In a September 9 post, Bob Emiliani makes an important statement. “When the importance of the “Respect for People” principle finally became prominent within the Lean movement in 2007, the focus was entirely on the micro relationship of supervisor-worker, and not also on the macro relationships of management-labor, company-supplier, company-community, or company-country.” View the full post here.

The statement is important because if you work through the implications of the Respect for People principle you find a radically liberating approach to work that recognizes not only financial capital as provided by shareholders and customers, but also pragmatic capital – the expertise and services provided by the people working in the value stream.

One of the breakthroughs in building project work was the direct alignment of financial interests between partners provided by what are integrated form of agreement contracts. While incomplete, these agreements make a tremendous stride toward fulfilling the promise of the Respect for People principle, in that at least at the company level all actions carry similar financial consequences for every firm a party to the agreement. What this demonstrates is that people can devise working relationships that align their interests with the interests of others.

Building projects are a form of enterprise, even as they are temporary and composed of dozens of separate companies and organizations. Can we start thinking about our communities also as enterprises, comprised of hundreds of companies yet aligned with the purpose of making their community a better place to live and work? If we applied the Lean principles of Respect for People and Continuous Improvement to our communities can we stimulate a healthier social and economic environment for all members of those communities? Will communities continue to drift with the currents of macro economic trends, or will some take the initiative to use Lean principles to thrive instead of survive?

These are important questions for local business and community leaders.