Today is the Labor Day holiday in the United States (and in Canada, as I recently learned). It's not just a day of rest or a celebration of people who work… it's a also day to acknowledge unions and the labor movement.
There's currently a big “labor dispute” with the Alina health system in Minnesota. The Minnesota Nurses Association has been outspoken against Lean, which I think is a shame since they either misunderstand Lean or choose to portray it in a negative light.
It makes me wonder though why it's always called a “labor dispute” instead of a “management dispute” or “labor-management dispute” when it takes two sides to disagree.
Lean is supposed to help create a better workplace, end of story. If that's not happening, it's more likely “L.A.M.E.” or “Fake Lean” that's taking place.
Here are some past blog posts about Lean and Labor Day, and a podcast with Prof. Zeynep Ton about her fabulous book The Good Jobs Strategy:
Have a great holiday and best wishes to everyone who is working to create better workplaces.
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Don’t forget, next month is Boss’s Day in the United States (Monday, October 17). It is a day to appreciate our employers. Though, appreciation could be substantially diminished by all the waste, unevenness, unreasonableness, blame, and stress that workers endure.
Your tribute to Labor Day makes me think of Pal’s Sudden Service. In an industry known for high turnover, it’s a great case study of how coaching and investing in employees leads not just to great business performance, but low turnover and a better quality of life for the employees.
https://hbr.org/2016/01/how-one-fast-food-chain-keeps-its-turnover-rates-absurdly-low
Great article, Mark! I couldn’t agree more. Labor day is about honoring the workers who have helped our country prosper. We should definitely not put negative emphasis on the word “labor”, as it only reveals our capacity of working hard to achieve our goals.