Toyota as a “People Development Company”
When I had the chance to go back to Japan last October with Honsha, there was a big focus on what the former…
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Audio
Mark Graban’s newer Lean Blog Audio podcast series with “audio book” style readings of selected blog posts. Learn how to subscribe.
Value is Defined by the Customer (and not all Customers are the Same)
It's said in the Lean methodology that "value is defined by the customer."
Value can be defined as, in most…
For Big Leaps With New Year’s Resolutions, Start With Baby Steps
Thanks to the Lean Enterprise Institute for publishing my article about Kaizen, new habits, and New Year's…
#TBT: The Carrot and the Stick on Steroids
I haven't done a Throwback Thursday in a while, but here's a new one.
I was reminded of an article I wrote for…
My Article for the LEI “Lean Post”: React Less and Improve More……
It's been a while since I've contributed something to the Lean Enterprise Institute's online publication, The Lean…
#Lean Shouldn’t be a Reason for Nurses to Strike
A retired labor leader from the automotive industry (who reads this blog) sent me a link to this article:…
“ER wait times down, but only slightly” or ER wait times are virtually…
This article was sent by a friend and blog reader from Winnipeg the other day:
"ER wait times down, but only…
The Catch-22 of #Lean & Kaizen: You Get More ROI by NOT Focusing Only on…
This post builds off of a little rant I went on over on LinkedIn. I wrote:
The Catch-22 of "Lean" training and…
Leaders & Lean: We Need to Better Support Doctors and Other Providers
When surgeons have no better options than complaining about process problems on LinkedIn, are their leaders and…
My Talk in Vegas: Leadership Lessons from Statistics and Psychology How to help…
Today, I’m giving a keynote talk at the Lean & Six Sigma World Conference being held in Las Vegas. I don’t…
What’s Going on at Tesla? Is @ElonMusk Following up on Employee Injuries? …
There's a lot to admire about Elon Musk. I admire his risk taking and his entrepreneurial spirit. I use PayPal a…
What’s Going on at Whole Foods? It Doesn’t Sound Like #Lean But…
The chain Whole Foods is reportedly having inventory shortages and morale problems. It sounds like a real mess, but…
Tour Preview: The Japanese Health Care System at a High Level
As I prepare to go back to Japan, I'm sharing some insights about the Japanese health system from the excellent…
The WSJ Overgeneralizes about The “Japanese Model,” Not All Companies…
Not all Japanese companies are the same. "Lean isn't easy" if you're a Japanese company. Toyota has created…
#Lean Can Be Very Fragile, Especially With Executive Changes In manufacturing or…
Lean can be very fragile. History shows that Lean can fall apart even in an organization that is years into a "Lean…
Employee Complaints About Lean in Healthcare, Even at Some of the Best…
Last week, I blogged about some employee complaints related to rotating day and night shifts at the Toyota San…
[Updated] Somebody *Did* Get Unjustly Fired in Hawaii, But System Problems Should…
The official report is out in Hawaii after the traumatic accidental missile warning that was sent last month. An…
“What would you say… you do here?” — 2018 Edition …
I often get asked a question along the lines of "So, what exactly do you do?" Today, I give some updates about my…