Lean management is a holistic approach beyond simply improving processes and reducing waste. It's a motivational framework that inspires teams to work together towards a common goal, creating a high-performance culture within an organization. The three key strategies that underpin this approach - purpose, social bonds, and situational rewards - work together to create an environment that fosters motivation, engagement, and productivity.
Achieving high performance in organizations requires both competence in technical skills and social skills, such as teamwork and problem-solving, but these skills are useless without motivation. I've observed a strong drive for both personal and collective success with the teams I've worked with. As such, those implementing lean management should focus on creating a systematic approach to motivate all team members and foster a culture of engagement and high performance. After all, company performance ultimately comes down to human behaviour.
To motivate individuals effectively, it's crucial to understand the different sources of motivation. These include purpose, social relationships, and situational rewards and punishments. While some may view these as existing in a hierarchy, it's essential to recognize that each type has its unique value. Prioritizing self-centred goals may hinder motivation, as research shows that people tend to be happier when they focus on serving others, collaborating with their peers, and pursuing a higher purpose in life.
It's essential to recognize that these statements can serve as a guiding principle for every aspect of an organization. While many companies may create vague mission, vision, and value statements without genuine follow-through, a purpose-driven culture can avoid the cynicism of viewing these statements as buzzwords. Like a country's sustaining values, a company's mission and values can provide a unifying foundation for a motivated and high-performing workforce. It's not enough to have written mission and values - they must be backed up by action and reinforced by leadership to prevent them from becoming empty words. Implementing processes that support and install these statements is crucial to ensure they remain meaningful.
Work teams are the lifeblood of an organization. Like family units in society, they are the primary source of bonding and learning within a company. Encouraging solid social bonds in the workplace can significantly enhance motivation and productivity. This universal principle can be applied across different organisations to foster camaraderie and mutual support.
Does your organization have multiple ways, like Honda, to recognize individuals for their contributions to the company's success? It's vital to ask questions about reinforcing positive behaviour, such as when an individual or team sets a new record for productivity. Have your managers, especially team leaders, been trained in providing feedback? Do you have a "four-to-one" rule in place, where four positive consequences or manager comments are given for every one negative? How are creative suggestions that result in savings or improved performance positively reinforced? Are employees motivated by opportunities to "win" or the fear of negative consequences for failure?
By answering these questions, organizations can improve their motivational systems and build a highly motivated workforce through the power of situational rewards.
A highly motivated workforce doesn't happen by accident. By focusing on purpose, social bonds, and situational rewards, organizations can harness the power of lean management to create a high-performance culture.
To achieve these objectives, management must design and implement a motivational system that addresses the needs of the individual and the organization. The system should be comprehensive, flexible, and adaptable to changing circumstances.
Motivated teams are the foundation of success in any organization, and it's essential to invest in it to achieve long-term growth and prosperity.