ABSTRACT
Management in any company, in any stage of development, carries out its responsibilities through a role-set, whether it is consciously selected or is thrust upon them by the prevailing situation and organization culture. A role-set is a set of expected behaviors performed by the role player and formed over time by the interaction between the role player and the group, organization, or institution of which the role player is a member in response to the tasks pursued by the role player. Thus, managers can be viewed as role players. In fact, they may play several roles, as required (or as they perceive them to be required). A few examples of managerial roles in a Lean Performance project include:
Advocate
Champion
Sponsor
Communicator
Motivator
Team builder/team player
Educator/developer
Change agent
Facilitator/coach/catalyst
Mediator/negotiator
These are some of the many roles that managers (individually and as a group) can and are expected to play in a Lean Performance project. The common denominator in all these roles is the function of articulating expectations. Most people respond to concrete examples and explanations rather than plans, policies, and procedures. Let’s take a closer look at the expectations for each role:
Advocate:
The advocate makes clear that becoming lean is the direction the company should take; assumes the role of supporter when the company is deciding whether or not to accept the challenge of becoming lean.
