All posts from Mark Graban’s LeanBlog.org, including podcasts, announcements, articles, and more.
TL;DR: Before-and-after comparisons hide variation and invite overreaction. Control charts–especially Process Behavior Charts–show whether a system has truly changed, help leaders distinguish noise from signals, and provide clearer evidence of sustained improvement. I attended the IHI National Forum a few…
I guess I’m wired for improvement. Or, it’s just become a habit. Or, it’s both. I celebrate moments when I can identify an opportunity for improvement in my work. I tend to be pretty transparent about problems and even mistakes…
My workshop based on my book Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More are a lot of fun. They are a great way to learn and practice methods related to “Process Behavior Charts.” We play the “red bead…
I was invited to be a guest on a Detroit radio talk show that’s hosted by Dr. Paul Reeves, a show called “Dr. Paul’s Family Talk.” Dr. Paul is an educator (and a drummer, like me!) and he asked some…
Healthcare – Creating Value for Patients Compelling people with evidence or demanding compliance does very little to drive adoption of new practices – handing out articles, making posters and Powerpoint presentations to ‘educate’, and conducting audits will continue to disappoint. …
Jamie Flinchbaugh and I got a great response to the first episode of our new “Lean Whiskey” podcast. We’ve had a great time with this, and I’m happy that anybody is willing to listen :-) We’ve done our second episode,…
My guest for Episode #342 of the podcast is Adam Ward, the author of Lean Design in Healthcare: A Journey to Improve Quality and Process of Care. Adam is an innovation process expert and independent advisor. He spent the first…
Our last KaiNexus webinar took a deep dive into problem solving — you can check out the recording on the KaiNexus website or through YouTube. The next webinar, being held on June 5, will take a step back to look…
TL;DR: OKRs often fail because leaders react to month-to-month noise instead of real improvement. Process Behavior Charts (PBCs) show whether key results reflect true system change or routine variation–helping leaders coach better, avoid blame, and focus improvement efforts where they…
TL;DR: Why do outdated practices linger in Lean and healthcare? This post dives into the clash between habit and evidence, exploring examples from surgical rituals to “starting with 5S.” True Lean thinking means questioning what we’ve always done–and being brave…
My guest for Episode #341 of the podcast is Dr. Rob Hackett, an anaesthesiologist in Sydney, Australia. Rob has become known around the world for his role in what’s now called the “Theatre Cap Challenge” — a method for improving…
Be honest, would you have seen the intentional typo in the post title if I hadn’t put it on quotation marks? It’s still not easy to see, is it? Proofreading is difficult and it’s impossible for even the skilled, dedicated…
