Up close with a Lean MD

Viv Cane normally spends her days working alone, deeply absorbed in organising the many tiny, delicate components that make up a Meggitt Avionics secondary flight display. But during the Meggitt Production System training she found herself in the same workshop group as her managing director, Annette Hobhouse. The experience gave Cane special insight into what it takes to be a successful MPS leader.

I think it would do a lot of good, across every factory, if the top people got involved like that in workshops on the ground level. Give your people a chance to really see what you are made of. They’ll respect you for it

“Working through a problem in a group, talking it out, guiding everybody to a good answer. That’s the essence of MPS.”

And Cane has some advice for other Meggitt leaders: “I think it would do a lot of good, across every factory, if the top people got involved like that in workshops on the ground level. Give your people a chance to really see what you are made of. They’ll respect you for it.” ■

Above: Annette Hobhouse: Success for an MPS manager lies in ‘setting up others to win’.