Putting People First

More than anything else, product development is a people business, and leaders are key. Steve Jobs once famously said, “If you keep your eye on the profit, you’re going to skimp on the product. But if you focus on making really great products, the profits will follow.” Jim Morgan agrees wholeheartedly, but would add, “if you focus on your people, great products will follow.” As a leader, the most important product you can develop is your team. 

Click here for an infographic and a quick-read summary of the guiding principles. 

See the Lean Posts and related ebooks detailing other guiding principles: 

• Developing Products is a Team Sport 
• Understanding Before Executing 
• Building in Learning and Knowledge Reuse 
• Synchronizing Workflows 
• Designing Value Streams 

Explore the Principle of Putting People First 

In this month’s video, we are fortunate to have three leaders who embody the people-first principle.  

• Dr. Lisa Yerian, chief improvement officer at The Cleveland Clinic, talks about the importance of capable and empowered people in creating a culture of continuous improvement.  
• Former Ford CEO Alan Mulally shares his insights into the people-first management system behind the historic turnarounds of two iconic, global organizations.  
• Jill Miller, Herman Miller Production System manager of learning and development at design icon Herman Miller, talks about the company’s famous leadership-development programs. 

Three Lean Posts offer more in-depth information about how and why designing the value stream can ensure new product, process, and service success. 

• Why the Most Important Product Leaders Can Develop is Their Team 
• Coach’s Corner: How to Put People First Using Lean Practices 
• People-First Leadership: A Conversation Between Jim Morgan and Alan Mulally 

For offline reading, download the ebook (PDF), which features the three Posts and other information, is another way to access these crucial insights.