ABSTRACT
The transition to a Lean way of thinking can be a significant change, both for organizational cultures and for individual management styles. The Lean management system employs the principles of Lean in its design: elimination of waste, with an emphasis on simplicity, speed, visual management, and collaborative learning. Feedback from the daily work flows back through management to senior leadership, with lessons learned from the field, which leads to reflection and potential strategic course correction. Issues of management roles and responsibilities are often given the least emphasis in the initial stages of a Lean transformation, when focus is on building momentum through localized improvements. The Lean management system establishes a framework to integrate the various functions and value streams together through operations, projects, and improvement activities. Lean leadership and management are social activities; they emphasize interaction and shared learning. The interfaces between value stream management teams and senior leadership depend on the organizational structure.
