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…
tl;dr: In this post, Mark argues against the conventional punitive approach to mistakes in organizations, advocating for a culture that prioritizes learning and improvement. Using case studies and real-world examples, he outlines how such a shift in perspective can lead…
Listen: What do you do when you are chosen as Jim Murray’s US Micro Whiskey of the Year? You pop in to join Mark and Jamie on Lean Whiskey to talk about it. At least that’s what our friend David…
A culture of learning makes the difference, not “low inventory” Last year, I wrote a post that criticized those, including the Wall St Journal, who claimed that Toyota was “abandoning” the Toyota Production System or that strategically adding some inventory…
TL;DR: Looking for powerful Toyota quotes? Here are verified quotes from The Toyota Way and Toyota leaders on mistakes, learning, psychological safety, and continuous improvement — plus context on what they really mean. Toyota Quotes on Learning, Mistakes, and Psychological…
My guest for Episode #427 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is a returning guest, Karyn Ross. She was previously a guest in Episodes 266 and 411. She was also my guest for Episode #3 of My Favorite Mistake. Karyn has a new book called The Kind…
TL;DR: Standardized work, influenced by Toyota and Dr. Atul Gawande, is crucial for improving safety, quality, and efficiency in healthcare. It should be created by those who do the work, be flexible, and serve as a basis for continuous improvement.…
I recorded an upcoming LeanBlog Podcast with Steven J. Spear yesterday. Here is that episode: He’s promoting his new book Chasing the Rabbit: How Market Leaders Outdistance the Competition and How Great Companies Can Catch Up and Win. Update: the…
TWI Summit – Website It really looks like a powerhouse lineup they are starting to form for the 2008 Training Within Industry conference in Orlando, to be held next May. Speakers will include: Art Smalley David Meier Alan Robinson They…
Link to Purchase on SME.org I was very honored to be asked to write an essay/case study on lean healthcare for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers new “Lean Yearbook” publication and that book is out now. It’s a large magazine…
Toyota Talent is the third, and newest, book in the “Toyota Way” series: In this trilogy of books, each is very different and has its own unique place in the Lean literature. These books are unlike a series of novels,…
Toyota Talent Update 5/6/07: The book is now shipping from Amazon I had the pleasure of reading a pre-publication version of this new book from Prof. Jeffrey Liker and David Meier. You know Jeff from The Toyota Way (and my…