SCENE
MY PURSUIT OF LIVING A LEAN LIFE “...Dr. Watson commented that we should think as individuals if the actions and activities we are performing everyday make our lives “Lean” by delivering Quality and some kind of value to the world...”
Yassine Loqmane Local Group Auvergne
In February 2020, I attended a master class in
As the rest of the master class was unfolding,
Helsinki by Dr. Gregory H. Watson, honorary
I started viewing everything Dr. Watson was
member of ESTIEM and provider of the ESTIEM Lean
explaining from another perspective by trying to
Six Sigma Green Belt course. This master class was
understand how I can apply these same concepts
organized as part of the Continual Improvement
to my own life.
Specialist Development Program (CISDP), a 5-week program aiming to equip its participants with
One of the models developed by Dr. Watson
concepts and advanced problem-solving tools to
is the decomposition of a company into three
better tackle improvement projects.
levels: the Gemba 1, Gemba 2 and Gemba 3. The Gemba 1 being composed of the front-line
This master class undoubtedly opened my mind to
workers performing the tasks directly aimed at
the role and importance of Quality in the strategy
the customer. The Gemba 2 comprises all the
of companies, but what most resonated with me
professions assuring the supervision and the
were the comments Dr. Watson made by giving
integration of resources in the Gemba 1. Lastly,
a new perspective on how those same concepts
the Gemba 3 is where the senior executives
can be applied in our own personal lives. At some
are responsible for defining the strategy of the
point, Dr. Watson commented that we should
organization and serving the stakeholders.
think as individuals if the actions and activities we are performing everyday make our lives “Lean” by
As Dr. Watson was explaining the model, I started
delivering Quality and some kind of value to the
to think how this model can be applied to Yassine
world. In a broad sense, Lean Management can
Loqmane Inc. Those three levels would then be
be explained as optimizing the use of resources
explained – if everything was working perfectly
in a way that delivers value to the customer and
– as follows. The Gemba 3 would be the time I
thus profits to a company. Minimizing waste is
spend making decisions, thinking about where I
then an essential part of Lean Management. The
am heading in the future and how I can learn from
more I thought about it, the more it made sense
the past, the Gemba 2 would be the time I spend
that the same thinking can be applied to me, as a
planning my weeks and days and providing the
person. Although the customers I am serving are
resources I will need and the Gemba 1 is all the
not buying any products or services from me, my
time I actually spend achieving those tasks.
customers can be defined as all the people and entities I am interacting with. The organizations I am working for may be seen as customers expecting value from the work I deliver, my family and friends are customers expecting value from the relationships we share and my own self is a customer expecting, hopefully, a life of quality. It is as foolish for a person to waste precious time and money on what does not bring some kind value to his life as it is for companies to waste resources
Figure 1
on tasks that do not lead to profits. The difference is that whereas companies fall and are created
In this same model, Dr. Watson explains that
everyday,each life is unique and its time is more
each different Gemba has a different objective, a
precious than any other resource you can think of.
different focus of improvement and is affected by a different type of waste (Figure 2).
26 ESTIEM Magazine | 59th issue - Innovation in a Crisis: Adapting and Advancing
