I think you have to focus on people AND process. There’s a tough balance between, as the consulting, thinking “I see all of the waste, here are some obvious things we could do” and “I’ll bring people along so they’ll see the waste themselves and initiate change because we’ve developed people and a lean culture.”

An organization might not have the luxury of the slower approach of guiding people to the answer. But, an organization might not survive the long term of a consultant telling them what to fix and how to fix it.

It really is a tough balance. I really try to avoid giving clients answers…. believe me, this frustrates them at times. This approach goes slower, and it can be frustrating to me, but I’m convinced it’s the right approach in the long run.

We always try to strive for long-term thinking and not giving people answers. But what if there’s a bad situation that’s hurting people right NOW? There’s an obligation to fix it (to “put the fire out”) and then step back to talk prevention and train people in good fire prevention practices, right?

No easy answers here… thought provoking post.

Nicely said. This reminds me of a fundamental lesson I learned from my mentor years ago. In essence, “You cannot lead people to where you want to go, even if you are right. You can only lead them to where they want to go.”

Am really enjoying the ‘blog…