Line Management Articles
The Human Element of TWI (Training Within Industry)
"When I’ve taught the TWI courses in countries all over the world, from India to Malaysia to Mexico to Germany,…
Read articleArt of Lean on Situational Leadership, Part 1: An Introduction
Editor’s Note: This Lean Post is an updated version of an article published on January 15, 2021. It is the first of…
Read articleRespect for People: Making the Job Easier for Workers
How a lean mindset and practices are reining in workplace disruptions, minimizing workers’ physical aches and pains, and improving flow…
View case studyManaging the Work from Startup to Scaleup
How one company tapped lean thinking and practice to design its business management system — and as a countermeasure to…
Read articleImproving the Value-Creating Work of Building Data Centers Around the World
Microsoft's head of data center lean construction describes how applying lean thinking and practices helps work teams complete their work…
Read articleHow 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…
Read articleAsk Art: Why Should I Convert to a Pull System?
Deliver more value to your customers by converting your business to a pull system and connecting demand directly to your…
Read article10 Golden Rules for Radical Quality Improvement
What you need to know and do to lead your team to make step-change improvements to quality.
Read articleBringing Together People and Invention to Achieve Radically Great Quality
The latest book published by the Lean Global Network details the principles and practices that will help you radically improve…
Read articleWhy You Should Make Something Better, But Don’t Shoot For Perfection: A Clip From WLEI
Taking small, actionable steps will get you to your ideal state with great efficiency, according to Roger Martin in this…
Watch videoAre You Making Good Products…by Making Good People?
The best way to hone your employees' technical skills and problem-solving chops is to challenge them to make the right…
Watch videoVideos from WLEI: Deep Dives on the Factory Floor with Cliff Ransom
Cliff Ransom walks through a factory with us, emphasizing how lean thinking improves the quality and efficiency of the work…
Watch videoWhat Problems Does The Gold Mine Challenge You to Address?
Learning begins with self-reflection, a process that can start with group reading and discussion of ideas from lean books. We…
Read articleSteady Work Shares Practical Ways to Create Quality Enterprise For All
Karen Gaudet's Steady Work is the story of a leader helping teams develop steady work to help them get through…
Read articleA Spotlight on Leaders: Re-Thinking the Retail Food Industry
Watch a discussion about the approaches used to design and develop Connecticut’s hottest new restaurant concept: Haven Hot Chicken. Their “minds before…
Watch webinarAsk Art: What is the Walk of Shame, and Why Is It Effective?
Take your team on a walk of shame, urges lean veteran Art Byrne. He suggests that you have some fun…
Watch videoSelling Water by the River
The most important challenge facing the lean community is that of sustaining both tangible and intangible improvements, says Dan Prock,…
Read articleArt 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…
Watch videoArt of Lean on Situational Leadership, Part 4: Supportive Style, from Basketball to Toyota
Part four continues the series' trajectory of further contextualizing situational leadership and lean thinking. By picking personal examples from his…
Watch videoI am the Violin, or, Mastery through Doing
Developing lean vision, lean mastery, is hard work says Orry Fiume, who compare this learning journey to a childhood prodigy…
Read articleWhy We Believe Micromanagement is Worth A Deeper Conversation
The Lean Sensei Women explore how poorly-focused micromanagement destroys trust--while well-placed micromanagement supports Lean fundamentals and delivers exceptional results.
Read articleThe Hidden Value of Filling Out the Paperwork
Respect for people--and sustained continuous improvement--begins with something as simple as carefully filling out the paperwork for standardized work, says…
Read articleHow the A3 Process Developed to Help Build Better Managers
One of the hallmarks of a successfully executed A3 process is that it is a collaborative activity--a learning process for…
Read articleUsing Lean Thinking to Create an “Emergency Management System”
The Lynn Community Health Center (LCHC) demonstrates how one organization with scarce resources can respond to a problem as daunting…
Read articleHow to Fail At Lean in Four Easy Steps
Nobody wants to fail at lean, to be sure. Author Regis Medina calls our four surefire ways to achieve this…
Read articleCombat Isolation with Productivity by Using PDCA for Effective Meetings, part two of two
How to run a productive meeting, the Toyota Way
Read articleNine Lessons from Steady Work
In her book Steady Work, Karen Gaudet discusses nine key lessons for practicing lean. Here she discusses these key principles.
Read articlePracticing Steady Work for Lean Value with Karen Gaudet
"What is the role of a lean leader, and what is the humbling daily work that goes into this task?…
Listen to podcastStandardization Can Set You Free
It is only through actually standardizing the routine work elements by applying a common method of thinking, that enables true…
Read articleRespect 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,…
Read articleWorking Hard…For One Minute
Anyone who doubts the ability of their people to work hard in enacting change--or who blames problems on their "people"…
Read articleAre 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,…
Read articleThe Challenges of Coaching
I’ve stepped into a new role recently, assuming responsibility for a variety of new-to-me jobs. One of my new jobs…
Read articleHow We Improved Our Tiered Daily Huddles
At Cleveland Clinic, where he leads a continuous improvement team, Nate Hurle and others have discovered ways to build on…
Read articleBook 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…
Read articleThe Power of Ma in Creating Cognitive Space
When we lead with respect for people, we need to truly understand that people work in different ways, argues Jim…
Read articleCleveland Clinic’s Prescription for Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement
Lisa Yerian, MD, medical director of continuous improvement at the Clinic, talks about a “model area” approach to improvement, how…
Read articleI’ve just been named team leader with zero training and my team is not co-located – where should I start?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve just been named team leader with zero training and my team is not co-located – where…
Read articleHow 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…
Read articleThe Ingredients of Lean
Lean practitioner Steve Brenneman finds shared values in his Mennonite faith and his lean practice: a strong set of values…
Read articleWhat Do Managers Do?
After walking the gemba with sensei Hideshi Yokoi, Matt Savas learned three basic agreements between workers and management, and shared…
Read articleWhy 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…
Read articleA Small Amount of Time Can Yield Big Results
Four minutes, well focused, can be a long time, notes Jean Cunningham. Without competing distractions, many words can be spoken,…
Read articleImproving Engagement One Kaizen at a Time
Engaging the employees at all levels with a clear and realistic understanding of how they inspire, drive and support getting…
Read articleSoliciting Suggestions in Ways That Don’t Backfire
Sometimes well-intentioned lean activities like asking for suggestions can backfire; Cheryl Jekiel shares specific ways to prevent mishandling ideas from…
Read articleAsk Art: Does Lean Really Work in A Non-manufacturing Company?
All companies and organizations, whether manufacturing or not, are nothing more than a group of people and a bunch of…
Read articleWill changing the standard for supervisors’ morning gemba walks make them pay more attention?
Dear Gemba Coach, We have a standard gemba walk for supervisors to check their areas every morning. I’ve noticed that after…
Read articleDoes it matter if we call lean “lean”?
Dear Gemba Coach: If it works, why worry if it’s called lean, operational excellence, or the company’s excellence system? As…
Read articleThe Escalator of Issues
A daily management system with daily performance metrics gives caregivers the sense that managers are really paying attention, that problems…
Read articleAvoiding Dashboard Wallpaper
Build a system of dashboards up and down the organization, says Leslie Barker. Connect them so ideas flow upward and…
Read articleWhy does visual management at a Toyota plant look so much different than at ours?
Dear Gemba Coach: We have been deploying lean visual management in my company for a while now, and I am…
Read articleEp. 11 Closing the Learning Gap with Steven Spear
Today's podcast features a conversation about closing learning gaps between LEI's CEO Eric Beuhrens and Steve Spear. Steve is author…
Listen to podcastAs a business unit manager who is new to lean, what is the one thing I must know to get it right?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m a business unit manager new to lean, and our CEO has decided to embark us on…
Read articlePractical Tips for Re-Engaging People with a Suggestion System
Companies, responding to surveys showing that a troubling number of people are disengaged at work, respond with perks like nap…
Read articleThe Formula for a Successful Management System: LB * OS = MS
In order to reap the benefits of an effective management system it is important that the operating system and leadership…
Read articleAre You Managing By The Right Numbers?
Knowing the key metrics to track will help you and your team start your learning journey, says Tracey Richardson. She…
Read articleWhy don’t I see any significant performance improvement from obeya rooms?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve deployed obeyas all across our organization, but I can’t see any significant improvement in our results.…
Read articleSeeing the Work of a Daily Management System
Daily management systems tap visual elements that expose problems, and also use obeyas as thinking spaces for reflecting on broader…
Read articleThe Magnificent 7 of Lean Manufacturing
How do you establish stability on a shop floor that’s chaotic? Andrew Quibell recommends “7 manufacturing basics,” his personal selection…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Getting More Suggestions without Incentivizing Employees
Improving the work is difficult, if not impossible, without suggestions from those who actually do the work. But in many…
Read articleAs a facilitator, how much do I have to know about an area targeted for improvement?
Dear Gemba Coach: As a lean "facilitator" in my organization, how important is it to gain a deep understanding of…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Top Mistakes Lean Leaders Make III
Mistakes are just a part of lean, even for leaders. Luckily they're also a great opportunity for improvement. Today three…
Read articleFollow-up Q&A for Jim Lancaster’s Work of Management Webinar
“The Real Work of Management” webinar drew very engaged attendees who submitted hundreds of questions. We now present some of…
Read article5S – The Way to Start Your Lean Journey…or Is It?
Many people think that a 5S implementation is the perfect way to kickstart a full lean transformation. It can be…
Read articleAsk Art: Is there a balance between lean and full automation?
As a followup to his piece last month dealing with another aspect of lean and automation, Art Byrne now explores…
Read article5 Steps to Empowering Your Team
Empowering an entire team can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. You just need a good background understanding…
Read articleWhy don’t you use plain English instead of confusing Japanese terms such as “monozukuri” or “hitozukuri”?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why do you keep using confusing Japanese terms such as “monozukuri” or “hitozukuri” rather than plain English?…
Read articleManager-Employee Communication: What Neuroscience Tells Us
Delving deeper into how humans’ innate social need to be connected and accepted explains why and how a managers’ interactions…
Read articleI’ll Follow You into the Dark…
We all know that lean transformations can happen in any industry or environment. But have you ever thought about a…
Read articleHow Team Leaders Should Divide Their Time
"Through my career, I’ve seen one group of individuals on the shop floor who need the most support and training…
Read articleWhat Too Many Lean Leaders Forget about Gemba Walks
Lean Coach Darren Walsh of the UK's Lean Enterprise Academy has seen many lean leaders make a troubling, yet highly…
Read articleLaunching and Sustaining a Lean “Pop-Up”
"It’s not unusual for a lean leader or lean practitioner to feel alone, especially in a company or enterprise early…
Read articleWorking on the Management
Effective daily management is still hard to achieve for most organizations, says Jim Womack. But until line managers start tackling…
Read articleHow do we deal with a command-and-control boss?
Dear Gemba Coach: Our boss always says, “It’s not my job to tell you how to do yours!” But then…
Read articleLive Updates from the 2017 Lean Transformation Summit: Day One
Another Summit is here! This year we're in beautiful, sunny Carlsbad, Cali. reporting the latest. Tune in today to learn…
Read articleMuda Corporation: The Pitfalls of 5S
In the latest installment of his "Muda Corporation" series, Marius Gil shares nine common mistakes he has seen people make…
Read articleSix Personal Kanban Habits to Avoid
Jim Benson, kanban specialist, shares the six most common mistakes found on kanban boards.
Read articleA Deeper Dive into Visual Management at Toyota
"In a previous sketch I introduced Toyota’s approach to visual management, or Floor Management Display Systems (FMDS), including the six…
Read articleWhat should I know about lean management that I won’t find in books?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m new to lean and reading all I can find about it, but is there something specific…
Read articleMuda Corporation: Improving Your Suggestions System
Anyone who's had to implement a suggestions system in their organization knows it's not an easy task, especially from a…
Read articleYou Need More Smoke Detectors: Countering Firefighting with Leader Standard Work
Excessive firefighting is a major threat to lean transformations - it may seem easier to time-strapped managers, but it does…
Read articleWaste in Process: Squeeze Before You Lean
"It seems intuitive to start applying lean to our processes, right?" writes Andrew Quibell. "Maybe so, but all that says…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Keeping Senior Leadership Committed
The cost savings of lean are not always apparent in the short term. If your senior leadership was skeptical going…
Read articleWhere Does Our Curiosity Go?
As children we seem to be naturally curious and try things in a kind of scientific manner, but as we…
Watch videoHow can I keep our lean management effort from becoming bureaucratic?
Dear Gemba Coach: Isn’t there a risk that all these lean tools in the workplace turn into yet more bureaucracy?
Read articleAccountability: Not What You Think it is…
"When managers and associates hear the term [accountability], they often flinch!" writes Mike Orzen. "This is a major problem for…
Read articleWhat is the best way to start gemba walks and keep them focused ?
Dear Gemba Coach: We are looking to implement gemba walks in our facility. This is new to everyone including myself…
Read articleThe Value of Key Performance Indicators in a Lean Transformation
We all know to watch out for key performance indicators (KPIs) in the workplace - but are you tracking the…
Read articleThe Importance of Team Leaders on the Shop Floor
Why does upper management often fail to invest in team leaders on the shop floor? Andrew Quibell has his money…
Read articleHow can I speed up my team’s lean learning?
Dear Gemba Coach: How can I speed up my team’s lean learning?
Read articleHow to Know If Your Team is Ready for Kaizen
"Do we even know what the Kaizen aim of “engaged employees” means, beyond the clichés?" asks lean coach Lesa Nichols.…
Read articleGemba, workplace, genchi genbutsu, go-and-see … What’s the difference?
Dear Gemba Coach: Is there a difference between “gemba” as used in lean texts and “genchi genbutsu” as they appear…
Read articleWhat Type of a Leader Do You Choose to Be?
Plenty of people want to become better leaders. Few people want to change. Michael Bremer shares his advice for more…
Read articleHazards at the Huddle Board: How to Coach a Team Away from “Fast Thinking” to Disciplined PDCA
Lean practitioner David Verble, an LEI faculty member and former HR manager at Toyota, is noticing that problem-solving at huddle…
Read articleIntentional Respect
"Most organizations fail to intentionally balance the technical tools side with the social side of Lean," writes Mike Orzen. "People…
Read articleSafety Through Gemba
"When I do a gemba walk, I don’t necessarily ask questions about safety," writes Brian Fitzpatrick (a director of Health…
Read articleLeadership Stories From One of Lean’s Fastest Growing Communities of Practice
On the heels of the Lean Healthcare Summit earlier this month in Dallas, Texas, we've gathered three stories in which…
Read articleTwo managers I relied on a lot are still fighting a two-year-old pull system and creating a lot of conflict on the team. Is this normal?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m two years into establishing a pull system through my plant and two of my key managers…
Read articleWhy Lean Fails in Job Shops… and What to Do to Succeed
Like many job shop owners, LEI faculty member Greg Lane struggled with implementing lean principles early on. The experiences and…
Read articleThe Messenger is As Important as the Message
What do people look for in a change agent that will help them be more open to the risky business…
Read articleThe Lean Power Stance
"Yoga is more than the physical movement of postures," writes Rachael McKay, an industrial engineer at lululemon athletica and yogi.…
Read articleLean Thinking in Construction: From “What” & “How” to “Why”?
"Construction is fraught with conditions of poor quality, cost overruns, and late projects," says Nick Masci of Lean Construction Institute.…
Read articleGetting a Jump on Unplanned Changes
Andrew Quibbell, veteran of the auto industry, uses graphic recording to share lean concepts. Here's a visual of how Quibbell…
Read article5 Ways to Help Every Team Member Contribute Ideas for Improving Work
"Engaging staff in problem identification and suggestions for improvement is essential for any organization," writes Dan Fleming, Continuous Improvement Manager…
Read articleValue Stream Maps and Battle Plans – Are They Worth Nothing?
“I’m reluctant to say maps are nothing, but there’s a difference between maps and mapping," Judy Worth says, paraphrasing Eisenhower’s…
Read articleWhy Practicing Lean Thinking Matters (Even if Your Bosses Don’t Care)
"If your boss doesn't get [lean thinking], don't expect to convince him/her," writes Michael Ballé. "Do expect to get him/her…
Read articleHow demanding can a lean leader be while remaining respectful of staff?
Dear Gemba Coach: How demanding can a lean leader be while remaining respectful of staff?
Read articleHow Do You Spread a Lean Transformation from One Site to Many?
Dear Gemba Coach: My CEO has asked me to spread lean to 30 other sites. How should I go about…
Read articleEffective Supervision 101
One of the biggest challenges for lean thinkers is translating lean thinking into lean doing, writes Stan Shaw. One of…
Read articleIs there a lean strategy?
Dear Gemba Coach: My team demonstrated the benefits of kaizen to the CEO who then asked us what our strategy…
Read articleToo Busy to Improve
"The number of people I meet who tell me, 'I don’t have time to make improvements to my work,' amazes…
Read articleYou Can’t Kaizen Chaos
LEI coach Danielle Blais shares why she believes lean thinking means little without practice, explains the importance of stable work…
Read articleIs momentum loss normal during a lean transformation?
Dear Gemba Coach: One of our outpatient wards reduced waiting time by 75% and got an award for their lean…
Read articleThe Angry Team Member and the Changing Organization
Toyota veteran and lean coach Lesa Nichols reflects on one of the most challenging and ultimately rewarding conversations she had…
Read articleGTS6 + E3 = DNA (Break the Code for Standardization, Sustainability, and Kaizen)
There's no "formula" for doing Lean well, but there are principles and practices that keep you on track. Read Tracey…
Read articleWhat do you actually do on the gemba?
Dear Gemba Coach: What is it you actually do on the gemba?
Read articleDo As I Say, Not As I Do
"What the leader demonstrates as important is what the team will focus on," writes Erin Urban. "If we are to…
Read articleI 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…
Read articleCloser Collaboration for a Leaner Planet
Roberto Priolo, editor of Planet Lean, makes the case for lean learning and collaboration across the globe.
Read articleCoaching Effectively Within Takt Time
When time is of the essence and work just needs to be done, how do you help someone improve their…
Read articleKATA CASE EXAMPLE – GKN SINTER METALS
This month's video is a case example of deploying the Improvement Kata & Coaching Kata. Wayne Meyer illustrates GKN's application,…
Watch videoAre computer screens okay for visual management?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can I use computer screens for visual management or is that a big no-no?
Read articleThree 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…
Read articleNo Such Thing As a Funny Lean Joke?
Does a good lean joke exist? LEI staffer Josh Rapoza really wants to believe it's possible for Lean and humor…
Read articleMonozukuri Through Hitozukuri
Michael Ballé reflects on what it really means to "make people before parts" and introduces two more lean terms that…
Read articleHow 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…
Read articleActing Your Way to Horizontal Thinking
In this keynote presentation from the 2013 AME conference, James Womack, founder of the nonprofit Lean Enterprise Institute, and Ingersoll-Rand…
Read articleCatchball Helps Us Get Past We Versus They
When employees dread going to work every day, your company loses. Read what Tracey Richardson has to say about boosting…
Read articleCreate Your Fantasy Island Organizational Culture
What would your dream organizational culture look like? What about your fantasy lean transformation? Tracey Richardson shares her advice for…
Read articleA Total Shift in Mindset
Lean thinking isn't easy to put into practice, particularly for beginners. Ghassan Saleh, lean engineer at MaineGeneral Medical Center in…
Read articleIt’s Your Career, Own the Work
If an employee doesn’t have a vision for his or her own career, strengths and weaknesses, and development needs, why…
Read articleA Good Night’s Sleep
How often do you find yourself jumping to a solution without understanding the problem? If we're really interested in solving…
Read articleLean Consortium Delivers Great Ideas to Improve Your Business
A key suggestion about how to improve flow from lean consortium members spares Steel Tech the cost of buying a…
Read articleWHO IS THE LEAN STAFF’S CUSTOMER?
If you want to succeed, figure out how you can improve your customer's life.
Watch videoLeading and Learning the Toyota Way
Lean coach and LEI faculty member, Tracey Richardson, tells us why a learner's attitude is essential for effective leadership and…
Read articleWhy Starting With a Model Area is Key to Lean Transformation
Lean coach Danielle Blais explains why starting small, with one team in one area, is so important to leading an…
Read articleIn your opinion, is lean thinking a common sense way of working or is it counterintuitive? What makes you think that?
Here are all the submissions to the community sound off question: "In your opinion, is lean thinking a common sense…
Read articleWhy don’t middle managers practice A3 thinking?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m a lean consultant, and have been hired by a large service organization to develop an A3…
Read articleWhat are the biggest obstacles you are facing in your lean journey?
Company culture, weak management support, lack of lean knowledge – even federal budget sequestration – were among the answers you…
Read articleOperator morale has suffered terribly since we implemented cell manufacturing, and the ideas that kaizens generate have been weak. Would you please share your insights on this situation?
Dear Gemba Coach: Operator morale has suffered terribly since we implemented cell manufacturing, and the ideas that kaizens generate have…
Read articleWhat is the best advice you ever got about implementing lean principles?
From time to time, the Lean Enterprise Institute asks Lean Community members to share their knowledge and experiences by "sounding…
Read articleWhen problems arise, what helps you keep your focus on the work?
Learning how to create and adhere to management standard work requires a clear understanding of where all team members add…
Read articleLead from the Front, Lead from Behind
In my last letter I alluded to a common view in the Lean Community – shared by the broader business…
Read articleLean Management’s Key Concepts
The technical components and underlying philosophy of lean, based on the Toyota Production System (TPS), work together to create a…
Read articleDon’t Just Do Lean; Be Lean
A lean transformation cannot be just one of 10 elements of your strategy, according to former Wiremold Company CEO Art…
Read articleHow can we reconcile the lean principle of respect for people with our disrespectful atmosphere?
Dear Gemba Coach: My company's lean program stigmatizes competent people as “concrete heads” for disagreeing with the lean coaches, even…
Read articleLean Consortia: Sharing Experiences, Learning from Others
Manufacturers, healthcare organizations, government agencies, and others gain powerful benefits through collaborative learning and networking in lean consortia. Consortium members…
Read articleKaizen vs. the Suggestion Box
Mark Graban’s new book, Healthcare Kaizen (Productivity Press), co-authored with Joe Swartz, has lots of examples and practical advice for…
Watch videoHow Should We Relate Lean Projects to KPIs in a Large Company?
Dear Gemba Coach: We have started a continuous improvement process with dedicated lean experts at each site. Until now our…
Read articleCan you help us define the role of team leader?
Dear Gemba Coach: My lean team is creating a team leader role, and we are struggling to define this function…
Read articleHow Do I Address Resistance From Middle Management?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why does middle management resist lean transformations; how can they be brought on board?
Read articleLeading with GTS²
Lean leadership is ultimately about behaving--and in this article Tracey Richardson explains why GTS squared enables leaders to not just…
Read articleGemba and Quality
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve made good progress on quality with Six Sigma, but we’ve reached a plateau. I’ve met a…
Read articleWhy Create Poka-yokes—and Why Disconnect Them?
I’m a manufacturing engineer and since I have started participating in kaizen workshops, I have noticed that production supervisors tend…
Read articleWant A Problem Solving Culture? Try Leading From the Middle
I spent fifteen years working with Toyota in North American and Japan, and discovered first-hand one of the most powerful…
Read articleMaking People Before Making Products
Dear Gemba Coach: I keep hearing about “making people before making products” but I have a hard time visualizing what this…
Read articleWhen should I push and when should I praise?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am in charge of a service activity and have started a lean approach with a sensei. In…
Read articleDeveloping a Kaizen Consciousness with Shingo Prize winner Michael Balle
Michael Ballé, co-author of The Lean Manager, published by the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), cautioned in a podcast interview with Business…
Read articleWhere do I start?
Dear Gemba Coach: I'm the operations manager of a healthcare training company. We conduct technical training to nurses in hospitals. We've…
Read articleHow Can I Address the Conflict that Lean Creates?
Dear Gemba Coach, I have just finished reading The Lean Manager, and I was very taken by the chapter on…
Read articleHow Do We Reduce Costs with Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: I have been asked to reduce the cost of a product by a significant amount. I believe…
Read articleHow Much Control Do I Need (and Need to Give Up) to Lead?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am interested in setting up a team for implementing lean. So far I have been trying…
Read articleThe Lean Manager (Chapter 1)
The Lean ManagerChapter OneCUSTOMERS FIRST“He’s closing the plant!”Closing the plant meant losing his job. Losing his job meant losing Malancourt.…
Read articleManaging To Learn in Sloan Management Review
John Shook discusses Managing to Learn in two Sloan Management Review articles
Read articleIs Your Technical Person a Technical Problem or a People Problem …?
John Shook discusses the need for both technical and social skills
Read articleNo Excuses
There has been much drive-by observation of lean operations over the years. A drive-by will unveil a fair amount of…
Read articleWhat is Lean Management?
If lean thinking means a different approach to business, then it must also imply a different approach to managing by…
Read articleThe Big Mura and Mean Leanness
How can we have dramatic short-term gyrations in an economy whose business is to supply what a relatively constant number…
Read articleThe Value Stream Manager
Objectives of This Paper:The Lean Enterprise Institute receives many questions about how to select the right person to be the value-stream manager. In…
Read articleThe Truth Lies in the Lies of Fiction
Twenty years ago, while flying to a final vacation before the onset of children, I found myself reading Eli Goldratt's The…
Read articleAn LEI New Year’s Resolution: No Wallpaper!
I've resolved that in 2002 no one in the lean community will turn their value stream maps into corporate wallpaper…
Read articleUnlocking Your Team’s Potential: Practical Methods for Developing People
People development is the foundation of the lean enterprise. The Lean Enterprise Institute explores how to lead, train, and coach…
Read articleAre You Organized for Leadership?
LEI President Josh Howell reflect on a recent learning tour to Toyota and GE Appliances, sharing insights the group gathered…
Read articleAsk Art: What Is the Biggest Cultural Change Barrier to Lean?
Art Byrne tackles the biggest cultural barrier to adopting lean practices in companies: the resistance of CEOs and senior management.
Read articleHow 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.
Read articleLean in One Drawing
An LEI faculty member explains in a brief video why it’s vital to view lean thinking and practice as a…
Watch videoWhy You Need to Map the Extended Value Stream
This case study from the LEI workbook Seeing the Whole Value Stream shows how the practice can help businesses optimize…
Read articleExpanding the Purpose of Catchball
Learn how catchball, the process of colleagues tossing ideas back and forth to improve them iteratively, helps get the job…
Read articleHow Organizations Can Increase Profitability While Improving the Work Environment
A restaurant’s management team discovers that enabling cooks to stay focused on value creation improves business performance and makes them…
View case studyHow the Toyota Way and Toyota Kata Fit Together
The author of The Toyota Way explains where Toyota Kata fits with Toyota’s broader management principles — and how each…
Read articleA Lesson for Enabling Leaders and Systems
An executive's gemba visit reveals the value of engaging value-creating frontline workers in improving their work processes — and how…
Read article6 Things You Can Do to Become a More Effective Lean Leader
This collection of articles from Lean Coach David Verble examines how the way managers and leaders talk to employees (and…
Read articleAsk Art: How Do You Create a Lean Culture?
The author of the best-selling books The Lean Turnaround and The Lean Turnaround Action Guide and former CEO of The…
Read articleLean’s Role in Labor Shortages and the Supply Chain
LEI leaders talk about recent blame thrown toward Lean in the supply chain, the rising labor shortage, NFT's, and more.
Listen to podcastAsk Art: I Want to Convert My Company to Lean. What Are the First Steps?
The former Wiremold CEO explains the commitment you must make— and the expectations you must set—when you start your continuous-improvement…
Read articleAddressing the Labor Shortage by Innovating the Work
Learn how a restaurant is working to attract and retain workers by improving the work inside their commissary.
Read article3 Go-To Ways for Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement Anywhere
To reach a state of endless continuous improvement, executives must lead the company in making a critical leap from management-driven…
Read articleBreaking the Cycle of Ineffective Strategic Planning and Execution
Bill MacPherson, managing director of Mercer Celgar, a division of Mercer International, describes why hoshin kanri is a better approach…
View case studyWhy the Most Important Product Leaders Can Develop is Their Team
While new technology and innovative ideas may seem paramount to achieving development excellence, it's really the people within the teams…
Watch videoAsk Art: What Targets Should We Set When Launching a Lean Turnaround?
Here's why setting results-oriented targets instead of process-oriented targets will doom your lean improvement efforts, says Art Byrne.
Read articleAre You Doing the Work that You Really Should Be Doing?
E-mail has unquestionably changed the way that we all work. But were there missed opportunities and steps along the way?…
Listen to podcastCreate Profitable Value Streams
Why does lean product development focus on building profitable value streams? LEI Senior Advisor John Shook explains in this month's…
Read articleWhy Creating Better Jobs and Improving Work Matters
How improving your work environment is vital to improved business outcomes.
Read articleCoach’s Corner: Why Your Development Plans and Obeya Practices Aren’t Working – and How to Fix Them
If your development plans and obeya practices aren't working, you're not alone. John Drogosz offers ways to get the most…
Read articleCreating Better Jobs and Better Work: A Podcast with Sarah Kalloch and Josh Howell
Josh Howell of LEI and Sarah Kalloch of the Good Jobs Institute want to foster good work, as they discuss…
Listen to podcastWhy You Need to Understand The Purpose of Purposeful Enterprise
Work with your team to articulate your purpose, as this shared statement will align the many aspects of your pragmatic…
Read articleLearning From The Sensei Way at Work
Seek perfection by cultivating a daily discipline of mindfulness, whether in lean practice or Buddhist training, writes John Shook in…
Read articleArt of Lean on Problem-Solving, Part 5: Tuckman’s Model of Team Formation
Coaching teams is the topic of this fifth part of an ongoing series on coaching problem-solving by Art Smalley. He…
Watch videoAre You Creating the Right Environment?
Turner Construction is working hard to develop the "right environment" in which productive lean inquiry is baked into the working…
Read articleCombat the Ninth Waste of Overthinking
Overthinking should be considered yet another form of waste that true lean practice can identify and eliminate, argues Dan Prock,…
Read articleMultiply the Improvers in Your Organization Every Day
Be prepared to commit the time, patience and tenacity to unleash the power of improvement your organization, says Andrew Quibell.…
Read articleVisual Replenishment Delivers for Zingerman’s
How an online grocery business meets pandemic-related demand increases while maintaining a safe work environment.
Read articleIt’s Time to See JIT as A Hero Rather than A Villain
Lean and JIT production have never been the primary causes of materials in the world's supply chains reported over the…
Read articleFight for Your Lean Team
Managers, supervisors and coaches should mindfully support the storming and norming that teams require in order to grow an existing…
Read articleSeeking the Right Problems to Solve: Catch the WLEI Podcast with Author Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg
Learning how to frame your problem will help you solve it, suggests author Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg. He describes how in this…
Listen to podcastBad People or A Bad Process?
Standing in a nightmare of a line at the airport prompted Jim Womack to reflect on this problem, and conclude…
Read articleExploring the Continued Relevance of Lean, A Best of Podcast
Lean offers a powerful and productive approach to today's problems, both large and small. This "best-of" podcast featuring talks with…
Listen to podcastJidoka Supports Leaders Who Welcome Problems with John Shook
In this clip from last year's Virtual Learning Experience, LEI Senior Advisor John Shook explains the socio-technical system of Jidoka,…
Watch videoWhat’s Your Lean Origin Story? And Why Does It Matter?
I’m wondering, as a leader and a coach, how can I help others develop similar routines, propagating, for example, the…
Read articleSix Lessons from the Hyper-Fast Design and Finished Construction of the Sherman Alternate Care Facility
The authors, an architect, and a regional lean manager, share the lean principles that enabled the delivery of both the…
Read articleShow Respect by Exploring Problems With Your Workers
I trust that all of us want to show respect for people, writes Jim Womack, adding: The challenge for those…
Read articleUse Jidoka to Avoid Death by 1000 Cuts
I’ve learned from experience the need for tech teams to adopt jidoka as a basic design consideration: getting it 100%…
Read articleArt of Lean on Situational Leadership, Part 3: D2-S2 and Coaching
Part two saw Art Smalley discussing Toyota, Taiichi Ohno, and more examples of situational leadership being exemplified in real-time. This…
Watch videoLead With Respect Shares Tangible Practices That Develop Others, Says Author Michael Balle
Michael and Freddy Balle's book Lead With Respect portrays on-the-job behaviors of lean leaders which can be learned through practice. Michael explains…
Read articleWhy it’s Better to Focus on Value, Not Waste
Learn the benefits of shifting your focus from eliminating waste to increasing value, along with two of the best value-creating…
Read articleAsk Art: Why Are Leaps of Faith Involved in a Lean Turnaround?
Leaps of faith are not incidental associations with a lean turnaround; they are a basic requirement, argues lean veteran Art…
Read articleTaking Time for a Year-End Reflection with the Most Popular Lean Articles, Podcasts, and Videos of 2020
This year's content featured plenty of guests, returns from lean legends, and handfuls of ways that lean has been applicable…
Read articleCreating a Learning and Improvement Environment in a Virtual World
Mount Sinai Health System Shares its Approach to Adapting Quickly to New Realities.
Watch webinarLean WX – An Rx for Making Things Better
As someone whose understanding of lean/TPS grew exponentially by working on the line, Josh Howell encourages every would-be lean enterprise…
Read articleThe Deeper Purpose of Problem-Solving
Why problem-solving in a lean setting is a unique opportunity to think about how we think and develop expertise where…
Read articleBecoming the Change with John Toussaint and Kim Barnas
Lean has always promised great improvements for health care providers, but has there been a personal element that has been…
Listen to podcastNew Book, Becoming the Change, Shows that Real Organizational Change Is Personal
Learn the cause of and cure for healthcare improvements that relapse to the old ways of working. Kim Barnes, Catalysis…
Read articleThe Power of Yokoten
I’ve written a lot about yokoten in recent years – the practice of spreading good (lean) ideas horizontally between and…
Read articleHow the Coloplast Parts Distribution Center Reduced its Process Lead Time
How the Coloplast Parts Distribution Center in Tatabanya, Hungary, reduced its process lead time from 3 to 14 days to…
Watch videoLean Enterprise Institute Responds to The Wall Street Journal’s Mischaracterization of Just-in-Time
A message from LEI to the Lean Community
Read articleChanging Routines
In this article exploring ways to help lead positive change, Josh Howell asks: is pursuing understanding and conviction part of…
Read articleHow to Develop Healthy Habits for Mindful Coaching
Powerful lean coaches help others create productive habits that over time produce a type of "muscle memory" that forms a…
Read articleHow Using Kanban Builds Trust
Kanban functions as a trust machine because everyone using it must understand what they have to do and why, says…
Read articleHow the A3 Process Developed to Help Build Better Managers, Part Two
In this second of two articles, Isao Yoshino and John Shook explore how A3 emerged as powerful practice at Toyota…
Read articleMaking Your Work Work in the First 90 Days
In your first 90 days as a lean leader, what path will you take to support transformation? Andrew Quibell details…
Read article5 Guiding Principles for Tailoring a Path to Lean Transformation
Learn from top healthcare leaders who are transforming their organizations through lean thinking and practice.
Listen to podcastBeing ‘Right’ is Not Enough
All of us have problem-solving experiences to reflect on and learn from. And what better time to draw out that…
Read articleWhy Product Focus is Customer Focus
How can you know your entire organization is aligned around delivering best in class value to your customer? Your product…
Read articleExploring the Technical and Nontechnical Challenges of Being a Chief Engineer, a Candid Conversation with Two CEs (Part 2)
Chief engineers typically have strong technical skills to effectively lead and manage the work of engineers, designers, and other developers.…
Watch videoWhy Good Lean Detectives Visit the Crime Scene
You can't solve a problem with data alone, says Dan Markovitz. He urges you to go to the "crime scene,"…
Read articleHow to Build Skills Fast with a People-Development Plan
A Lean Global Network team of lean practitioners and coaches shares a set of lean healthcare tips hospitals can use…
Read articleReimagining restaurants after Covid-19
The future has never looked more uncertain for restaurants and cafes. The authors share a set of practical lean tips…
Read articleHow Hospitals are Leveraging Visual Management in the Battle Against Covid-19
A Lean Global Network team of lean practitioners and coaches shares a set of lean healthcare tips hospitals can use…
Read articleAddressing Production Challenges that Arise from the Pandemic
How two companies with deep lean experience – General Electric Appliances (GEA) and Herman Miller – have responded quickly and…
Read articleThe Post COVID Crisis Supply Chain: a Time to Rise (Part 2)
In a two-part call to action, LeanCor Supply Chain Group CEO Robert Martichenko says that now is the time for…
Read articleThe Post COVID Crisis Supply Chain: a Time to Rise (Part 1)
In a two-part call to action, LeanCor Supply Chain Group CEO Robert Martichenko says that now is the time for…
Read articleActive Caring
Caring about others, caring about quality, caring about professionalism. When you care, continuous improvement and action come naturally. Turner Construction…
Read articleThe Impact of Social Distancing on Assembly Operations
Take a deep-dive look at how GE Appliances and Herman Miller are working on designing a safe work environment for…
Read articleLean and “emotional heijunka” in a Time of Pandemic
In this timely reflection, Jim Womack calls for "emotional heijunka": taking a deep breath, identifying the most important problems that…
Read articleHow One Company is Using Lean Fundamentals When Facing Disruption
Companies that have been built using lean principles are turning to these core ideals when confronting the unique challenges caused…
Read articleWhat do I do when key logistics employees are afraid to come to work?
Dear Gemba Coach: What do I do when key logistics employees are afraid to come to work?
Read articleAsk Art: How Does Lean Bring the Customer Directly Onto the Shop Floor?
The lean approach reduces setup times, creates flow, improves quality, lowers cost and drastically shortens lead times, says Art Byrne,…
Read articleShould I be worried that management is buying software for virtual gemba walks?
Dear Gemba Coach: A consultant is selling us “virtual gemba walks” software to schedule gemba visits with a “leader standardized…
Read articleWhat is the value to be created here and now?
Karen Gaudet has written Steady Work (!), a wonderful new book about her experience as a regional director of operations…
Read articleAsk Art: What Are the Most Important Management Changes Needed to Implement A Lean Turnaround?
Lean thinking requires a totally different mindset than traditional management, argues lean veteran Art Byrne. This is probably the most…
Read articleIsn’t the obsession with problem solving unnecessarily negative and depressing?
Dear Gemba Coach: Isn’t the obsession with problem solving unnecessarily negative and depressing?
Read articleWhy We Believe that Pull Flows Are Too Often Overlooked
In this incisive series of articles on the essential value of pulled flow, the lean sensei women argue, in the…
Read articleHow can kanban be useful in software since we never produce the same part twice?
Dear Gemba Coach: How can kanban be useful in software since we never produce the same part twice?
Read articleTackling the Problems at the Heart of Coaching
What is the best way to navigate the tough challenge of coaching someone productively? What is the best way to…
Read articleHow Do Lean CEOs Learn To Improve?
What, and how, do I have to learn? This key question confronts all CEOs who are practicing lean seriously, argues…
Read article24. Coachable: Insights and approaches to situational leadership
Join my conversation with Art Smalley as he walks us through two models for situational leadership and coaching. Hersey, Blanchard…
Listen to podcastCan lean management help with toxic managers?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can lean management help with toxic managers?
Read articleIsn’t flow the ultimate aim of lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: Isn’t flow the ultimate aim of lean?
Read article20. Coachable: Two Conversations Built on Trust, Inspiration, Experimentation and Transformation.
Meet two influential voices in my own coaching practice: Paul Serafino who first engaged me in a coaching way in…
Listen to podcast17. On the Job Podcast: One Pathologist’s Path an interview with Dr. Lisa Yerian of Cleveland Clinic
Dr. Lisa Yerian of the Cleveland Clinic sits down with Josh Howell, LEI President & Executive Team Leader, to talk…
Listen to podcastThoughts on the Birth of Lean
There is much to be learned from the history of Lean that applies powerfully today in every aspect of the…
Read articleKnow someone who needs a compact introduction to Toyota Kata? This Summer’s 40-minute Kata video is exactly that.
Good introduction to what Toyota Kata is about, to share with anyone who needs it. Captured at the 5th annual…
Watch videoFeeling the Gemba Magic
After months of work at the gemba with his factory manager helping line workers grapple with problems, CEO Nicolas Chartier…
Read articleShould A3s be used for solving organizational or technical problems?
Dear Gemba Coach: Should A3s be used for solving organizational or technical problems?
Read articleTales Of Lean, Chapter One: Facing the Problem
What is the best way for a lean coach to support and guide her team? In this fictional tale of…
Read articleTalking About Lean: How Leaders Support Improvement With Words and Actions
In this comprehensive series of reflections, Lean Coach David Verble examines how the way managers and leaders talk to employees…
Read articleWhat are the key factors within an obeya room?
Dear Gemba Coach: On YouTube and in books there is a lot about A3 storyboards. Did you ever see them…
Read articleWhat Do Sensei Actually Do?
What do lean sensei do? Take you to the gemba, discuss what the real challenges are, prescribe exercises, teach PDCA,…
Read articleAs head of a lean office, what must I do to really walk the talk?
Dear Gemba Coach: I am the head of a lean office. I’d like to lead by example, but it occurs…
Read articleHow to Scale Up Positive Social Change
Far more households globally have access to a mobile phone than a toilet, notes Ann Mei Chang, a tech executive…
Read articleGot any recommendations for applying lean in the tool and die shop to stop our dies from crashing like crazy?
Dear Gemba Coach: We applied SMED to increase the flexibility in our production cells. Now our dies are crashing like…
Read articleHow can I help middle managers handle contradictory instructions from top management?
Dear Gemba Coach: As a lean coach, how can I help middle-managers who are faced with contradictory instructions from top…
Read articleAsk Art: Why Focus on Why When Doing A Lean Turnaround?
In switching to lean, understanding the WHY is the most important thing, argues Art Byrne. It helps people overcome their…
Read articleHow Standardized Work Integrates People with Process
In this three-part series, John Shook argues that "the Toyota Way is a socio-technical system on steroids" that brings together…
Read article“But TPS Doesn’t Apply to Us….”
Yes, cars are not weaving looms. Patients are not cars, either. Airplanes are not cars. Electric vehicles are not the…
Read articleCan Smart Manufacturing Replace the Art of Go and See?
Continuous improvement in a manufacturing environment has to happen at the spot where the work took place, shares Dave Westphal,…
Read articleShowing Respect: Here’s How Emmanuel Proposed A More Reliable Shipping Rack
As I reflect on Emmanuel's proposed countermeasures to a key problem, I am encouraged with every new discovery, says General…
Read articleLearning to Help Anna Elevate Her Game
Anna was trained by NUMMI to identify and solve challenges via experiments with her team, notes Jeff Smith, sharing a…
Read articleWhy Meaningful Improvement Requires a “Growth Mindset”
Today is Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, part of Engineering Week, Feb. 18 to 23. To mark Girl Day,…
Read articleCan you implement TPS if management doesn’t accept the fundamental values of the Toyota Way?
Dear Gemba Coach: How can we implement the principles of TPS if our management doesn’t accept the fundamental values of…
Read articleLean Warehousing and Distribution Benefits Your Company, Customers, and Supply Chain
Lean warehousing sounds like an oxymoron. But in this interview, lean practitioner and Toyota veteran David Graham explains how lean…
Read articleI’m all in on our lean effort but how do I get my managers to be more supportive?
Dear Gemba Coach: As a business unit director, I am fully on board with lean, do gemba walks and support…
Read articleShould producing products with zero defects be my top goal?
Dear Gemba Coach: Is zero defects really the first goal? The number of defects doesn’t necessarily relate to the user’s experience…
Read articleAre You Building High-Performing Teams?
It is important to work hard at building a high-performance team. Not only does it lead to better performance outcomes,…
Read articleSeafood Restaurant Fishes for Problems Customers Really Care About
The executive chef at Legal Sea Foods explains how the restaurants are cutting lead times from fishing boat to your…
Watch videoLearning a New Skill
This month's 5-minute TK video is about deliberate practice for learning new skills. Specifically, Mike Boyd summarizes tips from his…
Watch videoCan Lean Know-How Come Home?
When you decide to stop making things, you lose the ability to make things, argues Eric Buehrens: not just the…
Read articleDeploying Improvement Habits: From Starter Kata to Meta-Habits
Learners using the Kata routine approach every problem with the “skeleton” of the Kata routine, and understand that they are…
Read articleWe’re working hard on problem solving so why don’t I see any improvement in our problem-solving capability?
Dear Gemba Coach: We're working hard on problem solving, asking "why" repeatedly, and looking for root causes, but I'm afraid…
Read articleReal Leaders Think and Act Differently
Are your management routines and Gemba Walks suffering from the superficial observations of the day-tripper? Or are your leaders adding…
Read articleAsk Art: What’s Wrong with Organizing By Function?
While you might be able to survive and be profitable using a traditional functional structure the fact is that you…
Read articleWhat’s your definition of lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: My company is adopting lean, which has so many definitions that I find it confusing. What's your…
Read articleSensing the Gemba
The next time you show up at the gemba to do a “go and see,” take a personal assessment of…
Read articleAs Toast Kaizen Turns 20, Bruce Hamilton Shares How This Famous Video Came About
Watch this "director's cut" video by Bruce Hamilton sharing the backstory behind what has become a classic lean resource: Toast…
Read articleFrom Port to Plate: How Legal Sea Foods Is Improving Through Lean
Legal Sea Foods is working with LEI to help launch a movement to change everything about the way traditional restaurants…
Read articleThe Cascade of Hoshin
A recent gemba walk at a Toyota plant reveals how the company operationalizes its hoshin plan — in this case,…
Read articlePD C+ A+ In the Classroom
Looking back on her time as a teacher through a lean lens, the author suggests how the process of education…
Read articleUgly Babies, Silent Enemies and Other Short Stories from a Continuous Improvement Conference
Besides the lessons, challenges, and results that belong to a company’s lean transformation, there are personal journeys as well. Here’s…
Read articleYes, Lean is About Cost Reduction
Why focus on cost reduction? Because many of the cost-saving kaizens of are simpler and require less engineering resources, and…
Read articleSometimes Smaller is Better – and Better is Lean
LEI CEO Eric Buehrens reflects on how lean relates to the deeply hopeful story of renewal, reconstruction, and citizen engagement…
Read articleValue Stream Walk, Management Walk or….Just Walking Around?
Gemba Walks can raise consciousness about problems and the possibilities for dramatic improvements, says Jim Womack. Or they can serve…
Read articleDo I have the right attitude during gemba walks?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I know if I have the right attitude during gemba walks? We’ve started doing those…
Read articlePractical, Actionable Tips for Re-Engaging People with a Suggestion System, Part 2
Companies, responding to surveys showing that a troubling number of people are disengaged at work, respond with perks like nap…
Read articleJoePa and Other Biases to Avoid
A recent viewing of the biographical film Paterno led LEI Senior Coach Mark Reich to reflect on the way many…
Read articleCan I change a company’s attitude that people can’t be trusted to do their jobs unless they are scared into complying?
Dear Gemba Coach: A major assumption in lean thinking is that people genuinely want to do a good job, and…
Read articleMindfulness and Leading with Respect
Mindfulness is both more essential today than ever, and a foundation for organizational lean excellence. Here John Shook and Mike…
Listen to podcastWhy ‘Yes Chef!’ Is No Longer the Answer
In order to meet the changing demands of today's restaurants, chefs must learn to evolve from old-school methods of the…
Read articleHow to Create a Lean Management Book Club that Executives Will Actually Attend
At the start of a lean transformation, a continuous improvement leader convinced her division president that a book club would…
Read articleRethinking the Model Line
The model line, once seen as the key to helping organizations learn and share lean thinking, has served a critical…
Read articleDeveloping People Not Robots Through Karakuri
"Karakuri demonstrates that Toyota’s working currency is brainpower, grown through rigorous problem-solving and mentors who challenge their students," writes Matt…
Read articleToyota Kata at Zingerman’s Mail Order
This month's Toyota Kata video is about the early days of TK practice at Zingerman's Mail Order. Decision-making can be…
Watch videoJim Womack’s Keynote Address from the 2018 Lean Summit
Catch the presentation of Jim Womack on the topic of how to develop better employees by becoming a better employer.
Read articleWhy do you keep referring to Toyota; does it still matter?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m very interested in lean, but fail to see why you guys keep referring to Toyota. What does…
Read articleAsk Art: Why Should I Set Stretch Goals?
Art Byrne urges you to take the lean leap and set stretch goals. Setting ambitious goals shows respect for your…
Read articleIf lean is all about people, why are the discussions impersonally cold and rational?
Dear Gemba Coach: Lean thinkers say it’s all about people, but the debates are then all so cold and rational. Where…
Read articleMindset and the Andon Cord
When it comes to Andon, we like to talk about visual management, fast response, supporting employees, and other technical aspects.…
Watch videoTesla vs. TPS: Seeking the Soul in the New Machine
While Tesla has excited customers and drawn praise for innovative design and bold thinking, author Jeff Liker believes that it…
Read articleTips for Proving the Financial Value of Lean to Leadership
Of the many aspects of lean accounting, one that has proven especially useful is the principle of “cost avoidance.” Today…
Read articleHow do I fix our main delivery processes — again?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m part of a large logistics organization and our on-time-delivery is simply disastrous. We’ve done a first…
Read articleIs there a crack in the model of continuous improvement?
Is this a case of déjà vu all over again? The Wall Street Journal says the sterling reputation of “Japanese…
Read articleDoing Versus Being – How Mindfulness Supports Better Lean Thinking, Part 2
Most companies don’t get the desired results from lean transformations, according to Mike Orzen, lean practitioner and LEI faculty member.…
Read articleStarter Kata for Coaching
The latest Kata SlideShare (and embedded 8-minute video) traces an arc of practice and learning of coaching skill. Establish a…
Watch videoLearning to Lead, Leading to Learn
Hear how a personal lean transformation supported a crucial organizational transformation following a financial crisis at a large medical center.…
Watch videoDoing Versus Being – How Mindfulness Supports Better Lean Thinking
Most companies don’t get the expected results from their lean transformations, according to Mike Orzen, lean practitioner and LEI faculty…
Read articleWant Better Employees? Be a Better Employer.
Every nation in the world is on a quest to create more jobs. As they should be. But, we don’t…
Read articleWhat 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…
Read articleWhat Too Many Leaders Get Wrong with Coaching Kata
Think you can dive headfirst into Coaching Kata with your direct reports? Think again.
Read articleDon’t Start with Tools!
Starting off your lean transformation with one of the various tools at your disposal is certainly tempting. But according to…
Read articleLessons Learned from the Cleveland Indians’ Historic 22-Game Winning Streak
In the wake of the Cleveland Indians' record-shattering 22-game winning streak, George Taninecz reflects on some important business lessons that…
Read articleHow big should my lean promotion office be?
Dear Gemba Coach: How large should my lean promotion office be if I want to achieve quickly a lean culture…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Making Repetitive Tasks More Exciting
Repetitive tasks can create a drag on workers' morale and motivation as boredom sets in, and a disillusioned workforce will…
Read articleBack to Basics: Jim Womack on Why Managers Need a “Lean State of Mind”
In this classic eletter from 2009, Jim Womack explains the crucial importance of a "lean state of mind" if a…
Read articleBack to Basics: Jim Womack on Why You Should Never Create an A3 Alone
In this eletter from 2008, Jim Womack (in honor of the then-recent publication of "Managing to Learn") shares invaluable advice…
Read articleReal Respect Feels Like Knowing You’re Being Heard
To establish or strengthen a culture of engagement and continuous improvement, leaders must understand that genuinely listening to employees is…
Read articleIt’s All About the Mindset on Gemba Walks
Darren Walsh believes that there are few things more critical to a successful gemba walk than the right mindset. Do…
Read articleFollow-up Webinar Q&A with Jim Lancaster, Lantech CEO and author of the Work of Management
"The Real Work of Management" webinar drew an engaged audience that wanted to know more about the daily management system…
Read articleWhy do lean management experts differ on how to apply lean principles?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve worked with several managers who worked at Toyota or Toyota suppliers who were considered experts in…
Read articleAny advice for how to implement real pull across the company?
Dear Gemba Coach: My boss, the operations VP, has asked me to implement a pull system across the whole company.…
Read articleYou can do a lot by doing a few things
"Developing a good strategy and actually executing it is really hard," writes Leslie Barker. "What I didn’t fully realize was…
Read article“Do I have to be a team leader for the rest of my life?”
In this reprint of his latest e-letter, LEI Chairman and CEO John Shook reflects on the powerful lessons in the…
Read articleDo I have to be team leader for the rest of my life
At his talk at the Lean Transformation Summit earlier this year, and at conferences since then, including Industry Week and…
Read articleWill a real andon system bring the factory to a full stop?
Dear Gemba Coach: What would happen if we practiced andon for real – wouldn’t the factory simply stop?
Read articleWant 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…
Read articleLeaders’ 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…
Read articleHow can I tell good lean consultants from bad?
If lean’s not a scam – but there are scammers -- how can I distinguish good lean consultants from bad?
Read articleDaily Management, Daily Sustainment: The Remarkable Story of Lean Transformation at Lantech
Jim Lancaster attended the 2017 Lean Transformation Summit in Carlsbad, California to speak about Lantech's journey to create a daily…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Top Mistakes Lean Leaders Make II
Everybody makes mistakes, lean leaders included. Our previous list of mistakes made by lean leaders was the highest-performing installment in…
Read articleYour Gemba Isn’t the Only Gemba to Walk
We all know the critical importance of gemba walks in our organization. But what many of us forget is that…
Read articleWebinar: The Real Work of Management
The Real Work of Management webinar featuring Jim Lancaster, author of The Work Management.
Watch webinarShouldn’t lean focus on solutions, rather than problems?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why is lean so focused on problem solving? Isn’t seeing everything as a problem negative? Shouldn’t we…
Read articleAdvice 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…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: Top Mistakes Lean Leaders Make I
Making mistakes is a natural part of lean thinking and practice. Here, three LEI faculty members share some common, yet…
Read articleFaster than a Speeding Kanban…
"All of us living in Leanworld are well-trained to look for problems, identify gaps, and cure root causes," writes Brent…
Read articleWhat do you mean by developing people?
Dear Gemba Coach: What do you mean by developing people?
Read articlePDCA thinking and the NCAA March Madness tournament
"There is so much thinking that goes into this thing called 'Bracketology,' which gives sports fans a way to 'grasp…
Read articleDo You Own Your Lean Learning?
LEI COO and Toyota veteran Mark Reich is back with a new series on the role of consultants and OpEx…
Read articleCreating Trust: The Role of the Supervisor as Coach
"Organizationally, I believe that the coaching role needs to be fulfilled by the supervisor," writes Dave LaHote. But all too…
Watch videoWe meet daily to examine a new customer complaint. What do we do next?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re a start-up and have taken your advice: we now have a customer wall and we meet…
Read articleA Thriving Community of Practice – Book Report
I am often asked why the “lean movement” has outlasted so many business improvement movements that have come and gone.…
Read articleAsk Art: How high is up with lean?
Art Byrne explains that continuous improvement really is continuous and that there is no limit to the “up” in lean.
Read articleGetting to Sustainability
Sustaining gains from kaizen thinking is one of the hardest, and certainly most misunderstood, aspects of this work. It’s misunderstood…
Read articleLean and Agile: Finding a Role for Your Leadership in Your Transformation Model
"Lean and Agile are two of the most commonly discussed (and hotly debated) principles for managing a business, particularly when…
Read articleA Sweeter Type of Lean
In one memorable lean project, Carlos Moretti found himself assisting a Brazilian sugar-cane supplier for the ethanol industry with a…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: TPS Mythbusting
Despite its fundamental role in a lean transformation, the Toyota Production System is not an easy thing for many to…
Read articleWhat are your three most important problems?
Dear Gemba Coacg: What should I look for during a gemba walk?
Read articleFrom Chaos to Kaizen: The Visual Way
In another of his visual depictions of the fundamentals of lean, Andrew Quibell illustrates the process of transforming a chaos-plagued…
Read articleThinking About Thinking
Don't believe everything you think. Practice scientific thinking and test your assumptions, because every step is an experiment!
Watch videoDoes a Lean Company Need Explicit or Implicit Leadership?
Dear Gemba Coach: Explicit leadership or implicit leadership? Does an explicit style sustain a lean organization?
Read article“Simple Ain’t Easy”
The essence of lean is simplicity, argues Orry Fiume, a theme that applies not only to great organizations, but great…
Read articleLean Expansion: Spreading Lean from One Store to a Region at Starbucks
Scaling up is a challenge often talked about in lean circles. How can we best leverage our individual or small-scale…
Read articleAn Overview of Visual Management at Toyota
"Implementing visual management (VM) is a cornerstone of any lean transformation," writes Andrew Quibell. "And few companies know that better…
Read articleLessons Learned from Sunpower’s (C)Lean Transformation
Sustainability is a key part of any lean transformation - but Sunpower of San Jose, Cali. took that word a…
Read articleOrchestrating Your Product Development Process with Milestones
"Effective milestones are an important part of a company’s development process, especially in today’s era of team-based sprints and stand-ups,"…
Read articleReflecting to Learn: Takeaways and Reflections on the A3 Process
In the wake of yesterday's interview with Mr. Isao Yoshino on the roots of the A3 process at Toyota, LEI…
Read articleThe Crucible of Innovation
Innovation is key to a successful successful development project, we always read. But innovation is a fickle term that gets…
Read articleIt’s About the Tools, Not the Terms
"I’ve never been a big fan of lean lingo," says John McCullough of Crayola. "It may sound expert-like, but I’ve…
Read articleWe’re installing an andon system – what should we expect?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re installing an andon system – what should we expect?
Read articleSucceeding by Failing
People often wonder what exactly constitutes "success" in a lean journey - it's a longstanding question. Cam Ford has a…
Read articleYou Are Not Different: Make universal lean principles work locally
Lean principles are universal, argues Orry Fiume, but the application of them is always local. Don't use this challenge as…
Read articleI’m struggling to understand exactly what people mean by a “lean system”?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m struggling to understand exactly what people mean by a “lean system”?
Read articleHow do I implement standard work in an office environment?
Dear Gemba Coach: I really enjoyed reading your article on the difference between standard work and procedures back in December.…
Read articleHow to Avoid Team Disinterest and Management Disappointment with Huddles
Team huddles are rapidly becoming a day-to-day staple in the lean organization. But too often the problem-solving aspect of huddles…
Watch videoWhy won’t operators use andons?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re struggling with andons. We’ve set up a button for operators to press and call for help,…
Read articleInventory Waste: The “Hidden Killer” in Manufacturing
Andrew Quibell is back with the next sketch in his series on the four main areas of waste in manufacturing.…
Read articleEven Visual Management Starts from Need
Have you ever implement a visual management tool at your gemba after seeing it used successfully somewhere else? If so,…
Read articleThe Problems Inherent in Change – and What You Can Do about Them
Anyone who's been involved in an organizational transformation knows that its challenges go well beyond resistance. Katrina Appell sheds some…
Read articleWhat are the pitfalls of implementing hoshin kanri?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve heard of hoshin kanri, and I’d really like to try it in my company – what…
Read articleWhat does “separating human work from machine work” mean?
Dear Gemba Coach: What does “separating human work from machine work” mean? How does it matter?
Read articleTo A3 or Not to A3
"Not every tool is a hammer, and not every problem is a nail," writes Norbert Majerus of The Goodyear Tire…
Read articleSmall Chart, Big Impact: How a Simple Spaghetti Chart Led to Huge Wins at Thrustmaster of Texas
Sometimes the simplest lean concepts can make all the difference in ensuring a successful transformation. Marine-propulsion manufacturer Thrustmaster of Texas…
Read articleThe 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…
Read articleWhat is the difference between standard work and procedures?
Dear Gemba Coach: What is the difference between standard work and procedures?
Read articlePut Your People at The Center of Your Development System
"It is your people that provide the skills, energy and creativity," writes Jim Morgan. "They are the single most important…
Read articlePersonal Kanban: You Can’t Manage What You Can’t See
Think personal kanban can't be applied to knowledge work? Think again. Drawing on examples from Jim Benson and Tonianne DeMaria…
Read articleWhy you can’t convince your boss to support lean activities, unless …
Dear Gemba Coach: I work as a deployment champion in a manufacturing company, but I don’t have the support of…
Read articleAre You Responsible for Two Key Fobs?
In her first Lean Post article, Syngenta Continuous Improvement Lead Kelly Moore muses on a recent experience at a rental…
Read articleGovernance Matters
"The very term “governance” seems somewhat antithetical to lean," writes Mark Hamel. "Yet...over my 20-plus years of lean learning, I’ve…
Read articleWhy are there so many different opinions about what lean management is and isn’t?
Dear Gemba Coach: I have attended several lean conferences and am deeply interested in the topic, but puzzled about the…
Read articleHow to Lead with Respect
Showing respect to employees falls far short of leading with respect. Discover the seven core practices that true lean leaders…
Read articleHow do I reconcile the lean healthcare goal to organize around the patient with management demands to cut costs?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m the lean director at a hospital where the board keeps investing and then asking us to…
Read articleAvoiding the Pitfalls of Leader Standard Work
What are some problems a lean practitioner might run into when implementing leader standard work? Ken Abbs and Scott Ullman…
Read articleIK/CK at Modine
Modine Manufacturing views practicing the Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata as a way to lead, manage and develop people... in order…
Watch video6 Ways to Lay the Groundwork for More Effective Meetings
"Even in organizations working hard in pursuit of lean production systems [and] employee capability development – the failure to host…
Read articleUsing Cynefin to Solve Problems While Navigating Uncertainty
Kim Ballestrin, an agile coach, explains how her team at Telstra (an Australian telecommunications and IT company) uses a problem…
Read articlePersonal PDCA and How I Learned It
"In 23 years at Toyota, I had many assignments and different bosses, I managed many people," writes Mark Reich, "but…
Read articleRedefining Work
We need to think about redefining work. Until we – anyone who wishes to bring about organizational change – redefine…
Read articleWhat “Co-Learning” Across Industries Looks Like in Practice
"In April, as part of a 2-day capstone learning event for Cardinal Health, we brought the newest wave of Lean…
Read articleMy management team feels tense and pressured about going to the gemba. Is this normal?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve decided to take my management team to the gemba to get them to solve real problems…
Read articleContinuous Improvement is Good, But Is It Lean?
Take a look at your organization. Is Lean clearly directed and connected to strategy? Are senior leaders directly involved in…
Read articleHow is leadership engaged and trained in lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: How is leadership engaged and trained in lean?
Read articleTraining 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…
Read articleWhy do we hear less and less about lean in manufacturing?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why do we hear less and less about lean in manufacturing? Is it that most companies have…
Read articleLeadership Without Giving Solutions (from a Fire Fighter’s Perspective)
LEI faculty member Greg Lane shares a lean coaching story from his own life, in which he finds himself advising…
Read articleBook 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…
Read articleCounteracting the Big Project Blues
Lean thinking is well and good, Erin Urban says, but often it takes time to see the real fruits of…
Read articleThree Types of Lean
"We’ve all heard 'Lean is great for 'that' company, but not for the business I lead,'" says Chris Vogel. Learn…
Read articleAfter improving processes with help from a consultant, how do I sustain kaizen in my department? My teams are hard to motivate.
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I sustain kaizen in my department? We’ve had a consultant help us with workshops, and…
Read articleMaking a Football is a Contact Sport
With football on the brain after the Superbowl, Lesa Nichols reflects on the football manufacturing process. "There's a concept called…
Read articleSam MacPherson on the Green Beret Way to Develop Leaders
Training leaders to perform at high levels during a lean transformation or in the Army’s vaunted Green Berets has more…
Read articleNew Year’s Reflection
Happy New Year! Even if you are not one of those who makes New Year’s resolutions the new year is…
Read articleI’m not sure I understand solving problems one by one.
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m not sure I understand solving problems one by one. I thought listing problems and pushing hard…
Read articleAre You Training People to Think or to Follow a Checklist?
"Without attention to why continuous improvement is important, the purpose behind [PDCA], when tools should be used, and when to…
Read articleIs lean just another word for productivity?
Dear Gemba Coach: Isn’t lean about productivity before all else?
Read articleOne COO’s View on Learning, Leading, and Teaching
Dominic Paccapaniccia, COO of a regional healthcare center, reflects on why he and his organization chose to begin using a…
Read articleGrasping the Real Situation
Emmanuel Jallas visits a well-respected company that is vocal about its lean transformation. Upon further investigation he finds that like…
Read articleWhat Should Lean Mean to Us?
Brent Wahba offers lean beginners a few tips for how to be most impactful. "If you are working on how…
Read articleNot a High-Volume Widget Manufacturer? Lean Still Makes Sense for High-Mix, Low-Volume Production
If your organization deals with a wide variety of products that incur fluctuating demand and your customers are ever increasing…
Read articleWhat 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…
Read articleUsing TWI Job Instruction to Supplement CDC Guidelines
"Healthcare organizations across the country have been implementing lean practice into their work, but not without some resistance," writes Patrick…
Read article10 RULES FOR FAILING WITH TOYOTA KATA
Looking for tips to successfully practice the Improvement Kata and Coaching Kata in your organization? In this month's Kata SlideShare…
Watch videoFor Distribution Managers, Lean Means a Sea Change in Roles
Making the leap to lean management in the warehouse or the supply chain requires the same kind of cultural shift…
Read articleHow To Get Out of the Habit of Telling
How do we get out of the habit of just “fixing” the immediate problem at hand ourselves (or telling others…
Read articleLean Thinking for Warehousing and Distribution: How to Know Your Business
"The vast majority of warehouse or distribution center managers have nowhere near the level of detail about the business that’s…
Read articleLeader Standard Work: Where to Start
Striving to be an effective lean leader or manager is well and good, but without the discipline of leader standard…
Read articleWhy Leadership and “Respect” Are Fundamentally Entwined
Hear the word "respect" and most of us can think of a time we've wanted our boss, team member, or…
Read articleHow to Lead with Respect — Follow-Up Q&A to the Webinar
At the end of the lean management webinar “How to Lead with Respect,” we had a couple of hundred questions…
Read articleI’m a six sigma black belt and have now been ask to do lean. I’m not sure where to start with my team. Any advice?
Dear Gemba Coach,I’m a six sigma black belt and have now been ask to do lean. I’m reading the literature…
Read articleAccidental Soccer Coach
When she's not working on graphic design projects, LEI's own Lory Moniz now coaches her son's soccer team. The assignment…
Read articleHow to Create a Culture of Accountability
"Over time, accountability has developed a negative connotation," writes Erin Urban. "But the truth is: we want accountable, responsible employees…
Read articleLean on Steroids: Why We Should Rely On Physical Measures, Not Financial Ones
"Lean has led me to question core business models, period," writes Doc Hall. "But while Lean focuses on improving a…
Read articleA Lean Management System Starts with Senior Leaders
"From events, projects, and A3s to focusing on a lean management system, we’re discovering a new way to run and…
Read articleHow Lean Tools Support the Principle of Respect (Part 2)
We first met Andy Ward when he was struggling to save his plant from closure in The Lean Manager. Since…
Read articleWhat’s new in your new novel “Lead With Respect”?
Dear Gemba Coach: I see that you have a new lean management novel out called “Lead With Respect.” What's new…
Read articleAre 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?…
Read articleWhat? My Pull System Is Supposed to Fail?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve given up on installing a pull system – every time we try, our on time delivery…
Read articleLeadership Then and Now
John Shook and the Leaper look toward the future of leadership.
Read articleTHE JEFF LIKER KATA INTERVIEW
This month's post is an inspiring 20-minute video that anyone involved in Lean will find beneficial. On the 10th anniversary…
Watch videoTWI Job Instruction As a Way of Sharing High Value Knowledge
"Before we try to create value, we first need to study the jobs — looking for those parts of the…
Read articleIt’s About Best Practicing
"Just like practicing to learn to play an instrument, practicing the Improvement Kata helps us learn to view uncertainty more…
Read articleReinforcing Lean Behavior Through Visual Management
"Without having a visual management perspective in place, it’s difficult for people to know what good is, what the standard…
Read articleValue at the Imperial Grill
"The Imperial Grill was a lean enterprise, and my folks, lean thinkers, though they would simply call it common sense,"…
Read articleA Body Needs Skeleton and Muscle to Work
How do you create alignment across the organization when you have separate departments, value streams, and executives with conflicting priorities?…
Read articleAutoliv: Giving Power to the People
A case study looks at how Autoliv developed and sustained a lean-problem solving culture and how this global company shares…
Read articleLeadership Q&A: Thomas Hartman, Senior Director, Autoliv Americas
From the LEI senior executive series on Lean Leadership: Autoliv’s Thomas Hartman describes the development of a lean problem solving…
Read article“How ThedaCare Created Its Own Management System”, Follow-Up Q&A
Kim Barnas, author of Beyond Heroes: A Lean Management System for Healthcare, answers questions that we couldn't get to during…
Read articleChallenge: Understand and Adapt for Sales Pace Growth
It's our first Lean Challenge post! Come up with a plan to help a machining business deal with the technical…
Read articleAsk Art: How Much Lean Training Should We Be Doing?
Why aren't more companies successful at Lean? Art Byrne says it has to do with an over-focus on planning and…
Read articleHanging Up My Cape
"Managers and front line workers hustle to work around problems resulting from poorly designed work systems... and with such pride!"…
Read articleWhich Side Are You On?
Lean is based on developing every person’s kaizen mind, writes Michael Ballé, "not asking them to thoughtlessly apply a best…
Read articleBringing Respect for People to the World’s Sweatshops
Jim Womack weighs in on how we might use lean thinking and practice to tackle the ongoing, systemic problem of…
Read articleWhy do you lean guys always focus on shop floor processes? The lack of clarity and focus at headquarters is far worse!
Dear Gemba Coach: Why do you lean guys always focus on shop floor processes? The lack of clarity and focus…
Read articleObserve Without Expectations
What does it really mean to go to the gemba and closely observe the work that takes place there? Are…
Read articleSustain Your Lean Business System with a “Golden Triangle”
When medical device maker Phase 2 fought off an overseas challenge by meeting the global price, margins took a big…
View case studyThink Like Judoka
"Resistance in an organization can be a daunting foe to even the most highly skilled Lean practitioners," writes Joel Gross.…
Read articleManaging By Not Wandering Around
“We’re still very early in our journey,” says Dan McDonnell, VP of Operational Excellence at Ingersoll Rand. “But we’re following…
Read articleLead Lean by Being Lean
Lean just doesn't work if leaders don't actively, consistently demonstrate lean thinking themselves. In his first piece for the Post,…
Read articleEffective Leaders Tackle Challenges Systematically
"It's not enough to simply set a challenge," writes Dario Spinola. "We need effective ways of working toward challenges." Read…
Read articleKaizen Power
In his latest piece for the Post, Michael Ballé explains why "humble 100x1% is better than 1x100% kaizen." This kind…
Read articleIn TPM, Isn’t it needlessly costly to replace parts that are working fine? What do you think?
Dear Gemba Coach: I have a question about Total Productive Maintenance. My management has hired a TPM consultant who makes…
Read articleThinking Outside the Pyramid
Machiavelli said it's better to be feared than loved. Lean practitioner Daniel Fisher rejects this idea and argues it’s better…
Read articleBridging Two Lean Communities
Two very different lean communities came together when Eric Ries and LEI's John Shook participated in the Lean Startup pre-conference…
Read articleMy CEO would like to install a lean culture and has asked me to specify a few basic lean values we need to implement. Where should I start?
Dear Gemba Coach: My CEO would like to install a lean culture in our company and has asked me to…
Read articleOne Simple Thing You Can Do To Improve Your Coaching
When you put people on the defense, you miss out on a lot more than improved performance and results. Tracey…
Read articleManaging to Reboot Leadership
"Despite sweeping changes to the business environment and real threats to organizational sustainability, too many managers remain stuck in traditional…
Read articleGetting the Most Out of the 5 Whys
Are your 5 Whys leading you to dead ends? Emmanuel Jallas has some advice on how to really get to…
Read articleHow do I re-size supermarkets when demand changes or to keep pace with seasonality?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I calculate re-sizing supermarkets when demand changes or to keep pace with seasonality?
Read articleAdding Flavor to the Gemba Using SALT
Dr. Grant Greenberg, Associate Medical Director for Quality for the University of Michigan Faculty Group Practice, has come up with…
Read articleFighting fires vs. problem solving: what’s the difference?
Dear Gemba Coach: I hear that lean is about less fighting fires and more problem solving but I am unsure…
Read articleDo you use Japanese terms in your lean transformation or purposely avoid them? Why?
Recently we asked our community "Do you use Japanese terms in your lean transformation or purposely avoid them? Why?" Below…
Read articleCan a pull system with zero stock make the company more fragile?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can a pull system with zero stock make the company more fragile?
Read articleNo Really, Go to the Gemba
LEI coach Danielle Blais explains why it's so important for lean coaches, leaders, and all managers to regularly visit the…
Read articleLean Starts With the Need to Achieve
"The first step in a lean implementation is to identify employees with an intense desire to achieve," writes lean practitioner…
Read articleWhy reduce inventory further?
Dear Gemba Coach,We have a lot of machining operations in our process, and we carry inventory. What is the best…
Read articleWhat do effective leaders actually do every day? GTS4
So many of us know the value of lean thinking and practice, but what do lean leaders actually do every…
Read articleShould I use an A3 report to kick off a problem-solving effort?
Dear Gemba Coach: Should I use an A3 report to kick off a problem? I encourage my managers to tell…
Read articleThe Virtue of Small Data
"Small Data can be found everywhere, with every customer transaction and interaction," writes LEI faculty member and Lean IT expert…
Read articleEmergency Departments Use Lean Principles in an Effort to Perfect Patient Journeys
Sixty hospital emergency departments in Michigan formed a collaborative to apply the value-stream improvement methodology to cut the length of…
Read articleThe Challenge in Providing Challenging Work
LEI's Mark Reich chimes in on the discussion of how to most effectively manage and coach the young generation of…
Read articleWhy aren’t the laws of lean articulated?
Dear Gemba Coach: Aren’t there laws of lean, just as there are laws of physics? And why aren’t these clearly…
Read articleWhy Are There So Many Points of View About What Lean Is?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been interested in lean for over two years now, and can’t quite understand why after 20…
Read articleWhen a Passion for Caring Becomes a Commitment to Process Improvement: Judy Worth and Karl Ohaus on Lean Thinking for Healthcare Organizations
LEI interviews lean practitioners and co-authors of Perfecting Patient Journeys Judy Worth and Karl Ohaus about the potential for lean…
Read articleHow do we get started with standard work?
How do we get started with standard work? The literature seems to say there can’t be meaningful kaizen without standards,…
Read articleWhy won’t senseis ever give a straight answer?
Dear Gemba Coach: Why won’t senseis ever give a straight answer?
Read articleWhy audit standard work? And what is the best approach?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can you help me determine the best way to conduct audits of standard work (SW)? The Toyota…
Read articleWho Owns Your A3? (Part Two)
In this second of two columns, Mark Reich explains why people must own their A3 reports as a means of…
Read articleHow do I convince senior management to visit the shop floor?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I convince my senior management to get interested in our kaizen projects? In fact, how…
Read articleJim Womack on Lean Tools As Tools for Creativity
In this video, LEI founder and senior advisor Jim Womack answers the question: "What challenge do you think the lean…
Watch videoWhere Lean Leadership Begins
As with all lean practice, leadership begins with grasping the current state. For lean leaders that means understanding the external…
Watch videoHow 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…
Read articleAnatomy of a Lean Leader (Introduction)
For 30 years, Jerry Bussell studied leadership while bringing lean practices to companies such as Medtronic and becoming a passionate,…
Read articleHow 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…
Read articleWhat 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…
Read articleVisual Management – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Visualization is a good thing. We all know that. And many of us in the Lean Community practice it, to…
Read articleIt seems that lean these days is all about learning and coaching. What about the good ol’-fashioned just-in-time stuff of the earlier days?
Dear Gemba Coach: It seems that lean these days is all about learning and coaching. What about the good ol'-fashioned…
Read articleWhat is Your Line of Sight?
Coach Tracey Richardson explains why having a line of sight aligns you with the organizations purpose, and helps you determine…
Read articleHow Do I Plan for the Long Term?
Dear Gemba Coach: I don’t know how to plan for two or five years out. As a plant manager, my…
Read articleEngineering Checklists
Dear Gemba Coach: How do I apply standardized work to product development?
Read articleHow Many Whys Should I Ask?
Coach Tracey Richardson explains just how many whys to ask when conducting 5 Why analysis.
Read articleHow to Change a Culture: Lessons From NUMMI
The editors of MIT Sloan Management Review honored LEI CEO John Shook with the 2011 Beckhard Memorial Award for the…
Read articleFulfillment-Stream Measurement Systems: Driving Action in Real Time
Derek Browning, a lean supply chain executive at LeanCor, takes time out from a lean logistics conference to answer questions…
Read articleWhat Are the Different Types of A3s?
What are the different types of A3s and what are they used for?
Read articleMethod vs. Tool
Dear Gemba Coach: I think that TPM, JIT, SMED, Heijunka are methods and the 5S, VSM Kaizen are tools. Perhaps…
Read articleGetting Over Gemba-phobia
“I work in a company where leaders think gemba walks are scheduled visits to the factory to look at performance…
Read articleFor Lean Thinkers, “Clutch” Offers Lessons in Planning and Leading
Read an excerpt from Paul Sullivan's new book Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don't, discussing what…
Read articleStandards vs. Standardization
Dear Gemba Coach: We’re often told that “there can be no kaizen without standards.” But when do you start when there…
Read articleThe Trouble with Lean Experts
Dear Gemba Coach: I run a Lean Promotion Office (LPO) and my team mostly conducts kaizen events across the company. We…
Read articleFollow-up Q & A to the Webinar “Integrating Leader Standard Work with Visual Management Tools”
This webinar was one of our most popular and highly rated. From among the hundreds of questions that we received…
Read articleA Fundamental Question
As I continue to visit your gemba and receive emails (over 500 and counting since I started in September), I…
Read articleLEAN = TPS {KAIZEN + RESPECT}
Dear Gemba Coach: In the webinar, you’ve defined LEAN = KAIZEN + RESPECT. Isn’t it simplistic? Is that all there is…
Read articleFollow-up Q&A to the Webinar “Lean Logistics and Supply Chain Networks: 8 Guiding Principles”
The Lean Enterprise Institute's webinar "Lean Logistics & Supply Chain Networks: 8 Guiding Principles" drew hundreds of questions from Lean…
Read articleFollow-up Q&A to the Webinar: On the Mend – Changing a healthcare organizational culture to continuous improvement
The lean healthcare webinar “On the Mend: Changing a healthcare organizational culture to continuous improvement” drew an engaged audience that…
Read articleMutual Assistance Teamwork
Toshiko Narusawa, co-author with John Shook of Kaizen Express, illustrates Taiichi Ohno’s comparison of workplace teamwork to passing a baton.…
Read articleHow Does Pull Relate to Problem-Solving?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve been following the exchanges on The Lean Edge with great interest, and all the lean authors…
Read articleHow Can One Be A Better Sensei?
Dear Gemba Coach,Our operations VP is disappointed with our lean program. Despite his close personal involvement with the program, it…
Read articleStandardized Work in Machine-Intensive Processes
Dear Gemba Coach,Most lean literature and case studies to date focus on assembly type manufacturing which utilizes very people-intensive operations.…
Read articleHomicide by Example?
My LEI colleague Dave LaHote is fond of saying that managers - and especially senior managers - overestimate their effectiveness,…
Read articleWhat Should I Be Looking For?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’ve just started working with lean with my team, and we’re doing a value-stream mapping project with a…
Read articleStandards at workstations
Dear Gemba Coach: Our corporate production system asks us to post standard work at workstations, but we feel that the paperwork…
Read articleShould 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…
Read articleThe End Of The Line For GM-Toyota Joint Venture
LEI Founder and Chairman Jim Womack and Senior Advisor John Shook are among the key experts interviewed for this look at the…
Read articleIs Toyota No Longer a Guiding Light?
Dear Gemba Coach: I'm the lean manager of a mid-sized company, and have been getting teased by many folks about Toyota's…
Read articleThe Business Case for Kaizen
Dear Gemba Coach: I can see the benefits kaizen has brought our company, but find it hard to formulate the…
Read articleIt’s Not the Crisis; It’s How You Respond to It
He probably didn't ask for a problem of quite this magnitude, but like it or not, Akio Toyoda has his…
Read articleSo Long 2009 – Hello 2010!
Whew, what a year! Most everyone I know is eager to escort the hard times of 2009 out the door…
Read articleIs Lean Scientific?
Dear Gemba Coach: I often hear that lean is like the scientific method. As a lean consultant, I facilitate kaizen events,…
Read articleWhat Role Should a Quality Department Play in a Lean Organization?
Dear Gemba Coach: How can you improve quality overall while reducing the number of people who are developing policies, supporting…
Read articleFive Missing Pieces in Your Standardized Work (Part 3 of 3)
John Shook circles back to offer an outline of how standardized work serves your Purpose, Process, and People, which can…
Read article5 Missing Pieces in Your Standardized Work (Part 1 of 3)
John Shook offers an overview of the five most frequent misunderstandings about this fundamental lean practice and expands on three…
Read articleSigns of Progress
Dear Gemba Coach: We've been doing lean for several years now, and the program has had its ups and downs.…
Read articleYou Gotta Have Wa
In July, just prior to the Major League All Star break, I introduced you to The Mental ABCs of Baseball.…
Read article5S Again and Again and Again
Dear Gemba Coach,†I've just inherited responsibility for our 5S efforts in our company. Any suggestions for how I can get…
Read articleMichikazu Tanaka of Daihatsu on “What I Learned from Taiichi Ohno”
This week (and in some future columns as well, no doubt) I’ll indulge my deep interest in the history of…
Read articleForward to Fundamentals Webinar with John Shook and Jim Womack, Written Transcript
In recent years, most discussions around lean transformation have understandably evolved toward more managerial and strategic matters. Yet there remains…
Read articleAnd You Forgot About Overproduction
John Shook discusses waste - specifically, overproduction
Read articleGM Veteran Lou Farinola Responds to, “Why hasn’t GM learned from NUMMI?”
John Shook discusses how GM learned from NUMMI with a former GM executive
Read articleGemba-Based Leadership – Not Just for Chief Engineers
John Shook on gemba-based leadership
Read articleMega Mura Bubble Trouble
I started writing my monthly e-letter in October of 2001 to speak to the worries of the Lean Community as…
Read articleThe Worst Form of Muda
One of the souvenirs I collect on my visits to different countries is special reasons why lean is impossible in…
Read articleFrom Staffs Conducting Programs to Line Managers Solving Problems
Jim Womack, founder and senior advisor of LEI, introduces the concept of 'touzen'—kaizen that should not have been necessary.
Read articleRespect for People
For years I've visited companies where "respect for people" is a core element of the corporate philosophy. So I've asked…
Read articleTen Years and Counting
What do we at LEI -- and in the whole lean movement -- need to do now? This is the…
Read articleWhy Toyota Won and How Toyota Can Lose
Simon & Schuster has just re-issued The Machine That Changed the World, which Dan Jones, Dan Roos, and I co-authored…
Read articleLittle and Often
I still encounter a degree of confusion about one of the key mental models that gets in the way of…
Read articleMore Thinking About Lean Transformation
Recently we at the Lean Enterprise Institute have started a new research project trying to answer a simple question: “What…
Read articleThe Lean Way Forward at Ford
I’ve been reflecting on today’s remarkable headlines about the latest retreat by the Ford Motor Company as part of its…
Read articleLean Thinking: A Look Back and a Look Forward
The meaning of lean thinking, how lean got its name, and an example of how it improved a grinding process…
Read articleMura, Muri, Muda?
Twenty years ago this month, when my first daughter was born, the young men I supervised in MIT’s International Motor…
Read articleChange in Implementation Approach Opens the Door at EMCO to Greater Gains in Less Time
Many lean thinkers ask how they can accelerate the pace of a transformation or spread it to other facilities. EMCO…
View case studyNecessary But Not Sufficient
One of the hardest things in my line of work is seeing a company make enormous strides in getting lean…
Read articleLean Information Management
Recently I was walking through a manufacturing operation and found myself wondering about the principles of lean information management, in…
Read articleThe Backbone of Lean in the Back Shops
Learn why the lean concept of every part, every interval (EPEI) is the “backbone” of lean in this aerospace machine…
View case studyThe Wonder of Level Pull
Many years ago in Toyota City I first witnessed the twin concepts of level production and the smooth pull of…
Read articleLean Transformation Lives and Dies With Tools and Dies
The story of The Wiremold Company's lean transformation is familiar to many Lean Thinkers. But what isn't as well known…
View case studyLean Thinking Therapy Spreads Beyond the Shop
Medtronic Xomed expanded the lean transformation beyond the shop floor to areas such as international distribution, product development, and domestic…
View case studyThe Beginner’s Guide To Lean
Toyota has just overtaken Ford as number two in the global motor industry, and at the Tokyo motor show confirmed…
Read articleDueling Sensei and the Need for a Standard Operating System
Recently I witnessed a sight I’ve seen too many times before. I was visiting a company when a new sensei…
Read articleA Postcard — with Leadership Insights — from Nashville
A look back at LEI’s Lean Transformation Summit in 2018 shares a few tips from CEO keynoters on how to…
Read articleKeep It Simple: Value-Stream Mapping at the Gemba
A veteran lean coach shares a story showing that even simple and quick value-stream mapping can be hugely helpful when…
Read articleDiscovering the True Value of the A3 Process
The challenge with the A3 process isn’t in learning to write an A3 report; it’s in understanding how to use…
Read articleAsk Art: What Was Danaher Like In the Early Days of Lean?
In this personal account of launching lean at Danaher, Art Byrne shares a wealth of insights into how to seed…
Read articleTap the Power of Flow to Develop Lean Thinkers
Flow is personal--a moment of enrichment, and a mental state. It´s stretching oneself just that little bit extra, not because…
Read articleThe Art of Lean: Use These Tools to Help You Improve a Process, Part 1
Learn about this four-step approach that will help you “pinpoint the tricky parts” of a process as you work to…
Watch videoThe Real Secret to Success with the A3 Process: It is as Much a Social Process as a Technical Problem-solving One
Part one of a seven-part series. Learn how the A3 process is about more than problem-solving, along with the other…
Read articleEmerging Stronger
Learn how GE Appliances and Herman Miller leverage lean practice to design new standardized work for assembly to ensure a…
Read articleDesigning the Patient Flow to Fight Covid-19
A Lean Global Network team of lean practitioners and coaches shares a set of lean healthcare tips hospitals can use…
Read articleHow A Virtual Obeya Can Enable Effective Teamwork
As we are working socially distanced apart we need to create systems that enable us to effectively enable people to…
Read articleWhat should I expect as a lean manager?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m currently a team leader, and I’ve been offered a job as a lean manager – what…
Read articleHow Can Lean Help Respond to Crises?
Although lean might seem fragile to crises, because of low inventories, it’s quite the opposite, says Michael Balle: Lean thinking…
Read articleThe Value of A Visual Schedule is Developing Shared Understanding
People closest to the work should understand it best, so they are in the best position to share what the…
Read articleHow Working In Oncology Has Reframed Failure and Success
Doctor Carlos "Fred" Pinto and his colleagues at IOV in Brazil have learned that resilience emerges when applying lean thinking…
Read articleMy Personal Turning Point: Reflecting on a Decade as a Lean Coach
Last year I sat in the offices of several "lean champions" at their companies, agents of change who are trying…
Read articleThe Hard Work of Making Hard Work Easier
We persevere by struggling to overcome the challenges of hard work, argues Mark Reich. And, he says it is also…
Read articleThe 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…
Read articleStandardize Locally
A few weeks ago, during a day-long meeting with an executive management team, the topic of standardized work came up … again.…
Read articleThe Mythical Value Stream Manager
If you want to make a serious impact in your improvements, consider shifting your focus outward to a value-stream level…
Read articleAsk Art: What Foundational Items Must I Be A Zealot About?
Be a zealot on the foundational items such as 5S, visual management, and setup reduction, says Art Byrne, and your…
Read articleReflections From Ten Years of Michael Ballé’s Gemba Coach
Since his first Gemba Coach column of ten years ago, Michael Balle has consistently tied his advice to a faithful…
Read articleLean Thinkers Are Systems Thinkers
Lean thinkers are systems thinkers, argues Rich Sheridan: "Intentional cultures thrive when the simple systems put in place reinforce every…
Read articleHow can there be standards — or kaizen — in a service job when no two instances are the same?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m in a service job and I struggle with the idea of standards. I read that there…
Read articleIs value engineering just about cutting costs?
Dear Gemba Coach: My boss has hired a consultant to do value engineering, who has us looking for design opportunities…
Read articleWhy We Believe that Lean is About Changing Our Own Behaviors, and Not Just Accumulating New Knowledge
Lean repeatedly pushes us to develop new competences (or recover lost know-hows) through kaizen and problem solving. This collection of…
Read article4 Actions that Solved My Lean Management Identity Crisis
Mike Orzen had lean management down cold – or so he thought. After all, he makes a living teaching it…
Read articleCultivating Intuition at the Gemba
Our trainers conditioned us to water the seed of experience and use it not just to fire-fight but rather be…
Read articleLean Production Begins with LPPD
To create a "turbo-charged product-creating machine, start by designing clear processes with useful tools and a “people first” culture--which form…
Read articleDid Red Sox Lean on Lean for World Series Victory?
For starters (and for that matter, for relievers), this World-Series-winning Red Sox team was simply an outstanding and absurdly talented…
Read articleDon’t Retire Your Knowledge–Reuse It
Companies can tackle the problem of the surge of retiring baby boomers by adopting the lean principle of knowledge reuse,…
Read articleNot Every Problem Is a “Nail” But Companies Typically Reach for the Same Old “Hammer”
Learn how you can avoid the frustrating, ineffective, but widespread “hammer-and-nail” problem-solving pitfall by recognizing four main problem types so…
Read articleAsk Art: Why Does Boosting Inventory Turns Matter So Much?
If you want to deliver more value to our customers such that you can grow and gain market share then…
Read articleGetting Out of the Habit of Telling
In this engaging talk at the Lean Transformation Summit in Nashville, Katie Anderson talked about learning how to keep from…
Watch videoFresh Eyes Bring Lean Problems into Clarity
“Fresh eyes” reviews are an indispensible part of developing new value. It’s amazing what you can learn from the input…
Read articleI’m thinking about outsourcing some administrative activities to be more flexible, but what does lean say about outsourcing?
Dear Gemba Coach: Financial results do not allow me to have excess people. After two years of struggling, I'm thinking…
Read articleLean Roundup: Respect for People
Respect for People is one of the most abstract and yet most concrete tenets of lean, a guiding principle that…
Read articleExpanding Our Perspective on Lean Management, Part 2: Lean has its Roots in Spirituality
To explore the idea that there may be other angles for understanding lean management than business or analytical perspectives, a…
Read articleAsk Art: Am I Showing Respect for People by Asking for Fast Action?
Lean is a “learn by doing” exercise not a classroom training approach. The best method I know to achieve this…
Read articleRespect the Customer By Respecting Your Worker
Lean provides us with a different approach to this vicious cycle. Build a management system in your company that allows…
Read articleYour Consultant Doesn’t Have the Answers
Inspired by a true story from his tenure at the Toyota Production System Support Center, LEI Senior Coach Mark in…
Read articleHow Do I Tell Good Obeya Rooms From Bad?
Dear Gemba Coach: Obeyas are popping up everywhere in our organization, and I don’t know what to look for to…
Read articleIt Starts Within: The Lean Journey of CI&T
The lean transformation of Brazilian tech company CI&T was unique in that it began with an implementation of hoshin kanri.…
Read articleAsk Art: “Do lean conversions actually go smoothly, like in the books?”
Art Byrne receives many inquiries from people wondering whether lean transformations really are as smooth as they seem in books,…
Read articleToyota Kata Practice – Run Charts
Tony Webster provides an excellent 15-minute video guide for creating and using run charts, which are an essential practice in…
Watch videoWhat’s your opinion on setting specific criteria before brainstorming countermeasures?
Dear Gemba Coach: What’s your opinion on setting specific criteria before brainstorming countermeasures?
Read articleDeveloping Better Habits Using A3 Thinking
Think A3 thinking is only for solving organizational problems? Think again! LEI faculty Katie Anderson shares her secrets for using…
Read articleA Week of Kaizen in Just One Day
"Often when I hear people talk about kaizen, they are under the impression that this is some huge event with…
Read articleDoes lean change how you think about business?
Dear Gemba Coach: I can see that lean changes how one thinks about business, but can’t quite put my finger…
Read articleLean Leadership at Legal Sea Foods: An Interview with Roger Berkowitz
Watch the video to hear Legal Sea Foods CEO Roger Berkowitz explain the effects lean has has on his own…
Watch videoWhat kind of conversation should I expect during a gemba walk?
Dear Gemba Coach: What kind of conversation should I expect during a gemba walk?
Read articleAdvice 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…
Read articleAn A3 Antidote to the Opiate Epidemic
Opiate use in America has been spiking at an alarming rate. Many healthcare organizations, such as the University of Michigan…
Read articleAdvice from the Gemba: The Most Frustrating Types of Waste (and How to Eliminate Them!)
If you've ever lost sleep over a particularly frustrating source of waste in your organization, you're not alone. Some forms…
Read articleLean Roundup: Jidoka
"Jidoka captures the principle of building quality into the production process—of designing work so that the people making the product…
Read articleLean 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…
Read articleWhat are the elements of knowledge-based product development?
Dear Gemba Coach, What would be a knowledge-based approach to product development?
Read articleInnovation 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…
Read articleMaking Things Better – Engineering Isn’t Always Right
"Have you noticed a tendency at your company to automatically take Engineering's advice?" writes Gary Stewart of Fiat-Chrysler. "If you…
Read articleDoes respect for humanity mean the same as respect for people?
Dear Gemba Coach: Does respect for humanity mean the same as respect for people? I hear that the literal translation…
Read articleWhy Yoda Was Wrong
Aspects of lean can be found almost anywhere - even in a galaxy far, far away. Inspired by a new…
Read articleDo we need more research to understand what works and what doesn’t when implementing lean healthcare?
Dear Gemba Coach: There are controversies over whether lean/TPS works in healthcare or not. Authorities in lean practice suggest conducting…
Read articleLean Transformation: Have You Hit the “Lean Plateau?”
After realizing that that their five-year track record of continuous improvement was leveling out, Craig Stritar and his team knew…
Read articleAsk Art: What’s So Important About Standard Work?
Standard work is one of the cornerstones of a lean transformation. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's fully appreciated. "People…
Read articleYour Value Stream Map Looks a Little Different…
If you think there’s a different way of applying a tool, ask, “Are we changing the tool to prevent us…
Read articleFocus: Process or Results?
"We cannot improve results “directly," writes LEI faculty member Orry Fiume. "It can only be achieved by improving those processes…
Read articleWhat 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…
Read articleNo Shortcuts: Creating a Lean Environment the Right Way
As much as we may wish there was a way to pull off a lean transformation with only a basic…
Read articleIt’s the Productivity, Not the People
In one memorable lean project, Craig Stritar found himself on a large fish-processing vessel in the Bering Sea that was…
Read articleLeading with Respect is Not a Soft Skill: An interview with Mike Orzen
By definition, a hard skill is a skill that can be defined, measured, and taught. Does that sound like it…
Read articleLean Fitness: The Individual vs. the Organization
"For both the individual and the organization, the problem is the same," writes Dan Markovitz. "There may be a stated…
Read articleIs there a way to define standard work for senseis?
Dear Gemba Coach, I’ve been working on lean projects for years and my CEO has now asked me to act as…
Read articleTough Empathy
"When grasping the situation we always focus in on the process... What about grasping the situation as it relates to…
Read articleThree Core Capabilities in Any Lean Product and Process Development System
"Good development leaders work in earnest to create a 'safe culture' for people to share issues. Working to [drive out…
Read articleThe Lean Genie Problem
"For leaders and CI professionals, it’s not practical to rely on the team you’re working with to institute every change…
Read articleVisualize 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…
Read articleKaizen Event “Malpractice” and What to Do About It
Performed properly, kaizen events create the technical and cultural foundation for daily continuous improvement. Performed improperly, they can get you…
Watch videoUsing Value Stream Management to Better Care for Stroke Patients
"To make value stream management really work, the most significant cause for transformation lay simply in the shifting of team…
Read articleHow do you protect jobs while reducing lines and shifts?
Dear Gemba Coach: How do you protect jobs while reducing lines and shifts?
Read articleUnderstanding the True Cost of Care
"Today, frontline clinicians are being asked to provide even more cost-efficient care to patients yet few understand how to do…
Read articleInnovation at Smartphone Speed
Ever wonder what it takes to make those smartphone chips? Learn how IBM continuously improves smartphone technology using lean thinking…
Read articleWant Your Organization to Survive Over the Long Haul? Value Process Over Results
"There are two ways to run your business," writes Doc Hall. "Focus on value, or focus on results... Interestingly, when…
Read articleHow can I train technical experts who know more about the work than I do?
Dear Gemba Coach: I understand I have to train people, but I work in a very technical area and they…
Read articleThe Biggest Waste of All
"We can fix [problem symptoms] with basic lean thinking and tools, but unless our strategy is good, we will still…
Read articleGemba Walks: Are You Going To See or To Be Seen?
"Supervisors talked about the significant improvements they were making as a result of kaizen events," writes Dave LaHote, "But all…
Read articleBuilding Capability, Transforming Organizations
How do we improve ourselves as coaches while developing the problem solving capabilities of others? Lean coach Katie Anderson suggests…
Read article8 Tips for “Passing the Baton” with Suppliers and Customers
In a relay, the winning team isnít the one that runs the fastest leg, but the one that runs fastest…
Read articleWhy Skill-Based Learning is Harder Than You Think
Lean practitioner Joel Gross explains why skill-based learning (like learning how to problem solve using PDSA) requires active, hands-on practice…
Read articleToo Much Information Can Destroy Effective Management
"A lean organization minimizes the amount of unnecessary 'junk' information and increases the amount of 'gold' (value-producing) information that is…
Read articleThe Leader’s Dilemma: Becoming a Learner
We build leaders up to be all-knowing, but leaders who act as 'knowers' (as opposed to learners) actually limit their…
Read articleWe found your visit rather challenging … does “real” lean have to be such a struggle?
Dear Gemba Coach: The question I’m facing internally is whether “real” lean needs to be that challenging or is there…
Read articleWhy One Startup Will Never “Change the World”
Nathan Rothstein, co-founder of Project Repat, calls for founders to stop pitching their companies as "world-changing" charitable organizations. Businesses should…
Read articleWhat’s the main quality I should look out for in hiring a lean coach?
Dear Gemba Coach: I’m in the process of hiring a Lean Coach for my team and I wondered if there…
Read articleHow a Problem-Solving Culture Takes Root
Changing one's own leadership behaviors is no easy task, but it can be done. Leaders can shift away from giving…
Read articleStarting Up, Growing Up, and Starting Over
In an essay first published in Gemba Walks (2nd Ed) and adapted for the Post, LEI founder and thought leader…
Read articleTransforming Transformation
We are all trying to transform. That's what lean thinking and practice are all about: challenging us to reflect deeply…
Read articleWhy do you lean experts still revere the Toyota Production System? Hasn’t any one come up with something better?
Dear Gemba Coach,Since Toyota formulated TPS 50 years ago, many other companies have come up with their own business systems…
Read articleWhat happens after the lean coach leaves?
As a lean coach, after you move to a new management assignment, finish a training course, or run several kaizen…
Read articleGet On Your Sneakers and Start Conversations, Learning How to Create End-to-End Excellence
Take a (gemba) walk on the sustainable improvement side with Ingersoll Rand.
Read articleStandardized Vacation
Mark Donovan, co-founder of the women's knitwear company Wooden Ships, proposes that we all consider vacation as a standardized method…
Read articleAn Interview with Executive and Lean Practitioner Gary Berndt
Gary Berndt, who has led lean transformations in a variety of companies, answers questions about connecting lean efforts to strategy…
Read articleAlice Lee on the Challenges and Rewards of Applying Lean to Healthcare
Alice Lee, VP of Business Transformation at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, discusses BIDMC's unique application of lean…
Watch videoFollow-up Q & A to the Webinar “Getting to Everyday Improvement: How to Connect the Science and Culture of Problem Solving”
A follow-up Q&A with presenters Judy Worth and Beau Keyte for the Lean Enterprise Institute's webinar on Getting to Everyday Improvement.
Watch videoDon’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…
Read articleHow Do I Reduce Buffers To Zero?
Dear Gemba CoachI run an assembly line for service station equipment. Our product is customized for each customer so we…
Read articleCan Hospitals Reap the Deeper Benefits of Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: As Health Systems globally wrestle with skyrocketing healthcare costs, many hospitals are jumping on the lean bandwagon,…
Read articleAre lean principles universal?
Dear Gemba Coach: Can we really consider Lean principles as Universal? I am currently working on a case study about…
Read articleHow Can Lean Take Root in a Crappy Culture?
Dear Gemba Coach: I've done a lot of working with lean, and recently started my first coaching/consulting gig. And while…
Read articleLeadership Q&A: Bill Hopkins, Akron Children’s Hospital board member and former vice president, technology/strategic initiatives, at Goodyear
From the LEI senior executive series on lean leadership:Hopkins on why Akron Children’s Hospital leadership decided to implement lean process…
Read articleAre You Pulling?
Dear Gemba Coach: We’ve made a substantial effort in training all our operators to standardized work (SW) by deploying Training Within…
Read articleThe Joy of a Greenfield
Last spring on a trip to Central America, I encountered that wonderful sight for process improvers, a “greenfield”. And I…
Read articleThe Tipping Point?
Early efforts to apply lean principles to healthcare faltered and for many years the challenge seemed to be too great.…
Read articleToyota Trouble: A Dialogue with Jeff Liker (AKA the Coffee Shop Talks)
With the appearance of Toyota's various quality and recall problems, Jeff Liker and I have been meeting in coffee shops…
Read articleHow Come Toyota Veterans Don’t Use a Roadmap?
Dear Gemba Coach: Recently I spent a few months working with Toyota veterans at an automotive supplier. I was surprised…
Read articleDo Managers “Get” Lean?
Dear Gemba Coach: You mentioned during the webinar that plant tours reveal how well managers 'get' lean. Can you be…
Read articleFive Missing Pieces in Your Standardized Work (Part 2 of 3)
John Shook delves more deeply into two of the five most often neglected elements, demonstrating the importance of practice and…
Read articleToyota’s Secret: The A3 Report
The A3 report, with its logical series of boxes and graphics, looks simple in layout but the underlying thought process…
Read articleForward 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…
Read articleBack to Basics
I often take advantage of relaxing holiday time to go over old things, take care of less pressing matters that…
Read articleIt Takes 2 (or more) to A3
No one can create a useful A3 in isolation. It takes at least two individuals and often many more. Developing…
Read articleWhat Lean Thinkers Think About The Gold Mine
Questions and comments†from readers to co-author Michael BallÈ about his book The Gold Mine.
Read articleColumbus Public Schools Use Process Thinking to Improve Academic Achievement
Principals and staff at Columbus, Ohio, schools created current states and future states of a diagnostic testing process in order to identify students'…
Read articleValue-Stream Mapping in a Make-to-Order Environment
Tips from LEI author Mike Rother on applying value-stream mapping and continuous flow in high-variety, custom manufacturing environments.
Read articleThe A3 as a PDCA Storyboard
Thanks to Dave LaHote for sharing this PowerPoint that explains what an A3 is and how it can be used.…
Read articleAdding Cost or Creating Value?
I was out on tour this past week, listening to companies' stories as they try to achieve a "lean" transformation.…
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