I attended a very nice presentation recently by a person who has been leading the lean charge for several years at a major medical center. As he reflected on key elements of his organization’s success, however, he made a statement that set off my hooey detector. “It’s most important to start with good people,” he said. “They are the key to success.”

Although I think the comment was intended to compliment his lean compatriots, I worry how it sounded to others in the audience and what it implied. Is the secret to successful lean implementation an adept talent-recruitment program? And what are the traits we are recruiting? What is a good employee?

When I hear the phrase “good employees,” I think back to some early days in my own lean journey. While moving into the role of vice president of manufacturing, I was presented with a list of employees who “would be trouble.”

I’d heard about such lists but never actually saw one. I figured they were the product of gossip. But there it was. No one wanted to take credit for creating it. The supervisor simply handed me the list and said I should “keep an eye on these folks.” I thanked him for his concern, saying I would make up my own mind about people.

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