Article

Our hoshin plan failed. What do we do now?

Dear Gemba Coach: How do we deal with hoshin kanri when things don’t work out as planned?

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Article

Managing on Purpose Excerpt

Get a first look at Managing on Purpose, Mark Reich’s upcoming workbook on hoshin kanri. Learn how to develop strategy, align teams, and grow leaders.

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Management Brief: Managing on Purpose Introduction chapter download

Article

Just-in-Time Roundup: Great Lean Reads from Across the Web (Vol. 3)

LEI editors have gathered another five articles that either teach us something new about lean practice or show us where lean thinking is being applied…

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Article

LEI Survey Reveals Management Structures and Outcomes

Explore key insights from our recent survey, including how organizations are applying lean practices, the prevalence of management systems, and the impact on strategic execution.…

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Video

How the A3 Came to Be Toyota’s Go-To Management Process for Knowledge Work (intro by John Shook)

A3 thinking is synonymous with Toyota. Yet many often wonder how exactly this happened. Even if we know A3 thinking was created at Toyota, how…

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hands holding a paper with A3 template on it

Article

What I've Learned About Planning and Execution

By the time I founded the Lean Enterprise Institute in mid-1997, I had been thinking for years about how organizations prioritize and plan. And I…

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Article

Once More: What is Strategy Deployment, and Why Should You Care?

Strategy deployment helps keep lean practitioners focused on the prize—creating value for the customer, says Pascal Dennis in the foreword to his Getting the Right…

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Article

It 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. In this interview from the…

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Article

Lean Transformation: A Long and Winding Road

In the latest edition of The Management Brief, discover how turning points shaped a years-long lean transformation at Turner Construction. Learn practical strategies to navigate the…

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Illustration of a long, winding road weaving through vibrant, rolling hills in shades of orange and blue, creating a serene and dynamic landscape.

Article

Isao Yoshino Reflects on 40 Years at Toyota

In this edition of The Management Brief, Mark Reich sits down with Isao Yoshino, a 40-year veteran of Toyota and a driving force behind the…

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Isao Yoshino Reflects on 40 Years at Toyota with Mark Reich on WLEI

Article

Make Broccoli (Or Lean) Taste Better Through Experiments

"Whether it’s eating healthy, saving for retirement, or pursuing Lean, we are all biased towards maximizing the here and now as opposed to working towards…

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Article

Santa’s Hoshin Objectives: Driving Strategic Alignment at the North Pole

Read Santa's hoshin objectives to improve how North Pole, Inc delivers happiness to children around the globe.

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Santa Claus, a reindeer, and a cheerful elf in festive red Christmas attire stand together in a snowy wooden cabin. Behind them, a whiteboard filled with sketches, diagrams, and notes is propped up, as if they are planning something. Santa stands with his hands on his hips, smiling, while the elf enthusiastically points at the whiteboard. Wrapped Christmas presents are stacked at their feet, and snow gently falls outside the cabin window.

Faculty

Mark Reich

Mark Reich spent 23 years working for Toyota, starting in 1988 with six years in Japan in the Overseas Planning Division, where he was responsible…

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Article

Managing to Connect the Macro with the Micro

LEI Chairman and CEO John Shook explains management PDCA: improving the way we align people with process to achieve purpose, connecting macro level business objectives…

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Article

Form A Bold Strategy for Uncertain Times

Jeff Liker shares a competing values model to help you assess your strategy and focus your operational practices on flawless execution of this path.

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Article

Expanding the Purpose of Catchball

Learn how catchball, the process of colleagues tossing ideas back and forth to improve them iteratively, helps get the job done while building capability simultaneously.

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Podcast

Driving Strategic Alignment and Daily Improvement: a Conversation with GE Appliances Executive Marcia Brey

In this edition of The Management Brief, Mark Reich sits down with Marcia Brey to discuss her 30-year career with GE Appliances.

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Article

The Management Brief: Access the First Collection

Download the first issue of The Management Brief, the Lean Enterprise Institute's guide to leadership excellence.

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Webinar

The Post-COVID-19 Reboot: Safe, Smart Steps for Restarting Production

GE Appliances and Herman Miller share lessons learned on opening manufacturing operations during the Covid-19 crisis. They share how their companies with deep lean experience have responded…

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Article

Do You Practice Routine Personal Development?

Once we learn lean we often start seeing it everywhere, even in places we might least expect it. In this instance, Katie Anderson saw a…

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