“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.
TL;DR: Lean isn’t about “idiot-proofing” work–it’s about respecting people. True Lean focuses on improving systems (through mistake-proofing and better design), not blaming or deceiving workers. When leaders treat people as capable professionals and fix processes instead of people, quality, learning,…
The famed actor and comedian Gene Wilder passed away this week at age 83. I think of him primarily as an actor from the classic movies from Mel Brooks, “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein,” although he’s also known for many other…
A number of you emailed me about this report in the Detroit News. I grew up in Detroit and my first job was as a carrier for the News. Loved ones have received care from the Detroit Medical Center system……
There’s a lot of silly stuff that people post that appears on the LinkedIn main page when I log in, between narcissistic selfies and urban legends like the one about Bill Gates and his daughter that’s making the rounds. But…
Now, there’s a story written by an emergency medicine physician, Dr. Brad Cotton, that appears in a publication called “Emergency Medicine News” — FIRST PERSON: ‘We Fired Our Hospital’...
I've written before about the subject of hospitals "flexing" nurses and employees. I've criticized flexing (or the practice of sending employees home early because patient census is low) and I've pointed out that it's not keeping with "Lean" principles to "save money" by sending people home early.
Mark’s note: Today’s post is a guest contribution from Paul Critchley. Check out his previous posts here. As a long time Lean practitioner (and now Lean consultant), I have been asked lots of questions about Lean over the years. There’s…
Mark’s note: Today’s post is something that Drew Locher originally published in his email newsletter (sign up here), but he’s allowing me to post it here. I’ve met Drew through the Lean Enterprise Institute, as we’re both LEI faculty members, and…
If you follow the auto industry, you might have seen headlines this week about how Toyota is being forced to shut down production in its Japanese factories next week (see one article, via Bloomberg). If you’re a devotee of the Toyota Production…
TL;DR (2026 update): So-called “just-in-time” retail scheduling that relies on on-call shifts, last-minute cutbacks, or sending people home early is not Lean–it’s cost cutting disguised as efficiency. Real Lean, as practiced by Toyota, is built on Respect for People: stable…
It’s time for another Throwback Thursday where I revisit a blog post from the past. To the left, that’s a baby Mark Graban… probably not actually thinking about Lean. I referenced this post in my recent Keith Olber-Lean parody video……
Editor’s note (2026): This post remains highly relevant as organizations increasingly rely on algorithmic scheduling, utilization targets, and AI-driven workforce planning. TL;DR: Zeynep Ton’s Good Jobs Strategy shows that cutting labor costs creates a vicious cycle of poor performance. In…
