The World of Work Is Changing - But Lean Thinking Still Wins: Lessons from 3,700 Workers Worldwide

Operations leaders know this already: success doesn’t just depend on tech or headcount. It depends on people following clear processes, training being accessible, and everyone understanding what “good” looks like.

This truth shows up in monday.com’s 2025 World of Work Report, which surveyed 3,736 workers globally across industries, including manufacturing. It revealed a sharp gap between the tools businesses invest in and what teams actually use, trust, or feel confident about.

Only 71% of workers at large enterprise companies use the work management tools provided to them, even though adoption rates are above 84% in smaller businesses.

Monday.com Report (p.11)

That’s not just a tech problem. That’s a process, training, and change management problem. And for manufacturers looking to stay competitive, it’s one worth fixing.

Training and Clarity Still Drive Process Success

The report confirms what Lean practitioners have always said: people perform better when they understand the process and feel part of the outcome.

Employees who understand how success is measured are more than twice as likely to feel motivated to achieve it. (p. 17)
At small and mid-sized companies, 77% say their training and development needs are met, but satisfaction drops to 70% at enterprise level. (p. 24)

Poor onboarding? Outdated SOPs? Generic tools with no role-specific guidance? These erode confidence and drive disengagement. If you’ve got machines running 24/7 but operators guessing how to use the software, you’ve got waste, and risk.

“Open and honest conversations about career growth are crucial, even when they're challenging."

Adam Boone, Global DEI Lead at monday.com (p. 26)

Takeaway: Your SOPs should teach, not just document. And training isn’t a one-time task; it’s part of daily flow.

Disconnect Between Leaders and Frontline Staff

Another red flag: leaders often think they’re doing better than they are. In the report:

45% of senior leaders said organizational change is managed “very well”
Only 23% of individual contributors agreed. (p. 13)

This disconnect shows up in how tools and procedures are rolled out too. Leaders approve new systems, but do the teams using them get enough context? Do they understand why the change matters?

“Effective change management requires communicating the ‘why’ at every level.”

Shiran Nawi, Chief People & Legal Officer, monday.com (p. 14)

This speaks directly to the heart of Lean: respect for people. When you give teams clarity, you reduce resistance, and increase ownership.

Takeaway: A new tool or process needs more than a rollout. It needs reinforcement, a ‘why’/context, and feedback loops – as well as dedicated skills training in the tool/process.

SOPs and Work Instructions Only Matter If People Use Them

Tools and software only create value when people actually use them.From the report:

While 82% of respondents use project/work management software, only 78% of individual contributors feel confident using it
This compares to 94% of senior leaders who say they’re comfortable with the tools (p. 11)

It’s a trust and usability issue. If an SOP is buried in a server folder or written in jargon, it won’t get used. And that’s not a worker problem, it’s a design problem.

“Employees stay engaged when their software helps them, not when it creates more headaches.”

Olga Lykova, Head of North America Partnerships, monday.com (p. 11)

Takeaway: Good SOPs and systems don’t just exist. They’re visible, usable, accessible to all, and actually make work easier.

Shared Ownership Increases Engagement, and Reduces Turnover

Lean thinking puts team ownership at the center of improvement. The report backs this up:

Only 39% of employees believe their organization has been “very successful” in creating a sense of shared ownership (p. 21)
When shared ownership is felt, productivity rises, and so does job satisfaction

Workers aren’t just looking for perks. They want to understand how their work matters. And they want to feel trusted.

Concrete steps leaders can take:

Celebrate team wins tied to SOP compliance or improvements
Use a Gemba walk to gather input from frontline operators
Visualize process metrics daily, not just in quarterly reviews

Takeaway: If you want ownership, you need visibility and recognition baked into the system. Also giving every team member access to Lean/SOP software, such as GembaDocs, they’ll have ownership over their processes, training and work – they’ll also feel sense of trust, belonging and investment from the company.

Growth Paths = Better Process Engagement

There’s strong alignment between skill development and process compliance.

40% of employees hope to develop leadership skills this year (p. 25)
But only 20% say they’ll get that from internal company training

And here’s the kicker: those working at large companies are least satisfied with their promotion or development opportunities, yet they’re most likely to stay (p. 24).

Why? Big companies have resources, but often poor execution. Development stalls when processes aren’t clear, SOPs are outdated, or managers don’t have time to coach.

If your SOPs don’t support skill-building, they’re missing half the point. Every procedure is a chance to grow someone’s confidence and competence.

Takeaway: Link every process to a learning moment. Make it easy for new hires and experienced operators to level up – track in a skills matrix, give them SOP access to be self starters, to be curious and to learn outside their station.

What This Means for Manufacturers Focused on Lean

This report echoes what operations managers have known all along, but now with fresh data:

Tools don’t work without clarity
Change fails without communication
Processes only drive results when they’re adopted, understood, and owned

Whether you’re rolling out a new procedure or revamping a training plan, make it:

Visual
Easy to update
Connected to goals
Built around people, not platforms

Training and Clarity Still Drive Process Success

Disconnect Between Leaders and Frontline Staff

SOPs and Work Instructions Only Matter If People Use Them

Shared Ownership Increases Engagement, and Reduces Turnover

Concrete steps leaders can take:

Growth Paths = Better Process Engagement

What This Means for Manufacturers Focused on Lean

The Truth About Implementing SOPS – Q&A With Brian Meyers, Fat American Manufacturing

Product Update: June 2025 – Draft SOPs, AI Coversheets & Bulk Uploads

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