| | |  | Shadow Boards | Home » » » » Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean? Building the bridge from job satisfaction to corporate profit | | | | | | | Description: | | If you are a manager, supervisor, frontline professional (i.e. accountant or engineer), or employee in a Lean manufacturing or Lean office environment--this ground-breaking book is for you! 'Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean' is THE must-have survival guide for those of you in the trenches at a Lean company. Lean can deliver powerful results, but 74% of companies report limited progress in their improvement efforts. So, why isn't Lean living up to its full potential? Maybe it is because Lean has some side effects that are rarely addressed--problems that often make things more difficult for managers and their teams. In an ideal state, all employees would be fully engaged in Lean efforts and would welcome constant change and the increased pace of production that comes with improvement efforts; managers would not be overburdened and would have unlimited time to train and mentor; teams would have strong leadership and function without conflict; and companies would not face fierce competition and would have strong cash flow. But this rarely happens. In the real world, frontline workers can pay a very high up front price for being Lean--and this often causes job dissatisfaction in the workforce. Research shows that it is more than just a morale issue. Dissatisfied employees can reduce quality, productivity, and ultimately take a toll on a company's profit. Given the state of the economy and the fact that the ideal state doesn't exist, what can be done to maximize the success of a company's Lean efforts? If employees could quickly and easily teach themselves how to improve their satisfaction at work, not only would they like their jobs more and be more engaged, it might mean the difference between survival and failure for a company in the increasingly competitive marketplace. 'Whaddaya Mean' is a powerful 'how to' guide that delivers over 100 practical, cost-effective solutions to common Lean problems that employees and managers face. Plus ,it addresses the `Hard Truths' about Lean that the workforce must know, but that no one wants to talk about. You can do it the hard way and go it alone. Or you can benefit from the experience of those who have gone before you. Let 'Whaddaya Mean' be your travel guide on your Lean journey so you can quickly and easily bridge the gap from "what is" to "what can be." | | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Jeff Hajek | | Paperback:
| 344 pages | | Publisher:
| Velaction Continuous Improvement | | Publication Date:
| February 15, 2009 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 1606280015 | | Package Length:
| 8.98 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.98 inches | | Package Height:
| 0.94 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.19 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 10 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
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Just like people, companies do better without excess fatJul 08, 2009
Just like people, companies do better without excess fat. "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean? Building the Bridge from Job Satisfaction to Corporate Profit" is a guide to optimizing one's company to doing a lot more with less. "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean" is not a manual of excuses for bosses to undertake mass firings, but rather an inspirational guide for employees to do more for their company. Touting one hundred lessons for both employer and employee, "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean?" is an intriguing read for a unique approach to better business.
Two Books in OneJun 18, 2009
Finally, a book that speaks directly to the frontline about Lean transformations and WIIFM (what's in it for me?). Chapters 1-5 provide a well-written primer about what Lean is and what it can/will do for both the organization and the individual employee. After reading these chapters, the frontline is very likely to embrace rather than resist lean (assuming it's effectively implemented). Chapters 6-11 present the psychological and cultural issues that make or break lean transformations, in a way no book has.
Hajek's writing is crisp, clear, and accessible. This man knows whereof he speaks. No Lean book has covered this much ground, making Hajek's a must-have on every improvement facilitator and every business leader's bookshelf.
Great Lean ReadJun 11, 2009
From its catchy title and thorough yet lighthearted table of contents to the overall upbeat and conversational tone, this is a pleasant, easy read. Particularly insightful are the "Strategies" offered which identify "Problems," "How this affects you," "Action to take" and "Why this works." Also includes some helpful illustrations and thought-provoking "What you already know" tidbits. Very enjoyable and informative--the author is exceptionally knowledgable about the Lean process.
Good insights into Lean ManufacturingMay 12, 2009
"Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean" is a well written book about Lean manufacturing. Not only does it tell you the steps to take to ensure your successful journey, the book also explains the "why" behind the steps. Many lean books just tell the reader to follow these ten steps to be successful at lean. Those ten steps may or may not be relevant in all environments. It is critical to know the why behind these steps to be able to tweak the rules to meet your unique set of circumstances. I feel the author gives you the real life examples that explain the how and why to ensure your success.
I am an Operations Manager and have implemented lean manufacturing concepts at numerous different companies. When starting to implement lean concepts, one of the hardest things to do is counter the attempts to discredit the lean process or attempts to characterize a company as different and there for can't comply with lean philosophies. The author does a very good job answering most of these common dodges with real life examples that can be used to support a lean position. I think there is much to be learned from this book. I plan to have a book club with supervisors, touch labor and others to discuss the points made by the author and how we can implement the concepts. This is a great book for anyone to read who is just starting out in lean manufacturing or is in the middle of implementing lean at their facility.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
"Lean" with EmpathyMay 07, 2009
Finally---a book that looks at the Lean Process through the eyes of an organization's most critical resources---the human beings charged with implementing it.
As a coach and consultant for leadership and team development over the past 15 years, I have worked with numerous organizations attempting to implement and integrate lean principles into their daily processes.
Although research and experience has shown these principles to be organizationally sound and beneficial, it seems almost inevitable that employees will initially balk at the day-to-day behavioral changes that are necessary to make Lean work.
Gradually and almost inevitably, a gap begins to widen between those leading the charge for lean and those responsible for making the necessary changes. Lean advocates see the work force as resistant to change and stubborn while the work force sees those leading the charge as heartless and out of touch with the "real world". A vicious cycle of misunderstanding, mistrust, and polarization begins to build as each side digs in their heels.
The core issue then becomes one of engagement and buy-in. The best principles of change and improvement are of absolutely no use if those responsible for implementing them are not fully aligned and on board.
Unfortunately, it has been my experience that most organizations are not adequately prepared to deal with the natural human resistance associated with such wide spread organizational change. Tough questions, conflicts, and resentments are often dismissed, minimized or completely avoided. Inevitably, this proverbial "elephant in the living room", becomes large enough to virtually squash all well intentioned effort at necessary and beneficial change.
In his book, "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean", I believe that Jeff Hajek takes a very logical and unapologetic stand for why lean is so necessary but at the same time holds a truly empathetic and supportive view toward those employees in the trenches that will be most impacted by the changes. Without genuine empathy for the needs and challenges faced by employees in this process, it's my belief that any true attempt at alignment or "closing of the gap" will ultimately be unobtainable.
"Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean" offers very practical answers to some of the most common, but often unasked or unaddressed questions associated with an organization's implementation of the lean process. I've often found that employees become hesitant to ask the most basic questions for fear of appearing slow or incompetent. As a result, many employees adopt a "nod along" strategy and never become fully bought into or engaged in the lean implantation process, simply because they don't understand or cannot "catch up".
This book provides a very effective and safe venue for employees to onboard at a pace that works for them. In effect, "Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean", becomes a critical, ongoing, user friendly companion for understanding the ins and outs of a very challenging and rewarding process.
"Whaddaya Mean I Gotta Be Lean" is a must read for anyone engaged in the lean implementation process.
Kevin Bush
Director / Principle
Teams & Leaders Inc.
Seattle, WA
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