Lean Quote: Make the Impossible a Reality

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow."   — Robert H. Goddard, Father of Modern Rocketry

This is very powerful statement and I want to explain how I think it relates perfectly to Lean transformation.

For most people, the thought of being more efficient can be impossible.  The amount of time, effort, training, etc. can be daunting.  Most endeavors of substance usually are.  But, I believe that most people think that Lean is even harder than it is.

But, for the people who dream of becoming better, they must take the first step.  Deciding that improving your organization is your goal and then beginning to work towards that goal is how you start.  This is when your journey begins.

As time goes by and you gain some skills, the dream turns into hope.  You no longer think it is an impossible journey, but one that is attainable with dedication and patience.  You see that over time, with good, consistent application of principles, and practicing what you learn, you can gain the skills necessary to improve, and those improvements will eventually lead to more improvements.

Finally, after all the dedication and hard work, you’ll see business performance improve. Your initial dream turned into a hope, and then you made it into a reality.  There is no magic that happened; just determination and effort put towards a goal that over time turned into something very special.

So, whenever you think that something is impossible, remember this quote and this story.  You might find that what you think is impossible now, is simple the light that will shine in your eyes to inspire you to take the first steps necessary on the journey towards making the impossible a reality.