One of the most overlooked–and most powerful–principles in Lean management is also the very first principle of the Toyota Way: “Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals.” This principle is foundational.…
tl;dr: Headlines comparing two years of measles cases can be misleading. Looking at the full CDC time series with Process Behavior Charts shows that not every increase is meaningful. From 2000-2013, U.S. measles cases fluctuated as noise within a stable…
TL;DR: Two data points don’t make a trend — whether it’s gas prices, Oscars ratings, or your team’s monthly KPIs. Snapshot comparisons (“up from last week, down from last year”) give the illusion of insight without the reality of understanding.…
In this special bonus episode, Mark Graban and C.J. Kaufman preview the ASQ Cincinnati-Dayton 2025 conference and explore why quality, leadership, and psychological safety are inseparable foundations for sustainable improvement. Listen: In this special bonus episode of Lean Blog Interviews,…
Starbucks has been in the headlines for a renewed push toward hospitality and “moments of connection.” The Wall Street Journal recently reported on new training that scripts greetings, eye contact, and even handwritten cup messages–along with operational changes like better…
tl;dr: Headlines say kickoff returns are “dramatically up” in 2025, but process behavior charts show this isn’t random fluctuation. The NFL’s new dynamic kickoff rules created a true signal — proof that system changes drive performance, just as Lean teaches…
For years, trucks have been crashing into low-clearance bridges along Boston’s Storrow Drive, to the point where locals have coined the term “Storrowed.” Even the Trillium Brewing Company named a beer after it. Ironically, their own truck fell victim to…
Albert Einstein — the mind who redefined physics — once called something he did “the biggest blunder of my life.” When he completed his general theory of relativity, the math pointed to something extraordinary: the universe should be expanding. But…
TL;DR: When leaders apply pressure instead of support, people don’t improve processes–they distort data or hide problems. Real improvement starts when leaders make it safe to report bad news and respond with curiosity, not punishment. Accurate data is essential in…
TL;DR: Red metrics aren’t “good,” but they shouldn’t trigger blame or panic either. The real problem isn’t red–it’s leaders getting mad instead of curious. Improvement starts with better questions, not better colors. In recent years, I’ve noticed a growing trend–one…
Many Lean transformations stall not because of poor execution, but because respect for people is treated as an attitude rather than a system. In this conversation, Scott Gauvin explains how the Respect for People Roadmap turns respect into a deliberate…
Recently, I saw someone reference a chapter from Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s book Out of the Crisis on LinkedIn–Chapter 11, titled “Common Causes and Special Causes of Improvement. Stable System.” It was a good nudge for me to revisit a…