Early in my career, a mentor told me that I needed to get out of the “ivory tower” of corporate, go out into the field, learn a lot and then come back, which is in fact what I did. Little compares to walking onto a manufacturing site’s floor, watching raw materials take shape into one-of-a-kind products and getting to know the people who make them.
While in manufacturing, I discovered the language of Lean Six Sigma, and the primary lesson that stuck with me is the importance of going to the gemba, meaning “place of work.”
I suppose everyone has a “gemba,” where they do their work, including those in enabling functions like HR; however, this term is meant to refer to where the work gets done that generates revenue. (Let’s skip over the “cost center” conundrum.) Going to the gemba can be hot, cold, smelly, dirty or very sterile. Going to the gemba can feel like unstructured social hour with little immediate return. Going to the gemba… can blow your mind.
Why Go to the Gemba
The gemba is a place of exchange. You share, observe, inquire and learn.
Sometimes you must go to evangelize a message that will otherwise go unread in employees’ inboxes. This ensures the message is heard and provides an opportunity to personalize the message or invitation.
If you’ve ever watched “How It’s Made” and found joy in being a fly on the wall of complex processes, you would love a gemba walk, which is the name given to this trip to and through the place of work. Much can be discovered through observation and inquiry. Go curious and be patient; what you find may surprise you. For instance, if you’re puzzled why an employee cannot come to a meeting during turnaround activities, go watch one and discover how the team uses “all hands on deck” to minimize downtime and ensure the complex process is conducted safely.
Going to the gemba shows you care. You are not ruling from on high or problem solving in the dark. Walk a day in employees’ shoes; note – steel toes are heavy and the valuable work employees do isn’t easy. By taking the time to visit them and appreciate what they do, rapport is developed and respect is earned.
The insights gained from the gemba can inform policies, shape standard practices, improve communications, enhance problem solving, promote safety and quality, spur innovation, aid program design, inspire understanding and benefit culture.
How to Go the Gemba
First, go with a guide who can provide introductions and ensure you know the necessary safety practices. Wear the correct PPE and behave in ways that promote employee and product safety.
Second, once you’ve gotten your bearings, expect some odd looks and come prepared to explain the intent of your visit. Until a repeat gemba walker clarifies their goal, one’s presence could be seen as suspect. A first visit functions as a tour for understanding. A second visit can either be awkward or worrisome. Employees may think you are checking up on or distrust them. You are not big brother, and they need to know that. Let them know that you are seeking to better understand the process or the product and that you wish to learn from them. If you are lucky, they may even put you to work, provide a detailed explanation of the current step or an in-depth tour that a “visitor” would not receive. During this, they are likely to reveal what frustrates them about management, what part of the process is cumbersome or broken, what their concerns are about the company or the current scuttlebutt so you can get ahead of it.
Third, seek to be consistent. Set aside 30-60 minutes a week to gemba walk. Going to the gemba is as much about the work as it is about the people. Try to have a presence across shifts so you can get to know everyone and identify microcultures. This is particularly important on night shift, who so often feel overlooked and neglected. Seek to meet one new person or learn one new thing with each walk.
Gemba Test
Connecting your work to the work at the gemba is paramount. Quite simply, ask yourself - Is what you are doing away from the gemba provide value at the gemba? If so, keep doing it. If not, reevaluate why and how you’re doing it.
To the Point
Be of service. Be hands on. Be present. Go to the gemba.
Image source: Opexity
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