Learning lean through 1:1 coaching– a banker becomes a lean expert

But lean is much more than a training format – lean is a mindset that is best developed in your own day-to-day work.

That is exactly what I was able to demonstrate with a client from the banking sector.

My client worked at a large German bank and wanted to understand lean – really understand it.
However, the traditional path via classroom training did not fit his role or his way of working.

So we made a clear decision:
We would do lean entirely through 1:1 coaching.
Individual. Online. In direct dialogue.

Our approach was clearly structured and at the same time highly personal:

1. Online coaching sessions
We worked through lean methods, mindsets and principles step by step – clearly explained and adapted to the banking context.

2. Homework
Each week, the coachee received concrete tasks:
analyzing processes, identifying waste, documenting workflows and proposing improvements.

3. Implementation in daily work
Everything was tested directly in the real work environment – not theoretically, but using real cases.

4. Reflection and refinement
In the next session, we reviewed the results, analyzed obstacles and further sharpened the approach.

This combination of knowledge, application and coaching turned “lean theory” into real lean practice.

Through this process, my coachee developed into a genuine lean expert –
not despite the coaching, but because of it:

• lean was learned in the individual context

• methods were immediately applicable

• no abstract production examples

• pace and depth tailored to the individual

• direct support when challenges arose

• rapid skill development instead of passive training

Suddenly, lean was no longer a concept from manufacturing –
it became a practical tool that delivered tangible improvements in the banking environment.