One of the most persistent misunderstandings I see about Lean is the belief that if you “just get everyone doing Kaizen,” performance will steadily improve and all big problems will eventually be solved.
In a way, that's a better problem to have than situations where senior executives (and other managers at different levels) don't care about kaizen.
Yes — we must engage everybody in improvement. Daily Kaizen is a cornerstone of Lean thinking. But here's the reality: some problems can't be solved by frontline continuous improvement alone. Only leaders have the authority, budget, and influence to change the broader system.
That's not anti-Kaizen — it's a practical truth, even from the co-author of Healthcare Kaizen. You might be surprised to hear me say this… but I've long believed it to be true.
Deming's Reminder: Leaders Own the System
Dr. W. Edwards Deming taught that most performance problems are caused by the system — and that only management can change that system. By “system,” he meant this at a very high level. The system includes the processes, equipment, policies, measurements, culture, and physical environment that shape how work gets done. It also includes very high-level decisions that are only controlled by top management.
Frontline staff have expertise in their work, but they typically can't:
- Approve capital budgets
- Change space or layout
- Purchase new equipment
- Adjust staffing levels or skill mix
- Revise organization-wide policies
When these structural factors are flawed, local improvement efforts will hit a wall. People might suggest good ideas, but if the system is fundamentally broken, they can't improve their way out of it.
A Real Example: The Hospital Laboratory
In one hospital I worked with (actually, there was a very repeated pattern here), the core lab was plagued by slow turnaround times, constant backlogs, and rising frustration. Frankly, Kaizen activity was minimal. People didn't see the point of making small tweaks when they were stuck in a work environment designed for inefficiency.
The root cause? The physical layout. The lab had been built many years earlier using outdated mindsets. The way the latest and greatest equipment was placed around the lab forced extra walking, awkward handoffs, and crowded storage areas. The design itself baked in waste.
The layout (and staffing) was designed around clinical silos (such as chemistry and urinalysis) instead of being designed for the overall flow of specimens and for teamwork.
Kaizen alone wasn't going to fix this. We couldn't incrementally improve the wrong concept. Well, we could have, but we would have only gotten small results.
The breakthrough came when leaders committed capital funding for a complete lab redesign — working with the staff to create flow. Note: This didn't require the expensive purchase of new equipment or automation.
The changes were dramatic: turnaround times dropped by roughly 70%. Once the system was fixed, Kaizen really took off. People could finally see their ideas paying off, and daily improvement became part of how they worked.
One such case study (use the controls at the bottom to advance pages):
riverside-labThe Right Sequence: System Fixes and Kaizen
This experience reinforced an important lesson:
- Remove systemic constraints first — the barriers only leadership can address.
- Then engage everyone in Kaizen to sustain and build on the gains.
If you reverse the order — pushing Kaizen without tackling major system flaws — you risk frustration and cynicism. People aren't resisting change; the system is resisting them.
The Takeaway for Leaders
If you're in leadership:
- Don't confuse “engaging everyone in improvement” with stepping back from your responsibility to change the system.
- Work with staff to identify the big constraints that require your authority and resources.
- Pair breakthrough changes with a culture of daily Kaizen — that's where Lean's real power lies.
Kaizen is essential, but it's not enough by itself. If you want people to succeed, give them a system that lets them win.
Deming's Wisdom: Still the Blueprint for Better Systems
Dr. W. Edwards Deming's reminder that “a bad system will beat a good person every time” is as true now as it was decades ago. His point wasn't to discourage effort — it was to focus our energy where it matters most. Leaders can't delegate away their responsibility for the system, just as frontline staff can't fix systemic flaws they don't control.
The most respectful — and most effective — thing leaders can do is to partner with staff to identify and remove those barriers. That's how you create the conditions where Kaizen can flourish. Deming's wisdom wasn't abstract theory; it was, and remains, intensely practical guidance for anyone serious about real, sustainable improvement.
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Let’s build a culture of continuous improvement and psychological safety—together. If you're a leader aiming for lasting change (not just more projects), I help organizations:
- Engage people at all levels in sustainable improvement
- Shift from fear of mistakes to learning from them
- Apply Lean thinking in practical, people-centered ways
Interested in coaching or a keynote talk? Let’s talk.
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