Tag: Mistake-Proofing

Mistake-Proofing, Learning from Errors, and Safer Systems

Mistake-proofing is not about blaming people or demanding perfection. It’s about designing systems that make errors less likely and make problems visible when they occur. This archive explores mistake-proofing as a leadership and system responsibility—across healthcare, aviation, manufacturing, and everyday work.

Through real-world examples, these posts show why signs, reminders, and “be careful” messages fail—and how better process design, learning, and respect for people lead to safer, more reliable outcomes.

Mistake Proofing Designed Into a Lock

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In prep for our move to San Antonio, my wife and I have been applying "5S" principles to our lives and possessions. We have...

Mistake Proofing the Home Alarm System

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As I've mentioned, my wife and I are in the process of moving from suburban Fort Worth to San Antonio. As we have potential...

Lean in Your Life – Preventing Health Problems with Technology

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Continuing this first week of the year's theme of using Lean principles to improve our lives, I'm going to write about two pieces of...

World Series Defect: Wrong Pitcher

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People in healthcare know that miscommunications are a major cause of errors and patient harm. There was a strange footnote to game 5 of...

Everyday Lean: Error Proofing Sidewalk Grates (photo by @karenmartinopex)

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Thanks to my friend and fellow author Karen Martin for taking this picture while in Calgary. Even if you don't wear high heeled shoes,...

Quitting a Software Application: Safari vs. Chrome & Error Proofing

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The two primary web browsers I use these days on my Mac are Safari and Chrome. I've always been a big user of keyboard...

Dear “Lean Six Sigma” Crowd – Lean is About Quality, Too

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First off, I'm not trying to dredge up a "Lean vs. Six Sigma" battle here. I'm not "anti-Six Sigma." I'm not a huge proponent...

Kaizen at a Wine Bar – “Lazy” or Smart?

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"Progress isn't made by early risers. It's made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something."  - Robert Heinlein, American science...

The Real Message Behind Funny Hospital Signs: Tackling Root Causes for...

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After a week of serious topics and sometimes pointed discussion, let's end with a funny sign... well wait, there's a serious story behind this...

As Seen on TV: Random Lean Terms in Commercials

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On a recent Sunday morning, I was watching cable news channels and two different commercials had a word jump out at me, words that...

When Steering Wheels Fly Off: Questions About Blame, Process, and Learning

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In the news yesterday, a General Motors recall over what could be just one isolated steering wheel problem in an Ohio-built Chevrolet (don't call...

Smart Error-Proofing in Fast Food: How In-N-Out Outsmarts Quiznos with Simple...

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I was in L.A. on Tuesday, and I had a little extra time on my way to the Burbank airport, which meant a rare...
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