Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with a supply chain student (taking undergraduate courses) who reached out with thoughtful questions about Lean principles. We had a wide-ranging conversation–covering culture, communication, frontline engagement, and even organizing a water chemistry lab.
While I won't share his name or current organization, I do want to share a few reflections from our discussion. His curiosity and willingness to challenge assumptions reminded me of why I enjoy mentoring and engaging with the next generation of leaders.
Lean Culture Starts with Psychological Safety
The first question we asked was to describe a “Lean Culture.” I emphasized how essential it is to create an environment where people feel safe to
- speak up,
- suggest improvements, and
- admit when something isn't working.
Without that sense of psychological safety, Lean tools can become performative (or just ineffective)–like putting up huddle boards that never get used, or implementing 5S with compliance in mind instead of clarity and improvement.
He shared that his company uses the acronym “SCR”–Safety, Compliance, and Reliability–which parallels the Lean focus on Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost (SQDC). The language may differ, but the underlying intent is aligned: start with safety, always.
When 5S Becomes a Source of Frustration
He voiced frustration with how 5S was being rolled out at his workplace. Frontline employees weren't really included in the “why,” and the initiative felt more like “clean up your area because we said so.”
Yikes, I hated to hear that. I told him that's, unfortunately, a very common dysfunction
That's a common trap. 5S, when forced on people, or when reduced to audits and mandates, creates resistance. But when framed as a way to solve specific problems–like finding tools faster, avoiding spills, or reducing frustration–it becomes meaningful. We talked about how giving workers ownership of the standards and the freedom to improve them fosters both engagement and better outcomes.
5S is supposed to make work easier. It's not supposed to be a bunch of mandated busywork.
Applying 5S to Declutter a Workplace
He also shared his experience moving from a large coal plant to a smaller, more agile natural gas facility. That change brought not only operational differences but also opportunities to improve communication and teamwork.
One specific project he's tackling is organizing a cluttered water chemistry lab. We discussed using Lean thinking–grouping items by function, placing procedures at the point of use, reducing unnecessary motion. This isn't just about tidiness–it's about flow, clarity, and reducing barriers to doing good work.
That sounded like a better approach to 5S — starting with problems to solve instead of tools to use.
Lean Isn't About Cost Cutting
Too often, Lean gets misinterpreted as a cost-cutting initiative. We talked about the difference between making work easier and making jobs disappear. Asking, “How can we make your work safer or less frustrating?” builds trust and surfaces real improvement opportunities. That's how you create win-win outcomes for employees and the organization–better results, without fear. It's not just about getting people to speak up, it's about working together to test and evaluate improvements.
Continuous Improvement vs. Optimization
A theme we returned to was the difference between “optimizing” and continuously improving. I noted that the concept of optimization can imply diminishing returns to safety or quality . Lean, especially as practiced by Toyota, is about aiming for ideals–not just squeezing out efficiency.
PDSA cycles, learning from mistakes, and aiming toward better–these aren't one-time projects. They're habits of thinking and doing that compound over time. And Lean helps us break down conflicts that are often seen as inherent tradeoffs (such as quality and productivity — the reality is they can go hand in hand, with Lean).
Teaching, Learning, and Lean Leadership
This student isn't just curious–he's a teacher too. We talked about the mindset shift from being a doer to being a coach, from being the one who knows to the one who facilitates. His aspiration is to lead with humility and curiosity, and it shows.
He'll soon be attending a company “Lean boot camp” to continue learning, and he's planning to compare what he sees there with what he's experiencing and reading about in class with what he's seeing and hearing about at work. That kind of critical reflection is exactly what we need more of in the Lean world.
Final Thought
Our conversation left me hopeful. If more leaders–current and future–approach Lean the way this student is, we'll see more organizations that improve not by fear or force, but through respect, dialogue, and shared purpose.
It's always rewarding to engage in conversations like this. And if he reaches back out again, I'll be glad to keep the discussion going.
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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.
Comment from Gregg Stocker on LinkedIn:
“Agreed Mark. Regarding, “He wasn’t rejecting Lean — he was reacting to how it was being implemented,” I think this is what turns most people against lean.”