Gemba Claus Is Comin’ to Town: A Lean Christmas Song Parody

TL;DR: A Lean-themed Christmas song parody that mixes kaizen, gemba, and holiday humor–just for fun, and maybe a little reflection.

Here's a musical holiday treat for my regular Lean Blog readers and podcast listeners, a song parody, initially released in 2009, and then remastered a bit in 2022.

This Lean Christmas song parody plays on familiar improvement concepts like gemba, kaizen, flow, and SMED, reimagined through the lens of a classic holiday tune. It's meant as lighthearted fun–but also as a reminder that Lean thinking is about observing work, improving processes, and reducing frustration, not just following rules.

“Gemba Claus is Comin' to Town”

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Lean thinking has its own vocabulary–words like gemba, kaizen, flow, SMED, and root cause. For people immersed in continuous improvement, these terms are second nature. For everyone else, they can sound like jargon.

This song parody is meant to poke gentle fun at that reality while celebrating what Lean is really about: paying attention to how work actually happens, fixing what slows people down, and continuously improving how value is delivered to customers.

Set to the tune of a familiar Christmas classic, “Gemba Claus Is Comin' to Town” reimagines Lean concepts in a playful, memorable way. It's not meant as a lesson plan–but it does reflect real improvement ideas that show up every day in Lean organizations.

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Lyrics: “Gemba Claus Is Comin' to Town”

Lyrics by Mark Graban
Performance by Steve Sholtes

Oh, you'd better watch out
You'd better kaizen
You'd better not pout, I'm tellin' ya then
Gemba Claus is comin' to town

He's making a list
Just checking it once
Doin' it twice would waste a whole bunch
Gemba Clause is comin' to town

He sees you when you're waitin'
He knows when your work flows
He knows if changeovers are too long
So do SMED  for goodness sake

Oh, you'd watch out
You'd better not pause
You'd better not pout
Find the real root cause
Gemba Claus is comin' to Town!

For voiceover work, music, or more, you can contact Steve via his website, www.stevesholtes.com.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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About the Song

I originally wrote this parody in 2009 as a lighthearted holiday gift for LeanBlog readers and podcast listeners. It was later remastered in 2022, but the underlying themes haven't changed.

Lean ideas often stick best when they're shared through stories, humor, and examples people can remember. A song parody lowers the barrier to engagement–especially around the holidays–while still reinforcing ideas like observing work at the gemba, reducing delays, and addressing root causes instead of symptoms.

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Why This Still Matters (2025)

Even today, Lean is sometimes misunderstood as a set of tools, buzzwords, or rules to enforce. In reality, Lean is a way of thinking–one that emphasizes learning, curiosity, and respect for people.

Humor plays a useful role in that learning. It helps people remember ideas, question assumptions, and see the absurdity of applying concepts without understanding their purpose.

If this song makes you smile and reminds you that improvement should make work better for people–not just more controlled–then it's doing its job.

If you're working to build a culture where people feel safe to speak up, learn from problems, and improve every day, I'd be glad to help. Let's talk about how to strengthen psychological safety and continuous improvement in your organization.

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If you’re working to build a culture where people feel safe to speak up, solve problems, and improve every day, I’d be glad to help. Let’s talk about how to strengthen Psychological Safety and Continuous Improvement in your organization.