Change-Resistant Koala

Meme of a koala holding a eucalyptus leaf in its mouth, with text reading BUT... WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT THIS WAY

By @ChristinaKach

The Lean point: “We've always done it this way” is often a reasonable reaction, not stubbornness. People have watched improvement programs come and go, and the current way at least works most days. If leaders want a different answer, they need to show how the change helps the people doing the work, and then take their objections seriously.

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Mark Graban
Mark Graban

Mark Graban helps leaders build workplaces where people speak up and improvement sticks, through Lean management, psychological safety, and better use of metrics. He is a keynote speaker, advisor, and host of the Lean Blog Interviews and My Favorite Mistake podcasts.

He is the author of The Mistakes That Make Us, Measures of Success, Lean Hospitals, and Healthcare Kaizen, and a three-time recipient of the Shingo Publication Award. His next book is The Silence Tax.

Mark is also a Senior Advisor to KaiNexus. Get his free ebooks.

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