There was a time when it was unfashionable for managers to associate with front-line employees. Alluding to an old adage, I used to joke that you could not even lead the horse (i.e., the manager) to water, let alone make him drink. Division of labor at that time was a great divide. In my early days as a manager, visiting with front-line employees was frowned upon as “fraternizing.” Managers stayed on the margins, managing from a safe distance.

Today, for some organizations, the divide seems to be narrowing. Thanks to the popularization of manager standard work and an emphasis on business culture (referred to 25 years ago as “fluff”), managers are now adding gemba walks to their busy schedules. So—that’s progress. We can now lead the horse to water, but can we make him drink?

“Why are we here?” I asked Lorie, the sales manager, as I accompanied her to a sales order department.

“According to my standard work, I’m to look for abnormalities,” she replied. 

“So, what do you see?” I asked.

Pointing to some numbers written in red ink on a huddle board at the edge of the department, Lorie noted, “I see that we’re taking too long to respond to quote requests.”

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