Why do capable leaders spend their days firefighting instead of improving the system? In this episode, MIT professor Nelson Repenning explains how poorly designed work systems trap organizations in chaos–and how Lean thinking and Dynamic Work Design help leaders restore…
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #535 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Gregg Stocker, a seasoned Lean practitioner, consultant, and author. Over the past 30+ years, Gregg has worked across industries,…
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,…
Bruce Hamilton reflects on the legacy of Toast Kaizen, the evolution of the Northeast Lean Conference, and why Lean thinking–rooted in people development and problem solving–helps organizations thrive through uncertainty, not just survive it. Scroll down for how to subscribe,…
TL;DR: Learning from mistakes requires more than problem-solving tools — it requires psychological safety.In this Shingo Institute webinar, Mark Graban explains why fear and futility prevent people from speaking up, how Toyota and healthcare organizations respond constructively to mistakes, and…
I’m really excited to host and moderate the latest webinar in the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Webinar series, which will be presented by my friend Elizabeth Chase from the City of Frisco, Texas. Elizabeth is a librarian and Material Services Manager…
Jim Womack returns to the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast to reflect on how Lean thinking has evolved–and where it has gone off track. Drawing on decades of firsthand experience, he shares candid perspectives on leadership, daily management, and why tools…
Jeff Liker explains how Toyota leaders at every level are expected to respond when something goes wrong — and why most other companies default to blame instead. We also dig into the real story behind Ford’s failed andon cord rollout…
This video explores what it really means to build a Lean hospital culture, drawing on lessons from Toyota, healthcare leaders, and real-world improvement examples. Earlier this year, I was invited to give a recorded virtual presentation for a conference in…
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #486 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Mike Kaeding, the CEO of Norhart. They design, build, and rent apartments. They are transforming the way this is…
This week’s episode of the “My Favorite Mistake” podcast features Mike Kaeding, the CEO of a company, Norhart, that designs, builds, and rents apartments. They are transforming the way this is done by incorporating technologies and techniques that have revolutionized…
When I visited the Toyota Museum in Nagoya, Japan (see my previous blog posts about it), they had a display that includes a video that gives an overview of the Toyota Production System. I’ve seen the video a few times…
