When discussing mistakes, it’s common to hear terms like “stupid mistake” or “dumb mistake” thrown around, especially when reflecting on our own errors. However, labeling mistakes in this way is unproductive. In The Mistakes That Make Us, one of the…
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…
tl;dr: GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp argues that problem-solving cultures outperform finger-pointing and blame, leading to better learning, performance, and accountability. Problem-Solving vs. Finger-Pointing at GE Aerospace There was a fascinating article in Bloomberg BusinessWeek about GE doing its final…
tl;dr: Shingo renamed “foolproofing” to poka-yoke (mistake-proofing) after the old term made a worker cry. The lesson holds: blame doesn’t prevent defects, and respecting people is what makes zero defects possible. I’m currently working on a Mistake Proofing class for…
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…
The most read articles of 2023, book and podcast recommendations From Ryan McCormack… Dear Subscribers and Readers, Thank you for your continued readership and support. 2023 marked another year of continuous improvement, improving organizational culture, and driving excellence in the…
Thanks, everybody, for reading my blog here in 2023. And for listening to podcasts… oh so many podcasts. This blog post is the “year end” report with the most read posts of the second half of the year. On one…
This post is built around excerpts from the book The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation. Read more about Toyota, including stories and key lessons learned in the book. Download a free preview Today, we explore…
TL;DR: Gemba and genba are the same Japanese word (現場), meaning “the actual place.” Japanese speakers, including native speakers and bilingual Lean professionals who’ve lived in Japan, all confirm: it’s a romanization difference, not a meaning difference. The Lean world…
Listen: In Episode 42, Jamie Flinchbaugh visits Mark Graban in northern Kentucky and they get to record an episode in person. This was the origin of the podcast series — getting together in person, enjoying whiskey, and talking about Lean…
Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. Insights about improvement, innovation, and leadership… Operational Excellence, Improvement, and…
This bonus episode captures an unscripted, post-event conversation with Jim Womack, Katie Anderson, Jamie V. Parker, and Mark Graban reflecting on GE’s “Lean Mindset” event. Together, we explore what it really takes to sustain Lean thinking–learning from failure, leading with…
