Finding Your Way When You’ve Lost Momentum on the Lean Journey

Even the most committed organizations can lose their way on the Lean journey. You may have started with strong momentum—kaizen events buzzing, visual boards filling up, and teams brimming with ideas—only to find months or years later that progress has plateaued.

This is normal. Businesses that implement Lean Thinking often face a “middle dip,” where initial wins slow down and enthusiasm fades. The key isn’t to avoid these plateaus—it’s to recognize them early, address root causes, and get back on the path to improvement.

Here are practical steps to rekindle Lean success:

1. Revisit Your “Why”

When teams forget why Lean matters, it can easily become a set of tools instead of a way of thinking.

• Reconnect to purpose – Reaffirm the link between Lean and customer value, team well-being, and business health.
• Tell the story again – Share wins from earlier in your Lean journey. Remind people of the problems you solved and the impact made.

Tip: Host a brief “Lean reset” meeting where leadership and frontline employees openly discuss the purpose and vision for continuous improvement.

2. Go to the Gemba (Again)

Lean thrives on observation, not assumptions.

• Visit the place where value is created—shop floor, office, or field—and see firsthand what’s happening.
• Listen more than you talk. Ask “why” five times before jumping to solutions.

Tip: If your leaders haven’t walked the process in the last month, schedule a Gemba walk this week. Plateaus often hide in plain sight.

3. Simplify Your Efforts

Over time, Lean can get weighed down with too many metrics, too many boards, or too many disconnected projects.

• Focus on one or two critical goals that truly matter right now.
• Remove busywork that doesn’t directly improve flow, quality, or customer value.

Tip: Use the principle of “stop starting, start finishing” to regain focus.

4. Reignite Small, Quick Wins

Large projects have their place, but if the team only sees long timelines and delayed results, motivation drops.

• Encourage teams to solve small, visible problems quickly.
• Celebrate and share even the smallest improvement.

Tip: A whiteboard or digital tracker of “quick wins” can help make momentum visible.

5. Reinvest in People Development

Skills decay if they’re not used or built upon. If Lean feels stagnant, it may be time to re-skill and inspire.

• Offer refresher training on Lean principles and problem-solving.
• Bring in new voices—guest speakers, cross-department exchanges, or site visits to other companies.

Tip: People who grow will help the system grow.

6. Check Leadership Engagement

Lean plateaus often mirror leadership fatigue. If leaders drift from daily engagement, so will the team.

• Leaders should model the behavior they expect—asking questions, supporting experimentation, and removing roadblocks.
• Recognize and support leaders at every level, not just the top.

Tip: If leadership attention has shifted away from Lean, it’s time to realign priorities.

7. Reassess Your Measures of Success

Sometimes the plateau is less about lack of progress and more about outdated metrics.

• Are you still measuring what matters most to customers and the business?
• Could you be missing important signals of improvement?

Tip: Review your KPIs quarterly to ensure they match your current stage of growth.

Final Thought

The Lean journey is not a straight line. It’s more like climbing a mountain with ridges, false summits, and pauses along the way. Plateaus are not failure—they’re opportunities to reset, refocus, and push forward with renewed clarity.

Lean is about learning. And when you feel lost, remember: the way forward is built by going back to the basics, engaging people, and improving—one step at a time.