THE
ROLE OF MANAGEMENT IN "KAIZEN"
M.
Ramesha
Management Consultant, Trainer and Auditor
'KAIZEN"
is a "bottom up" management technique. The lowest
hierarchial level takes the initiative to "Continuously
improve the processes" of the organization.
In the last article we
discussed about "Role of Supervisors in Kaizen"
and now let us discuss "The role of Management in
Kaizen".
The Management is the
provider of "Resources" and "Congenial
environment" for KAIZEN.
The
minimum that any management should provide are:
1.
A decent meeting place for the workers and supervisors
to meet in order to
a)
exchange ideas through brainstorming
b)
conduct training sessions
These
initiatives are taken up during normal working hours and
not during overtime or on holidays.
2. A recognition scheme
for those who involve in KAIZEN.
3. Consider KAIZEN as
the most important consideration to move up in the hierarchial
level of the organization. (Not by seniority or age or
qualification etc.)
The intention is to motivate
and reward innovative personnel in the organization. As
our former Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi once said
"We are not creating extraordinary people, we definitely
want ordinary people to do extraordinary things".
The approach of Management
towards KAIZEN should be something similar to this.
The recognition and reward
scheme should raise the motivation, morale and self esteem
of all the personnel in the organization without any exception.
Recognition of an individual is always done by the team
members, fellow workers and the supervisors.
Similarly the recognition
of a supervisor is always done by the fellow supervisors
and the managers.
The recognition of a manager
is always done by the fellow managers and the top management.
Every individual in the
organization has his/her day earmarked for recognition
and reward.
There is always a win-win
situation. Similarly the reward of ascendancy in the hierarchial
level (not to be mistaken for promotion) is based on the
role played by the individual to support and uplift the
personnel working in the lower hierarchial level.
If a manager helps more
no. of supervisors to become managers through KAIZEN,
he/she will become a part of the Top management.
If a supervisor helps
more no. of workmen to become supervisors through KAIZEN
he/she will become a Manager.
Who is the loser in this
reward scheme?
This is a scheme, where
each of the personnel in the organization will be pushed
up by the personnel working at lower hierarchial levels
(Not the subordinates) and every individual is "pulled
up" by his/her leader (Not the superior or boss).
Thus there is no superior-subordinate relationship
in the organization. There are no "underdogs"
in the organization.
Performance control replaces
administrative control.
Such environment breeds
innovation and brings out the best in each and every individual
in the organization.
When brainstorming sessions
and training sessions are held during normal working hours,
the management sends a clear communication to the personnel
that these initiatives are highly productive activities.
After these initiatives, the personnel start working round
the clock to achieve the milestones set during brainstorming
and training sessions.
What a wonderful method
of motivating the personnel to raise their self esteem!
KAIZEN is not a suggestion
scheme.
While suggestion scheme
rewards personnel through monetary benefits, the KAIZEN
thrives on building a team with higher motivation and
morale.
After some time suggestion
scheme loses its charm because of the inbuilt pitfalls
of monetary reward schemes.
KAIZEN
is ever fresh and evergreen since human morale, motivation
and self esteem are the founding principles.
