The Gold Mine Trilogy Study Guide

Michael Ballé and his father Freddy have written three novels that form a trilogy of lean discovery. This companion study guide will help you and your team explore together the novels and their lean principles, tools, and insights to more deeply understand and adopt kaizen spirit into your daily work. Lean is very much a journey of learning—we hope this guide helps you navigate yours.

The guide is designed to work through the books one chapter at a time. The material is structured to support a regular cadence of team discussions. Each chapter section contains:

1. A chapter summary.
2. Author explanations of the significance of each chapter and how specific tools embody specific lean principles.
3. Key ideas contained in the chapter.
4. Reflection questions to guide your conversations.