Of great importance in the application of Lean management in any organization is the recognition and daily practice of the Lean principles: "Continuous Improvement" and "Respect for People." The "Respect for People" principle is almost always ignored by senior management, resulting in zero-sum outcomes for people and inferior results. In other words, one party gains at another party's expense, and the losers are much less willing to participate in continuous improvement.
This outcome impedes teamwork and information flows, and discourages daily efforts by administration, faculty, and staff to improve processes. In order to function properly, Lean management must be understood and practiced in a non-zero-sum manner. It is not up to the discretion of senior administrators to ignore the "Respect for People" principle. This principle is required in order to sustain continuous improvement.