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Key Tweets from @MarkGraban – Week of August 31, 2015: Deming & Change

By Mark Graban
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Key TweetsHere's the latest installment of “Key Tweets,” a post that summarizes some of my tweets (or retweets) from the week. Follow me @MarkGraban and join the fun and the conversation. See the previous installments of Key Tweets here.

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Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker who has worked in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. He is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. His most recent book is 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. His latest book has been released as an "in-progress" book, titled Measures of Success.

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2 Comments
  1. Mark Edmondson
    Mark Edmondson says

    Your definition of Lean caught my eye: “Lean is a tool set, a management system, and a philosophy that can change the way hospitals are organized and managed.”

    I study Lean, think about Lean, practice Lean, and write about Lean. But I feel awkward when someone asks “What do you do?” or “What is Lean?” and sense a one sentence response is appropriate.

    My common response for the Lean question: Lean arguably the best approach we know about for improving how an organization delivers value to its customers.

    I figure if they’re interested in understanding what this means, they’ll start a conversation. Otherwise the conversation moves on. Still, I feel a bit academic sounding with this reply.

    So what is your favorite one sentence response?

    1. Mark Graban says

      It’s tough to summarize what we do or what Lean is, in a nutshell.

      When chatting with somebody at a reception or party, I usually define what I do in terms of goals: “I work with hospitals to improve quality and processes.”

      A longer version is “I work with hospitals to improve the quality of care and patient safety, reduce waiting times, reduce costs, and create better workplaces.”

      Lean, if they probe, is a means to those ends.

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