Institute for Healthcare Improvement: Improvement Tip: Find “Muda” and Root it Out
The IHI is doing a great job of driving lean in the healthcare world. This overview of waste reduction has a noteworthy comment. They claim that the Japanese word “muda” (which I knew as “waste”) is sometimes translated as:
“Stupid-Nothing”
Has anyone else ever heard that? It's a very apt term, even though I don't think I'll go around pointing out the “stupid nothings” with my clients!
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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.
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