Until I get tired of hearing or reading, “If you have a problem, don’t hesitate to come to me.” “My door is always open.”
I have a lot of experience in business. Practically, in every type of organization. In many sectors. Somehow I have not observed crowds, queues, to the manager, director asking for help. Despite the open door. Is such a declaration actually the attitude of a true leader?
I will try to contrast this with two well-known figures. The first is Taiichi Ohno, the father of the Toyota Production System, which was renamed Lean Manufacturing. The second figure is Napoleon, the god of war. Both did not follow an open-door policy. Both were on the front line.
Taiichi Ohno had a habit of constantly asking his subordinates, his managers, what problems they noticed in their area. In doing so, he was extremely inquisitive. He pestered everyone around him by repeatedly asking “why”. If he noticed that one of his managers didn’t really know what the problems and challenges were in his area, he took him to production, to specific workstations, drew a large circle with chalk and had the delinquent stand in the center of that circle until he fully grasped what his employees were facing. Often such stopping in a circle took some time. Even a few hours. I heard such a story, I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s very fitting for Taiichi’s personality.
One day he tracked down a delinquent who was not aware of his department’s problems. He took him by the collar and led him to where his men were working. He drew a circle with chalk, placed him in the center and told him to watch the process. And he told him to stand in that circle and watch for the rest of the day. At the end of his shift, he called him in and had him debrief what the manager had noted during that observation. He quickly realized that the manager was telling him the familiar and standard stories about the process. At that time he stated: “Tomorrow you will also stand in the circle all day.” The next day, the manager put a bit of weight on his observations and, at the end of the meeting, pointed out to Taiichi the rather interesting and specific phenomena he had observed. A satisfied Taiichi is said to have said, “You did a good job. Tomorrow you only stand half a day in a circle drawn with chalk.”
We could consider Napoleon’s approach to his soldiers revolutionary even in modern times. The emperor was in the habit of personally helping the wounded in battles. He was a paramedic. In the evenings, especially on the eve of battle, he would sit together with his soldiers by the fire, eating what they ate. He took care of their uniforms and looked after their equipment. Whenever he spoke after winning a battle, he gave credit to the army. As a result, soldiers were buoyed by pride in the battles and campaigns they had won. They conceived of the entire war effort as a common good. Napoleon made in their minds that his wars became their wars. He often donned the gray garb of an ordinary corporal. When he sat down with the soldiers, talked to them and, above all, listened to them, he did not want to be recognized as their emperor, but as one of them. More than once he was recognized by soldiers, and then his image as a leader who walks shoulder to shoulder with a private soldier, who feels the same as each of them feels, was incredibly enhanced.
Let’s go back to the world of management, to Lean Management. Taiichi Ohno spread the practice of presence and observation on gemba. Surely you have heard the saying: “Go to gemba.” Probably no one today stands for hours in the middle of a circle drawn with chalk. Although some pseudo-leaders would find it useful. Let’s decipher this issue. Let’s start with the word “gemba” itself. This Japanese word means the actual, physical place where employees do their work, i.e. create value for the customer. There they face problems, difficulties. There, on gemba, they solve these problems,
are successful, show innovation, improve many things. The idea is that the supervisor, the manager, should visit the workplace of his subordinates as often as possible. Sometimes in a Lean environment we talk about cutting off the invisible chains that seem to hold the manager, the director so tightly to his desk. Related to “gemba” is the second Japanese term “genbutsu.” Literally means “materials.” Then, being on gemba, one should look at the actual work of the subordinate. Literally take in what he does.
This can be the application of a customer who wants to open an account with our bank. Or a complaint about late delivery. Or inquire about the features of our products. Thus, we have a second “G.” There is also a third, “genchi genbutsu.” We translate them simply: “Go and See.” This is an appeal to superiors of every rank. Leave your wonderful office. See what your employees do. Get involved in solving their problems. One of the very well-known co-creators of the Lean philosophy and founder of the Kaizen Institutes, Masaaki Imai, calculated that 90% of all difficulties taking place on gemba can be eliminated immediately if supervisors see the problem at the source and get involved in solving it. This can only happen in a 3G system: gemba, genbutsu, genchi genbutsu. Certainly not in a manager’s or director’s office, even if they have the door open.
I have seen supervisors who read something about Lean, or took some Lean courses, and decided to show the whole world how correct they are now, and started visiting their employees at their place of work. So much so that their gemba visitation had nothing to do with being a leader, caring about people and the process. They behaved more like an old-time bursar overseeing the work of serf peasants. They were closer to the kind of bursar, who likes to bite down on the calves with a stick to make the peasants work better in the fields. They were physically on gemba, but they didn’t get involved in solving problems, just rushed the workers: “You have to speed up.” This is not what Taiichi Ohno and Napoleon did. They solved people’s problems. They did not smack them with a whip. The Lean world has developed three principles, three requirements that leaders are required to uphold while on the gemba:
1. Observe.
2. Ask and listen attentively.
3 Show respect to people who create value for the customer.
Calm down and stay in the warmth of your own comfort. He can focus on his business. On his processes. On solving his problems. After all, when someone in the workforce really gets something, they will come. Finally, I have an open door policy. But, that I would be the one to go and visit the workstations? So that I would be the one to ask and listen? Such responsibilities are not in my job description as a manager, director, CEO. I have more important things on my mind: investors, the audit, my boss’ visit, my presentation to the board. And people? People, if they have a problem, let them come to me. After all, I always have the door open.
And what kind of leader do you want and need? Taiichi who, next to your workspace, will patiently stand in a circle with a chalk, watch and observe, patiently ask and listen? Or Napoleon, who will ask you if you have everything you need for your job, what problems do you have, who will roll up his sleeves and get together with you to solve your problems? But would you rather drop by the cool boss’ office, be treated to a good cup of coffee and a pastry? And talk like a therapist about your problems?
As you become a boss, manager, director, maybe even CEO someday, remind yourself of this reflection.
