By David Meier, Lean Associates
Mark,
I wanted to share two recent articles that discuss new scientific evidence related to the change process. Many of your readers who are involved in efforts to make change will appreciate the fact that change is difficult. One major take-away for everyone- the article states that no one likes change thrust upon them. It is much better to establish the overall expectation and then allow people to discover their own solutions. I think this is a key method used by Toyota. Each individuals creative effort is employed to solve problems and make improvements in ways which work best for the member and team.
Read the articles carefully and between the lines are ideas on how to help people accept change more easily. The articles state that the resistance to change is rooted in our primitive brain and is quite natural, so for all change agents out there who are facing the challenge maybe learning how to be patient as people discover their solutions is advised. For the first article in CIO magazine there is a side bar which has 10 tips for change. Be sure to check it out.
CIO Magazine: The New Science of Change
strategy+business: The Neuroscience of Leadership
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David learned the Toyota Production System as one of the first leaders hired at Toyota’s Georgetown, KY, facility where he worked in the plastic molding department.Over a 10-year period in Kentucky and Japan, he received training and mentoring in TPS principles including full-time coaching by TPS experts.
As a trainer and speaker on how to launch and sustain lean transformations, David has worked in North America, Russia, Europe, Brazil, and Asia for a variety of service and manufacturing industries, including healthcare, food processing, automotive, aerospace, wood and plastic products, chemical processing, metal machining, fabricating, welding, and assembly operations.He currently helps companies implement lean principles through Lean Associates, Inc.
- Guest Post: Standardized Work is for Leaders, Not Just Assembly Lines - November 4, 2014
- Guest Post: Is TPS the “Best” System? - November 11, 2009
- Scientific proof that change is difficult! - October 26, 2006