I really like the way this is put in the column:
– Do you rationalize away the reasons for waste in your practices?
– Do you eliminate waste at a leisurely or convenient pace (improve when you have time)?
– Or, are you passionately intolerant and indignant that wasteful processes handcuff your organizations' untapped human potential.”
At my company — the answers to questions 1 & 2 are mostly “yes”. That's a long-standing culture. I would, personally, answer “yes” to question 3, which often causes conflict between me and the part of the organization that tolerates and just lives with waste. Is this “passionate intolerance” and “indignancy” toward waste just born into some of us, or can it be taught/learned? Click “comments” if you'd like to chime in.
Other columns by the same author can be found here.
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Mark Graban
Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker who has worked in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. His latest book is Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More. He is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. He also published the anthology Practicing Lean that benefits the Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation, where Mark is a board member. Mark is also a Senior Advisor to the technology company KaiNexus.