Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #485 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Erica Lee Garcia, a perfect blend of problem solver, leader, and entrepreneur. Join us as we explore her unique…
Burris has a new article on the Harvard Business Review website: “Employee Suggestion Schemes Don’t Have to Be Exercises in Futility” In my own work and travels, it’s hard to find anybody who has good things to say about suggestion boxes...
I volunteered to give a presentation last Friday for the North Texas Society for Healthcare Risk Management, where I was able to debut some new material from our upcoming book, Healthcare Kaizen. These continuous improvement methods are a great way…
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.…
Here is a question from a Lean Blog reader, posted with permission. Here’s something to chew on with your Monday morning coffee. I’ll post some thoughts later, but what do you think? —————— The company president recently commanded that we…
Some people have said that the pinnacle of lean programs is an effective suggestion program, whether its called quick and easy kaizen or an idea program or simple everyday work that has no name. Too many companies want to jump…
The kaizen board held a couple dozen sheets. Each one numbered, each one stamped “jisshi-zumi” — already done. A board full of carried-out improvements is a strong sign in any factory, in any country. But that wasn’t the part that…
On a factory table in Japan, in December 2019, there was a binder. White cover, the word KAIZEN in big orange letters, a photo of cherry blossoms underneath. Inside the front cover, someone had printed a word cloud — IMPROVEMENT,…
Why do so many quality programs fall apart the moment the firefighter walks out the door? In this conversation, Chad Diggs talks about his new book, Below the Surface, and what it takes to build quality systems that outlast the people who…
TL;DR: Kaizen means “change for the better.” Everyone improves their own work, one small change at a time, using the scientific method. It’s not a suggestion box — it’s collaborative, fast, and action-oriented. Success depends on leadership engagement and psychological…
Executive Summary for Leaders Continuous Improvement–often called Kaizen–is not a program, a department, or a suggestion box. It is the daily practice that makes Lean real. At its core, Kaizen means improving systems by engaging the people who do the…
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.…
