Thanks Jamie for this post. I found it very insightful!

Kevin, I think mutual respect is the ideal state. In Japan, they often start there. In the U.S., we often don’t and it has to be earned. I think one of the mistakes we make is people say to themselves “I’m not going to respect them until they respect me.” Of course, if you are both saying that, the conclusion is obvious.

here it is

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4594782.stm

From BBC News
“One of the most obvious manifestations of the respect (in japan) that’s still so crucial here is the system of senpai and kohai.

Senpai is the Japanese word for a person in a club, or your workplace, or school or college who is your senior.

The relationship is complex. There are mutual obligations on both sides.

A kohai is expected to obey and show respect to their senpai but the relationship is like that of a mentor – the senpai is expected to guide, teach and protect their kohai to the best of their abilities…

…The obedience they learn is something they adopt in many other relationships throughout their working life.

The senpai, if they treat them well, earn their respect.

Any older person might be your senpai but your “true” senpai is someone who has earned your respect.”

There are two point that I find interesting about this:

1. “There are mutual obligation on each side.” This implies that not only the senior has to respect the junior but vice versa. I wonder how often respect for your senior or manager gets over looked. What do you think? Have you ever had a boss that you showed no respect to and in turn he or she didn’t respect you?

2. “The senpai, if they treat them well, earn their respect.” One of the crucial points is that the senior must respect them. Once again mutual two way respect. Not just respect for the manager nor respect for the junior employee.

I like what you say here in this post. I think that we must not confuse respect with being nice.

One thing that I like about Japan is that often their senior and junior relationships are developed early in life and that often the people are good friends. This relationship takes work and time. It doesn’t come over night.

I guess the best way for us to learn how to show respect for people better is to treat them like a friend by building relationships of trust. Trust is key to these Japanese sempai/kohai relationships along with time.

Jim

Instead of thinking about respect for people while trying to plan your lean efforts on a grand scale, just try to think about respect through daily actions. Ask yourself “will this action demonstrate respect?”

For example, a kaizen culture is reflective of a workforce that employs principle-driven kaizen (value stream improvement-based kaizen events and daily kaizen activities). “Respect” is properly manifested in Lean leadership’s genuine inclusion of employees in continuous improvement efforts, extended properly to empowerment, recognition, technical and behavioral development, etc. so that it transcends just inclusion to ownership. BUT, with this opportunity, there comes responsibility and accountability…in an appropriately transparent, visually managed, environment to drive process adherence (standard work) and process performance. In an organization that practices superficial respect this is intimidating. Not so in a truly Lean organization.