Healthcare improvement isn’t about working harder—it’s about better systems, better leadership, and a culture that supports learning and speaking up. This archive brings together blog posts, podcasts, and reflections on Lean healthcare, patient safety, quality improvement, leadership, and continuous improvement. Many of these posts draw on real hospital experiences and lessons from Deming, Toyota, and frontline healthcare teams, with a consistent emphasis on respect for people and learning from mistakes.
This photo is from my personal archives… If one sign doesn’t do the job, is it really helpful to add a second one? In both instances? What are some better ways to solve these problems? First off, what are the…
tl;dr: In this post, Mark delves into the detrimental effects of a punitive culture within healthcare, arguing for a shift towards a culture of helping. Citing examples and personal insights, he examines how a compassionate, collaborative environment can enhance patient…
TL;DR: Healthcare excellence depends on psychological safety and strong problem-solving. When clinicians and staff feel safe to speak up about mistakes and risks, organizations learn faster, improve patient safety, and deliver better outcomes. Thanks to my friends at Catalysis for…
Here’s the latest roundup of blog posts, articles, and interviews / videos related to learning from mistakes and my book The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation. I wrote this article that was published by…
Updated: The recordings from this inspiring day are now online. I’ll be sharing thoughts and reflections in future posts. I was very excited to learn about an event that was produced by GE on Wednesday, September 6th, in New York…
Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. Insights about improvement, innovation, and leadership… Operational Excellence, Improvement, and…
Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. Insights about improvement, innovation, and leadership… Operational Excellence, Improvement, and…
tl;dr: Most charts don’t actually show improvement–they show routine variation. Without enough data and without using tools like Process Behavior Charts, it’s easy to mistake noise for meaningful change. Before claiming a trend, get more history, look for statistical signals,…
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #479 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Arnout Orelio, a returning guest (from Episode 403 in 2021). He has been working with Lean management since 1995,…
Below is some material that I wrote, but didn’t use, in my book The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation. Maybe it was a mistake to cut it. But the material wasn’t really related to…
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #478 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Shaunté Kinch. In 2022, Shaunté founded Empact Global, a consultancy that works with organizations to help them solve really…
In recent years, healthcare providers increasingly want you to do an “online check in” prior to your appointment. I can see the benefits — when it works well. I’d rather type information into my phone or computer instead of writing…
