Article

Are We "Doing Lean" All Wrong?

"Somewhere in Ohio is a small healthcare management company that is the best Lean company, EVER," says Brent Wahba. Why? "Because they seemed highly unlikely…

by Brent Wahba

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Lean Principles Are Changing How the U.S. Recovers from Tornadoes & Floods

When the flood waters of Hurricane Katrina receded, they uncovered tens of thousands of homes in devastated areas such as St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, that…

by Chet Marchwinski and Zack Rosenburg

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Striking With The Zen Stick

A key part of lean coaching is the practice of striking with a zen stick, says Dan Prock. This helps break people out of their…

by Dan Prock

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How Lean is Ruining My Life

Since you began learning about Lean, have you noticed it's nearly impossible to get through a day without seeing opportunities for improvement everywhere? LEI Coach…

by Danielle McGuiness

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What Experience Tells Me About How Change Happens

Dave LaHote reflects on his earliest experiences learning lean thinking and practice. "We all became increasingly better at making improvements and solving problems using simple,…

by Dave LaHote

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Be a Better Coach: Learn to “Force” Your Team to Reflect, Part 1

Sustaining a lean thinking culture requires consistent leadership and coaching that reinforces expected behaviors and practices. Here’s an example of how to ensure your frontline…

by David Verble

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Want to Be a Better Leader and Coach? Listen to Yourself

Conduct this simple two-step analysis to learn whether you’re practicing the communication behavior that encourages a culture of engagement and continuous improvement.

by Deborah McGee and David Verble

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Grasping the Real Situation

Emmanuel Jallas visits a well-respected company that is vocal about its lean transformation. Upon further investigation he finds that like so many places, lean was…

by Emmanuel Jallas

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How to Develop Lean Leaders and Still Get Work Done

Three years ago the leadership team at Cardinal Health asked LEI to help them create a program specifically designed to develop lean leaders within the…

by Eric Ethington

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Three Steps Toward Lean Culture Change

"Culture change typically isn’t greeted with open arms unless there is a crisis to provide a sense of urgency," writes Erin Urban. "Still, I’ve noticed…

by Erin Urban

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Book Value: What Every Manager Should Know About Training

Jeff Morrow, lean coach and faculty at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, reviews and recommends Dr. Robert Mager's 1999 book, What Every Manager Should Know About Training.…

by Jeff Morrow

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Opportunity Lost?

President of Lean Institute Brasil, José Ferro, gives us the background situation on the World Cup and tells us about the problems and opportunities it…

Article

Advice from the Gemba: How Do People Accidentally Make Change Unsustainable?

The only thing tougher than change is SUSTAINING change, we often hear. But does sustaining change need to be SO hard? Is it naturally and…

by Karen Gaudet, Lynn Kelley, David Verble and Brent Wahba

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Advice from the Gemba: Best Tips for Designing a Work Experience

When designing a work experience, the benefits of having an experienced coach to guide you cannot be overstated. In this installment of Advice from the…

by Lean Leaper

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Visualize the Invisible: Connect Improvement Work to Real Business Needs

Reflecting on one of her most powerful learning experiences, Lesa Nichols writes, "It struck me that I hadn’t coached my team explicitly on how to…

by Lesa Nichols

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I Don't Know What I Don't Know, But Spread the Word

In her first piece for the Post, Lesa Nichols reflects on one of her most powerful learning experiences while working as a powertrain manager at…

by Lesa Nichols

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Cardboard, Duct Tape, and String: The Do-First Mindset & Meaning of Kaizen

Whatever field you work in, if you are responsible for kaizen in your company, strive for making quick changes in your workplace by finding your…

by Mark Reich

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Don't Start with Tools!

Starting off your lean transformation with one of the various tools at your disposal is certainly tempting. But according to Craig Stritar and Mark Rosenthal,…

by Mark Rosenthal and Craig Stritar

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Is There No Other Lean Exemplar Than Toyota?

"I believe that while Toyota isn’t the only lean exemplar out there," writes Michael Ballé, "it still gives us a flawless example of what lean…

by Michael Ballé

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Riding the Goodyear Wheel to Innovation Excellence

Norbert Majerus of Goodyear shares the Womack and Jones-inspired model that helped his company overhaul its product development operations.