Two pet peeves of mine are hearing people say things like “Lean is all about reducing waste” and or “Lean is all about cost cutting” (and thankfully others are also trying to dispel that myth). Another pet peeve is people…
I saw this article over the holiday weekend: “Nats install bullpen seating for relievers.” The Washington Nationals relief pitchers asked to have a set of raised bleacher seats installed so they could view the game from above the fence instead…
Since my wife and I moved to San Antonio just over two years ago, we’ve become big Spurs fans. Since the Spurs are the only major pro sports team here, it’s basically a civic obligation to get behind our local…
Since moving to San Antonio two years ago, I’ve become a big fan of the San Antonio Spurs. For one, it’s essentially a civic responsibility to cheer for them, with the Spurs being the only major pro team in town.…
Regular readers of the blog will know that one of my favorite topics is “Gaming the Numbers” (or “Gaming the System“). As Brian Joiner so brilliantly wrote, as shared by the late, great Peter Scholtes , there are three things people…
Even if you’re not a racing fan, this video is worth watching. Side-by-side footage of Formula 1 pit stops from the 1950s and today offers a clear lesson in process improvement. The gains didn’t come from urgency or brute force.…
Following up my post about not blaming a bartender, here’s another look at learning to cast aside our old habit of blaming individuals… this time, baseball related. Modern organizations (in healthcare and business) tend to blame an individual when something…
I found a picture (posted by Jamie Voster on LinkedIn) and I re-shared it through my account. Neither Jamie nor I know where the picture was taken or who took it (I wish I could do a better job of…
Since today is the first full day of the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament, many of you might be checking scores or watching games instead of thinking Lean. So, here are a few past blog posts that connect basketball to situations…
For the coin toss of the Super Bowl 48 (or XLVIII), the referee, Terry McAulay, handed the coin to Joe Namath to toss it… it appeared that McAulay realized when the coin was in mid-air that he had possibly forgotten…
Mark’s note: Ah, another NFL playoff weekend and time for another football post to follow up my apparent jinxing of the Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly last week. Today’s guest post from Chad Walters is an intersection between sports, medicine,…
The Philadelphia Eagles are playing in an NFL playoff matchup tonight against the New Orleans Saints. I’d admired Eagles head coach Chip Kelly and his somewhat unlikely rise through the coaching ranks. He’s well known from his successful stint at…
