This past week, I stumbled through a systemic problem that might not ever be solved, namely the National Car Rental service at Terminal 3 of the Toronto Pearson International Airport. I say a “systemic” problem, because I’ve seen the same…
Here is another reader question I received this week: I was wondering how you deal with removing people from the company who resist change while maintaining the culture where people are not afraid to be laid off due to improvements.…
We spend a lot of time here talking about how to prevent Lean failures and what some of the root causes are. I received a question from a reader that I thought I’d open to the group: What are the…
As the end of the year approaches, it’s always a good time to reflect, including the “am I happy with my current job?” question. Here’s a link to a survey on employee engagement from the firm BlessingWhite if you want…
New Yorker – Dr. Atul Gawande Here is an outstanding piece by one of my favorite medical writers, on the use of checklists (a form of Standardized Work) to improve healthcare quality. How can “a stupid little checklist” have such…
by Dan Markovitz Whew! Just in case you panicked at the thought of not having access to email on your upcoming flight to Slippery Rock, JetBlue has come to the rescue with in-flight internet access. You’ll never again have to…
What your CEO drives says a lot – USATODAY.com: One thing I love about the Toyota Way is the humility and down-to-Earth nature of leaders, it’s such a contrast to the arrogance you so often see in other circles. USA…
If you’re a regular reader, you might recall the Cedar-Sinai medical error that harmed Dennis Quad’s twins (and others). Quaid and his wife are now suing the maker of the drug, Baxter, claiming the company is negligent for not designing…
My ears always perk up when I hear the word “suggestions.” Again, it was in a football context. But unlike the ASU Sun Devil example, it was the other way around. As my new team (the Cowboys) was still losing…
Boeing Scrambles to Repair Problems With New Plane – WSJ.com Interesting article in today’s WSJ about the ongoing problems in bringing the new 787 “Dreamliner” to market. Sounds like a nightmare of a process. Look at the waste highlighted in…
Two article links, sent to me by a few readers: Court: Toyota Employee Was Worked to Death Widow of Toyota worker questions labor practices At a first quick read, this seems like a “Japan problem” more so than a “Toyota…
Six Sigma – People I might not be able to blog much the next few days, so I’ll pose this fun question. Has anyone heard of the Six Sigma winery, founded by a former GE executive? What would a “Lean…
