Today I hosted the Second Virtual Lean Mini-Conference via Zoom — a forum for freethinking (click here to view the results from the First VLMC). We again had a fantastic conference with the diverse views that one would hope to get from global participation. To reiterate. a primary objective of these conferences is to challenge […]

As you may know, I have been a passionate practitioner and advocate of the application of Lean principles and practices to teaching for more than 20 years. On 19 October 2020 I gave a presentation titled “Eliminating Waste in Teaching: The Brilliant Life and Work of Dr. Lillian Gilbreth.” Click on the image to view […]

This is the back story to the book Improvement. I wrote this book because I am concerned about the future of progressive management in relation to human needs as times change. Will it survive, or will classical management continue to prevail? What will happen to current formulations of progressive management — Toyota’s management system and […]

Next week, Tuesday May 2nd, I’ll be hosting a live event to reveal the full cover of my upcoming book The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation. Register Now: You can register to view it two ways: The recording will be available if you can’t join us at 2:30 pm […]

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of April 2023.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.     Toyota Kata: Coaching vs a Report Out – Mark Rosenthal asks as a coach if you are challenging the learner.   On Big Data – Pascal Dennis says before we […]

Do you ever wonder about these things: Why do most Lean transformations struggle or fail? Why it is so difficult for bosses to accept Lean management? Who no servant leadership? Why does classical management maintain its grip on leaders? Why are CEOs so resistant to change? Why do people get in trouble with bosses for […]

COVID-19 is having a remarkable impact on business — not in terms of shutting businesses down, but what business leaders are doing to adapt and survive. A principal strategy is to shift to various forms of e-commerce to deliver the goods and services that people need. The “process improvement space” long occupied by Lean management […]

No, not stupid, but certainly blind to how their rhetoric is interpreted by those whom they wish to influence most — CEOs. We have all done it. I as well as most others, people you know and don’t know. Frederick Winslow Taylor did it. Taiichi Ohno did it. Our beloved and iconic Lean CEO, Art […]

This was in the news the other day, and it’s fun to talk about mistakes that don’t harm or kill anybody: Confetti delays Celtics-Hawks Game 4 playoffs series As the game announcers described, it was “a legitimate confetti issue” with about one minute left in the first quarter of the NBA first round playoff game […]

Here is a guide to my books. It will help you understand the range of tiles and subject matter. Go to the books page and click on the book covers to learn more about each book. Leadership Reimagined Why Leaders Reject Lean Management Lean Leadership Kaizen Lean Management Lean in Higher Education Criticism of Lean […]

In today’s rapidly changing work environment, professionals across industries need to keep pace with new developments and continuously upgrade their skill sets. On-the-job training (OJT) is an effective method for ensuring that employees develop the necessary expertise to perform their tasks while contributing to their professional growth. This article explores the advantages of OJT, the […]

Operational excellence is a management philosophy that focuses on continuously improving an organization’s processes, systems, and workflows to optimize performance and deliver value to customers. Operational excellence happens when an organization consistently and reliably outperforms the competition through constant improvement and a dedication to customer value. When two companies have the same strategy, the operationally […]

When we think of Lean management, we probably do not think of it in evolutionary terms. But we should for two reasons. First, evolution takes a prominent place in the thinking of Toyota production system and Toyota’s overall management system — the need to evolve in response to the reality of changing times, changing needs, […]

Lean Sigma: A Practitioner’s Guide, 2nd Edition by Ian D. Wedgwood is an indispensable resource for professionals seeking to learn about and implement Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. This updated edition of the acclaimed guide delves deep into the principles and practical applications of Lean Sigma, providing readers with valuable insights on maximizing efficiency, reducing […]

CASE STUDY – The Hospital de Bellvitge in Barcelona is relying heavily on hoshin and Kata to create a working environment based on collaboration and joint problem solving. Words: Ana Alvarez, Deputy Director of Processes The Hospital de Bellvitge in Barcelona serves an area of 250,000 people – almost 2 million for specialized care or […]

One of the things that Lean practitioners learn at the start is the importance of understanding processes so that better results will be consistently achieved. This intimate relationship between means and ends is obscure to most people, and so documenting and studying process is a big revelation. They learn to see causality: how waste, unevenness, […]

Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) to reduce and shorten changeover times is one of the best-known methods in lean manufacturing. However, the original steps as shown by Shingo have, in my view, potential for improvement. Hence, I restructured the changeover workshop based on my experience with SMED to make it easier and more straightforward. […]

Most people are not familiar with the history of progressive management because they do not see how it is relevant to today’s problems or needs. But I can assure you this history is relevant to humanity today and beyond. Beginning in the late 1800s with what later became known as Scientific Management, the primary purpose […]

Another big milestone passed: yesterday evening I released the last chapter of the two-part module Adaptive Organisation: Business agility at every scale. That means Leading with Outcomes is complete! I say “complete” and not “finished” because I’ll always be making improvements. Adaptive Organisation went through two major revisions and I’ve lost count of how many […]

In my graduate-level Lean leadership course, I introduce students to eight categories of preconceptions that are deeply intertwined with one another with respect to classical leadership and management practice. I then ask following question: How do you know when economic, social, political, historical, philosophical, business, legal, or spiritual preconceptions are out of date and no […]

Integrating Lean and Six Sigma methodologies in the form of A3 DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) has emerged as a powerful approach for continuous improvement in various industries. This post aims to understand A3 DMAIC’s benefits and applications comprehensively. The study includes a detailed examination of the process, its key components, and how […]

In Western culture, parents encourage young children to believe mythological characters such as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. They are part of the magic and fun of early childhood and parenting. Other cultures have similar mythological characters for children. Parents who encourage these beliefs are, technically speaking, lying to their children. […]

Fun Fact: January 2021 will begin the seventh year of my banishment from Lean-world. It started in 2014, when I spoke truth to power in my blog and in my books, pointing out various problems and inconsistencies that many other people clearly recognized but were afraid to say in public. I had no such fear, […]

Stress is hopelessness Stress is better understood today, and in particular its impact on our physical health. In our worst vicious circles, stress about poor health can lead to even further decline in health.  Acknowledgement of stress is also now more acceptable, and not just a sign of weakness that you have to “push through.” […]

I’m glad that I have become friends with David Meier over the past… almost 20 years, I think. He’s been a podcast guest many times (on my Lean Interviews podcast, Lean Whiskey, and My Favorite Mistake). His story and lessons learned are also featured prominently in my upcoming book The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating […]

Image Source: Pexels.com When businesses were forced into remote work a few years ago due to the pandemic, many were just focused on making their operations work in a digital environment. They were hardly focused on revamping their company cultures to support such a transition. But now, we’re seeing remote work become a staple in […]

An opinion piece published in The Connecticut Mirror on 22 December 2020. For more than 15 years I have taught a graduate course where students perform formal failure analysis of senior management decisions. We study disasters such as the Wells Fargo fraud, Equifax data breach, GM faulty ignition switch, Morandi bridge failure, Vale mining disaster, […]

Condolences to the family of Mr. Norman Bodek (obituary). I had many wonderful phone and e-mail conversations with Norman over the last 18 years. He was a beloved figure, always accessible and always helpful. A humble man, life-long learner, and earnest in his life’s mission to help humanity and the planet. He would help anyone […]

Empathy? No. Appreciation? No. Gratitude? No. Leadership? No. Better late than never: UPDATE (16 December 2020). “Remembering Norman Bodek, the “Miraculous Life” of an Author, Teacher, and Publisher of Groundbreaking Business Books” by Chet Marchwinski UPDATE (1 February 2021). “Two Giants, Two Communities, One Lasting Thing” by John Shook.

For more than 30 years, CEOs have claimed that wages for workers are too high. American CEOs were the first apprehend and exploit this claim followed by CEOs in most other countries. Is this true? Are wages too high? Consider that Western-style business is normally conducted under the doctrine of force and fraud (where “force” […]

This case study shows the progress of the Planned Maintenance Pillar of a food manufacturing facility. The facility is located in North America. Situation Before TPM Analysis of the situation was d4one using 4M methodology: Man Low level of skills People with high stress Low spirit of work team Lack of trust and cooperation between […]

I am saddened to hear of the death of Ritsuo Shingo (1947-2023), as announced by the Shingo Institute. He was the son of Shigeo Shingo, for whom the Shingo Prize and Shingo Institute were named. I want to express my deepest condolences to the family, his friends, and everybody who knew and worked with him. […]

What have we learned after 30+ years of training people in Lean tools and methods, Lean thinking, Lean management, and Lean leadership? As I look back on my experience as a trainer, I am grateful for the opportunities, experience, income, favorable reviews, and feedback for improvement. Yet I, and certainly most other Lean trainers, are […]

This post compares five management approaches: Lean, Flow, Standard, Continuous Improvement, and Respect. These approaches discuss their underlying principles, methodologies, and practical implications for businesses. The post highlights each approach’s strengths and weaknesses and suggests ways to be integrated to optimize organizational performance. Introduction Organizations must be agile and adaptive to survive and thrive in […]