If ever there was a powerful way to position HR as a strategic business partner, “lean” is it. As your article “Elegantly wasted” (7 August) alluded to, implementing lean techniques is not only about improving process efficiency, but is also about deep-seated organisational culture change.

At a tactical level, the success of a lean initiative depends on a combination of both operational and people skills such as training employees in new skills, improving and introducing coaching and leadership styles, engaging and mobilising staff around the changes required, and changing the ways of working. If the change is not owned bottom-up and top-down, the changes, despite any short-term quick wins, will not be sustained.