After you read this, step away from your desk — don’t worry, no one is going to get hurt — and go on a gemba walk. No, it’s not a form of martial arts, but it may improve workplace respect and culture. But how, and what, is a gemba walk?
Gemba is a Japanese term translated literally as “the real place.” For our purposes, this is where the work is actually happening, such as the factory floor in manufacturing, a virtual or brick-and-mortar customer service desk in IT or the operating room in healthcare.
Taiichi Ohno, then an executive at Toyota and chief architect of the Toyota Production System in the 1950s, was known to draw circles on the production floor for managers to stand in for hours until they noticed inefficiencies in the work environment.
That may sound extreme, but we can soften it for the 21st century and still benefit from observing how work occurs, rather than pontificating about problems and solutions from our far-removed ivory towers.
Where the Real Insight Happens
Of course, there are guidelines — we’re not just going for a leisurely stroll. The now-famous words of Toyota Chairman Fujio Cho, “Go see, ask why, show respect,” are immortalized as basic Lean principles. In an article for Lean Enterprise Institute, John Shook recalls learning how to conduct a gemba walk from Cho, his advisor.
“Go see, ask why, show respect is the way we turn the philosophy of scientific empiricism into actual behavior,” Shook writes. “We want to understand every gemba from the standpoints of Purpose, Process, and People.”
To start (Go See), we want to observe and inquire whether there is alignment of work processes for employees. Are systems cumbersome or frustrating? Can they achieve goals with ease? View the workplace as a socio-technical system, Shook says, observing what teams can learn to improve or how systems can be streamlined.
This philosophy applies across industries — from IT and customer service to the trades and office environments.
Because when you actually observe the work, you begin to see what really matters. The skills that drive performance aren’t theoretical; they’re visible in how people collaborate, communicate and solve problems in real time.
Employees Already Know the Answers
Next (Ask Why), it’s time to recognize that the experts in your company are your frontline workers. Whether anyone has articulated it as such, they are the source of truth. They see what’s really happening where the actual work takes place, day in and day out, moment by moment.
Ask about their frustrations and what would make their workflow smoother. They’ll already have creative solutions you cannot envision from your 30,000-foot viewpoint.
“A good approach is to start your gemba walk as close as possible to the customer and work your way back, considering ‘what would flow look like?’” Shook says.
Keep in mind, we want continuous improvement with small, ongoing changes. This will maximize impact without disrupting service or products, while improving retention, employee engagement and productivity.
Turning Insight into Impact
Lastly (Show Respect), as you visit your frontline staff, let them see that you value them and their opinions, not the least by identifying overburden, poor quality and waste.
Engage them, rely on their insights and assist with their professional development. Doing so will create loyal employees and better processes, not to mention superior products or services. True respect, Shook says, includes setting high expectations (you know they’re fully capable), while providing a safe and efficient environment for them to succeed.
Measurable improvement starts where value is created, and it’s not created in those endless boardroom meetings. Rather than investing in more data, surveys or consultants, start by talking to your people.
The answers you’re seeking are already there. The question is, will you go see them? Above all, remember the first rule of a gemba walk: “Do no harm!”