The Gemba Walk

1. The Gemba Walk Lean Leadership Series

2. Topics What is The Gemba Walk Why Gemba? The Gemba Walk Who’s Doing It? Implementing the Gemba Walk Focal Points The Bottom Line

3. What is the Gemba Walk? In business, Gemba refers to the place where value is created and the general notion is that the best improvement ideas will come simply from going to the Gemba (’bottom-up’ vs. ‘top-down’) The ‘Gemba Walk’ is an activity that takes management to the front lines to look for waste and opportunities a.k.a. to practice Gemba Kaizen which is similar to the “western” concept of MBWA (Management by Walking Around)

4. What is the Gemba Walk? Gemba walk is a way to build up the learning model like sensei’s apprenticeship Senei is also a Japanese work means “teacher or coach” The subordinates are just like students or apprentices A leader should also instill in the subordinates the discipline needed to effectively sustain a lean conversion and have it improve consistently A leader has the responsibility of showing the “True North” direction of his students, coach them, point them in right direction and tell them when to stop and when to go

5. What is the Gemba Walk? A leader teaches by stretching ones thinking and perceptions through questions that stimulate one to consider entirely new possibilities. What would you learn if you measured in smaller intervals of time? What is the team leader supposed to be doing in this situation? How could these expectations be made more clear?

6. A model that allows an organization to recognize the “key group” in a lean transition., “the sergeants and lieutenants in the war against waste”. A model that helps identify existing communication gaps between operators and leadership and leadership and operators. This group is vital to successful policy deployment, and the development of a cultural of continuous improvement. What is the Gemba Walk? Gemba walk is a way of learning. A model that will help you gradually establish a new, lean way of seeing and thinking.

7. Who’s Doing It? Bob Nardelli – CEO Home Depot “There was a perception that I was going out to catch people,” he says. “Over time they understand that I just want to see it like a customer. I can do my job better if I have firsthand exposure to the good, the bad and the ugly.” Michael Dell – Chairman Dell Computer “Michael Dell was known for popping in, unannounced and without an entourage, at the factories in Austin. He would just walk around, look, and listen to people.”

8. Implementing the Gemba Walk Take a walk through the core activities of the whole, extended enterprise: Product and process development. Supplier management. Customer management and support. Fulfillment from order to delivery. General management system for the extended enterprise. (“What do managers do?” “How do managers lead?”)

9. The Bottom Line The currency of leadership is presence. Where leaders spend their time determines what is important to their organization