Lean Archives | Page 23 of 68

Give People a Sense of Certainty Through New Routines

By Steve Kane - March 27th, 2020

The Power of Routine So much of our daily activity is performing routines, even though we may not be aware of it. Getting out bed and ready for work; picking up the phone, wallet, and keys on the way out the door; stopping for coffee;

GA 312 | Practicing Kata in Secret with Tracy Defoe

By Jessica Bush - March 26th, 2020

This week’s guest is Tracy Defoe. Ron and Tracy discussed why people practice Toyota Kata and continuous improvement in secret, and why it’s problematic. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. I

Respect and Gratitude to the Base of the Pyramid

By Jon Miller - March 23rd, 2020

One of the most important geometric shapes in lean management is the inverted triangle. Pyramids are commonly used to represent an organization chart. The boss is at the tip of the pyramid, with senior leaders immediately below, and th

GA 311A | COVID-19 Q&A with Mark Graban, Dr. Greg Jacobson, and Dr. Mason Mileur

By Jessica Bush - March 20th, 2020

Today we’re releasing a special episode on the COVID-19 virus. Mark Graban, Dr. Greg Jacobson, and Dr. Mason Mileur recorded a webinar answering some commonly asked questions about this global pandemic, and what we can do to stay

GA 311 | The Lean Construction Movement with Hal Macomber

By Jessica Bush - March 19th, 2020

This week’s guest is Hal Macomber. Ron and Hal discussed the lean construction movement, the Last Planner System, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:

What is Exponential Growth and Why Should You Care?

By Ron Pereira - March 16th, 2020

Like many companies my dentist recently sent out an email outlining the steps they’re taking to keep their patients safe. And while it was a “normal” COVID-19 related email there was one line that really struck me.�

The Unexpected Benefit of Cancelling Everything

By Jon Miller - March 16th, 2020

In the past week an unprecedented wave of closures, cancellations, and restrictions on the movement of people has passed over the world. No doubt there is more to come in the following days as local and national authorities work to con

GA 310 | The Role of Motivation in Continuous Improvement with Brad Miller

By Jessica Bush - March 12th, 2020

This week’s guest is Brad Miller. Ron and Brad discussed how motivation factors into continuous improvement, and a modern motivation framework that could be useful to managers. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for

Five Reasons Why It’s Hard to Stay Lean

By Jon Miller - March 9th, 2020

Many organizations find that they don’t always sustain the gain they make from continuous improvement activity. Over the long-term, this is one of the greatest challenges to keeping management committed to building a Lean culture

Deepening the Lessons of Crisis

By Kevin Meyer - March 6th, 2020

I’m sure all of us are paying close attention to the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and thinking about how it has and will affect our families, organizations, and society. It’s too soon to say whether this will

GA 309 | Lean and Self-Development with Pete Kuehn

By Jessica Bush - March 5th, 2020

This week’s guest is Pete Kuehn. Ron and Pete discussed Pete’s lean journey, including the effect lean has had on his personal life. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you

One Point Lesson: How to Wash Your Hands

By Jon Miller - March 2nd, 2020

This is a public service announcement with a touch of Lean learning. One of the best ways to avoid infection from the novel corona virus known as COVID-19 is to wash our hands. Should we be exposed to the virus, proper hand-washing can

The Difference Between Naive, Purposeful, and Deliberate Practice

By Ron Pereira - February 28th, 2020

In 2008, Malcolm Gladwell popularized what many refer to as the “10,000 hour” rule in the book Outliers. Gladwell explained that in order to master a particular skill a person would need to practice that skill for approxi

GA 308 | Lessons Learned at Toyota with Andy Reith

By Jessica Bush - February 27th, 2020

This week’s guest is Andy Reith. Ron and Andy discussed working at Toyota, the challenges small businesses face, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:

Productivity, the Three-day Weekend the Future of Work

By Jon Miller - February 24th, 2020

An interesting news feature on NPR reported on a company called Perpetual Guardian which launched successful 4-day work week program for their employees. People are paid their full five-day wage, as long as they get their work done in

GA 307 | The Role of Automation and AI in Continuous Improvement with Lauren Hisey

By Jessica Bush - February 20th, 2020

This week’s guest is Lauren Hisey. Ron and Lauren talked all about automation and artificial intelligence, what the future holds as far as continuous improvement goes, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available fo

How Mindfulness Practices Enable Lean Culture

By Jon Miller - February 17th, 2020

The popularity of mindfulness has spread beyond self-help and personal wellness. Many organizations in fields such as business, healthcare and government are providing their leaders with mindfulness education and practices. The claimed

Medical interns at hospital with patient

Leverage Learning Environments to Create Customer Value

By Kevin Meyer - February 14th, 2020

A couple weeks ago a consultant friend of mine, who coincidentally focuses his practice on lean in healthcare, was complaining about issues with his healthcare providers. It’s a story we hear often – doctors running late,

GA 306 | Practicing Kindness with Karyn Ross

By Jessica Bush - February 13th, 2020

This week’s guest is Karyn Ross. Ron and Karyn talked all about practicing kindness, why it’s important, and how it’s relevant to continuous improvement. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download h

What are the “Respect for Humanity” Questions?

By Jon Miller - February 10th, 2020

Lean management aims to make work easier, safer, better, faster and cheaper. The first two centuries of continuous improvement focused on invention, tinkering, and innovation in machinery and materials. With the growth of the service s

Can a Humidifier Help You Sleep Better and Snore Less?

By Ron Pereira - February 7th, 2020

They say good leaders are willing to be vulnerable and share things they may not want to…even things they’re slightly embarrassed to admit. Well, I’m about to test that theory by sharing something most people don

GA 305 | Building Trust and Leveraging Conflict with Robb Holman

By Jessica Bush - February 6th, 2020

This week’s guest is Robb Holman. Ron and Rob discussed the importance of building trust in the workplace, the concept of Inside Out Leadership, and why conflict can be a powerful tool. A MP3 audio version of this episode is av

When an Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Billion Pounds of Global GDP

By Jon Miller - February 3rd, 2020

This simple chart gets to the heart how Lean processes, systems and behaviors keep costs low. In brief, the earlier we detect and address problems, the less it costs. This is a broad, common sense principle. It applies to safety incide

GA 304 | The Different Approaches to Training Leaders with Brent Weichers

By Jessica Bush - January 30th, 2020

This week’s guest is Brent Weichers of The Lighthouse for the Blind. Ron and Brent discussed the various approaches to training leaders, including the different hard and soft skills involved. A MP3 audio version of this episode i

How Lean Deployment Is Like Working with Two-Part Epoxy

By Jon Miller - January 27th, 2020

This weekend while working on a particularly challenging home repair project I had the opportunity to work with a two-part epoxy. These are adhesives that create very strong bonds that hold up in many environments and conditions. But

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