Revamping the way your team works in the lab can be extremely challenging. Shortfalls in processes need to be identified. New standards must be developed. Goals should be created. Consistency has to be monitored. Updates should be made when necessary.
Even with all that, the success of this quality improvement pursuit depends on how well leaders are able to communicate—especially when team members are resistant to change.
“When I first came into Emory, I was coming into an extremely angry, dissatisfied group that was allowed to do whatever they wanted. I’m coming in defining standards and holding everybody accountable,” she explained. “It was a little bit rough there and they were very resistant to this change, but I stayed consistent.”
And the key to this consistency—and the eventual buy-in that Krauth received from employees—was communication.
Lean Communication Leads to Plentiful Results
Although some parts of the process will need detailed explanations—such as when you’re training histologists on new standards—on a day-to-day basis, lean communication can be an effective way to ensure quality control.
“Lean creates clear, actionable, and accessible communication,” said Krauth. “We’re trying to reach for perfection. We know we’ll never get there, but we’re always going to keep trying. We want to make sure we reduce errors and reduce waste.”
Some of the lean communication strategies Krauth uses in the lab include:
Color coordination. From broken equipment to work status updates, using colored labels can provide a quick visual that communicates a message everyone needs to know.
“All of the labels mean something, so if a machine is broken, instead of a green sign, you’re going to flip it over to the red,” Krauth said. “The color is consistent, so we know exactly what’s going on instead of having to ask.”
Gemba Walks. Gemba Walks—where leaders go to areas that employees are to observe processes and engage them in conversations about their work—can be a useful way to understand the efficiency of a team.
“A Gemba Walk is a really powerful thing leadership can do. Basically, what you’re doing is walking through a process on the lab floor and talking to whoever you’re working with,” Krauth said. “It promotes that lean aspect of continuous improvement and allows for everybody to be accountable for these systems.”
Kaizen tables. Kaizen tables, which are employed to visually represent the progress of improvements, can be used to organize projects.
“Kaizen tables allow for visual organization so you understand what the ideas are and what you’re doing to get there,” said Krauth. “Once you put up your idea, you own that idea and you need to make sure you’re pushing it forward. You can visually see where everything is going and you can see what’s a priority and what isn’t necessarily as important, but you want to keep moving.”
Effective communication isn’t a one-time fix—it’s an ongoing leadership practice that makes quality standards sustainable. By using lean communication tools like visual cues, Gemba Walks, and Kaizen tables, leaders can reduce resistance, build trust, and create a shared commitment to continuous improvement. When expectations are clear and progress is visible, quality becomes part of the culture rather than an added burden. To learn more communication strategies and practical steps for strengthening and sustaining quality in the lab, watch NSH’s The Pursuit of Quality: It’s Not the Beast You Think It Is webinar.
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