Comments on: Psychology & Lean http://www.leanblog.org/2007/06/psychology-lean/ Mark Graban's leanblog.org - Lean Healthcare, Lean Thinking, Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:40:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Edward http://www.leanblog.org/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2212 Edward Mon, 25 Jun 2007 18:46:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2212 Something I tell the students in my Organizational Behavior course is "One of our most impressive abilities is the ability to justify (or rationalize) our own actions". Something I tell the students in my Organizational Behavior course is “One of our most impressive abilities is the ability to justify (or rationalize) our own actions”.

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]]> By: Jamie Flinchbaugh http://www.leanblog.org/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2208 Jamie Flinchbaugh Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:40:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2208 On the issue of rationalization, I think it is fine if it is confrontational. It's time we stopped treating confrontation and debate like a bad word. You do not get breakthroughs and new understandings with surfacing, directly, conflicts that do exist.<br/><br/>Of course managing conflict productively is the key. Focus on the issue, not the person. It's not "you're irresponsible" but "the action you took was irresponsible." And to Mike's point we have to understand style and preferences. Check out www.mbticomplete.com. You can even do a myers briggs test online, although it will cost you. It's not completely accurate or all-encompassing, but will help you get a handle on how your process and how others might. On the issue of rationalization, I think it is fine if it is confrontational. It’s time we stopped treating confrontation and debate like a bad word. You do not get breakthroughs and new understandings with surfacing, directly, conflicts that do exist.

Of course managing conflict productively is the key. Focus on the issue, not the person. It’s not “you’re irresponsible” but “the action you took was irresponsible.” And to Mike’s point we have to understand style and preferences. Check out http://www.mbticomplete.com. You can even do a myers briggs test online, although it will cost you. It’s not completely accurate or all-encompassing, but will help you get a handle on how your process and how others might.

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]]> By: Mike R. Lopez http://www.leanblog.org/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2196 Mike R. Lopez Thu, 21 Jun 2007 02:43:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2196 By the way, thanks for all the cool comments. I also appreciate the link from Lean Six Sigma Academy. By the way, thanks for all the cool comments. I also appreciate the link from Lean Six Sigma Academy.

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]]> By: Mike R. Lopez http://www.leanblog.org/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2195 Mike R. Lopez Thu, 21 Jun 2007 02:42:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2195 I don't know of any euphemism for the term "rationalization."<br/><br/>Maybe another way to say it is that different people have different paradigms. Our upbringing and environment have given us a lens through which we see the world. That lens is different from other lenses. The reasons we have for doing something may not make sense to others who have entirely different worldviews.<br/><br/>I don't know. It is sidestepping the issue, but that is as gentle as I can put it. I don’t know of any euphemism for the term “rationalization.”

Maybe another way to say it is that different people have different paradigms. Our upbringing and environment have given us a lens through which we see the world. That lens is different from other lenses. The reasons we have for doing something may not make sense to others who have entirely different worldviews.

I don’t know. It is sidestepping the issue, but that is as gentle as I can put it.

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]]> By: Anonymous http://www.leanblog.org/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2194 Anonymous Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:04:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2194 I was looking for a softer more PC term. It is rationalization but that seems so confrontational.<br/><br/>I struggle with making the message appeal as well. I would think the 'smarter' someone thinks they are the more difficult it is. It challenges their ego a bit. They might take the attitude, "If there was a better way to do my job I would have figured it out myself already". I was looking for a softer more PC term. It is rationalization but that seems so confrontational.

I struggle with making the message appeal as well. I would think the ‘smarter’ someone thinks they are the more difficult it is. It challenges their ego a bit. They might take the attitude, “If there was a better way to do my job I would have figured it out myself already”.

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]]> By: Anonymous http://www.leanblog.org/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2191 Anonymous Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:38:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2191 Unsolicited advice.... but maybe instead of pushing lean (and maybe you aren't)... figure out what the main problems and pain points in the organization are. Then, make sure you're using lean to fix problems.<br/><br/>If you can fix problems instead of focusing on "implementing lean" then people should be begging you to bring lean to them. Unsolicited advice…. but maybe instead of pushing lean (and maybe you aren’t)… figure out what the main problems and pain points in the organization are. Then, make sure you’re using lean to fix problems.

If you can fix problems instead of focusing on “implementing lean” then people should be begging you to bring lean to them.

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]]> By: Mike R. Lopez http://www.leanblog.org/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2190 Mike R. Lopez Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:22:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2190 Yes, thanks for the feedback. When you make up arguments to support feelings, it is called <a HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalization_%28psychology%29" REL="nofollow">rationalization</a>.<br/><br/>Mark is right. I am a scientist working at a research laboratory. Most of my struggle with Lean has been in trying to make the message appeal to hard core scientists. Yes, thanks for the feedback. When you make up arguments to support feelings, it is called rationalization.

Mark is right. I am a scientist working at a research laboratory. Most of my struggle with Lean has been in trying to make the message appeal to hard core scientists.

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]]> By: Mark Graban http://www.leanblog.org/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2189 Mark Graban Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:43:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2189 Thanks for the post, Mike. Can you remind the blog readers about your work environment -- it's a research lab, as opposed to a traditional factory, right?<br/><br/>If you click on the "Lopez" link at the bottom of the post, you'll find some of Mike's earlier posts on lean in research settings, I think. Thanks for the post, Mike. Can you remind the blog readers about your work environment — it’s a research lab, as opposed to a traditional factory, right?

If you click on the “Lopez” link at the bottom of the post, you’ll find some of Mike’s earlier posts on lean in research settings, I think.

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]]> By: Anonymous http://www.leanblog.org/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2188 Anonymous Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:27:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2188 I'm an active lean consultant and a raging "introvert" (per Myers-Briggs)... as you put it, I need my recharge time on my own (and reading this blog is one way I get to do that). Client demands of spending time with people wears me out... not that I don't enjoy people or working with people, but it's just as an introvert, I need my "alone time" and that doesn't always line up with what my clients need, so it can be a struggle. I’m an active lean consultant and a raging “introvert” (per Myers-Briggs)… as you put it, I need my recharge time on my own (and reading this blog is one way I get to do that). Client demands of spending time with people wears me out… not that I don’t enjoy people or working with people, but it’s just as an introvert, I need my “alone time” and that doesn’t always line up with what my clients need, so it can be a struggle.

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]]> By: Anonymous http://www.leanblog.org/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2187 Anonymous Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:15:00 +0000 http://leanblog.bigbigdesign.net/2007/06/psychology-lean/#comment-2187 Great post. Sometimes I think the following statement from your post defines my life:<br/><br/>""People have a funny way of creating seemingly logical arguments to validate feelings.""<br/><br/>Is there a term for this? Great post. Sometimes I think the following statement from your post defines my life:

“”People have a funny way of creating seemingly logical arguments to validate feelings.”"

Is there a term for this?

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