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.
Listen: It’s Episode 49 of the Lean Whiskey podcast with Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban! Mark shares tales of his holiday / study tour trip to Japan. Since we start with the whisky (like scotch, note the lack of an…
Just over a week ago, I got back from Katie Anderson’s Japan Study Trip. It was amazing! I have so much to write about and share. But first, Facebook reminded me of something from exactly ten years ago–the second time…
Bruce Hamilton reflects on the legacy of Toast Kaizen, the evolution of the Northeast Lean Conference, and why Lean thinking–rooted in people development and problem solving–helps organizations thrive through uncertainty, not just survive it. Scroll down for how to subscribe,…
“I am never, ever wrong.” That’s a statement that should disqualify an applicant from ANY leadership position. True leadership isn’t about projecting infallibility–it’s about fostering a culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning and growth. Leaders who claim…
It’s inspiring to hear a CEO talk about Lean and continuous improvement concepts, as Larry Culp, Chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace, did recently on CNBC. “We just need to get a little bit better every day.” In Japanese (and…
Learning from mistakes is not optional in healthcare–it’s essential for patient safety, staff engagement, and long-term performance. For years, I’ve written and spoken about how Lean leadership and Kaizen cultures treat mistakes not as failures to hide, but as signals…
I don’t think I ever shared this article that I co-authored and had published in 2014… so it’s time for another “Throwback Thursday.” I’ll share a summary of it here in this post. I think this still applies here in…
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…
Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. News, articles, books, podcasts, and videos about how to make the workplace…
Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. News, articles, books, podcasts, and videos about how to make the workplace…
2024 Preface: I’m re-posting this blog post from 2012 about Lean at Boeing. The WSJ headline emphasizes “speed up,” but that could be the fault of their editors not realizing that Lean means quality and flow go hand in hand.…
