Willingness to learn and change is one of the core factors (maybe the only one) for lean efforts to be successful. If you are willing to learn you can work through all of the challenges to meet your objectives.

It can be easy to ask this as a yes or no question. If no, do not proceed you are only wasting time and energy. If yes, pass go and get kicked off with your lean efforts. You are on the road to success.

Do you have a fixed or growth mindset? Image: Nigel Holmes / Graph Content: Carol Dweck

Whereas, what is really being asked is do you have the basic stability of willingness to learn and change or are other efforts needed to achieve that stability before you proceed. Proceeding without this stability is the same as moving forward without the foundational stability in lean houses (visual management, standardization, etc.)

So should we be asking:

• Do you have a growth or fixed mindset?
  • If growth, that’s great lets learn together.
  • If fixed, do you have an interest in developing a growth mindset?
    • If yes, fantastic lets work towards that. These tips can help:  http://mindsetonline.com/changeyourmindset/firststeps/index.html
    • If no, well you need to be willing to learn and change to move forward, which makes this a circular argument.

It really does come down to are you willing to learn and change. If so, understand where you are at, where you want to go, and work through the obstacles. Get the support you need, but only you can make the change and only if you are willing.