New WSJ Article on Toyota
As Rivals Catch Up, Toyota CEO Spurs Big Efficiency Drive – WSJ.com Not sure if there will be a free version online (if so, I’ll try find it or someone post a link). Welcome, WSJ readers who found me via…
Tag Respect for People
Respect for People: Leadership, Trust, and Sustainable Improvement
“Respect for people” isn’t about being nice—it’s about how leaders design systems, make decisions, and respond to problems. In Lean organizations, respect shows up through listening, job security, psychological safety, clear communication, and a commitment to learning rather than blame. This archive brings together blog posts, podcasts, and examples that explore respect for people as a core Lean principle—one that enables trust, engagement, continuous improvement, and better outcomes for customers and employees alike.
The NBA Not Involving Its Employees Regarding the New Ball?
NBA NOTES: Stern says NBA dropped ball A key aspect of the Lean Manufacturing mindset is involving and empowering your employees. This is necessary whether you’re working on lean in factories, hospitals, or any sort of environment. Many companies say…
Overpaid Dummies Voting with their Feet at Ford
Blue-collar exodus brings new challenges – 11/30/06 – The Detroit News Online: UPDATE: In case some of you don’t know my history of writing about how Ford and mass production companies typically don’t respect blue collar workers…. the word “Dummies”…
Sacrifices at every level but the Top
WXYZ: Investigators Update January 18, 2007: Ford’s Fields Finally Sacrifices This was sent my way from a friend who works at a Ford-related company. I can’t imagine how the CEO of Ford can go to the White House and moan…
The TSA & Explaining "Why"?
Lean was on my brain traveling home yesterday. Mostly bad examples, but one thing jumped out at me, somewhat positive. I love the TPS notion of “explaining why” (and blogged about it here after touring NUMMI). In the Lean and…
WSJ’s Wrong Conclusion on Frederick Taylor
Deja Vu – WSJ.com “Early Industry Expert Soon Realized a Staff Had Its Own Efficiency” The WSJ has it wrong on manufacturing, once again. Not that I expect the Wall Street Journal to be a friend of the “working man,”…
Respect at In-N-Out Burger
NPR : Pay Helps Keep Workers at Western Burger Chain You should listen to this NPR story online, about the fast food chain In-N-Out. I’m not much into fast food burgers, but when I lived in Phoenix, I loved In-N-Out.…
Exploring the Origins and Evolution of Lean Manufacturing at Toyota: A Conversation with Norman Bodek
Here is LeanBlog Podcast #7, a new discussion with our friend Norman Bodek, President of PCS Press and the author of many books, including Kaikaku: The Power and Magic of Lean. In this Podcast, we discuss Toyota’s response to recent…
Is Jack Welch a Turkey?
“Welch spreads business gospel from MIT pulpit” Jack Welch himself sure seems like the turkey with comments like this: “Don’t fall in love with your workers,” a business instructor tells a student who’s launching a small startup company. “If you’ve…
"Boneheads" at Toyota?
WSJ.com – Toyota May Delay New Models To Address Rising Quality Issues: I posted this article last week, but I looked at it again before recording a new Podcast interview with Norm Bodek. This part at the bottom of the…
Two Sides to Every Story
Lean Blog: Companies Use Lean to Offset Cost Increases I posted last year about an Industry Week article about a company called Esselte. It sounded like a nice success story, a case where they were offsetting lower market prices (that…
Forced Rankings and Respect for Humanity
Fortune: The new rules – Jul. 11, 2006 Part of Fortune’s cover story about how Jack Welch’s “old rules” don’t apply any more, this includes the “old” rule of annually removing your “C players” from the employee ranks. The “new”…
