In this video I captured, a balloon is carried away by the current of a waterfall. You see it slowly disappearing underwater... and just a few seconds later, it reappears, exactly where it started.
At first glance, you might think the balloon was eliminated, that the problem was solved. In reality, nothing has changed. The system itself — the waterfall — continues to produce the same effect. The balloon is simply recycled in an endless loop.
This is exactly what happens in our organizations when we fix symptoms without addressing the root causes.
What this metaphor really shows us
Every time we "fix" a problem without deeply understanding its root cause,
The problem will come back.
It may return even faster.
It may come back in an even more costly form.
In Lean, we follow a fundamental principle: Built-in Quality.
Quality is not a final control at the end of the production line, nor a last-minute patch. Quality must be designed, built, and verified at every step. Every operator, every team, every developer is a co-creator of quality.
As soon as an anomaly is detected, it must be:
Seen through a transparent visual system (Andon, visual management),
Immediately stopped to prevent the defect from spreading (Jidoka),
Corrected at the source by finding the root cause (using the "5 Whys", A3 Problem Solving).
Otherwise, we are doomed to endlessly recycle the same mistakes, like that balloon trapped in its waterfall.
Why problems remain invisible without going to the Gemba
The first mistake managers, engineers, and project leaders make is believing they understand problems from their office.
Reality is always found on the ground.
In Lean, we talk about the Gemba: the real place where value is created or lost.
Go see.
Truly see.
Observe without filters.
Understand the gap between what we believe and what is really happening.
Gemba is the only place where we can perceive systemic dysfunctions. At the Gemba, we see:
Hidden waste,
Team overload,
Process inconsistencies,
Improvement opportunities that no spreadsheet can reveal.
Without Gemba, we are only guessing the causes. And in 90% of cases, we are wrong. Without Gemba, we treat symptoms and maintain the cycle.
Why Built-in Quality has become non-negotiable
Today, production flows — whether in manufacturing or software development — move so fast that an undetected defect has exponential consequences.
A bug left in a CI/CD pipeline can block an entire delivery chain. A small quality gap in a feature can ruin a user experience and erode trust.
We no longer have the luxury of discovering problems at the end.
In a Built-in Quality culture:
Every team is responsible for quality at its own level.
Every anomaly becomes a learning opportunity.
Every process is designed to prevent errors, not just to fix them afterwards.
This is a profound shift: from after-the-fact control to proactive responsibility at every moment.
Taking action: How to break free from the endless cycle
For our organizations to truly improve, we must:
✅ Make problems visible (visual management, Andon).
✅ Create conditions for immediate problem stopping (Jidoka).
✅ Train every team to reach the root cause (5 Whys, A3).
✅ Design detection and error-proofing systems from the start (Poka-Yoke).
✅ Visit the Gemba frequently to observe with humility.
✅ Encourage experience sharing and regular feedback to fuel continuous improvement.
Quality is not decoration. It is a daily discipline. It starts with the willingness to face reality, to understand, to learn, and to act without delay.
In conclusion:
Don't chase problems. Dry up their source.
This is how we create products, services, and organizations that are truly resilient. Organizations capable of growing without compromising trust or delivered value.
✨ And you, in your projects, do you still see balloons coming back? What are you waiting for to go to the Gemba?
#Lean #BuiltInQuality #Gemba #ProblemSolving #ContinuousImprovement #Leadership
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