At every organization that has embarked on a lean journey, managers are well aware of the need to “show respect” for their people. In fact, respect for people is one of the two pillars of the Toyota Way. Thus, when asked, lean managers usually say that “employees should be treated fairly, given clear goals, trusted to achieve them in the best way, and held accountable for results …” It´s important to remind that some people think respect for people is being polite and courteous, but once and for all we’re not talking about being nice.
One of the two pillars of the Toyota Way and central to lean culture, respect for people is often misunderstood by outsiders. Many think that respect is only about listening to peoples’ ideas, empowering them to have a say in how the work should be done, and creating personal autonomy in the workplace. These concepts are certainly part of the respect for people mindset but miss an essential element.
“Having high respect for people is much simpler than actually demonstrating that respect…”
To understand what’s missing, take a moment to complete this simple exercise; write down the name of a person for whom you have great respect. It might be a teacher, boss, parent, coworker or friend. Now think about what you respect in this individual, and about your relationship. With this person in mind, answer the question, “If you respect someone, do you expect more from them or less?”
The gap is now obvious. When you respect someone, you expect more from them. A lot more. You expect better ideas, more integrity, stronger performance, faster improvement, fewer errors, and seamless teamwork.
I’ve never met a person who says they don’t have high respect for people, but what’s important for a leader is how much they demonstrate respect for people, not what they believe. There are many reasons why our behavior sometimes conflicts with our belief: organizational culture, formal policy, or pressures of the moment. For example, my friend might believe that texting while driving is never a good idea. But if he texts just this “one time” to let me know he’s running late, it’s his behavior that causes the accident, not his beliefs. So, what does respect for people look like in behavior?
Let’s look at a comparison.
| Low Demonstrated Respect for People | High Demonstrated Respect for People |
| Tell them what to do | Ask them what to do |
| Explain the problem | Let them to discover the problem |
| Set the goals | Teach them to set their own goals |
| Fix the problem for them | Let them struggle |
| Convince them of your way | Ask them to explain their way |
| Expect little | Expect a lot |
| Accept their results | Challenge them to do better |
Having high respect for people is much simpler than actually demonstrating that respect consistently in your behavior. I’ve worked with many good people who have true concern for those they work with, and for their growth and development. However, watching one of your direct reports struggle with a problem when you already know the answer, is not easy. It requires a firm belief that they will be better off in the long run if they figure this one out on their own. It also requires you to put the learning and growth of this individual ahead of the need for speed in solving the immediate problem. In addition, you must consider the risk associated with the learning curve in each situation. Letting your child touch the hot stove might be the best way for them to learn about that hazard, but you would probably not let them play in traffic to learn the dangers of an oncoming bus.
With the idea of respect for people in mind, pay attention to your own interactions with those around you for one day. Are you mostly asking questions, or giving direction? Do you favor quick results ahead of capacity building? Are you sacrificing the long-term development of your team to meet short-term key performance indicators?
Like all aspects of lean, demonstrating respect for people takes practice, and is not an all-or-nothing prospect. Leading with a focus on respect for people is a skill that is learned over time and improves with practical application. Take an honest look at your own behavior and challenge yourself to demonstrate more respect for people. Practice by making small, gradual changes in your habits. Over time, you’ll find the shift creates a more empowered team that is capable of much more than you are currently giving them credit for.
In summary, the Lean Leadership (or Lead with Respect) it is a very important rhetoric for senior leaders, managers, improvement leaders, lean champions & continuous improvement practitioners and usually can be disseminated through seven core practices:
- Go and See for Yourself: Basic to any lean manager’s role is the Gemba Walk, a foundational practice that remains the basis of showing respect and achieving genuine understanding. The leader needs to observe first hand the work environment, processes, products and services, as well as the obstacles people face every day;
- Creating a Meaningful Challenge: The “challenge” here is about highlighting specific improvement dimensions in any job. The act of challenging brings an influx of energy and constructive tension to get teams focused on the right problems they need to solve;
- Effective Listening: Listening means understanding the point of view of the employee as well as the obstacles they face;
- Teaching and Coaching: The heart of people development in lean is problem-based learning. Developing mutual trust in problem-solving builds respect. Problem-solving can be taught and once learned, can generate real behavior change and higher levels of performance that help sustain the lean transformation;
- Supporting Others: Both visual control-driven kaizen and improvement-driven kaizen need to be supported by management stepping in and showing an interest by highlighting problems and clearing obstacles, as well as recognizing and reinforcing employees’ efforts;
- Fostering Teamwork: Teamwork means respecting others’ opinions and embracing shared objectives. It also means being able to separate the individual from the problem – being tough on the problem without placing blame so that a genuine win-win outcome can emerge;
- Learning as a Leader: Learning means leaders discern new ways to see the business so that, in solving detailed work problems, they learn to see and discover what topics matter most to the business’ future development. Leaders learn to appreciate others’ experience and perspectives and discover what others have to teach them.
Source: Klaus Lemke | Lean Tools & Lean Enterprise Institute
