As a SCORE counselor I see a lot of business plans — some real, many samples from the internet and other sources. Almost all of them begin by asserting “We will do X, Y, and Z.” Almost none begin by asserting “The customer wants us to do A, B, and C.”
When I point this out, people instinctively understand that the one form is better than the other. The one implies a business based on the will of management. The other implies a complete strategy fashioned around the needs of the customer — a Lean strategy.
To some people, saying that Lean is a strategy fashioned around the needs of the customer, well, Them’s fightin’ words.
So let’s have the fight.