All posts from Mark Graban’s LeanBlog.org, including podcasts, announcements, articles, and more.
I didn’t know , until yesterday, that Toyota has an official company blog (at least for Toyota UK). Even though I’ve learned from Toyota people and many books and classes (and I’ve written books of my own), I always encourage…
This article caught my eye over at Becker’s Hospital Review: “The Hospital CEO Dilemma: Abandon Ship or Change Leadership Style,” written by Shirley Engelmeier, Founder and CEO of InclusionINC. She has a great list of leadership characteristics for modern hospital CEOs…
Why healthcare organizations need fewer heroes–and better systems–according to former ThedaCare leader Kim Barnas. In memoriam: Kim Barnas (1956-2026)I always valued my interactions with Kim and deeply admired what she accomplished–and how she treated people along the way. She stood…
I’ve really enjoyed reading the book The Essential Deming: Leadership Principles from the Father of Quality, which was published last year. I think this link will work… You can view my public Kindle notes and profile online. If you haven’t read Dr. Deming’s…
In my last post about KaiNexus in February, I gave an update about our funding, new CEO, and other changes. We now have a newly re-designed website. We hope you’ll check it out and give us feedback, by posting a…
Regular readers of the blog will know that one of my favorite topics is “Gaming the Numbers” (or “Gaming the System“). As Brian Joiner so brilliantly wrote, as shared by the late, great Peter Scholtes , there are three things people…
I am an unabashed fan of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, as you’re probably aware. For full disclosure, I was previously an employee of the Lean Enterprise Institute, a key partner of the Center. They have a lot of…
I’ve been amused by the Hotels.com “Captain Obvious” character and TV commercials. Hotels.com is, um, a site where you book hotels. Obvious. It’s often said that Lean is “common sense.” If that’s true, I guess it goes along with the…
On this blog, I write a lot about how to create a “Lean” culture where employees and customers are happy. Engaged employees lead to happy customers — and sustainable business success. It’s often instructive, however, to see or hear about…
Even if you’re not a racing fan, this video is worth watching. Side-by-side footage of Formula 1 pit stops from the 1950s and today offers a clear lesson in process improvement. The gains didn’t come from urgency or brute force.…
Sorry to get all Katie Couric on you, but I’m going to have a colonoscopy on Friday. I turned 40 last October and I have some family history that leads my doctor to get one done now rather than at…
It’s often said that Lean is about “doing more with less.” Historically, and practically speaking, it’s true. But, it’s a phrase that we should be careful about for a number of reasons. Looking back at the origins of the term…
