TL;DR: If Lean improvements put jobs at risk, people will stop improving. Organizations that commit to “no layoffs due to Lean” create trust, unlock ideas, and sustain better performance. When I worked with Johnson & Johnson’s ValuMetrix Services consulting group (from 2005 to 2009), we had a simple but firm rule before engaging with any healthcare client: executives had to commit to a “no layoffs due to Lean” policy. If leaders couldn’t or wouldn’t make … Continue reading Lean Without Layoffs: Why Protecting Jobs Is Essential for Continuous Improvement