In discussing lean with people at companies all over the world, I'm frequently asked, "How do I convince my boss, my peers, our suppliers, our union, my wife?" The last one I can't help you with, but the rest I can. The prerequisite to success in this challenge is to realize that ultimately each person makes up his or her own mind. You don't convince an organization. You convince the people within that organization. Each of us who is committed to a lean journey was not born that way. Even if the leap was easy for you and seemed natural, you still had to learn somehow.
We have many tools for creating change including training, books, lean events and coaching. But we vastly underutilize informal means. One powerful method is the elevator pitch, a 90-second spiel made popular by entrepreneurs trying to sell their companies to venture capital firms. If you can sell an idea to someone held captive in an elevator, you're positioned to take the next step.