They aren't teaching me… so they aren't my sensei. If I see somebody labeled as “sensei” and I don't know them, the term seems strange. Pascal especially would not tell me to call him “sensei.” There are people out there that Pascal would call “sensei.” The term is situational. Pascal does not call himself a “sensei” as a general term or title. I respect his knowledge and ability to teach others, so I choose to call him sensei. I readily and sincerely call Pascal a “sensei.” I did then and I would today. But to say a “sensei” is “a wise master” who is an “expert,” and to then put that label on yourself, doesn't make me think of humility. Here is a short audio clip from one of those videos, with name removed to protect the guy (he means well, so why embarrass him?).
![sensei meaning sensei meaning](https://jlptsensei.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/meku-%E3%82%81%E3%81%8F-jlpt-n1-grammar-meaning-%E6%96%87%E6%B3%95-%E4%BE%8B%E6%96%87-learn-japanese-flashcards-768x768.png)
Oh, he was a “LEAN sensei,” even though the word is not an acronym. You choose to call somebody else a “sensei.”Īs an aside, I saw one cringe-worthy video online where a Lean guy calls himself a “certified Lean sensei” and then repeatedly pronounces “sensei” incorrectly… instead of “sen-say” he said “sen-sigh,” which makes it seem even sillier. One uses the term to show respect to others. It's a term given by a student to their teacher. I've also been taught that “sensei” is a term that shows honor and respect. How does one get certified as having more experience than everybody else? I guess a birth certificate shows if you were born before me… but you're not older than everybody… but it's not just about age. Wikipedia says the word translates literally as “person born before another” but means “teacher” in a practical sense. They defined the term to mean “one who has gone before you.” Notice that doesn't mean “expert.” It means, basically, somebody with a little more experience than you. One thing I learned from Pascal and his team is about the word “sensei.” When I had a chance to work with Pascal Dennis, I learned a lot. I'm not sure who is certifying people as “sensei,” but the idea of that seems to fly in the face of what the term is supposed to represent. Using Japanese terms might invite this reaction from people we're working with:Įspecially if that one “samurai” says incorrect things like this. Nor do they use the term “samurai.” Yes, I've seen a “Samurai Master Black Belt” and a “Lean Six Sigma Samurai.” Yes, that's a thing… but “Lean Six Sigma Samurai” is trademarked… so at least that discourages others from adopting the term. They don't use terms like that at Toyota. The title that makes me cringe is some variation of: When I was at Honeywell, I begged them to put “Lean Coach” on my business card, but HR said “no” to that. I like the phrase “Lean coach.” It's used a lot in the Lean Startup movement. Lean practitioners, in any industry, have all sorts of job titles, including:
![sensei meaning sensei meaning](https://www.sekinamayu.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Sayonara-Zetsubou-Sensei-Facebook.png)
Hear Mark read this post ( check out the podcast series): Lean leadership starts with humility and I try to practice that (although I sometimes fail in this pursuit).
![sensei meaning sensei meaning](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/17/7f/c5/177fc5b1b645bfc6c28a8744070bc153.gif)
![sensei meaning sensei meaning](https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f_ODKpbcYk8/XGnp_NUXApI/AAAAAAAAEHY/Ii_AFU-r4y4eWn1pftSK8eh9m2IxYIDEgCK4BGAYYCw/w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu/sensei-ansatsu-kyoushitsu.png)
The next level up, at Honeywell, was called “Lean Master,” which was even worse. To their credit, they still mailed me the plaque after I moved, but that wasn't exactly world class cycle time being demonstrated there. Note, the plaque is dated January 2006 and I had left the company in August of 2005. In their eyes, I'm a formally certified “Lean Expert.” Yet, when people ask if I'm certified or have “a belt,” my first thought is to say “no” until I remember otherwise, sometimes prompted by seeing the shiny plaque hanging on the wall in my office.