Links to Dilbert Cartoons on #Lean and/or #SixSigma

I've often blogged about Dilbert and “dilbert lean” is a fairly common search term, so I thought I'd do my best to compile all of the Lean or Six Sigma related strips that I could find into a single post, providing links to them.

Previously, I had embedded strips (since the Dilbert website gave you code that allowed me to do that). A few years back, I got a really nicely-worded email from somebody at the company that distributes Dilbert. They asked me to not embed the strips and to, instead, link to the cartoons. I complied with their request and, to my surprise, they mailed me a really nice Dilbert coffee-table book.

You can reach this page at www.leanblog.org/dilbert. Click on any cartoon description to see it on Dilbert.com, where you can also buy merchandise with your favorite strip.

10/16/11: Dilbert's boss does all he can to discourage ideas

1/19/07: Pointy-haired boss wants to combine Lean and Six Sigma

6/17/11: Wally misunderstands what a “kaizen” should be all about (also see this blog post).

9/30/11: Dilbert's boss doesn't want ideas

1/31/07: Lean has a “bias for action,” while Six Sigma sometimes suffers from a “bias for more analysis.”

1/26/06: I don't mean to be highlighting strips that mock Six Sigma. Many of these Six Sigma jokes could be applied just the same to Lean (or “L.A.M.E.“).

3/21/05: Maybe he meant “lean up” in a very colloquial sense, not really talking about Lean Management

10/6/01: The Lean philosophy embraces the concept of “no problems is a problem.” We have to uncover and understand the root cause of our problems… but first, we have to admit we have them (see strip)

10/3/01: Again, the same joke could be made with Lean

10/4/01: Again, not just picking on Six Sigma.

10/5/01: Wow, Dogbert doesn't practice the Lean concept of “respect for people,” does he?

9/9/05: Dilbert's company really misapplies Lean 5S principles.

12/5/94: Too many organizations, sadly, just try to copy Toyota instead of really understanding what's behind Lean and the Toyota Production System.

3/13/91: Wow, this is an old strip.

3/14/03: Poor Dilbert – Just in Time Inventory strategy

2/13/11: This illustrates how Dilbert's boss is not a Lean Thinker (blog post)

1/18/09: More waste illustrated at Dilbert's company (blog post).

12/4/2008: Dilbert's company is not big on employee ideas or “Kaizen,” apparently

11/11/2010: Dilbert's boss blames people, not the system

2/24/2004: Again, punishing people who take risks

4/18/1999 — Patty the Process Person who “doesn't know how to do anything” :-)

4/27/2004 — All the suggestions say “more money“

10/14/1992 — Dilbert's boss sets a trap

Which strip is your favorite? Which hurts the most? Were there any Lean-related strips that I missed?

You can also see more recent Dilbert strips related to Lean that I've collected under the tag “Dilbert.”