Jon Miller, Author at Gemba Academy

How Children Can Help Us Become Better Lean Leaders

By Jon Miller - December 5th, 2016

Lean thinking as a concept has been around for two decades since the publication of Lean Thinking by Womack & Jones. In practice, it existed before publication in a few parts of the world, and still does not exist in vast parts o

Gratitude is the Heart of Respect

By Jon Miller - November 28th, 2016

Those of us who model our approach to lean management on the Toyota Way recognize that there are two core elements: continuous improvement and respect for people. Each of these elements breaks down into more detailed principles and pra

Appreciation of a System

By Jon Miller - November 21st, 2016

I’ve gained a renewed appreciation for systems as a result of reading an interesting book, The Invention of Nature, about the life and influence of the nineteenth century German celebrity scientist Alexander von Humboldt. Whi

When the Possible Trumps the Likely

By Jon Miller - November 14th, 2016

About a decade ago I was invited to help mentor the productivity and quality improvement teams at a large consumer electronics manufacturer. During the first visit there were three things that immediately struck me about this company

For a Culture of Innovation, Turn Board Meetings into Cardboard Meetings

By Jon Miller - November 7th, 2016

Not long ago a friend of mine from a compay not too far away called me for advice (hopefully that is vague enough provides enough plausible deniability for him and/or her). My friend was told to remove a large quantity of cardboard fr

A Five-letter Recipe for a Non-Fail Presidency

By Jon Miller - October 31st, 2016

Barely eight days remain until the American voters elects the adult human who will serve as the next President of the United States. It has been an ugly process to narrow it down to the two major candidates, with all due respect to th

For Continuous Improvement, Think Like a Child

By Jon Miller - October 24th, 2016

Listening to a Freakonomics Radio episode titled Think Like a Child reminded me of the words of a TPS sensei. When a kaizen team was faced with puzzling process failures, complex problems, or a need for innovative designs, sensei

How Lean Thinking Can Relieve Traffic Jams

By Jon Miller - October 17th, 2016

Seattle owns the dubious distinction of having one of the 10 worst traffic experiences in the United States. This is due to a combination of geography, lack of long-term transportation planning, population growth, and driver behavi

Five Thoreau Quotes to Reflect on Continuous Improvement

By Jon Miller - October 10th, 2016

Nineteenth century American poet, agitator for social change and champion of simple living Henry David Thoreau had a lot to say about continuous improvement. Here are five quotes that will help us reflect on how we improve. “Man

Learning the Wrong Lessons from Failure

By Jon Miller - October 3rd, 2016

In the early days of lean it was all about imitation. People looked at Japanese factories and said, “They have quality circles, let’s have quality circles.” Or TQM, or kanban or JIT or kaizen. Lean factories work in

Better Decisions through Headspace Mapping

By Jon Miller - September 26th, 2016

When I was just getting started in business twenty years ago, one of my mentors had the habit of asking me, “Are you making an emotional decision or are you making a business decision?” A business decision, of course, I wou

Why We Don’t Correct Mistakes Right Away

By Jon Miller - September 19th, 2016

The 10 commandments of continuous improvement are a set of precepts that guide lean behavior. One of the commandments is “if it’s a problem, stop and fix it”. This is also phrased “correct mistakes right aw

What Are Your Lean Precepts?

By Jon Miller - September 12th, 2016

At Gemba Academy, we are not shy about using Japanese words when it helps to keep the lesson clear and concise. For others, less is more when it comes to using Japanese terminology as part of lean practice. Whatever words are used, th

How to Spot Signs of a Lean Collapse

By Jon Miller - September 5th, 2016

Before your lean effort collapses, it slows down. That’s the gist from an article on what it looks like when society collapses, which discusses findings from a recent National Academy of Sciences paper. We can view an organizat

The Lean Journey: All in a Day’s Work

By Jon Miller - August 29th, 2016

Since the earliest days (ca. 1995) of the application of Toyota Production System principles being described as “Lean”, this word has been paired with “journey”. Lean is a journey, we are told. It is a trip.

When Externalizing Costs Erodes Brand Value

By Jon Miller - August 22nd, 2016

What would you say if your lean expert suggested cutting the cost of poor quality by drastically reducing inspectors and letting customers find the defects after they left the building? Ludicrous! You exclaim. That’s no cost red

Standard Work for Dairy Farmers

By Jon Miller - August 15th, 2016

The next time someone claims to have a work day that is too unpredictable, non-repetitive, requires flexibility, or otherwise not amenable to structuring and improving via leader standard work, have them study A Day in the Life of a Da

Rebranding the Suggestion Box? Do Explain

By Jon Miller - August 8th, 2016

This suitcase-sized box was placed just outside the front doors of an old Catholic school in Oregon that had been converted into a hotel and restaurant. It boldly demanded EXPLAIN. Perhaps it the nuns that once ran the place put it t

The Three “I” of Continuous Improvement

By Jon Miller - August 1st, 2016

Gemba Academy recently launched a health & wellness program for its employees. I am very excited as this will force us to keep investigating what it takes to engage, improve and sustain positive change. We hope to give you updates

How Lean Organizations Control the Speed of Time

By Jon Miller - July 17th, 2016

They say time flies when you are having fun. Those of us that are middle aged or beyond often feel that time passes more quickly now than when we were younger. The two seem to contradict each other. Or does this mean that time flies

The Easiest Kaizen Trick in the World

By Jon Miller - July 11th, 2016

There are many tips, tricks and techniques that lead to shortcuts on the continuous improvement journey. I call these kaizen tricks. Many so-called “lean games” such as the 5S letter game, the catch ball game, the A puzzle

So You Think You Need an A3 Template

By Jon Miller - June 27th, 2016

Problem-solving is a core part of continuous improvement and lean management. The so-called A3 problem-solving method has become mainstream popular. I’m often asked to recommend a template by the people that I coach. I’m re

No Overburden, No Gain?

By Jon Miller - June 20th, 2016

In lean thinking we say there are three undesirable conditions related to any work: waste, variability and overburden. In Japanese they are muda, mura and muri. Of the three, waste is often the main focus of continuous improvement act

How to Start a Fire

By Jon Miller - June 13th, 2016

Humanity’s ability to use fire at will has transformed the quality of life for our species. Fire provides warmth, light, protection from animals, slash-and-burn agriculture, and the ability to make our food tastier and easier to dig

“Be Yourself” or Be Who the Customer Needs You to Be?

By Jon Miller - June 6th, 2016

Whether we are trying to be a better leader, team member, or individual performer “be yourself” is a common piece of advice these days. This can be good advice if one is trying too hard to do or be something that they are

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