ABSTRACT
Management systems may sound mysterious but they are simply how the daily work gets prioritized, distributed, sequenced, scheduled, staffed, standardized, measured, communicated, recognized, and rewarded. Lean tends to focus on changing these management systems because it is simply more practical and effective. Change the system, and the behavior of the people working in the system will change. One of the great insights of the Shingo Model of Enterprise Excellence is that systems drive behaviors. Individual beliefs and mindsets also drive behavior, of course, but systems are much more dominant in social, organizational behavior. To improve the outcomes of child safety in the neighborhood, the residents found an effective countermeasure by changing aspects of the traffic system that had nothing to do with trying to change drivers’ mindsets with information. Changing one part of a system in isolation rarely produces the desired results.
