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…
Back in November, I had a chance to meet Nate Hurle, from Cleveland Clinic, as he was giving a presentation about their work with Lean and continuous improvement. As we chatted, I mentioned that I’d be in Ohio in early…
Many industries face the compliance conundrum. The compliance conundrum occurs when staying in regulatory compliance interferes with business as usual operations. In highly regulated industries, where regulating bodies conduct periodic audits, the strain of the compliance conundrum is even more apparent.
I’ve been studying and working with Lean for 20 years now and I love Lean because I’m still learning and getting better at this craft. I love seeing other people get excited about Lean when it’s new to them, when…
My wife and I are getting ready to leave tomorrow night for a two-week vacation, so it jogged my memory about this story I saw back in December in the WSJ: Airlines Try to Make Coach Classier. Anything that makes long…
I wanted to share a recent Kaizen improvement story that I heard from a hospital. Great things can happen when we: Imagine you’re a new mother and you’re recovering in a room after your postpartum care. You’ve been cared for…
It’s easy for people to think that Lean is about cost-cutting. That would be wrong, but many people associate Lean with cost cutting. Cost cutting is the old mindset. The old hack-and-slash approach, which focuses on layoffs or “everybody cut…
Mark’s Note: Today’s post is a guest post by Nial Toner, who works for PathXL in the UK. I thought this was an interesting post because it touches on leader behaviors and team dynamics in a setting that we don’t…
A Lean thinking friend’s wife had emergency surgery (she is going to be fine) and my friend sent some pictures of Lean-related things he saw at the hospital. The good included: Sheets posted on the wall to get staff input…
I’ve had a really nice time during my first 30 hours in Helsinki, Finland. It’s been warm (72 F) and sunny — and more than 18 hours of sunlight each day, to boot. I will blog more substantively about my…
TL;DR: Toyota’s real advantage isn’t automation–it’s how leaders design systems that support people, make problems visible, and create time for Kaizen. These same principles translate directly to healthcare and other complex organizations. I had the chance to tour the San…
Last week, the New York Times published a piece called “Don’t Just Talk About Change. Show It,” written by Mick Wilz, an employee at Sur-Seal, a family-owned business in Cincinnati. As part of a Lean initiative (as evidenced by their…