Once we have the philosophy and processes in place, we can move onto the third level: People and Partners. Here, we will aim to:

• Grow leaders and exceptional people and teams.
• Treat your partners as such: encourage them to improve and challenge them in a respectful manner.

At the top of the pyramid, we have Problem Solving. In other words, once your Lean system is solidly in place, you can focus on continuously improving your systems. The key principles of continuous improvement are:

• Always go and see for yourself (Genchi Genbutsu); never assume or believe what you are told.
• Remember the old saying, “Ready, aim, fire!” (In other words, take your time when making a decision, but implement it quickly.)
• Become a learning organization. Encourage or require all members to grow and evolve.