All posts from Mark Graban’s LeanBlog.org, including podcasts, announcements, articles, and more.
Editor’s note (2026): In an era of AI, dashboards, and real-time data, Spear’s reminder still holds: information only matters if it changes behavior. TL;DR: Steve Spear argues that organizations deliver quality and value faster not by working harder, but by…
My guest for episode #224 of my podcast is a returning guest, Mike Grogan. About two years ago, we talked about his Lean work in Tanzanian healthcare, in episode #182. Mike is an international trainer, coach, and speaker, who works with…
Editor’s note (2026): This post remains highly relevant as organizations increasingly rely on algorithmic scheduling, utilization targets, and AI-driven workforce planning. TL;DR: Zeynep Ton’s Good Jobs Strategy shows that cutting labor costs creates a vicious cycle of poor performance. In…
My wife and I were in Boston over the weekend, as it was her fifth reunion from her MIT master’s program. I’m also an alum, but was considered a “guest” since I graduated 16 years ago from my program and…
At this year’s Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit (see my summary here) Dr. John Toussaint talked about and introduced his newly released book Management on the Mend, a follow up to 2010’s On the Mend. Summit attendees received a copy of the book, so they’re…
Today, I’m sharing a 10-minute video that was shared by the Five Hills Health Region within the Saskatchewan health system. In the video, Heather, the director of women’s health unit and pediatrics, describes their kanban system for managing supplies and materials. They…
Wednesday was the first day of the 6th annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit, being held this year in Addison (Dallas), Texas. I’m here and this year my colleagues Dr. Greg Jacobson and Jeff Roussel from KaiNexus are attending, so please say hi…
My guest for podcast episode #223 is Christian Wolcott, a senior advisor and director of Kaizen Institute North America and their director for Japan tours. Christian was an integral part of the team for the Japan Lean Healthcare Tour that…
In American healthcare, there’s a growing gap between hospitals and clinics that are being innovative and those who are stuck in the “way it’s always been done” mode. For example, innovative primary care clinics are using a combination of better…
Jack Dorsey is well known among tech circles, as a co-founder of Twitter (he’s @Jack) and, now, as the CEO of Square. I’m a frequent Twitter user (I’m @MarkGraban) and I also utilize the Square reader occasionally to sell a book…
It’s been just about 18 years since I was leaving GM to start the master’s program at MIT’s Leaders for Manufacturing program (now called Leaders for Global Operations). Here’s a 1992 interview that describes the origins of the program. It…
TL;DR: Lean is often misunderstood. It’s not about rushing patients, cutting staff, or blindly installing tools. When practiced properly, Lean is fundamentally patient-centered, focused on safety, quality, and respect for people. When organizations have bad experiences, that usually reflects poor…
