Kaizen is often misunderstood as small ideas or isolated improvement events. In practice, Kaizen is a daily, people-centered approach to learning and improving work—supported by leadership, good systems, and psychological safety. This archive brings together blog posts, podcasts, and real-world examples of Kaizen in action, across healthcare and other industries, with a consistent focus on leadership behaviors, respect for people, and learning from problems rather than hiding them.
TL;DR: Toyota’s real advantage isn’t automation–it’s how leaders design systems that support people, make problems visible, and create time for Kaizen. These same principles translate directly to healthcare and other complex organizations. I had the chance to tour the San…
I’m going to be giving two free webinars in March that you might be interested in signing up for: Gemba Academy – 8 Wastes in Healthcare On March 12, I’m doing a brand new webinar titled “Stories about the Eight…
I saw an interesting article in The Telegraph: “Revealed: al-Qaeda’s 22 tips for dodging drones.” Apparently, the Al Qaeda terror network is responding to the U.S. drone attacks by developing and sharing ideas, tips, and methods for avoiding attack with…
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,…
I’ve been talking to a lot of healthcare organizations about Kaizen and continuous improvement. There are many organizations embracing the methods that Joe Swartz and I wrote about in Healthcare Kaizen. I think there’s some momentum building out there for…
Many of you who took my reader survey (still open and feedback welcome, prizes gone) mentioned that you liked this style of post with links to stuff I’ve been reading. I am to please… Some links to web articles I…
Don’t forget my reader survey – share your feedback and have a chance at some great prizes. In November, I blogged about a panel at the Lab Quality Confab that included Dr. Richard Zarbo from Henry Ford Health System (see…
You might recall my post from July 2012 (“I Wish American Airlines Would Error Proof This on Their Website“) where I pointed out how easy it was for an American Airlines customer to accidentally cancel the wrong flight (an error I…
Mark’s note — today’s guest post is by my friend Karen Martin, my guest for Podcast #151 where we talked about her latest book The Outstanding Organization: Generate Business Results by Eliminating Chaos and Building the Foundation for Everyday Excellence. Karen…
As he mentioned on his blog, John Toussaint has co-authored a piece that was published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings: “The Promise of Lean in Health Care” (PDF). John is excited that the article will be read by many physicians,…
Thanks to ASQ for posting an audio interview they did with me last month about my book (with Joe Swartz), Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvements. Listen to the interview (MP3 file – 14 minutes) ASQ also…
I saw this great image in a Honda TV ad during the BCS National Championship game last night. It’s a very Kaizen expression… that things can always be better, even if you’re a fine-tuned machine like Honda or Toyota. It…
