ABSTRACT
Edgar Schein's model of organizational culture, originating in the 1980s, identified three distinct components of organizational culture: artifacts and behaviors, espoused values and assumptions. Organizations that want to change and sustain different cultural norms must move beyond traditional monitoring and control of financial and operational performance indicators and start observing key behavioral indicators (KBI) so undesired behaviors can be adjusted and desirable behaviors reinforced. Lean walks can be used to observe operational behaviors and provide insight as to how an organization executes systems, follows procedures, tackles problems, makes decisions and interacts with each other as part of their daily work routines. Lean walks can be a valuable means of revealing employee behaviors in their natural environment. Operational excellence is a reflection of properly created and controlled systems aligned with guiding principles reflective of an organization's core values and beliefs. Operational excellence requires both managers and employees to hold themselves and others accountable to highest standard of performance that systems allow.
