My First Kaizen Event as a Consultant

Kaizen Snapshot

Setting: Large consumer brands manufacturing facility
Challenge: Running multiple Value Stream Mapping efforts simultaneously
Stakes: Event effectiveness, team engagement, credibility
Approach: Internal facilitator development, real-time course correction
Outcome: Successful event and a permanent change in approach
Key Lesson: If you can’t properly support the work, it’s been scoped wrong

The Situation

When I left my corporate role, I was fortunate to land a contract facilitating a company’s first Value Stream Mapping event.

The challenge was scale.

Instead of one value stream, the plant had three independent value streams, each operating differently.

In my corporate role, this would have meant multiple experienced facilitators.

As a new consultant, I had one. Me.

The Plan

I proposed a hybrid approach:

• I would facilitate one value stream

• I would train two internal leaders, Ken and David, to facilitate the others

Ken had some facilitation experience.
David had none but he had curiosity and commitment.

We prepared extensively. I spent weeks coaching them through the Value Stream Mapping process.

I felt ready.

What Actually Happened

The kickoff included more than 50 participants. After alignment and logistics, we split into teams and went to Gemba.

That’s when reality hit.

While all teams were walking the process, I had no visibility into how the other two were doing.

After my team’s walk, I rotated.

One team was stuck.
One team was doing fine.

I helped where I could.

The Wake-Up Call

When I returned to my own team, more than 40 minutes had passed.

They were waiting.

Without guidance, momentum stalled. Not because they lacked capability, but because I wasn’t there.

The event ultimately succeeded. But the lesson was clear.

The Takeaway

If the work can’t be properly supported, it’s been scoped incorrectly.

From that point on, Value Stream Mapping events were run one value stream at a time, whether I was involved or not.

That lesson still shapes how I design Kaizen today.

Why This Matters

Good intentions don’t guarantee good outcomes.

Clear scoping protects teams, credibility, and results.

Want Kaizen That’s Designed to Succeed?

If your improvement efforts feel stretched or diluted, the issue may not be execution, it may be design.