Is Lean contradictory when compared to Tao Te Ching philosophy?

The new and old ideas are mixed together to take forms and shapes although none have impacted the matter of things. We know that matter is continuous therefore it will never become something different than it has always been. 

Most companies for the last centuries have shown contradictory results as what seemed to be working in one area was catastrophic in multiple areas therefore the same idea(s) were not bringing the similar and positive outcomes.

Should we ask therefore the question when something is not working or rather we should observe, record and then move on? Tao is advising us to stay still yet we continue to move therefore we create movement instead of stillness.

“Those who act defeat their own purpose;

Those who grasp lose.

The wise do not act and so are not defeated.

They do not grasp and therefore do not lose.”

Tao teaches us to “deal with things before they happen. Put things in order before there is confusion.”  Tao is quality and that we know it already but is Tao similar to Lean?

How many questions should we ask before reaching to the root cause? Lean is suggesting to ask 5 (five) times “why” before reaching to the root cause of a problem, but are we sure that in some cases there might be no real reasons in finding the main root cause?

But then, what if the matter is the main cause therefore we reached a certain level of knowledge? Can we move away from the matter?

The 7 signs of waste in Lean are Transport, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Over-Processing, Overproduction, and Defects. We understand that less Motion will produce less Defects while less Transport will produce less Waiting. In Overproduction and Over-processing we know that simplicity prevails therefore we need less Overproduction and Over-processing. Simplicity is the answer as less Inventory implies prevention helping us to put the things in order. If the order of things exists in the Universe, why people do create the chaos seen in environment, banking, wars, unemployment, unrest, etc.?

Can humans “practice non-action. Work without doing.”and “See simplicity in the complicated. Achieve greatness in small things.”

Happy New Year 2017!