All posts from Mark Graban’s LeanBlog.org, including podcasts, announcements, articles, and more.
I recently had my car serviced and left the dealership satisfied with the work and the interaction with the service advisor. But what followed next–well, that’s where the drama began. And I wish they hadn’t dragged me into it. Part…
TL;DR: Going to the Gemba isn’t about reviewing boards or rushing through metrics. Real Gemba means slowing down, listening deeply, asking better questions, and creating enough time and safety for real problems to surface. In the Lean methodology, one of…
tl;dr Lean doesn’t work without psychological safety. Toyota understands that continuous improvement depends on people feeling safe to speak up about problems, mistakes, and concerns–and believing they’ll be taken seriously. Leaders can’t demand this kind of safety; they create it…
This edition of Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape explores why real improvement depends on disciplined thinking, leadership habits, and cultural integrity–not slogans or shortcuts. From reflections on problem solving, Leader Standard Work, and the limits of healthcare “systems,” to lessons…
tl;dr summary: Early adoption of Process Behavior Charts would have changed how organizations approached Lean–reducing noise-driven reactions, improving root cause analysis, and helping leaders focus on true signals. Lean would have had a clearer path, and many transformations might have…
Former Toyota leader Mark Reich explains why Hoshin Kanri is not a top-down planning exercise, but a leadership system for aligning strategy, developing people, and managing on purpose through dialogue, PDCA, and shared ownership. Scroll down for how to subscribe,…
Recently, I saw someone reference a chapter from Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s book Out of the Crisis on LinkedIn–Chapter 11, titled “Common Causes and Special Causes of Improvement. Stable System.” It was a good nudge for me to revisit a…
When organizations struggle to sustain Lean transformation, people often look first at tools, training, or tactics. But more often than not, the real obstacle is cultural friction–a common challenge in Lean transformations when Respect for People isn’t reflected in daily…
tl;dr: Kaiteki is a Japanese management philosophy focused on comfort, purpose, and respect for people–and it helps explain why motivated employees and Lean success go hand in hand. During my most recent visit to Japan (as part of a tour…
TL;DR: While some Japanese hospitals excel at Lean, many face the same cultural and systemic barriers seen elsewhere. Visiting Japan isn’t about finding a Lean utopia–it’s about sharpening your thinking by seeing what’s possible and how leadership, not geography, drives…
One of the most important, and most misunderstood, principles in Lean thinking is this: Lean is not a cost-cutting strategy. Lean is a people-development strategy. If your organization is using Lean as a tool to justify layoffs, you’re not practicing…
This edition of Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape challenges leaders to rethink how they use data, technology, and culture in the pursuit of improvement. From the unintended consequences of dashboard “red alerts” and shallow automation ROI metrics, to the dangers…
