In March 2007, Jim Womack told me about his biggest disappointment. The Machine That Changed the World had been out for more than sixteen years, sold around a million copies, and was about to be reissued with an updated subtitle:…
Tesla builds cars in what used to be the NUMMI factory, a joint venture between Toyota and GM (which meant it was run as a Toyota plant with "Lean" practices). Before that, it was a dysfunctional GM plant. Now that it's a Tesla plant, did they learn from Toyota or does it seem more like "the old GM?"
TL;DR: Jim Womack explains how the term “Lean” was coined to describe creating more value with less waste–and how it became misunderstood as cost cutting. Nearly 40 years later, the real purpose of Lean remains respect for people and continuous…
Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. News, articles, books, podcasts, and videos about how to make the workplace…
Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. From Ryan: Thank you for your continued readership and support. 2024 marked…
Jim Womack returns to the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast to reflect on how Lean thinking has evolved–and where it has gone off track. Drawing on decades of firsthand experience, he shares candid perspectives on leadership, daily management, and why tools…
TL;DR: Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun wants to close the company’s “shadow factories” – the rework operations where planes get repaired, upgraded, and checked before final delivery. The phrase echoes the older Lean idea of the “hidden factory.” Closing it is…
This bonus episode captures an unscripted, post-event conversation with Jim Womack, Katie Anderson, Jamie V. Parker, and Mark Graban reflecting on GE’s “Lean Mindset” event. Together, we explore what it really takes to sustain Lean thinking–learning from failure, leading with…
tl;dr: In this post, Mark discusses key takeaways from the GE Lean Mindset events, particularly focusing on the diversity of backgrounds among attendees. He emphasizes how a varied set of perspectives contributes to a richer understanding and application of Lean…
Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! Insights about improvement, innovation, and leadership… Operational Excellence, Improvement, and Innovation Lean Perennials vs. Lean Millennials Work has changed…
The Lean Enterprise Institute (a former employer of mine from 2009 to 2011) has announced a new CEO, the third in their history following founder James P. Womack and his successor, John Shook.
Their press release:
Lean Enterprise Institute Names Eric Buehrens New CEO
The start of the release:
"The nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute, a global leader in lean thinking and practice, today announced the appointment of Eric Buehrens as its new CEO. The appointment took effect October 1, 2017.
A proven lean thinker and leader, Buehrens led lean transformations at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, where he served as COO and Interim CEO, and at Reliant Medical Group, a Massachusetts group medical practice, where he was COO."
I am always happy to see something even vaguely related to the practice of Kaizen in mainstream publications. Here’s a recent essay from the New York Times: The Best Path to Long-Term Change Is Slow, Simple and Boring The author,…
