How to Do a Gemba Walk: Coaching Gemba Walkers

By Michael Bremer

Taking a Gemba Walk to Go See, Ask Why, and Show Respect is a key way to more actively engage people in performance improvement activities. Even if you currently do Gemba Walks in all likelihood you fall short of what the best companies do. This 'how to guide' provides leaders a basic menu of options on ways to do a more effective Walks.

The updated version provides more sample questions to ask for different types of walks and outlines an approach for leaders seeking to better understand the facts, make better decisions, and build consensus to achieve important goals. It will also provide ideas for continuous improvement practitioners on how to coach senior executives seeking to do this well.

Two chapters were added to this new edition:
1. How to Keep Your Gemba Walks Fresh and Meaningful
2. Recommended Standard Work for an Outside Executive's Gemba Walk when visiting a site (this can be a positive catalyst for organizations seeking to transform and become much more effective with their improvement practices).

The book describes three key reasons for doing a Gemba Walk:
1. Clarify Purpose: Gemba Walks provide a wonderful opportunity to learn if people inside the organization have a deep understanding of 'why' they are doing their work activities.
2. Process Understanding: Leaders can see, with their own eyes, how effectively work activities between departments and between work-groups are aligned with what the organization is trying accomplish.
3. Engaging People: The walks provide an opportunity for leaders discover barriers that inhibit people's ability to do great work.

Examples are drawn from organizations with outstanding improvement practices: Toyota, Autoliv, OC Tanner, Cogent Power and the author's experiences as Chairman of the Association of Manufacturing Excellence's Awards Council.A respectful, effective Gemba Walk builds trust and lays the groundwork for a major transformation

It is amazing what one can learn during a walk How can you be an effective leader and not want to do this?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1723793183
• ISBN13: 9781723793189
• Release Date: September 2018
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 140 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"