For decades, the suggestion box promised employee engagement and continuous improvement–but mostly delivered silence. In Lean organizations, Kaizen replaced the suggestion box with visible, collaborative systems that turn ideas into action. This throwback looks at why the suggestion box failed–and…
TL;DR: Digitizing a suggestion box doesn’t fix what’s broken. Real Kaizen requires fast feedback, local problem-solving, and systems designed for continuous improvement — not idea parking lots. Digital transformation is about rethinking and reinventing with digital tools. For over 13…
As a senior advisor to KaiNexus and somebody who has been a member of the team since 2011, it’s been amazing to see how the company has grown and developed. What started as a relatively simple online Kaizen application, the…
Last week, I was in Austin for the annual Lean Coaching Summit, where I took a full-day class on “Motivational Interviewing” (as I had previewed here) and talking with a lot of great folks (familiar faces and new connections). A…
I've written a lot about suggestion boxes, and usually in the context of how they don't work well. Many aspects of traditional suggestion box systems sound great, but don't work in practice. What doesn't work: Boxes not being opened very often, being reviewed by a committee or executives...
As a guy who started his career in manufacturing before moving to healthcare in 2005, I don’t get many opportunities to visit the “Gemba” at a factory very often anymore. I get to occasionally visit a Toyota plant (in the…
I guess this counts as a “Flashback Friday,” as I was reminded of an old game show that I loved as a kid: Match Game. I was too young to fully appreciate the show, I guess, but I remember it…
Our guest today is Alan G. Robinson, PhD, an award-winning author, educator, researcher and consultant. He has co-authored six books, including Modern Approaches to Manufacturing Improvement: The Shingo System, Ideas Are Free, and his latest, The Idea-Driven Organization. His specialties include managing…
This article caught my attention the other day: “Philly VA employees ask for golf shirts in suggestion box for improving veteran care.“ I hesitate to throw stones, but there are some very predictable dynamics involved here… and I will provide…
The Denver jail and its suggestion box program made the local news, thanks to a Freedom of Information Act request: “9 quotes from Denver Jail suggestion box” What do we see in the one image from the video, at left?…
I’m a critic of traditional suggestion boxes since they are usually garbage cans for ideas. Boxes collect anonymous complaints (not good), and managers often ignore what’s in the box (not good either). I thought I had heard it all about…
Suggestion boxes rarely lead to meaningful change because ideas disappear into slow, opaque processes. Healthcare Kaizen works because leaders and frontline staff collaborate to test, implement, and learn from improvements in real time. The result is better engagement, safer care,…
