Mark Graban
Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker, and podcaster with experience in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups.
Mark's latest book is The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, a recipient of the Shingo Publication Award.
He is also the author of Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More, Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, and the anthology Practicing Lean, previous Shingo recipients.
Mark is also a Senior Advisor to the technology company KaiNexus.
Unlock the Power of Leadership: A Preview of the Electrolux Manufacturing...
KaiNexus recently hosted a webinar I was especially looking forward to: "Unlock the Power of Leadership: The Electrolux Manufacturing System (EMS) Way," presented by...
How Don Kieffer Applies Toyota Thinking to Modern Knowledge Work
Why do so many Lean efforts fail in offices, engineering, and executive work? In this episode, Don Kieffer explains why copying Toyota's rituals misses...
Gas Prices and Bad Metrics: Why Snapshot Comparisons Mislead Us
We love comparisons.
Today vs. last week
This month vs. last month
This year vs. last year
It feels responsible. Analytical. "Data driven." But most of the time,...
5 Big Lean Questions with Mark Graban: Purpose, Misconceptions, and the...
Last year, my friend (and long-time fellow blogger) Tim McMahon from the A Lean Journey blog sent me a set of questions he's asked...
Why Lean Leaders Should Be Thankful for Problems, Waste, and Mistakes
At the hospital on Monday, a chaplain shared a Thanksgiving poem on the theme of being grateful.
It struck a chord with me. As a Lean practitioner, it's easy to focus on the waste... the problems... the gaps. We think about what could be and the "ideal state." We strive for perfection and it's easy to lose site of what we have.
Stop Forcing Change: Use These Motivational Interviewing Questions Instead
When we think about how change happens in organizations, especially those practicing Lean, we often focus on tools, plans, and communication strategies. But what...
You Can’t Cherry-Pick Lean: Why Pull, Heijunka, and CI Don’t Stick
tl;dr: Lean fails when organizations cherry-pick tools like 5S, pull, or heijunka without adopting Lean as a complete management system. Sustainable results require long-term...
Unlearning Old Habits: What a Pickleball Mistake Taught Me About Feedback...
What Pickleball Taught Me About Kindness, Kaizen, and Culture
"Don't worry about your mistakes--you're learning."
That's what an instructor said during my first 1x1 lesson at...
AI as a Thought Partner in Kaizen: Small PDSA Tests and...
TL;DR: AI can support Kaizen when it's treated as a thought partner, not an answer engine. The right way to explore AI in continuous...
From Firefighting to Flow — Darren Walsh on Lean Leadership Routines...
Why do so many Lean efforts stall after early wins? In this episode, Darren Walsh explains why firefighting feels productive but prevents real progress--and...
From Coffee Filters to Culture: How Sister Martha Ann Sparked a...
TL;DR for Leaders: A $5 fix to keep coffee filters clean became the first formal Kaizen at Franciscan Health--and helped spark a culture where...
GE’s Larry Culp: Why Lean Thinking Starts with Safety and Respect...
TL;DR Larry Culp, CEO of GE Aerospace, shows that Lean leadership isn't about tools or slogans--it's about daily behaviors. By grounding Lean in safety,...
