A Monthly Note from Utah Lean Six Sigma Training Center
This monthly note is designed to respect your time and sharpen your thinking: one useful idea, one real-world insight, and one small nudge toward better work.
One Useful Idea – Respect for People Is a Performance Strategy
Lean is often described as a set of tools. It isn’t. It’s a system built on two pillars: continuous improvement and respect for people.
Respect, in this context, is not about being nice. It’s about designing work so people can succeed. That means:
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Clear expectations
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Defined roles
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Visible problems
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Safe conversations about what isn’t working
When those elements are missing, collaboration breaks down. Not because people don’t care—but because the system forces guessing, defensiveness, and rework. Healthy process design reduces emotional friction. And when emotional friction drops, performance rises. Good collaboration doesn’t happen by accident.
Lessons for Real Work – Where Collaboration Actually Fails
In organizations, collaboration problems rarely stem solely from personality conflicts. More often, they stem from ambiguity. We worked with a cross-functional team that described their issue as “communication problems.” After mapping their workflow, the real issues surfaced: gaps in authority and unclear decision rights.
Two departments believed the other was making decisions that, in reality, weren’t being made by anyone until someone complained. So work stalled. Emails multiplied. Meetings expanded. No one was being unprofessional. The process was just unclear. Once ownership was clarified and documented, collaboration improved almost immediately. Not because people suddenly liked each other more, but because confusion was removed by defining the process.
When collaboration feels strained, look at structure before you blame people or culture.
A Simple Action to Try
In your next cross-functional meeting, ask:
“Who owns the final decision on this?“
If the answer isn’t immediate and unanimous, you’ve found your next improvement opportunity.
Pass It On!
If you know someone who would benefit from practical, no-nonsense Lean training, we appreciate the introduction, and we show that
appreciation with cash.
• Lean Foundations (Yellow Belt): $20
• Lean Leadership (Green Belt): $50
• Lean Enterprise (Black Belt): $100
Friends, colleagues, and family members all count. This is our simple way of saying thank you.
