Lean and Innovation
The WSJ has a Saturday report section on business and
innovation, including the article I’ve linked to here (which
can also be found here for free). Lean and a focus on process
and standardized work is sometimes criticized as a method that
stifles innovation. I think most of us in the Lean world don’t see
it this way, that standard process and methodology can actually
help CREATE innovation. I think Toyota proves this out, both in
their factories and their product development process. It’s a topic
that our good friend
Kevin Meyer often writes about over at Evolving Excellence.
The article lists the three major dysfunctions that hamper
innovation as:
- No communication
- Bad gatekeepers (ones who are often risk adverse)
- Insularity (informal networks that fall apart when individuals
leave)
I can’t see how Lean or standard processes would create any of
those three dysfunctions. So maybe we can stop blaming Lean for a
lack of innovation? Those three dysfunctions are just as likely to
be there in a traditional organization or management system.
The article doesn’t talk about Lean and I’m not going to claim
that Lean is a cure all, but there are some Lean aspects to the
“solutions” that the WSJ authors suggest.
Some of their solutions include:
- “Rapidly test and refine ideas.” Rather than
long, slow batch processes where ideas are thrown from one silo of
experts to the next, the suggest fast cycles with teams that cross
functional boundaries. The Lean concepts of flow and batch
reduction, along with cycle time reduction, will lead to improved
processes, including that of innovation. - “Make collaboration easy.” This reminds of a
Deming idea about motivating people. You can’t motivate them, you
can only avoid demotivating, which this article states.
The Lean approach and the Deming philosophy already give us some
direction for how to improve processes, including innovation. How
much more “new” research and insight do we need? How about we try
implementing methods that have already been given to us?
Do you have any examples of how Lean and innovation work hand in
hand? Have you seen lean or process methods be stifling in your
environment? Click “comments” to share.
The report is
written in collaboration with the MIT
Sloan School of Management and the Sloan Management Review, so I’ll
give a shout out to my alma mater.
