Why is culture so important when implementing Lean?

Lean is a culture of continuous improvement practiced at every level of the organizationand by every team. Lean is the application of the scientific method of experimentation and study of workprocesses and systems to find improvements. Lean is respect for people. It is respect for the voice of the customer and it is respect forthose who do the work, who are “on-the-spot” and are, therefore, the “world’s greatestexperts” in their work. Lean is the elimination of waste in all its forms. Lean is the ability to distinguish betweenwork that actually adds value to your customers and work that does not. By eliminatingwaste, you free resources to devote to value-adding activity that serves your customers. Lean is a work environment that assures the quality and safety of all work for bothcustomers and staff. Lean is a focus on improving the work process and not on blaming people or creatingfear. Lean is a culture of teamwork, shared responsibility and ownership that cuts throughorganization walls or silos. Lean is a culture that returns the joy to work. Honda speaks of the three joys of buying,selling and making the product. We do our best work when we have joy in our work. Lean is flow. Lean is an interruption-free process that flows from beginning to end without interruption.