Lean management. Agile management. These are new magic words in our management jargon, which we hear every week during conferences and lectures. But what exactly is lean management? Want to make your organization more efficient to save money? Managing your staff differently to improve results? Or purely a new buzzword? And can we actually do something with it in our daily practice? In this blog we try to guide you into the wonderful world of lean management.

What does lean management actually stand for?

What is your most fervent wish as a manager? Years ago the answer was simple: employees who listen carefully and do what is asked of them. However, this is no longer applicable in our Dutch society. Naturally, we want the work to be done well, but as a manager in the Dutch economy you especially want your employees to take initiative, feel responsible and collaborate effectively with their colleagues. After all, that produces the best result. Lean management emerged from that philosophy. Lean management is based on the idea that as a manager you no longer instruct your employee what to do and when. In this way, the capacity within an organization can be used efficiently and complicated management layers are often no longer necessary. Lean management is therefore a way to combat human waste. However, it's not just freedom. Lean management is also based on the basic rule that as an employee you are not free to do what you want, when you want. There are common goals that are accountable. The end result (the objective) comes first.

The principles of lean management

To enable lean management within an organization, a number of important principles must be taken into account. These principles are not (yet) present in every organization and in some cases will therefore still have to be developed if lean management is chosen.

Value perception is central

In order to improve your process in a lean manner, you as an organization must be very aware of your customer's wishes and needs. You must be able to assess where their value perception lies and focus on this. A great task for the salespeople and representatives within your team.

Process optimization

How is your process structured? Which activities directly add value to the customer's perception and which can possibly be eliminated?

Switched process

Do you work with various departments that are all responsible for their own part? This is not always ideal for lean management. There must be a clear 'flow' from initial to final product. A linked process in which everyone is jointly responsible for the end result. For example, many creative agencies choose to work with client teams. Small efficient teams in which all capabilities are present and which can operate (relatively) independently.

Improvement and coaching as the basis of lean management

A 'lean manager' expects initiative and a sense of responsibility from his employees. That sense of responsibility must primarily focus on improvement. Improving and optimizing the production process. If this does not work, then the time has come for the manager to intervene and start 'managing'.

Lean management is therefore based on two basic flows within business operations: improvement and coaching. The 'improvement' flow is a proven effective management method in which employees work independently and solution-driven. They are responsible for optimizing a process and taking initiative. The 'coaching' flow is used by the manager to develop people within the organization. At all levels. A lean manager is, as it were, a teacher who only intervenes when processes no longer seem to improve independently and who then tries to retrain the team to create the desired conditions again.

Are you curious about what we can do for you in the field of management? Then please inquire about one of the management training by Kenneth Smit, or view our offer in the field of business improvement.