2 Second Lean
Two weeks ago at Lean Coffee Austin two gentlemen from a construction company showed up. It turned out we all share an affinity for 2-Second Lean by Paul Akers. I originally discovered the book almost 15 years ago, not long after it was published, but had not looked at it for a number of years. A fresh look confirmed my earlier opinion of the book as the best combination of fun application and solid principles I’ve seen in the Lean Management literature.
The book chronicles Akers’s journey into Lean Management at his company FastCap, from pride in his excess inventory through obsession with waste elimination, to creating a company culture that challenges everyone to improve continuously.
The book includes stories about Akers traveling to Japan to study companies that implemented Lean Management cultures. The companies are indeed exemplary. But the lesson from these visits is not to imitate what he saw there. Adopting the practices without understanding is a cargo-cult approach. Adopt the principles, and develop the practices to suit your needs and circumstances. Make the principles your own, and the rest will follow.
The primary innovation of the book rests on a simple observation: Big kaizen events are less in keeping with the principle of continuous improvement than are frequent small improvements. While straightforward and clear, this observation has deep implications.
The opportunities for small improvements are everywhere. Akers urges the reader to ask “What bugs me?” and then fix it. And then start again in an endless cycle.
Akers identifies three pillars of his approach to Lean culture:
- Learn to see waste.
- Improve every day.
- Make before and after videos of your improvements.
He sets the expectation that everyone in his organization will do these things, every day.
Why does 2-Second Lean work? I see three basic reasons.
First, the opportunity for small improvement is everywhere. How many things bug you during the day? Every one is another opportunity. Focusing on what bugs you makes it easy and provides some degree of immediate gratification.
Second, even small improvements add up over time. Daily 2-second improvements accumulate to significant effect, especially when they involve frequent operations. And some of will be large, accruing benefit much more quickly.
Third, and most importantly, the constant search for 2-second improvements puts you in the mindset of finding and eliminating waste. That equips you to find larger opportunities for improvement.
What bugs you? Unless you are hopelessly complacent, you have a long list. Fix something. Then repeat.