Why Great Kaizen Starts Before the Event
How one frustrated engineer reshaped the way I prepare leaders for successful Kaizen.
Kaizen Snapshot
Setting: Armstrong World Industries Technology Group
Challenge: Poorly defined Kaizen charters wasting time and energy
Stakes: Misaligned priorities, weak engagement, limited business impact
Approach: Clear standards, disciplined gatekeeping, simplified chartering
Outcome: Stronger business cases, better-aligned teams, higher-impact Kaizen
Key Lesson: If the problem isn’t clear, the Kaizen won’t be either
The Situation
During my final six years as Global Lean Champion for Armstrong’s Technology group, I encouraged leaders to sponsor Kaizen events to solve critical business problems.
One requirement never changed: every Kaizen needed a charter.
The charter wasn’t bureaucracy. It was how we ensured:
The right problem was being solved
Leaders were aligned
The work justified pulling people away from their daily jobs
As momentum grew, more leaders reached out for support. As the gatekeeper for Kaizen events, I reviewed every charter before an event was approved.
That’s when I met Stan.
What Was Getting in the Way
Stan was an experienced engineer who wanted to run a Kaizen in his area. We talked through what he hoped to accomplish, and I shared the standard charter template.
I asked him to complete it before our next meeting.
Three days later, he hadn’t.
“I just want to make sure you understand what I’m trying to do.”
I explained why the charter mattered. It forces clarity, alignment, and commitment.
Stan tried again.
And again.
And again.
After more than a dozen iterations, a pattern became clear.
What We Discovered
Stan wasn’t struggling with the template.
He was struggling with the why.
The charter never articulated a compelling business case. It sounded less like a Kaizen event and more like a request for people to do his work for him.
I told him I couldn’t approve the event.
He wasn’t satisfied, so we met with his sponsor to see if we could clarify the value together.
We couldn’t.
The event never happened.
What Changed (for Me)
There’s a risk in being strict about Kaizen charters. But I owed it to the organization to protect people’s time and energy.
More importantly, I realized something uncomfortable:
Chartering wasn’t as easy as I thought it was.
So I changed my approach.
The Improvements I Made
I did two things that changed everything:
Simplified the process
I created a clear, four-step approach called Chartering to Win, with explicit intent and critical questions for each step.Took ownership of the starting point
Instead of asking leaders to start from a blank page, I began drafting a first version of the charter with them.
It’s far easier to edit than to create from scratch.
The Takeaway
Strong Kaizen events don’t fail in the room.
They fail before they ever start when the problem isn’t clear and the purpose isn’t compelling.
Today, I use the same Chartering to Win approach with my clients, and I teach leaders how to do it themselves.
And I owe that lesson to Stan.
Why This Matters
Too many organizations jump into Kaizen because it feels productive, not because it’s focused.
Clear chartering protects people’s time, builds alignment, and dramatically increases the odds that improvement will stick.
Want Better Kaizen Outcomes?
If your Kaizen efforts feel busy but not impactful, the problem may not be execution — it may be chartering.
Tearing Down the Monuments of Poor Leadership
How visible discipline and consistency helped reset culture in a struggling manufacturing plant.
Kaizen Snapshot
Setting: Armstrong World Industries’ Lancaster, Pennsylvania vinyl flooring plant
Challenge: Low morale, poor discipline, and eroding trust
Stakes: Productivity, safety, and plant survival
Approach: Visible leadership action, standards reinforcement, symbolic reset
Outcome: Behavior change, improved discipline, productivity lift
Key Lesson: Culture changes when leaders make standards visible and non-negotiable
The Situation
When I became Business Unit Manager at Armstrong’s Lancaster vinyl flooring plant, the history was obvious.
Demand was down. Trust was low. Discipline was inconsistent.
And when people lose confidence in the future, they find ways to disengage.
During a leadership rotation through all shifts, we decided to experience the plant the way every employee did, including nights.
That’s when I found something I didn’t expect.
What Was Getting in the Way
During an overnight walk, I noticed lines running with missing crew members.
Breakrooms were empty. Work areas were quiet.
So I started looking in unused areas of the facility, nine floors of old industrial space.
On the sixth floor, I found stacks of fabric arranged into makeshift “beds.”
The rumors were true.
What We Did
Instead of calling people out, accusing, or lecturing, we took a different approach.
We formed a “bed-hunting” team and searched the facility. Over several days, we found six sleeping areas.
On a Wednesday morning, without announcement, we gathered all the beds and dragged them outside where everyone could see them.
Then we destroyed them in a controlled burn.
No speeches.
No accusations.
Just a clear message: this is not how we work here.
What Changed
Sleeping on the job stopped.
Productivity improved.
The mood lifted.
People saw that leadership was serious about standards.
Sometimes discipline, applied consistently and respectfully, creates stability that people actually crave.
The Takeaway
Culture doesn’t change with posters and speeches.
It changes when leaders remove the monuments to poor behavior.
Why This Matters
When standards are unclear or inconsistently enforced, people fill the gaps.
Visible, consistent leadership resets expectations and restores trust.
Ready to Reset Culture?
If inconsistent standards are holding your organization back, disciplined Kaizen can help reset expectations.