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How do we mid-level managers convince the CEO and senior management that adopting lean practices is worthwhile?
Dear Gemba Coach: The recent webinar on the business case for lean was particularly useful for us because it raised many questions and provided a…
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Book Review: The Toyota Engagement Equation by Tracey and Ernie Richardson
In their book The Toyota Engagement Equation, authors Tracey and Ernie Richardson don’t hit you over the head telling you what to do or how…
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Don't Call It...Anything
Would lean be easier to teach and learn if it weren't called lean? If in fact it weren't labeled at all? Tracey Richaardson explains why.
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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…
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The Lean Management System: The Key to Sustainability and CI, an Interview with Joe Murli
Achieving wins is only half the battle in a lean transformation - you also need a way to sustain those wins and foster a culture…
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Lean Thinking at 20, Part 2: A Q&A with Jim Womack and Dan Jones
Twenty years ago Jim Womack and Dan Jones helped launch the lean movement as we know it today with their key book Lean Thinking. Now,…
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Towards a More Perfect (i.e. Lean) Union
"Over the past few years, we have seen an upward trend in the number of government agencies and states beginning to explore and practice the…
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Leaders’ Actions Speak, but Their Talk Matters Too
How leaders talk to employees can either help or hurt efforts to create and sustain a culture of engagement and continuous improvement. Here’s what does…
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What Is Your Purpose? Who Is Your Audience?
In this article, the third in a series of starting your A3, sensei David Verble suggest that you reflect more on the purpose of your…
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Tough Empathy
"When grasping the situation we always focus in on the process... What about grasping the situation as it relates to the people?" writes Eric Ethington.…
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The Problem with Batch Logic
Enterprise Resource Planning processes use economic order quantities (=EOQ), also known as batch logic, to calculate what is required. This is not compatible with Lean.…
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Passing the Baton
Jim Womack and John Shook reflect on passing the baton of leadership at the Lean Enterprise Institute
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How to Go to the Gemba: Go See, Ask Why, Show Respect
Here are some guidelines I use when doing a gemba walk as an outside advisor.
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Innovation in the Work
LEI's chairman explores the meaning of “innovation” and lean thinking’s relationship to it, bringing a fresh perspective to challenge traditional comparisons.
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Respect for People Means Taking Care with Your Questions
Asking effective questions is an art in and of itself, says Karen Gaudet, in this excerpt from her new book, Steady Work. Of the many…
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Performance Versus Cost
Dear Gemba Coach: I am the continuous improvement director of a large hospital. We invested two years ago in a central machine to perform all the…
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Should I pursue waste elimination or lead-time reduction?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re having a heated debate in our company over whether to pursue cost reduction through waste elimination by accelerating kaizen events, or whether…
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What Problems Are Lean Practices? Part 1 of 2
Dear Gemba Coach: I keep reading that lean is about solving problems. But that's exactly what I already do in my job. So how is lean…
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Would you have a few tips about coaching on the gemba?
Dear Gemba Coach: Would you have a few tips about coaching on the gemba?
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Training Within Industry for the 21st Century
"How about a program that does for senior leaders today what Training Within Industry did for Japanese management in the 50s?" ask Jeff Morrow and…
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