Do Buffalo Really Run Toward Storms?

You may have heard the story before.

When a storm rolls across the plains, buffalo don’t run away from it…they run into it. The idea is that by facing the storm head-on, they get through it faster than if they tried to outrun it.

It’s a powerful image.

Now, whether that’s perfectly accurate or a bit romanticized is up for debate. But the principle behind it? That’s worth exploring.

Because in the world of Continuous Improvement, I’ve seen something very similar play out…just with people instead of buffalo.

The Longer You Avoid the Problem, the Longer You Stay in the Storm

Let me ask you something. What often happens in your organization when a problem shows up?

Sadly, we often delay. We schedule a meeting for next week. We gather more data (but not the right data). We hope it’s a one-time issue. We manage around it. In other words…we often run away from the storm.

But here’s the reality. The longer we avoid a problem, the longer we stay in it.

Just like lead time in a process, there’s a kind of “problem lead time.” And when we delay engagement, we stretch that lead time out, sometimes dramatically.

Lean Thinking Is About Facing Reality Quickly

At its core, Lean isn’t about tools. It’s about behavior.

And one of the most important behaviors is this: Go see the problem. Now. Not later. Not after three more emails. Not after the next status meeting. Now.

This is the spirit of Genchi Genbutsu, which, loosely translated, means to go and see. Not to assign blame, but to understand reality as it actually is.

Because the sooner we engage with the problem:

• The sooner we understand it
• The sooner we contain it
• The sooner we solve it

And yes…the sooner we get through the storm.

What “Running Toward the Storm” Looks Like at Work

Let’s make this practical.

Facing problems head-on doesn’t mean being aggressive or reckless. It means being intentional and timely.

Here’s what that can look like:

1. Swarm problems early: Don’t wait for the weekly meeting. Get the right people together quickly and start understanding what’s happening.
2. Go to the Gemba immediately: Don’t rely on secondhand reports. Go see the process, the defect, the condition with your own eyes.
3. Ask why now, not later: Even a quick “5 Whys” conversation today is better than a perfectly structured analysis two weeks from now.
4. Escalate when you’re stuck: Too often, people sit on problems because they don’t want to bother others. That just prolongs the issue.

A Word of Caution

Again, facing the storm doesn’t mean charging in blindly. Continuous Improvement isn’t about speed for its own sake. It’s about thoughtful, structured problem-solving.

We still need data, discipline, and structure (i.e., A3, PDCA, DMAIC).

Put another way, the goal isn’t to react emotionally. The goal is to engage deliberately and, ideally, sooner rather than later.

What do you think? Do you agree?

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