In this webinar, Warren Stokes, Director of Process Improvement at HonorHealth, shares a pragmatic message many leaders need to hear:
The worst time to abandon Lean is when you feel the most pressure.
When organizations face budget gaps, volume shifts, pricing pressure, or operational strain, the instinct is often to “pause the Lean work” and move into command-and-control cost cutting. Stokes argues this is exactly backwards. The same Lean thinking used for long-term transformation is the most effective way to respond to short-term pressure.
This session focuses on simplicity, practicality, and tapping the knowledge of the frontline before reaching for complex tools or top-down mandates.
The False Choice: Short Term vs. Long Term
Leaders are often told:
“We’re committed to Lean… just not right now.”
Stokes reframes this as a false choice. Lean is not an add-on that slows action. It is the most direct way to find waste, reduce cost, and engage people during urgent situations.
The key is using Lean language, tools, and leadership behaviors in a way that builds trust rather than creating anxiety or disengagement.
Where the Cost Opportunities Really Are
Stokes describes three layers of opportunity that exist in most organizations:
- ~10%: “Fruit on the ground” — ideas the frontline already knows
- ~20%: Operational risk and waste (rework, scrap, delays, meetings, poor quality)
- ~30%: Process restructuring across departments and value streams
The biggest mistake leaders make is skipping the first two and jumping immediately to structural change or labor cuts.
Turn Data into Information People Can Act On
A recurring theme is that leaders often have plenty of data but little shared understanding.
Before acting, leaders must:
- Validate definitions of key metrics
- Ensure a single source of truth
- Add context so data becomes useful information
- Narrow focus to the critical few business drivers
This clarity reduces anxiety and aligns the organization around real problems instead of vague directives like “do more with less.”
Speak Lean in the Language of Your Organization
Using Lean jargon can unintentionally create distance. Stokes encourages leaders and improvement teams to translate Lean into everyday language:
- “Find the waste” instead of “find the muda”
- “Balance workload” instead of “heijunka”
- “Where is the work actually happening?” instead of abstract terminology
This builds engagement instead of intimidation.
Reduce Waste by Reducing Meetings
One striking example: middle managers spend ~35% of their time in meetings; senior leaders ~50%.
Under pressure, organizations add more meetings for updates—exactly when leaders should be out removing barriers and solving problems.
Visual dashboards and simple storyboards (A3 thinking) replace many of these meetings and free up problem-solving capacity.
Simple Tools That Work Immediately
Stokes walks through practical tools leaders can apply right away:
- A simple prioritization matrix (frequency vs. impact)
- Visual dashboards that focus only on the critical few metrics
- A3 storyboards for visible problem solving
- SIPOC (Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers) to clarify cross-functional work
- Two-week rapid PDSA cycles to create momentum
Leadership’s Role: Create the Right Energy
Frontline staff may feel targeted when leaders show up during a crisis. Leaders must:
- Be specific about the situation
- Avoid generic phrases like “work smarter”
- Show visible support for improvement work
- Remove barriers instead of issuing directives
This creates the psychological safety needed to unlock frontline ideas.
Key Takeaway
Cost pressure does not require abandoning Lean.
It requires practicing Lean more simply, more visibly, and more consistently than ever—so small improvements add up like pebbles in the fable of the crow raising the water level in the pitcher.
Lean is not what you do when you can afford it.
It is what you do when you can’t afford not to.Abou
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