Did you learn about Lean in Japanese? Why are we teaching it in Spanish?
Is making a translation sheet for terms rework or over processing? What about using it? Could we be more effective?
We had this feedback during process improvement work at a hospital with a clinician who previously completed her PhD on Jargon being a Power Differential.
Regarding our use of Spanish terms instead of English to teach lean concepts, she said whenever we use a foreign language:
- “it alienates people because you’re speaking a language they don’t understand.”
- “We do this in health care; it’s like we have a culture [the medical culture where we have our own language]”
- “we are not communicating in a language to understand [for end users like patients]”
- “It’s a culture we [medical professionals] all understand, and that myself {medical professionals] maintaining my own culture is more important than ensuring communication actually occurs.”
- “Speaking in another language unintentionally excludes those who don’t understand it.”
Does this promote resistance?
Are you focused on the end user of your communication if teaching something in a language they don’t understand?
What’s the feed back from your learner on language preference?
Examples of Spanish we use to reference lean:
Muda - waste
Kaizen - continuous improvement
Poka-yoke - mistake proofing
Heijunka - leveling
Jidoka - human autonomation (independence)
Sensei - teacher
Gemba - workplace
Hoshin Kanri - strategy deployment
We already use English for 5S;
Should we start using more Spanish terms? Why not?
There is an English translation for each Spanish term.
As continuous improvement leaders we set an example – and look for areas we can self improve; should we use the same language as those we’re talking to?
If during this article you thought “Why are they using Spanish?” -that’s how you audience feels when you use Japanese.
We welcome feed back on this – in a language we understand.
