The following is a true story that occurred during a nine-month period.

Paul had been with a machine shop for 32 years. At the time he held the position of a shift supervisor, and keeping the work schedules was his job. His manager, Bob, related this to me: “Paul is a hard worker who has held nearly every position in production. He wants to do the right thing, but he struggles as a supervisor. His employees don’t listen to him, and his department is always running behind schedule. I don’t think he’s up to the challenge.”

When I first approached Paul with the idea of continuous improvement, he sighed, “Oh boy, thanks. Why me?”

I lied a little bit. “Your manager thinks your experience as a supervisor will be valuable for our pilot project.” Paul just rolled his eyes.

“Is there anything in particular that you would like to work on to improve?” I asked.

“What do you mean by ‘improvement?’” Paul responded.

“I mean what keeps you awake at night when your worry about your work?”

Paul thought for a moment. “We’re missing our deliveries—which is what I should be working on right now rather than talking to you.”

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