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The Bad Boy of Lean

April 25, 2019 by Bob Emiliani

“A real irony is that ‘respect for people’ requires that people feel the pain of critical feedback.” — Akio Toyoda

bad bob
Illustration by Julia

Yes, that’s me; the Bad Boy of Lean, el chico malo de Lean. I am an irritant to some Lean movement leaders because I freely challenge their work. As a result, I have a bad reputation — a sentiment that is far from universal. I earned my blemish by doing five simple things: Thinking, asking questions, identifying problems, studying problems, and sometimes discovering innovative solutions. I was a “whistleblower” who exposed incorrect or inconsistent things about Lean. In the language of Lean, I pulled the andon cord.

If you only know me from social media — which is a terrible way to know someone — you could easily conclude that I am an asshole because of my criticism of Lean. But, you would be wrong. I have a great love for TPS and Lean and have been a passionate advocate for 25 years. My doing both confuses people. Is it necessary? Yes. Why do it? To understand problems in the construction and execution of Lean over time, and curiosity about two different but complementary problems — Lean success and Lean failure.

My reputation deprives me of high status in the Lean community. Though, if I did have high status, I would constantly worry about it. I would then spend a lot of time and effort to maintain or improve my status as others invariably do. That would distract me from doing important work that nobody else does. So having a bad reputation turns out to be a blessing because it enables me to do the work that needs to be done. I own it, totally.

My work in getting to the truth and advancing knowledge is not for everyone. Some people appreciate that I speak truth to power, challenge the status quo, and point out the facts of a situation (example). Others don’t like it, but they learn a lot from my work and it changes their thinking and actions. Then there are the the big names in Lean world, who, almost unanimously, dislike me for pulling the andon cord when needed. Rather than understand problems and make others aware of them, they would prefer I said nothing. Their weakness is my strength.

I don’t care about fitting in with them or how they define me. What I do care about is moving forward in support of my students, Lean practitioners, and others whose desire it is to learn and improve. I care that the information that they get is accurate and that they have a clear understanding of reality so that the actions they take to improve are not futile.

Respect for people can manifest itself in unexpected ways.

“They laugh at me because I’m different. I laugh at them because they’re all the same.” — Kurt Cobain

“Only individuals with an aberrant temperament can in the long run retain their self-esteem in the face of the disesteem of their fellows.” – Thorstein Veblen  

Click here to read “What I Learned from Two Decades of Asking Questions About Lean,” and why social sanctions to conform have been ineffective.

Filed Under: BobEmiliani.com, Continuous Improvement, Funny Stuff, Lean Leadership, Real Lean v. Fake Lean, Respect for People Tagged With: Bad boy of lean, Lean management, Respect for People

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Steven McInnis says

    April 16, 2019 at 4:29 pm

    I believe it is important to criticize ideologies even if you practice them on a daily basis. Critical thinking goes hand in hand with an open mind and allows you to make changes and counter arguments. This will create adaptation and inspire critical outlooks from others which is a positive driving force in any culture, system, or ideology.

  2. Bob Emiliani says

    April 16, 2019 at 5:26 pm

    Hi Steven – I happen to agree with you, but the Lean big shots see things differently. They are averse to criticism (someone pulling the andon cord), perhaps due to their vested interests.

  3. John dennis says

    April 18, 2019 at 4:19 am

    You have a great reputation as far as I am concerned ! You are the voice of reason and reality !

  4. Bob Emiliani says

    April 18, 2019 at 5:00 am

    Thanks John. Reason and reality is always the intent, though some fail to see that.

  5. Troy says

    April 28, 2019 at 5:50 am

    Bob, we all know the definition of stupidity. If modern organisations are to realise the true potential of their efforts then disruption and change are crucial. Keep up the good work, those in the know are with you.

  6. Bob Emiliani says

    April 28, 2019 at 6:37 am

    Thanks Troy. I will.

  7. James Stewart says

    July 16, 2020 at 3:16 am

    Bob, we are all contrained by our own baises and percpetions of the world and I truely anyone who helps me think differently .
    I then know I am learning new things.
    I cant remember who said this to me once but it has stuck with me ….
    “The greatest Leaders are those who recognise as they learn how little they know”

    I have learnt a lot from you so dont stop, if fact how can we support you…?

  8. Bob Emiliani says

    July 16, 2020 at 6:40 am

    Thank you James.

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