Chapter 12
Continue the Journey
A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.
John Steinbeck
It is fitting that we close our journey with a look back at the house we introduced at the beginning of this book (Figure 12.1). While it is impossible to predict all of the twists and turns of a transformation, the house provides a solid framework of a system designed to handle the challenges you’ll certainly encounter. The journey you have chosen to undertake will never be complete; the mindset of a lean leader is one that stays hungry and focused on relentless improvement. Apply these principles and work systems to remove ambiguity and fear from the workplace and you will be amazed at the transformation! We hope you have begun your own journey in earnest and started to experience both the joy and struggle that come from such an endeavor.
Figure 12.1 The lean IT house.
This field guide can only take you so far. The real progress comes as you continue down the lean path with the humble intention to learn and adapt as you go. Take some comfort from knowing that you are not alone. Many others have walked this path before and are willing to help. Explore TheLeanITFieldGuide.com for more resources and support. We wish you the greatest success and lifelong learning!