There is an old saying in Zen, originally formulated by Qingyuan Weixin, and later translated by D.T. Suzuki in one of the first books on Zen to reach the western world. 

It goes like this:

“Before I had studied Zen for thirty years, I saw mountains as mountains, and rivers as rivers.

When I arrived at a more intimate knowledge, I came to the point where I saw that mountains are not mountains, and rivers are not rivers.

But now that I have got its very substance I see mountains once again as mountains, and rivers once again as rivers.”

This saying might seem paradoxical at first (just like a lot of Zen might) but in truth it makes complete sense and applies itself to Lean perfectly well in the form of Lean Tools, and Lean Culture.

How the Zen Story Applies: Lean Tools vs Lean Culture

You see when a man or woman first starts down the path of Lean, it is all about the Tools.  They see the wonderful tools, the amazing things they can do in making their job better, reducing lead times, improving quality by leaps and bounds, and they are excited.

After many years of studying and applying Lean, it becomes about the Culture.  They say that only the culture matters, one of Lean Management and enabling people to swarm problems and solve the root cause, building people to be proficient in the Lean problem solving skills.

Then after many more years, when they finally get it, it is all about the Tools in the end.  This is because the tools are how you actually teach your people.  The tools are how you frame a problem in a way that helps you solve it efficiently.  The tools are what you use every time you are building that capability in your team-mates.

So there you have it: Mountain, not-mountain, mountain again.  Keep learning and applying Lean and I know you will see the mountain again in your own life.

Yours in change,

David McLachlan