乌龟般稳定，不似野免般不稳定。

Principle 5 原则五

Build a culture of stopping to fix problems, to get quality right the first time.

建立一个文化去停止补救问题，要令品质第一时间就达标。

Principle 6 原则六

Standardized tasks and processes are the foundation for continuous improvement and employee empowerment.

作业及流程的标准化是持续改善及雇员授权的基础。

Principle 7 原则七

Use visual control so no problems are hidden.

利用目视控制使问题无所遁形。

Principle 8 原则八

Use only reliable and thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes.

只运用可靠及已经彻底测试的技术为人及流程来服务。

Section III — Add Value to the Organization by Developing Your People

第三部份 - 开发人材为组织增值

Principle 9 原则九

Grow leaders who thoroughly understand the work, live the philosophy, and teach it to others.

将完全明白职责及工作的人开展为领导者，以推行理念及教导其他人。

Principle 10 原则十

Develop exceptional people and teams who follow your company's philosophy.

开发能跟随公司理念的额外之人员及团队。

Principle 11 原则十一

Respect your extended network of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve.

利用挑战及协助改善去维护商业伙伴及供应商的网络。

Section IV: Continuously Solving Root Problems Drives Organizational Learning

第四部份 - 持续解决根本问题驱使组织学习

Principle 12 原则十二

Go and see for yourself to thoroughly understand the situation (Genchi Genbutsu).

亲自到现场观察以彻底了解情况。

Principle 13 原则十三

Make decisions slowly by consensus, thoroughly considering all options; implement decisions rapidly (nemawashi).

充分考虑各种选择性并取得大多数人的同意，不急于决定，但决定後就要快速执行。

Principle 14 原则十四

Become a learning organization through relentless reflection (hansei) and continuous improvement (kaizen).

以严加的反省及持续改善来成为一个学习型之组织。

Rashomon - 罗生门

“罗生门”，一个读出来很好听的词汇。羅生門，这三个繁体字的组合同样也很漂亮。可是偶至今没弄懂这三个字到底是什么意思。但这并不防碍人们熟悉它。至于将这个词汇普及的功劳，应归于大师黑泽明。

罗生门是大师一部作品的名称。在这部作品中，罗生门是一个标志性的建筑物。一切的故事都是从这里开始的。下面就准备正式说说这部片子。如果您看明白了这部片子，希望我说的您能有同感；如果您没看明白这部片子，希望下面的可以为您答疑解惑；如果您根本就没有看过这部片子，我可以负责任的告诉您，这部片子很好看。

全片的主要人物有六人，而演员只用了九个（包括结尾处出现的婴儿）。这六个人交错出现在三个不同的时空，将他们串联在一起的是一位樵夫。在滂沱的大雨中（在看过的几部片子中，都有大师对雨的巧妙运用。《七武士》中在雨中那最后的一场恶战成了后世争相模仿的对象。而本片中的大雨是分隔现实与回忆这两个时空的道具。），破败的罗生门下，借由一位来避雨的樵夫（不是上面提到的那个樵夫，此人在后面将用樵夫Ⅱ来表示）的耳朵我们听到了过程不尽相同，但起因与结果却是一致的四个事件（我们也可以说这是一个事件的四个版本）……。

樵夫、多襄丸、妇人和借巫女还魂的武士分别是这个事件四个版本的叙述者，而他们四人也是在这事件中共存的人物。没看过这部片子的同学，听到这里已经有些糊涂了吧？为了照顾大多数现在这里简单介绍一下事件的起因与结果：多襄丸是个享誉京城的大盗，因见到武士貌美的妻子而起了歹念，设计把武士骗到林中将其捆缚。又把他的妻子带到林中，在她丈夫的面前对其施暴。这是起因。结果是三天后樵夫发现了武士的尸体，而他的妻子出了家，报官后又刚好捉到了在逃的多襄丸。现在明白一些了吧？OK！我们来比较一下四个版本的区别。
第一个版本是多襄丸叙述的，在他的版本里自己是杀人凶手。但更重要的是在这个版本我们看到的是一个敢做敢当的武士（他自己），与另一位武士（他对这位能与他过招的武士也颇为赞赏）堂堂正正的较量。在这里的妇人被描述成一个失身前还是个烈妇，而在失身后却怂恿自己去杀害其丈夫的龌龊的人。

第二个版本是武士的妻子叙述的，在她的版本里自己才是杀人凶手。更重要的是在这里她却变成了一个贞节烈妇。而多襄丸只是发泄完欲望，掉头就跑的禽兽。她的丈夫也是如此轻蔑的鄙视她。正是由于受不了他那种眼神，妇人才准备杀死他，然后再自杀，但自己却是求死不得。俨然是一个背负着痛苦命运的生者。

第三个版本是借身还魂的武士叙述的，在他的版本里自己才是杀人凶手（按理说死鬼是没必要说瞎话的吧！）。更重要的是他不仅激烈的控诉了妻子的不忠，还使自己摇身一变成为一个傲然立于天地间的武士。他原谅了多襄丸的罪行，而且不惜用结束自己生命的方式来替妻子赎罪。

第四个版本是樵夫叙述的，在他的版本里多襄丸才是杀人凶手。原来他（樵夫）不是第一个发现尸体的人，而是一直在案发现场。在他的叙述中以上三个人的形象被彻底的颠覆。多襄丸并不像他说的那样只看重武士的大义，他曾恳求妇人跟他走，并许诺给她后半生的幸福。妇人也并没有因为失身就要死要活的，而是希望两个人决斗，自己好选择强者。那位武士也不是自己形容的那样伟岸，为了保全自己的性命甚至愿意将妻子拱手相让。

没想到这才是事情的真相。但这是真相么？应该是吧。因为樵夫整起事件并没有牵扯到樵夫的利益，所以他没有必要撒谎。但是有一个细节被樵夫Ⅱ发现了。在前三个版本中都有一把短刀（在有的版本中它甚至是杀人凶器），但是樵夫对此却只字未提。樵夫Ⅱ一语道破天机，正是他（樵夫）将那把价值不菲的短刀拿走了，这也可以解释当天他为什么没有报案。大师的用意终于浮出水面了。原来我们看到的只是为了达到私人利益，有选择的，片面的真相。但至此真相如何还重要么？为什么三个人都承认自己是凶手了，却还要撒谎？难道还有比这个更难让他们面对的么？

再来看看另外的三个人物：樵夫是一个游弋在善恶边缘的人；而樵夫Ⅱ则是被现实的生活打磨成一个玩世不恭、冷酷无情的真小人；行脚僧人是一位冷眼看客，像神一样怀着悲世悯人的心观察着这一切。好在大师给了我们一个光明的结尾，滂沱的大雨终于制住，看着樵夫抱着婴儿远去的身影，行脚僧人（神）露出了微笑。

人生会给你安排各种机遇，但请不要忘记，选择权永远掌握在你自己的手里！


Comment from TW:

I downloaded and watch the movie during I was visiting QD on business purpose. The mission of the trip was troublesome. Now, I reviewed this post again and it is also trouble in HZ plant. I found that there were very siminlar to the story liked .

In the movie of , we have no way to know who killed the knight finally. When people falled into trouble, the frightfulness of human beings, such as selfishness and falseness, was going to protect their benefit and reputation. Your friend would change to your enemy in no time. Your enemy would become your friend in no time as well. They are all lost in the situation.

As the comment of the moive above, the choice is always in your hands, why we do not solve the problem by facing problem? Why we lie everybody, even ourselves to protect themselves?

This is a excellent movie which was made in 1950, half century before!!! Everytime I watch the movie, I got some new foundings. It is a great movie!

By the way, I lost a good friend and partner. I learned so much from him, my mind set, management thinking, ... were improved. We fixed so many problems and we faced so many problem together as well. No matter what was the result right now, the future is fruitful and successful.

Thank you very much, Dick Sir!