Respect First - Running Kaizen Successfully in a Union Environment
Kaizen Snapshot
Setting: Unionized distillery in Kentucky
Challenge: Excessive changeover time between bottle sizes
Stakes: Many thousands of additional bottles per year
Approach: Gemba walk, union alignment, Kaizen Waiver
Outcome: Constraints removed, continuity protected, team fully engaged
Key Lesson: Respect builds alignment, even in complex environments
The Situation
I’ve been running Kaizen events for more than 30 years in all kinds of environments, union and non-union alike.
While the rules may differ, one thing never does:
people are people, and everyone deserves to be treated with respect.
During a recent site visit to a distillery in Kentucky, leadership shared their most pressing need: reduce changeover time when switching between bottle sizes.
If we could cut the time in half, the plant would unlock capacity for many thousands of additional bottles each year. The business case was obvious and worth pursuing.
What Was Getting in the Way
The plant was unionized, and two contract constraints surfaced immediately:
Division of labor: Production, maintenance, and management roles were clearly defined. In a Kaizen event, however, everyone needs to test ideas regardless of title.
Overtime by seniority: If overtime was required, a more senior employee could replace a team member mid-event, disrupting continuity and momentum.
I knew from experience that if we didn’t address these issues before the event, the team would be constrained and the results would suffer.
What We Did
In similar environments, I’ve used what I call a Kaizen Waiver, a temporary, transparent agreement that allows:
Any team member to do the work the team needs
Team continuity if overtime is required
My team leader hadn’t used this approach before, so I suggested we take a Gemba walk and meet directly with union leadership.
That’s when we met Sam, the union vice president.
“We’ve tried this before. What are you going to do that other consultants couldn’t?”
I didn’t deflect the question.
I told him exactly what I planned to do:
Listen to the team.
Prioritize improvements that would make the biggest impact on safety, quality, and effort.
Sam’s next concern was one I hear often:
“What happens when you’re gone?”
I explained that if we made the process safer, truly safer, no one would want to go back. And I would rely on both union leadership and plant leadership to hold people accountable to the new standard.
When Sam asked about the contract, I walked him through the Kaizen Waiver and why it was critical to the team’s success.
After thoughtful questions and discussion, he agreed to support the approach.
I asked if he wanted to be on the team. He declined, which was understandable. That would have put him in a difficult position with his membership. But his support was enough.
What Changed
With constraints removed up front, the team was able to:
Fully engage in testing and implementing improvements
Maintain continuity throughout the event
Focus on solving the real problem, not navigating rules
The Kaizen event itself was a success. But more importantly, it was done in a way that respected everyone involved.
The Takeaway
When you explain why you want to work differently, and you do it with respect, alignment is possible.
Union or non-union, Kaizen works best when trust comes first.
Why This Matters
Too many improvement efforts stall because leaders avoid hard conversations or try to work around constraints instead of addressing them directly.
Respect, clarity, and alignment remove friction — and create space for real results.
Ready to Apply This Approach?
If you’re navigating improvement in a complex environment and want results that stick: