Create Your Own Gemba Walk Checklist

Create Your Own Gemba Walk Checklist

You probably already heard that in order to manage the right way, you have to measure everything. But what about those things that you just can't measure like the things that you don't see with your own eyes?

Prepare yourself for your Six Sigma certifications.

This is where the Gemba Walk comes in. The truth is that all workstations can be improved to deliver a better and faster output. However, as a leader, you need to see it with your own eyes in action. You just can't remain hidden at your office and hope for employees to come and talk to you. The truth is that they will only come in when a machine needs to be repaired or replaced. Nevertheless, there are many processes and situations that can be improved when you are doing the Gemba walk.

Discover what a Gemba walk is.

So, in order to help you with it, we decided to create a Gemba walk checklist.

The main purpose of a Gemba walk checklist is to provide you with all the tools that you need to ensure that everyone knows what is happening as well as to include everyone in the improvements that need to be made.
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The reality is that a Gemba walk checklist includes 3 crucial elements:

#1: You Need To See: ​

The first step of the Gemba Walk is to see what is happening. This is usually done on the shop floor. When you are doing this, you will discover if employees are motivated and engaged to meet their goals as well as you will be able to see if they have all the tools and resources they need to reach those same goals.
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Discover what Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are.

#2: You Need To Ask Why:

Doing the Gemba Walk is more than just passing by the shop floor. You need to watch it carefully and, most importantly, you need to ask questions, the right questions. This is when you probably need to take more time so that you can find the root of the problem that you are having. Usually, tools such as the 5 Whys can be extremely helpful as well as using Kaizen techniques to analyze routines, tools, forms, and patterns.
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Discover what is the 5 Whys method.

#3: You Need To Show Respect: ​

When you are taking a Gemba Walk, you shouldn't point the finger at anyone. Instead, you need to show that you trust everyone who works on the shop floor since they can be great sources of information. In addition, you should try to train workers so that they can develop better problem-solving skills. ​

Creating Your Own Gemba Walk Template

The truth is that the Gemba walk checklist will depend on the goals and objectives that you have. While some organizations can have as a main goal safety, for others the main goal may be improving innovation and learning, the cost, productivity, or even customer service. So, ultimately, the Gemba walk template that you need depends on the goals that you have. ​