First Half of March 2019 — Key #Lean Tweets (and LinkedIn Posts) from @MarkGraban
My finger is still bothering me a bit after surgery and I'm on the road doing workshops, so I'm trying to minimize typing… but “Key Tweets” only requires copy and paste… so here we go:

Here's the latest installment of “Key Tweets,” a (usually) bi-monthly post that presents some of my tweets (or retweets), including pictures and other interesting stuff. I sometimes also re-share items that I've posted on LinkedIn.
You can follow me @MarkGraban and join the fun and the conversation, but you don't need a Twitter account to view any of this.
See the previous installments of Key Tweets.
From LinkedIn:
From Twitter:
I haven’t been inside a Krispy Kreme in a long time. The defect donuts that didn’t get flipped properly by the automation are easy to spot, even after glazing. pic.twitter.com/e7YAzie1pj
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 4, 2019
From the #Lean Blog archives: It’s Not #Lean to Have Dysfunctional Efficiency Targets https://t.co/JN5eLX9go9
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 2, 2019
Even implying that he is a “#lean leader” is just about the most bigly crime against Lean I could imagine. If you agree with Paul, feel free to block me. https://t.co/dCWErS3BII
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 3, 2019
Unlike some convoluted WSJ charts that plot "% change" each year, this is a clear and useful Run Chart that goes beyond a simple 2-data-point comparison. #plotthedots pic.twitter.com/EBZF934jFY
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 4, 2019
In Toronto 3.26.19? Interested in learning how to see signals within the noise of your organization’s data? Want to learn how to lead with a systems view?#SystemsThinkingTO is partnering with @MarkGraban to bring his Measures of Success Workshop here!https://t.co/GyY4y6SgIw
— Chris R. Chapman (@DerailleurAgile) March 4, 2019
“the SNFs: Failed to administer medications as prescribed; failed to provide standard infection control; failed to provide wound care; failed to take prophylactic measures to prevent pressure ulcers; used unnecessary physical restraints on residents…” https://t.co/CgsbsW2sd8
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 4, 2019
When the insurance company app gives you a doctor’s office phone number and it turns out to be a fax machine 🤦🏻♂️
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 5, 2019
“I read a tweet recently asking for more non-clinical involvement in healthcare quality improvement (QI) work. That, for me – ‘a non-clinician’, is a pretty shocking indictment of where the QI ‘movement’ seems to have gotten to.” By @joyfurnival https://t.co/HK7OqotZM9
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 5, 2019
i am so proud of her 😭😭😂😂 shes been struggling so much BUT SHE FINALLY GOT IT DOWN ! pic.twitter.com/DcVKF9BJ4K
— natalia (@_mommanat) March 5, 2019
From the #Lean Blog archives: My Talk in Vegas: Leadership Lessons from Statistics and Psychology https://t.co/8SWyMoMwTX
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 6, 2019
Great quote shared by @barryoreilly in his webinar for @kainexus. Is healthcare in the 21stcentury, software tech-wise yet? pic.twitter.com/N77dYUQXTV
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 6, 2019
Shared by @barryoreilly
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 6, 2019
My observations: Healthcare too often ignores or glosses over mistakes (or unsafe conditions). This leads to MORE catastrophic failures.
Some organizations are using @KaiNexus as the tool for sharing mistakes to help prevent mishaps and catastrophes. pic.twitter.com/4YBkvQ6OlK
We would see a lot more good jobs in the economy if operational excellence (or running the business well) did not take a back seat to "cool" things like growing super fast, raising lots of money, breaking things, acquisitions, technology…
— Zeynep Ton (@zeynepton) March 7, 2019
“It’s bad. It’s really bad," said patient Linda Hatton. "I'm horrified at the mistakes being made.” https://t.co/sRwooi980z
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 8, 2019
The American Hospital Association gives lip service to transparency but they oppose this law. https://t.co/vqsMwbbP1r
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 8, 2019
“But moving the mound back, assuming this experiment moves from an Atlantic League microcosm to an MLB reality, feels drastic bordering on reckless. It seems like a "solution" that may only create more problems.”https://t.co/LCrb80o1gL
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 8, 2019
From the #Lean Blog archives: What Bad Managers, Good Managers, and Great Managers Do https://t.co/pK8sE8pwR4
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 10, 2019
“Spending a little bit of time on social media is fine,” said Melissa Hunt, the associate director of clinical training in the [UPenn] psychology department. “Spending a lot of time on social media is a really bad idea.” https://t.co/WdWoSPdKuX
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 11, 2019
“Systems aren’t perfect and even if they were, humans aren’t. The car industry understood this by going beyond TQCs and introducing a Customer Follow-up System so that when things do go wrong, there is a back-up plan to deal with unintended consequences.” https://t.co/VRb4CNbARG
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 11, 2019
A doctor used a video-link robot to tell a patient he was going to die. The man's family is upset. https://t.co/8WZReWcINM
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 11, 2019
Higher costs (or less cost reduction) doesn’t mean Tesla is entitled to charge more. Prices are set by the market, not a multiple of costs. https://t.co/Hz39LWDRsf
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 11, 2019
“Instead of aiming to see and treat virtually all A&E patients in four hours, the sickest patients will be prioritised for quick treatment.” https://t.co/LNmH2W5ZQ5
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 11, 2019
Yes, but remember Sully's words: "A checklist alone is not sufficient. What makes it effective are the attitude, behavior and teamwork that go along with the use of it." https://t.co/Z6XxROJfiZ https://t.co/IDvmQvfOkB
— Paul Levy (@Paulflevy) March 11, 2019
Is Your Strategy a Plan–or a Hypothesis? https://t.co/eXUnuM7HLa
— Tom Ehrenfeld (@Tomehrenfeld) March 11, 2019
"It should be noted that leaders who welcome only good news create fear that blocks them from hearing the truth. This can lead to many managers who confuse setting high standards with good management."
Always look at the design of the system: “Drivers are bad because of the company’s policies.” https://t.co/f5bWOesyef
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 12, 2019
Some of the Amazon top books in the "Total Quality Management" category are NOT the least bit TQM related — mine is… https://t.co/5g1wWKUX0E
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 14, 2019
From the #Lean Blog archives: Are Millennials the Only Ones Who Need to Understand Why? https://t.co/VMPNqaivpJ
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 14, 2019
Amazon now has a single integrated page for Kindle & Paperback formats…
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 14, 2019
Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More: Mark Graban, Donald J. Wheeler Ph.D.: 9781733519410: https://t.co/8OxVSFgTyq: Books https://t.co/kCiZiVFCQJ
STOP REACTING TO NOISE. START RESPONDING TO SIGNALS. Measures of Success shows business leaders how. #PlotTheDots #Lean #Paperbackhttps://t.co/34P9PCA0OW pic.twitter.com/80aC4fgEEG
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 14, 2019
In many impoverished parts of the world, doctors interact directly with patients, making eye contact and talking to them.
— EPICparodyEMR (@EPICEMRparody) March 14, 2019
Please support our charity, EPIC Without Borders.
Having a doctor who clicks the mouse during your entire visit is a right, not a privilege. pic.twitter.com/skIO5cqFL5
Overhearing some loud guy on a just boarded plane talking about the company forecast vs sales quotas. “You have to push the sales people.” That all gets dysfunctional quickly.
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 14, 2019
Is the answer really “more inspections?”
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 14, 2019
US Air Force says Boeing has 'severe situation' after trash found on refueling planes https://t.co/aB7MWdTfYq
MLB is bad at problem solving.
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 14, 2019
“Last season pitchers faced one or two batters mid-inning only 0.58 times per game, not nearly enough for this to be “a problem” that needed solving.” https://t.co/Go9dMjECX7
From @MarkGraban’s book, Measures of Success. I’ve seen this scenario play out with teams on defects, story points, features, revenue targets, turnaround times, # of “agile” teams, sick days, HR objectives, and more. All spectacular mgmt misses.https://t.co/GyY4y6SgIw pic.twitter.com/bb8j2BBItK
— Chris R. Chapman (@DerailleurAgile) March 15, 2019
From the #Lean Blog archives: Airplane Food: Flight Attendant Kaizen or a Violation of Standardized Work? https://t.co/OnEpgp4Sxr
— Mark Graban (@MarkGraban) March 15, 2019
"For those who are sick and scared, posting health care price tags isn’t good enough. The glaring information gap about the quality of care must be eliminated." https://t.co/bARzOoRHtK via @statnews #ptsafety #PSAW19
— The Leapfrog Group (@LeapfrogGroup) March 15, 2019
Thanks for following and reading!
Please post a comment and join the discussion. Subscribe to get notified about posts via email daily or weekly.Mark Graban
Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker who has worked in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. His latest book is Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More. He is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. He also published 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.