Therefore, knowing how to create work teams which function correctly is essential if we are interested in achieving the culture and the results of Lean Production.
Often in the Lean Production implementation processes the tools are taught and used, but how to form successful work groups is almost never taught.
It is necessary to understand that the tools represent only 50% of Lean Production, the remainder is represented by the quantity of interaction between the people who participate in Lean production.
In my book “Team Building for Lean Production” I explain the dynamics of the development of work groups.
(You can receive the pdf of the first chapter free by completing the form here below.)
The scientific model of reference for the development of work groups is that by Bruce Tuckman, it is made up of 4 phases:
- Training phase.
- Contrasts phase.
- Rule creation phase.
- Performance phase.
By being knowledgeable about these 4 phases, you will be able to identify both the cause of its success and those of its malfunctioning by observing a work group at work.
Many managers claim the difficulty of implementing Lean Production and bring out for this the problem of “Resistance to Change”.
The Tuckman model makes it clear that the change is to be put into action in successive phases and it is therefore useless to speak of resistance to change, but we must instead speak of the managerial ability to understand and manage the phase in which a work group finds itself.
Mario Mason
Kaizen Coach
