The Lean Book of Lean

13 Getting help

There were two phrases that sprung immediately into my head when I started to write this chapter:

“We are not alone”

and

“Don't try this at home!”

I think both of these have relevance in the context of implementing Lean in any situation, although the second one does sound like a bit of a plug for my chosen profession!

So, what do I mean here? Let's take a look, starting with the first one.

We are not alone

Lean has been around for a long time and no matter how long you've been at it, from just starting out to a battle-scarred Lean warrior, there are always going to be people out there who have been at it longer than you or have learned how to deal with that thorny issue you just can't seem to get your head around. And you know what? Most of them are quite happy to talk to you about it and give you the benefit of their wisdom. The following few paragraphs provide a peek into the most common ways of doing this, but there will be other ways too.

Partnering with other companies

I've seen this happen and be very successful many times. Indeed, when I was in industry, the company I worked for did just this to help accelerate the programme. This can vary in style from a casual relationship involving some visits to one another's sites with a tour and some workshops, to a more formal arrangement resulting in the development of a long-term relationship. This can be with one or more companies collaborating, sharing and learning as they progress on their Lean journey. ...