Summer 2024 is my 30th year of involvement with TPS and Lean. Here is a few things that stand out. Now I’m not saying Lean won’t do you some good. It will. I am saying there are profound differences.

Deming’s Influence on Continuous Improvement If you’re passionate about continuous improvement, quality, or operational excellence, chances are Dr. W. Edwards Deming has shaped your journey—even if you haven’t realized it yet. But do you know how this influence came about and the profound impact Deming’s management theories have had on shaping quality and improvement approaches […]

As the recent Gallup highlights many employees struggling with isolation and loneliness on the job. Overall, Gallup found 20% of working men and women saying they felt lonely “a lot of the day” at work the previous day. That number ticked slightly upward among workers younger than 35, with 22% of employees in that age […]

The classroom is a contrived environment to teach most things. Nevertheless, it exists and it can be a useful forum for transmitting ideas, principles, and practices. And that takes on much greater value for students when what is being taught is rooted in the “real world” rather than in theory. Another thing that higher education […]

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is an approach that has transformed how organizations maintain their equipment and optimize plant maintenance operations. This blog post will delve into the three parts of TPM and the eight-pillar activities that serve as the foundation for planned maintenance. Approach to Plant Maintenance (Management Concept of Maintenance) TPM Part I: Is […]

Empathy is a popular concept these days, for many valid reasons. However, it is often conveyed as a sense of acceptance and sometimes even passiveness. What I mean is that empathy often means that you CAN’T understand someone’s perspective because it is different from yours and so therefore accept the difference. This approach, which perhaps […]

Volkswagen is one of the largest car makers in the world, and the largest German car maker. The Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg is by far the largest German automotive plant. However, in terms of lean performance, it is merely mediocre. On the other hand, it is not easy to run a production in protected historic […]

I’m excited to invite you to join me on August 21st for a special webinar titled “Ask Us Anything! Psychological Safety and Continuous Improvement.” This session, running from 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET, is designed to be highly interactive, with a focus on your questions and insights. Register: Ask Us Anything! Psychological Safety and Continuous […]

In many organizations, moving away from a culture of punishment when mistakes are made is a significant leap forward. It signals a shift toward understanding, systems thinking, and improvement. But once you’ve made that change, what’s next? Do we need to replace punitive approaches with something better? If so, what? How do you ensure that […]

By Pascal Dennis (bio) One of my revered senseis always talked about Big Heart. The biggest weakness in contemporary business culture is an absence of heart. The scandals of the past decades – Enron, Wall Street, Madoff, McKinsey-Gupta and the like reflect it. In each case, the villains were ‘achievatrons’ at the trough, stuffing themselves […]

Employees in the U.S. continue to feel detached from work, according to research firm Gallup’s most recent employee engagement survey. Only 33 percent of employees were engaged, while 16 percent of workers reported being actively disengaged according to the survey. Gallup presents an insightful solution. “A manager having one meaningful conversation per week with each […]

The comment and questions shown below come from a person who works at a well-known company that has made a lot of noise recently about their Lean management efforts. Details that would reveal the company and person who made the comment have been removed. What is so familiar to me about this disturbing situation is […]

Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a critical methodology used across industries to identify and mitigate potential failures in products, processes, or services. By following a structured approach, FMEA helps organizations proactively address issues that could lead to costly errors or safety hazards. This post walks you through the 12 essential steps of FMEA, […]

Gemba Walks are an invaluable tool in the pursuit of continuous improvement. By visiting the “actual place” where work happens, managers and teams can gain a deeper understanding of the current reality, identify areas for improvement, and build stronger connections with the workforce. This guide outlines the critical steps to conducting effective Gemba Walks, ensuring […]

How many times have you heard or said: “How do you create a Lean culture?” Akio Toyoda gives us the answer: You create a progressive management system to create a culture that drives improvement. People desperately want the culture but they do not want to do the work and change the thinking that is required […]

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on […]

Comprehensive Guide to the 2024 CSA Standards Updates The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) has released a broad range of updated standards for 2024, impacting numerous sectors, including construction, healthcare, electrical safety, and more. These updates reflect the latest technological advancements, safety requirements, and best practices, making it essential for professionals to stay informed and compliant. […]

    In this episode of the People Solve Problems podcast, host Jamie Flinchbaugh is joined by Dr. Wendy Smith, a professor at the University of Delaware and an acclaimed expert in organizational behavior. Wendy, who co-authored the book “Both/And Thinking,” discusses the concept of how adopting a both/and mindset can enhance our problem-solving capabilities. […]

A friend of mine–with a long history of Lean and Toyota Production System knowledge practice–recently shared a troubling story about a relative who works at a manufacturing plant. I’ll call this factory team member “Guy.” Call me cynical, if you must, but I totally believe this story, so I’m sharing it here. And my friend […]

Overview: “Document Everything” by Rick Hermanussen is a comprehensive guide designed to help quality management professionals understand the importance of meticulous documentation within their organizations. The book emphasizes the significance of documentation in ensuring business continuity, enhancing quality management systems (QMS), and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Key Points: The Importance of Documentation: The […]

In May 2024 A Lean Journey Blog turned 15 and as I look back on how I got started and who influenced my journey I wanted to revisit a previous series I started in 2012 called the Meet-up. One of the things I am so fond of in the Lean community is the general wiliness […]

I’ve been writing about learning from mistakes for a long time, including my previous books before my latest, The Mistakes That Make Us. This idea isn’t new, but it’s essential–especially in fields like healthcare, where the stakes are incredibly high. From Lean Hospitals: “Mistakes are a reality in healthcare, and while we strive to prevent […]

On Forbes: Underutilized Ideas In Strategic Thinking   Strategic thinking is all around us, not just what happens when in the middle of a strategic planning process. Many decisions we make, both individually and organizationally, have strategic consequences. Things move fast, and more decisions are rightly distributed, and this requires more people to harness sound […]

As part of my Grand Tour of German Automotive, I visited the two Audi plants in Germany, the headquarters in Ingolstadt and the second plant in Neckarsulm. In my last post I showed you Ingolstadt, in this post you will see Neckarsulm, which makes (among other things) the ultra-luxurious Audi A8 and its variants. Both […]

You guys are talking the same old nonsense. We got to think differently. Brad Pitt in the film Moneyball I have never been a Lean consultant, nor do I aspire to be one. My role has always been that of a practitioner, educator, researcher, author, and trainer. I also like to carefully observe what is […]

According to a study by McKinsey & Company, hospitals in the United States could save $130 billion annually by improving their operational efficiency. This staggering amount represents about 16% of total healthcare spending in the country. This statistic underscores the critical need for healthcare organizations to focus on operational excellence to enhance patient care and […]

Every four years, the Olympic Games bring a spectacular display of sporting prowess to the world. They also showcase the power of human endeavor and the importance of teamwork, along with a host of positive role models. Like millions of others from around the globe I have been glued to the TV watching the Olympics […]

In writing The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, I wanted to challenge the way we think about mistakes, leadership, and organizational culture. Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand how the traditional responses to mistakes–punishment, fear, and blame–can stifle growth and innovation. The ideas I present in the book are […]

I would tell you that pumping out almost thirty books in under twenty years on a wide range of subjects was a very poor move — it diluted the marketplace for your presence and positioned you as a generalist in a world where specialists are key. It suggests that you are more driven to just […]

Compare these two equations. Yikes, what a difference! The finiteness of Lean and the infinite nature of Toyota’s production system. This is not a simple “apples-to-oranges” comparison. The two equations illustrate incomparables — a moped (Lean) to a jet airplane (Toyota production system); grass to a sequoia tree; an ant to an eagle; Earth to […]

In today’s world, waste is a significant byproduct of consumption. Customer opinions and the standards required for producing goods and services heavily influence the perception of what constitutes waste. Six Sigma methodology aims to increase customer satisfaction while ensuring sustainable improvements, preventing a return to pre-improvement stages. Waste reduction and quality improvement are central to […]

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on […]

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 better. Operational Excellence, Improvement, and Innovation Rethinking Productivity As AI and other technologies continue to […]

Operational excellence is a management philosophy that continuously improves an organization’s processes, efficiency, and effectiveness. It involves optimizing workflows, reducing waste, and enhancing quality to achieve better performance and deliver more customer value.  A study by the Aberdeen Group found that organizations that adopt operational excellence practices see a 5% to 10% improvement in revenue […]