KEEPING THE ROPE TIGHT
PART OF THE LEAN MINDSET
Keeping the Rope Tight
“Keeping the Rope Tight” is a metaphor that relates to the importance of keeping standards. Imagine you and a friend are holding a rope tightly. The rope is very taut and you will feel the slightest of movements. If someone was to then cut that rope, you would both feel it significantly. Imagine that you and your friend are now holding a rope very loosely. The rope is slack and hanging slightly on the ground. If someone was to cut that rope, you probably wouldn’t even notice.
If you “keep the rope tight” in your business, you will start to notice things that are out of place. In a workplace keeping to high standards in processes and cleanliness, it will be clear when something isn’t up to standard. The idea of the rope being cut refers to a standard not being followed. Whereas a company with low standards would be one with a loose rope. If a standard wasn’t to be followed, would anyone even notice?
Example
At the toy factory, they always keep the rope tight.
A spanner has been taken from one of the shadow boards and not returned. At the end of his shift, the operator notices that the spanner has not been returned and goes to retrieve it. As the standard is well set out, and the rope is being kept tight, this is spotted quickly.
Before they started to follow 2-Second Lean, a missing tool could go unnoticed for days, if not weeks.
