Walking the Gemba is a process of developing your people. In today's world, business is growing rapidly; corporates are becoming mammoth in terms of number of employees. It is at times getting somewhat difficult for senior leaders of large corporate houses to stay connected with their employees. Practice The Gemba Walk techniques effective way means almost to get connected with employees.

1. The Gemba Walk
Lean Leadership Series
A Tool For Getting Connected With All
Employees.

2. What Is Gemba?
 The term Gemba means “the real place” , a place where
work is actually done or value is created.
 A Gemba is literally any direct location where the action
is taking place.
 Within the lean culture it refers to the location where
value is created and ultimately improved.
 Management is able to observe from the front lines to
develop the best improvement ideas - instead of behind a
desk.

3. Gemba Walk = It’s The
System
Gemba walk is not a rocket science. It is easy and
economical and more importantly can be done with lots of joy.
The results are tremendous in terms of getting valuable
information and building trust all across the organization.
You respect people, you listen to them, you work together.
You do not blame them, Maybe the process was set up well, so
it was easy to make a mistake.
Human error is inevitable. We can never eliminate it. We
can eliminate problems in the system that make it more likely
to happen.

5. Walking the Gemba is a process of developing your people.

6. Why the Gemba Walk? or
Objective of the Gemba Walk
 The objective of a Gemba walk is not to draw a map, or to
solve a specific problem, or to Plan or Do or Check or Act.
A chance to talk with employees & people to understand
purpose, process and to hear what problems are not getting
solved.
Become aware of any existing abnormalities.
Connect team goals with the organization’s strategy.

7. Why the Gemba Walk? or
Objective of the Gemba Walk
Instill discipline (e.g. standard work practices) .
Implement sustainable continuous improvement projects.
Deal immediately with hazardous and unsafe conditions.
Create a more efficient and effective working
environment.
Empower workers to solve problems.
Develop “Lean Thinking” Team Members .

8. Who would be beneficiary?
 Line managers in manufacturing operations.
 Leaders and members of process improvement
teams (staffs).
 Leaders and members of various vertical
functions: IT, HR, product engineering, finance,
purchasing, etc.
 And…consultants.

9. Gemba Walk & Leadership
• Gemba walk is a way to build up the learning model like
sensei’s apprenticeship
▫ Senei is also a Japanese word means “teacher or coach”.
▫ The subordinates are just like students or apprentices.
• The Gemba walk is a part of “Check” in Plan-Do-Check-
Act.
• A leader should also instill in the subordinates the discipline
needed to effectively sustain a lean conversion and have it
improve consistently.
• A leader has the responsibility of showing the “True North”
direction of his students, coach them, point them in right
direction and tell them when to stop and when to go.

10. A SOLUTION AND ACTIONS

11. Gemba Walk model
• A model that allows an organization to recognize the “key
group” in a lean transition.
• A model that helps identify existing communication gaps
between operators and leadership and leadership and
operators. This group is vital to successful policy
deployment, and the development of a cultural of continuous
improvement.
Gemba walk is a way of learning. A model that
will help you gradually establish a new, lean way
of seeing and thinking.

12. Your Approach is Key
Before you go to the Gemba you have to know
how to approach the Gemba:
• The observer must have a deep interest in
understanding what is really going on
• Leave all assumptions and opinions at the office.
Show respect.
• Direct observation takes a specific skill set. It
essential to getting the most out of your Gemba.

13. Your Approach is Key
• The goal is to fully understand Gemba behaviors
and how they relate to the current situation within
the Gemba
Your direct interaction with the employee(s) is
important to the Gemba
Make sure they feel respected to get the most out of
your Gemba.
Great opportunity to strengthen your lean culture.

16. Know Your Purpose
If you don't know why you're there, then there's no
point being there .
Wandering around without a purpose is inefficient and
counter- productive.
Know before you go
Why am I going to observe?
What am I trying to learn?
You should never go to a Gemba without knowing these
answers first!

18. Know Your Gemba
Calling your factory floor “your” Gemba is
limiting your ability to improve
The Gemba is wherever the activity is
performed that you are trying to understand and
improve.
Each organization has it's own unique points
of activity.
Each point is a new Gemba.

19. Observe The Framework
Observing takes…
• Time • Effort • Patience • Practice • Humility
Taking the Gemba Walk: Tips for Observing
 Gain Understanding of the Process
 Test Positions and Locations for Observing
 Record Observations & Questions
 Do not Assume, Ask
 Do not be in a Rush - Grow Roots

20. Validate
 Never assume that what you see is what you get. Assume
that what you see is a true representation of reality.
 Something's the eye can't see.
 Thought process as one works through a problem.
 If you don't know the norm, you can't address
abnormalities in the process. Avoid a false reality.
 When an observation is complete, validate your
conclusions with the one you observed.
 You can then test your reality and validate your claims.

21. What Gemba Is Not
 Gemba is NOT Management by Walking
Around or wandering around (MBWA).
 Your goal is not to solve specific problems by walking
around pointing out negatives .
 Participating or observing a daily or tier management
meeting.
 One place that is not “Gemba” is a manager’s desk.
 An opportunity to find fault in others.

22. What Gemba Is Not
 Don’t come with preoccupied .
 Don’t come having already decided.
 Don’t come to lecture.
 Don’t come to get it off the list.
 Don’t come holding your nose .
 Don’t come as a wolf.

23. What Are You Waiting For?
GET TO THE GEMBA!
Observe the Gemba
Engage with Employees
Continue to Improve Operations
Sustain your Lean Practices
Strengthen your Culture

24. Implementing the Gemba Walk
• Take a walk through the core activities of the whole,
extended enterprise:
▫ Product and process development.
▫ Supplier management.
▫ Customer management and support.
▫ Fulfillment from order to delivery.
▫ General management system for the extended
enterprise. (“What do managers do?” “How do
managers lead?”)

25. Implementing technique for the Gemba Walk
 Be frank in your approach while talking to your
colleagues. Avoid formal ways of conversation as it
results in rigid responses most of the time.
 Listen passionately. People tend to be more interested in
talking and sharing when they see leaders are paying due
attention.
 Instead of sharing your ideas, ask people to come up
with their views and thoughts. People need to realize --
ideas are sought in order to make things better for them.

26. Implementing technique for the Gemba Walk
 Be absolutely open and honest while answering any
query or question. In case you do not have the right
answer, please admit that, follow up and get back. If
you are not in a position to share something, please
say it upfront. Hiding facts or saying half-truths could
completely destroy the trust.
 Recognize people's success immediately. When
things are not going right, avoid giving immediate
feedback in public. This should be done later on in
private.

27. Implementing technique for the Gemba Walk
 An equal amount of time and focus need to be invested in
every function. Biasness towards a section of people or
function might ruin the whole purpose. A leader must be
approachable by everyone in the organization.
 Do not always talk about “work” only. Try to build
relationship with your staff at a personal level. Simple things
like smile, cracking jokes, and patting on the back have greater
impact on building relationship.
 Communicate and share company vision, goals, values,
strategies with all staff members. If the whole organization is
not tuned, success is hard to come by.

29. The Bottom Line
The currency of leadership is presence.
Where leaders spend their time determines
what is important to their organization