Local Accountability
Groups
Growth is easier when you're not doing it alone
Establishing an improvement culture across a business on your own is hard. Progress stalls, momentum drops, and it's easy to lose sight of what's working.
Local Accountability Groups put you in a small, trusted circle of Lean leaders from across New Zealand — people facing the same challenges you are. Every month, you share where you're at, learn something new, and commit to your next step. Your group makes sure you follow through.
Groups are capped at 6 people. 12 sessions a year. One session a month.
Download the service one-pager for all the information
Who should apply
Local Accountability Groups are for people who are ready to bring their own experience to the table, not just sit back and absorb someone else's. To make sure the group works for everyone in it, we ask that applicants meet one of the following:
Two or more of:
- NZQA Level 3+ in a related field
- Completed an NZLA Lean Leadership programme
- An equivalent programme (Six Sigma, Shingo, or similar)
Your organisation's track record — all of:
- An active Lean / OpEx programme running for at least 2 years
- You currently lead or drive improvement activity within it
- You can demonstrate prior Lean knowledge
Not sure if you qualify? A quick 15-minute chat with the NZLA team will sort it out.
What
You Get
Real Stories
- Real stories, not theory
Hear how other leaders actually solved their problems — the wins, the setbacks, and what really worked. No polished case studies, just honest peer experience. - Fresh thinking from NZLA
Every session includes input from NZLA — new tools, techniques, and access to guest experts, including Shingo Model practitioners. - A group that holds you to it
You commit to a project. Your group checks in on it every single month. That accountability is what keeps momentum going when day-to-day work gets in the way.
How it works
- Sessions alternate each month between an online meetup and an in-person site visit.
- Odd months — Online meetup
A 60–90 minute session on MS Teams: share your story, get NZLA's learning input, and go round the group for accountability check-ins. - Even months — Site visit
A half-day, in person. One member hosts and presents a live project, the group does a gemba walk, NZLA delivers a learning segment, and there's time to network. Hosting rotates, so everyone gets a turn. - Groups are matched geographically, so you're meeting with leaders local to you.