Dr. Mark Jaben speaks on Engagement
Dr. Mark Jaben gave a scientific talk about why Lean works, and when it doesn't. To see the entire one hour, join the Liker Leadership Institute. join by emailing [email protected]
Dr. Jaban is an Emergency Physician - and - Coach for the Liker Leadership Institute.
Everyone recognizes the need to change. Why, then, is it so difficult? In the lean world early Japanese masters were known in frustration to call managers "concrete heads" when they discovered they could not see the waste that was right in front of their face. Why are there so many 'concrete' heads? Just why don't 'they' get it?
Nobody starts their day intending to make bad decisions; yet, many of our best intentioned efforts don't quite work out. Hard as we try to foster creativity and innovation, it just doesn't happen. The important insights lie in how our brains operate. The fact is the world is changing faster than our brain is evolving. As we learn more, it is becoming clearer that there are certain operating features that no longer serve us well.
Yet, much of belief about management, leadership, motivation, and innovation are based in these outdated operating features. Nowhere is this more evident than in our attempts to guide and shepherd change-- in ourselves and with our colleagues.
For instance, how can two people look at the same set of facts and have two completely different interpretations? Why do we stick to our guns in the face of data that suggests otherwise?
Here is one reason. Our brain is not into reality. Rather, it wants to make a plausible explanation of the data it takes in so that it can act now in the face of danger. This is essential, life preserving, if we need to avoid the saber tooth tiger lurking at the edge of the forest. But acting on plausibility may not lead to the best decision in complex, conflicted circumstances. The truth is we cannot trust our brain for an accurate assessment of the current condition. We must look elsewhere to challenge this plausible explanation, either within ourselves or from others. Gaining agreement on a current state value stream map, for example, requires us to agree on just what is actually happening, not what we think is happening. Even more challenging is getting agreement to a desired future state map which requires us to acknowledge the needs of others who touch the process, provide a foundation to support the negotiation, arbitration and mediation necessary to agree on the next best vision for improvement in a given set of circumstances.