Toyota has a decision-making principle called “gemba.” Instead of depending on hierarchy, the people who are closest to what’s happening to make decisions. Toyota believes that the more hands-on knowledge a decision-maker has, the better their decision will be. It comes from the Japanese word genchi genbutsu, which translates to “go and see.”

What It Is

• Get out of the office

• Go to where the action/value add / service delivery is

• Talk to people who are doing the work

Why is it relevant to Hospitality & Customer Service Industries

• The concept of inseparability in service means that one cannot separate the production of service from the consumption of it.

• Your team that is creating the service is closest to the customer/guest and hence in a way, they know best.

• Doing something, following processes, storing, retrieving, using information or tools, gives your front line staff a unique perspective on how things could be instead of how they are.

More Detail on the topic

DOs

• Ask your team the one question that matters 'what can we change to make this easier for you or make it better for guests?'

• Do the Gemba walk with someone from another department. i.e. Take someone from the Front Office for a Gemba walk of the Kitchen.

• Record the Gemba walk. Take a video. You might not get insights/solutions immediately, but when you see the same walk on different days/times something might jump at you.

• Do the walk at various times of the day. At the start of service, in the middle of it, after service ends etc.

DONTs

• Don't walk around with a scowl on your face, ready to pounce on anything that looks or feels wrong. You can be looking for things to improve, but you can also be doing that with a pleasant countenance.

• Don't use Gemba walks as an audit process for your SOPs.

• Don't put people on the spot and ask for suggestions immediately. If they are unable to offer any insight, don't press them.

Actionable Insights

1. Create an action plan. Make a list of all your physical areas and ensure that you cover them once every 90 days.

2. Create a list of all your processes. Major ones first, then break it to minor ones. Ensure all your processes get a Gemba walk once every 90 days.

3. Make a cross-functional team of 3, that holds the Gemba responsibility for 90 days. Change the team every 90 days.

Real-World Example

In-Room Dining

• IRD success lies not just in the quality of the food & beverage, selection of menu, but also preparedness and process.

• Ensuring you are set up for success, is a critical component.

• Make sure you do a Gemba walk of the service area. How is the area set up? How is the order-taker area set up? Do they have all the items they need at hand? Is the storage adequate?

• More importantly, ask the IRD team - 'what can we change to make this easier for you or make it better for guests?'

• You should also do the Gemba walk for the process - delivery & clearance. Walk with a team member going to delivery and see what they see. Do they have a clear path or do they need to navigate around roadblocks? The same for clearance.

Want to make this WOW?

• We at Eclat love POV. POV is a Point Of View. If you want to make this insight a wow, get your team a go-pro head or chest-mounted camera and record everything from their POV. See the world the way they do and then make the changes they need.

• If you see them walking too far for something, bring it closer. If you see them making improv use of tools or fashioning tools for a specific purpose, try and get tools that are specifically used for that task.

• If you see them strain to read the KOT - Kitchen Order Ticket - then increase the font or make the ink darker.