ABSTRACT
The purpose of getting a clear handle on understanding lean as a culture is to make it more than a set of tools and methodologies and to ensure it gets built into behavior patterns and mindsets. Many organizations believe that a lean culture is simply the culmination of their continuous improvement events or projects. This chapter discusses the common myths about Lean HR that contribute to the underutilization of valuable Human Resources (HR) functions. Lean provides powerful methods to support an organization’s business objectives. Lean HR organizations that want to create or improve upon a strategy fostering an improvement culture must map lean practices to their corresponding values, behaviors, and attitudes. Lean cultures are committed to addressing problems based on facts and use teamwork to ensure that performance improves over time. When HR professionals are uneducated about which improvement practices, behaviors, and attitudes need to be encouraged, they cannot effectively navigate the critical aspect of lean.
