No Time To Waste
by LeanTeams
- On Purpose
- On Process
- On People
- Issue #12 — 05 NOV 2025 (2-min read)
On Purpose: The cost of not having a clear purpose
When purpose is unclear, teams can optimise locally, produce work nobody needs, and deliver an inconsistent client experience.
Decisions escalate because people lack a common understanding of organisation priorities (e.g., customer reliability versus resource utilisation).
The result is Muda (rework, reports no one reads), Mura (uneven service), and Muri (overburden).
Without an appropriate vision, a transformation effort can easily dissolve into… confusing, incompatible projects
On Process: Avoiding overproduction traps
Overproduction is often the biggest waste: making more, earlier, or with more features than the customer needs.
It looks productive yet builds WIP, hides defects, and lengthens lead time.
Avoid it by switching from push to pull, capping WIP, sizing work to takt time (available time ÷ demand), and setting clear entry/exit criteria for each step.
Of all the wastes, overproduction is the worst
On People: Encouraging ownership and initiative
When purpose is clear, people can take the right initiative.
Make problems visible, create psychological safety to raise them early, and coach people to run small experiments.
Leaders model “go see, ask why, show respect,” recognise purpose-aligned initiatives, and remove blockers quickly.
Ownership then becomes normal, not exceptional.
Try to catch people in, don't try to catch them out
Leader’s Task of the Week
What is your organisation passionate about? What are you aiming to achieve? Who do you want to help? Put this all together into A PURPOSE STATEMENT.
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