I have been banging the drum for quite some time now that we Lean folks need to start looking at Tesla as well.
I just watched this video and it is one of the very few that is addressing the culture of Tesla.
The video has quite some details in it that will be very appealing to the Value Stream Mapping fanatics among us:
- Eliminate thousands of parts.
- Eliminate thousands of operations.
- Eliminate thousands of issues.
- Eliminate 90% of labor costs.
- Eliminate 45% of costs.
What makes this video extra appealing to me is that Sandy Munro and Steven Mark Ryan are addressing the culture and leadership aspects of Tesla.
Sandy Munro never saw anything similar to that except for… Toyota.
Does leadership understand the nuts and bolts of the business?
Elon Musk is “the engineer’s engineer”. Totally different from the MBA’s you see in so many other leadership teams.
Elon knows what he is talking about. “From the atoms up”.
How many CEO’s do you know, or even managers, that have a detailed understanding of the products and processes in their organization? How many of them really understand the work of the people they lead?
How many think they do not need to?
How many think they just need to “manage”?
What happens when the leader dies?
Quite a dramatic question right? But a relevant one.
What happens when leadership changes?
We have seen this too many times. All of a sudden all the support for continuous improvement efforts may vanish.
Munro expects this to be different for Tesla because they picked their leaders wisely.
They understand the nuts and bolts of the business.
They understand engineering and problem solving.
They will keep away the “people who kill companies”.
MBA’s that is?
No tolerance for BS
The video also addresses the importance of a compelling mission. With one, the only thing that matters is to bring that desired future closer as quickly as possible.
Solve the problem.
That is all that matters.
Everything else is noise.
Rather die than switch
Munro brings up another interesting point regarding choices people make.
Two things to think about when you have to make a decision:
- How will it impact the product or service we provide?
- How will it impact my career?
Good for the product and good for the career?
Easy path.
Good for the product and bad for the career?
No way!
Bad for the product and good for the career?
Also an easy path.
In most cultures, that is.
And it is toxic.
In times of change…
The learners will adapt and succeed.
The learned will be beautifully equipped for a world that no longer exists.