My guest for Episode #390 is Keith Ingels, the TPS (Toyota Production System) Manager for Raymond Corporation — Raymond is part of Toyota Material Handling North America, which is part of Toyota Industries. Wait, so a Toyota company needs a…
This is an article that I originally published on LinkedIn back in 2014. It was also picked up and re-published by Entrepeneur.com. Other than this silly video that I created, this article is probably the second most-read piece of content…
TL;DR: Kaizen isn’t automatic in Japan. Even there, a culture of continuous improvement only takes hold when leaders deliberately choose it, model it, and engage employees every day. Geography doesn’t create Kaizen–leadership does. While in Japan recently, I shared a…
TL;DR: A “not quite perfect” pint at the Guinness Storehouse shows how standard work, quick problem-solving, and relentless pursuit of perfection play out in real life–far beyond manufacturing. I’m writing this on Tuesday morning in Dublin, Ireland, where I have…
Joining me for Episode #351 of the podcast are my friends Joel Tosi and Dion Stewart, co-founders of the company Dojo & Co. They’re the authors of the new book (to be released on November 19) called Creating Your Dojo:…
Here’s an article from Bloomberg BusinessWeek: GE’s Larry Culp Faces Ultimate CEO Test in Trying to Save a Once-Great Company Very early on, the article mentions Culp’s advocacy for “Toyota-style lean manufacturing.” Or is he pushing “Danaher-style lean manufacturing” and…
tl;dr: I recently returned from my first visit to Brazil, where I spoke at a Lean Six Sigma conference, led a workshop on Process Behavior Charts, and visited two organizations applying Lean principles. From churrascarias to Gemba walks, this trip…
Cleveland Clinic’s daily tiered huddles are not just short meetings–they’re a Lean management system that connects front-line realities to executive decision-making in real time. By combining visual management, clear escalation rules, and psychological safety, these huddles help teams solve problems…
My guest for Episode #342 of the podcast is Adam Ward, the author of Lean Design in Healthcare: A Journey to Improve Quality and Process of Care. Adam is an innovation process expert and independent advisor. He spent the first…
Be honest, would you have seen the intentional typo in the post title if I hadn’t put it on quotation marks? It’s still not easy to see, is it? Proofreading is difficult and it’s impossible for even the skilled, dedicated…
When I got back from Japan a few weeks back, somebody at a hospital client of mine asked me:
"Why go back to Japan again? Haven't you been there, done that?"
Why go back to Japan? Why not go back? I learn something new and have great experiences each time and my recent opportunity to tag along with Honsha was no exception.
I've been sad the last few days after learning that Samuel Selay, a friend of mine (and this blog) went missing after going kayaking alone on Lake Elsinore in southern California on Saturday. As it says in this news report and video...