Formerly known as “Lean Whiskey” — Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh explore how to choose meaningful KPIs, integrate change management with Lean, and uncover lessons about customer value from an unlikely source — a simple coffee cup stopper. Listen: In…
TL;DR: In a 1993 speech, Toyota leader Fujio Cho said organizations can create their own Lean systems, but success depends on three principles: leaders going to the gemba, asking “why” to learn from problems, and respecting and motivating people —…
TL;DR: I turned my Lean Hospitals book into an interactive coaching tool leaders can use during real work — exploring whether improvement knowledge can be delivered on demand instead of through workshops alone. Try the free demo This post is…
TL;DR: GE Aerospace’s annual report treats safety not as a compliance topic or a communications slogan, but as a core leadership responsibility. By putting safety first–literally first–in SQDC and embedding it into systems, structure, and incentives, the company offers a…
In 1981, Ford Motor Company and UAW leaders traveled to Japan to study Toyota, Nissan, and Mazda — and they came home with very different conclusions about what they had seen. Another in this series drawn from the Don Ephlin…
TL;DR: When a so-called “AI improvement” adds steps, time, and friction while ignoring frontline and customer input, it is not innovation. It is waste, just wearing a modern label. I recently stayed at a hotel in the Marriott family, one…
Fear Drives Compliance — Respect Builds Pride, Learning, and Improvement TL;DR: Don Ephlin once wrote, “You can’t punish your way to pride.” That insight still resonates today. Fear might create short-term compliance, but respect creates long-term learning. Here’s what Ephlin,…
TL;DR: Hourly PA announcements like “top of the hour conditioning” are the audible equivalent of “be more careful” signs. They don’t fix systems, resolve competing priorities, or support standardized work–and they shouldn’t be mistaken for management. When I shop at…
News, articles, books, podcasts, and videos about how to make the workplace better. This Operational Excellence Mixtape underscores a simple but often-missed point: new technologies like AI may change how quickly we generate ideas, but real improvement still depends on…
In this episode of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast, John Rizzo explains how organizations create lasting value by empowering people instead of relying on command-and-control leadership. The conversation explores continuous improvement, people development, and leadership behaviors that drive sustainable results…
TL;DR: “Lean is for speed, Six Sigma is for quality” is a false trade-off. Lean improves flow by removing obstacles like waiting and rework–and when work flows better, quality improves too. High-performing teams don’t choose between speed and execution; they…
Summary: Today’s “mixtape” post brings together timely ideas on continuous improvement, leadership, productivity, and workplace culture. From avoiding “blank slate” metrics and rethinking PDCA/PDSA debates to learning from small, human-centered improvements like the Moylan Arrow, this edition highlights practical ways…