Article

The Crucible of Innovation

Innovation is key to a successful successful development project, we always read. But innovation is a fickle term that gets tossed around like a coin.…

by James Morgan, PhD

Article

Learning Through Struggle

LEI coach Danielle Blais reflects on one of the most frustrating (and ultimately, most rewarding) coaching moments she's experienced so far in her career.

by Danielle McGuiness

Article

What Too Many Value Stream Maps Completely Miss

Believe it or not, up to half of all the value-stream maps that cross Drew Locher's desk are missing something extremely important. In his first…

by Drew Locher

Article

Human Resources and Lean; It Really Is About People

Despite an expert’s exhortations to “do more kaizen, develop kaizen mind” this lean transformation failed. Find out why from someone who saw it happen and…

by Joe Murli

Article

The Power of Inspiration

Lean thinker Paige Henry shares a call to action: let’s get our leaders and people to realize “it’s about the think” to prevent problems happening…

Article

Let Joy Power Your Organization's Flight

Joy is a powerful word in life and, as it turns out, in business too, says Rich Sheridan. A company that discovers the relevant principles…

Article

My CEO has asked me to take a hard look at the lean program at our hospital – where should I start?

Dear Gemba Coach: I am ops director of a large hospital. We have been doing lean for several years now, with a lean office of…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Lean and Financials

Dear Gemba Coach: During the webinar, you mentioned the importance of quantifying the financial impacts of lean efforts before introducing the system. This is a very…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Why should I manage as if I had no power when power is the most effective way of getting things done?

Dear Gemba Coach: I’m tired of hearing I should manage as if I had no power. Surely power is the most effective way of getting…

by Michael Ballé

Article

What does “separation of human work and machine work” mean?

Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been trying to learn more about Jidoka and I keep coming across references to “separation of human work and machine work”…

by Michael Ballé

Article

We’re installing an andon system – what should we expect?

Dear Gemba Coach: We’re installing an andon system – what should we expect?

by Michael Ballé

Article

Ask Art: How is lean the opposite of everything people have been trained to do?

Art Byrne explains why, and how, lean practice is the opposite of what most people have learned about work in any setting

by Art Byrne

Article

Kaizen Learning vs. Traditional Problem-Solving

"Lean offers a fundamentally different approach to problem-solving than most traditional companies practice," writes Art Byrne. "Most [traditional] companies delegate important problems to teams of…

by Art Byrne

Article

Sometimes Less Lean is Mo' Lean

After seeing a great concert by blues legend Keb' Mo', Brent Wahba reflected on some lean principles embodied in the ways this event delivered such…

by Brent Wahba

Article

Improvement for the Sake of Improvement Means Nothing

"We need to dig deep to understand why we do what we do and question whether it really provides value to anyone." Read the story…

by Dave LaHote

Article

Learning to Teach the Soft Side of Lean

If there’s one common theme among virtually any failed effort, it boils to a failure to engage people in the purpose, says Tracey Richardson. That's why…

by Tracey Richardson

Article

New Book Explains How to Create “Steady Work” in Unsteady Times with Standardized Work Cadences

In Steady Work, the new book from the Lean Enterprise Institute, author and former Starbucks’ Regional Manager Karen Gaudet offers astute business guidance for turbulent…

by Karen Gaudet and Chet Marchwinski

Article

Learning from Managing to Learn

It has been about four months since the release of Managing to Learn, now already in its second printing. I’ve received incredible response from many…

by John Shook

Case Study

Cultivating a Lean Problem-Solving Culture at O.C. Tanner

O.C. Tanner is in the appreciation business. It develops employee reward and recognition programs and manufactures a wide variety of emblems, rings, trophies, and other…

by Doug Bartholomew

Article

Ask Art: The Benefits of Kaizen Learning vs. Traditional Problem-Solving

Kaizen is for learning and doing, says Art Byrne, who points out the benefits of this "learn-by-doing" approach over traditional problem-solving.

by Art Byrne