All posts from Mark Graban’s LeanBlog.org, including podcasts, announcements, articles, and more.
My guest for episode 200 is Paul Spiegelman, author of the book Patients Come Second: Leading Change by Changing the Way You Lead. Today, we’re talking about his book and its provocative title – what do you mean patients don’t…
TL;DR: Long VA wait times weren’t the result of “bad apples.” They were the predictable outcome of bad management systems that used unrealistic targets, bonuses, and fear-based accountability–creating incentives to game the numbers instead of improving care. Look at the…
Here are a few articles (and a podcast) that I either wrote and had published recently or was interviewed for. Lean Management Journal – Lean and Technology I recently got introduced to the relatively new publication, the Lean Management Journal…
I complain a lot about bad service, but I’m all for recognizing outstanding customer service. I go out of my way to thank people directly for great service and often ask to speak to a manager to give positive comments. I…
Today is Memorial Day, a U.S. holiday. It’s a day to honor those who have given their lives in military service. Lately, the news has had many reminders about our need to provide better care to our living veterans through…
Joining me for episode #199 is Jeff Gothelf (@jboogie), talking about “Lean UX” or “Lean User Experience,” a key method for software development, usually used in conjunction with design thinking, agile development, and Lean Startup business practices. Jeff is author…
I recently saw an article about Avera Medical Group and Sanford Clinic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota: “Health systems learn to be lean.” Avera McKennan Hospital, in Sioux Falls, was featured in the 2nd edition of my book Lean Hospitals. A physician…
TL;DR: Automakers often overproduce because incentives reward shipping cars to dealers, not matching real demand. Excess capacity, revenue rules, and “channel stuffing” drive inventory waste–and healthcare faces similar pressures that create overutilization and distorted metrics. “Where the World’s Unsold Cars…
TL;DR: UMass Memorial Health is working to become a world-class Kaizen organization by engaging all frontline employees in continuous improvement, not just managers or specialists. Inspired by Toyota practices, leaders encourage many small, low-cost ideas–such as a simple Velcro fix…
In the category of “not so new” (this blog is nine years old) and hopefully “somewhat improved,” you might notice a slightly different design today here at LeanBlog.org. The last major refresh I did to the site’s look and feel…
tl;dr: Lean is not just about speed or efficiency. Lean, properly understood, improves flow and quality at the same time–along with safety, cost, and morale. The idea that Lean “makes bad stuff faster” is a persistent Lean Six Sigma myth…
Listen Episode #198 is a discussion with Harry Kenworthy about his work bringing Lean into local and state governments. We had a great conversation that touches on the influence of Dr. W. Edwards Deming and many other concepts that might…
