Article

Create Constancy of Purpose

Looking back on the admirable work of two lean leaders who established constancy of purpose, Jim Womack asks: what would have happened to the world…

Article

Lean business-IT integration, Part Three: What is an integrated business-it value stream?

In this, the third article in a five part series on lean IT, LEI faculty member Steve Bell explores the fundamentals of integrating business and…

by Steve Bell

Video

Art of Lean on Situational Leadership, Part 5: Being an Expert and the D4-S4 Quadrant

To wrap up, Art Smalley gives some lasting impressions and key takeaways from his segmented takes on Situational Leadership. From continuing to analyze legendary leaders…

by Art Smalley

Article

How Do the Problems of Continuous Improvement Professionals Differ from Those of Line Managers

Dear Gemba Coach: How do the lean-related problems or responsibilities of ci professionals differ from those of line managers or business unit managers?

by Michael Ballé

Video

Art of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 8: Toyota Coaching Practices

Art describes some of the fundamental principles of Toyota coaching practices.

by Art Smalley

Article

What is Lean Leadership and How Do You Get it?

Jeff Liker, author of The Toyota Way, describes what organizations need to do to develop their leaders' lean leadership capabilities.

by Jeffrey Liker

Video

How to Launch Great Products Your Customers Will Love

A product director describes how her team increased its new-product adoption rate from 25% to 81% in three years.

by Lean Leaper

Article

How to Respond to the ‘Great Resignation’

A trip to the gemba reveals an overlooked management strategy that could be the most effective way to keep your employees from quitting their jobs.

by Josh Howell

Article

Making the World Better by Advancing Lean Thinking and Practice

When establishing a scholarship and philanthropy fund, the Lean Enterprise Institute practices what it preaches.

by Patricia Panchak

Article

How Lean Thinking and Practices Helps Manage Rapid Growth

The cofounders of a successful digital startup share their experience navigating uncertainty.

by Michael Ballé and Nicolas Chartier

Article

What Will Be the New Social Contract for the 21^st Century?

The current volatility in tech employment portends a shift from the sector’s earlier people-centered visions — and that’s concerning.

by Jeffrey Liker

Article

Pursuing Perfection: Craftsmanship in Product Development

This month’s Design Brief explores the concept of craftsmanship in design and engineering, how to cultivate it in individuals and organizations, and the benefits of…

by James Morgan, PhD

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Forms and Templates

Downloads for A3 problem solving, standard work, project management, and value stream mapping.

Article

Are morning team huddles that go on forever a waste of time?

Dear Gemba Coach: Our company has made morning team huddles mandatory. I don't see how that helps. On my team, huddles seem to go on…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Forward to Fundamentals Redux – Kaizen Express

Thanks to those of you who joined last week’s webinar. We had some great questions, only a few of which we dealt with during the…

by John Shook

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On-the-job-ron-kelner-wlei

Article

Reason #27 Why Your CEO Is Just Not That Into Lean

You know the value of Lean, but maybe your boss or a key member of the senior leadership team doesn't. To get more traction and…

by Brent Wahba

Article

Follow-up to your comments on the “lean is a scam” column

Dear Gemba Coach Readers: I’ve been following the “scam” discussion with interest. Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment. Maybe the original questioner’s…

by Michael Ballé

Article

How do I know if someone is really incompetent or just struggling?

Dear Gemba Coach: How do I recognize when someone is really incompetent? Sometimes people don’t have results because they’re put in a tough spot.

by Michael Ballé

Article

On Coaching

I'm a long-time fan of Brasilian futbol (or as some of us call it, soccer). This World Cup, I've been won over by the Mexican…

by John Shook