When Companies Don’t Learn From “The Beer Game,” Inventory… Mark Graban Jul 5, 2022 0 Blog You're a retailing or manufacturing executive who hasn't heard of MIT's "Beer Game" management simulator? Then!-->!-->!-->…
Taylor Swift on the Inevitability of Mistakes and the Positive Outcomes That Can… Mark Graban May 23, 2022 0 Blog Since I host a podcast about mistakes ("My Favorite Mistake"), this is a topic I think about a lot. I hear about!-->…
David Novak Became a CEO Even With This Crystal Clear Mistake Mark Graban Mar 22, 2022 0 Blog I love the theme of learning from mistakes. That's why I started my latest podcast, "My Favorite Mistake."!-->…
Reducing Waste to Make Up for Higher Material Costs — Lessons from Texas BBQ Mark Graban Mar 10, 2022 0 Blog As somebody who moved to Texas in 1999 ("I wasn't born here, but I got here as quick as I could"), I love Texas!-->…
The NBA’s Steph Curry, the Taguchi Loss Function, and Deming’s Funnel… Mark Graban Feb 6, 2022 0 Blog The Wall Street Journal published a fascinating article back in November 2020: Stephen Curry's Scientific Quest!-->!-->!-->…
This WSJ Article About Lean Isn’t Terrible (Thanks to GE and CEO Larry Culp) Mark Graban Nov 17, 2021 2 Blog The Wall Street Journal has an epic track record when it comes to always getting it wrong when they write about!-->…
The WSJ is Once Again Mostly Wrong About Just in Time (No Surprise) Mark Graban May 4, 2021 3 Blog This image -- a huge container ship coming from a far-off land -- does NOT represent the Lean and Toyota!-->…
Respect for People as a Competitive Advantage in Major League Baseball Mark Graban Jun 24, 2020 1 Blog "Respect for people" is, of course, a core tenet of Lean and the Toyota Production System. It's an important idea!-->…
It’s Hard to Ask Leaders to Change the System in Which They’ve Risen… Mark Graban Jan 14, 2020 2 Blog The other day, I stumbled across an old article that I remember, as it was published in the Wall Street Journal in!-->…
General Jim Mattis on Leadership, Mistakes, and Defining Problems Mark Graban Sep 3, 2019 3 Audio General Jim Mattis has been making the rounds to talk about his new book that is out today: Call Sign Chaos:!-->…
A New “Measures of Success” Giveaway; Workshops & 3 Takeaways… Mark Graban Feb 12, 2019 2 Blog First, an announcement... you can enter to win one of three eBook copies of Measures of Success: React Less, Lead!-->…
Humble Leaders are the Best, Says Lean and now the WSJ Mark Graban Oct 17, 2018 2 Blog This article from the WSJ caught my eye last week (might be behind their paywall): The Best Bosses Are Humble…
GE Gets a Lean CEO — From the Outside Mark Graban Oct 7, 2018 0 Blog Jet lag, even well managed and planned for, meant I was awake early on a Sunday morning. Over breakfast, I read…
How to Go From Analytical Wonk to “Process Improvement” Coach Mark Graban Apr 16, 2018 0 Blog As you might know, I have always enjoyed baseball and like blogging about ideas and statistics that come from the…
The WSJ Overgeneralizes about The “Japanese Model,” Not All Companies… Mark Graban Feb 8, 2018 5 Blog Not all Japanese companies are the same. "Lean isn't easy" if you're a Japanese company. Toyota has created…
The Response to the Hawaii False Alarm Can’t End With Firing Someone Mark Graban Jan 14, 2018 14 Blog Saturday, you might have seen the news about a "false alarm" push alert that was sent to many iPhones and other…
Does Being Giddy With Knowledge About Wine or Lean Cause Problems? Mark Graban Aug 14, 2017 11 Audio Hear Mark read the post (subscribe to the podcast): I enjoy "gemba visits" (of sorts) to wineries and vacations…
Is This a 5S Problem or a Broader Healthcare Leadership and Culture Problem? Mark Graban Jul 11, 2017 0 Blog A few of you sent me this sad article from the Wall St. Journal: "'People Are Dying Here': Federal Hospitals…