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Thirsty Horses and a Call for Meta-Advice

By Jon Miller - April 27th, 2015

Some of the process-related questions leaders ask during their interaction with front line workers include variations on “What is the standard?” and “What is the actual process?” and upon finding a gap “Why is there a gap?�

Heroin, Ice Cream and Candy Bars

By Jon Miller - April 20th, 2015

One of the many criticisms of the kaizen event approach to implementing lean is its insistence on delivering results in the form of visible changes within the 3-day to 5-day format. When proper preparation has been done and the kaizen

Showered With Creativity

By Steve Kane - April 17th, 2015

By Steve Kane I spent the this week working from the Gemba Academy studios in Fort Worth, Texas. During my visit the subject of overburdening came up a couple of times:once in discussion with Gemba Academy’s business developmen

Leading Lean, Like Pioneers or Privateers?

By Jon Miller - April 13th, 2015

Several recent conversations with a few seasoned lean thinkers, authors and experts have made me aware of an emerging belief among them that the corporate “lean initiative” or “lean implementation” or “l

Find the Other Stories

By Kevin Meyer - April 10th, 2015

By Kevin Meyer I recently came across the following TED Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie where she talks about the “danger of a single story.” From growing up as a kid in Nigeria to studying in the United States and into

Towards a Culture Free of Fear, Embrace Surprise

By Jon Miller - April 6th, 2015

As a founding father of lean management, Taiichi Ohno believed that the enlightened leader is quick to admit being wrong. He said, “If you are wrong, admit it!” and further went on to speculate that even the wisest of us are wrong

Finding Our Own Way

By Ron Pereira - April 3rd, 2015

By Ron Pereira “I invented nothing new. I simply assembled the discoveries of other men behind whom where centuries of work.” -Henry Ford My colleague, Steve, recently experienced a rotten customer service situation with

How to Be Lean

By Jon Miller - March 30th, 2015

By Jon Miller Most people who come to Gemba Academy are looking for answers to three basic types of questions. The first is the technical question, relating to the practical details, formulas, calculations, shortcuts, dos and don’

Lean Leadership Lessons from William T. Sherman

By Jon Miller - March 26th, 2015

By Jon Miller I just finished reading a book about the Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman, titled Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman, by Robert O’Connell. I recommend it heartily for fans of milita

The Value of Less

By Steve Kane - March 24th, 2015

The Wall Street Journal recently reported Porsche is limiting production despite an increase in demand for its vehicles. Without going into too much detail on the article, the idea is that the brand should remain exclusive in order

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