A Few Random Links – Oct 22 2010
It’s time for a Lean Blog feature where I throw a few links at you – articles I’ve saved and read that maybe don’t merit a full post, but are worth sharing and making a brief comment on. I often…
Search Results for no layoffs
My First Visit to the Toyota Truck Plant in San Antonio (TMMTX)
This blog post is about my first visit to TMMTX in 2010.
Labor Day – Our Obligation for Worker Safety
Today is a federal holiday in the United States, Labor Day. I know that’s obvious to the 70% of you reading from the U.S., but it seemed worth pointing out to the international readers. Labor Day became a holiday in…
What Is Lean? A Practical Guide to Lean Thinking and Management
If you’ve searched for “Lean methodology,” you’ve probably seen definitions about waste reduction or efficiency. That’s part of it — but Lean is much more than that. It’s a leadership system for building better organizations. I’ve been studying and practicing…
When “Efficiency” Misses the Point: A L.A.M.E. Lean Story on NPR
TL;DR: An NPR story about workplace “efficiency” illustrates L.A.M.E.–Lean As Misguidedly Executed–where tools like 5S are applied without respect for people or employee engagement. True Lean builds capability with the people doing the work, not through top-down cost cutting. Oh…
10 Things Lean Practitioners Should Stop Saying
Language that undermines Lean, respect for people, and real improvement TL;DR: The words Lean leaders use matter–some common phrases quietly reinforce command-and-control thinking, fear, and misunderstanding rather than learning and improvement. If Lean is truly about respect for people and…
Lean as a Way to Save Manufacturing Featured on CNN
Hat tip to blog reader Steven H. for sending this video my way. It’s always nice to see Lean featured in the mainstream media, including CNN. Click here for the video at cnn.com. The story says that the company, a…
How Hospital Staff Suggestions Save Millions–and Improve Patient Care
TL;DR: Hospitals that actively engage frontline staff through Lean suggestion systems are saving millions while improving patient care, morale, and safety–without layoffs. Staff-driven kaizen works because the people closest to the work are best positioned to improve it, every day.…
USA Today Features Lean in Hospitals
Hospital CEOs manage staff time, inventory to cut costs – USATODAY.com It’s nice to see a major publication covering Lean and, especially, Lean in healthcare. This time, it was USA Today who, again, did a better job than the WSJ…
A Defense of Lean and of Lean at Starbucks
Yesterday’s WSJ front page headline caught my eye, as a frequent Starbucks customer and obvious Lean zealot: Latest Starbucks Buzzword: ‘Lean’ Japanese Techniques The headline is full bodied and complex brew that gives us a lot to chew on before…
Using Lean to Expand Capacity… Who Loses?
CJOnline / The Topeka Capital-Journal – Topeka Hallmark to absorb work Is there a Hallmark card that says, “Sorry you lost your job?” They do, sort of. When companies use Lean, it’s not uncommon to find extra capacity through efficiency…
“You’re the Time Study Man”: Taylorism, Lean, and Respect for Nurses
TL;DR: Being mistaken for a “time study man” reveals how often Lean is confused with Taylorist observation and speed-up tactics. True Lean in healthcare partners with nurses to reduce waste and improve care–without blame, stopwatches, or fear of layoffs. I…
