Article

Intentional Respect

"Most organizations fail to intentionally balance the technical tools side with the social side of Lean," writes Mike Orzen. "People say, 'We respect our people.…

by Mike Orzen

Article

Lean Transformation? Not Buying It

Companies often describe their transformation efforts in terms of an end-state: focusing on targeted results. They see transformation as a noun--a specific target or condition…

by Mike Orzen

Article

Put Your Strategy on a Diet

"When it comes to goal setting in most organizations, 'Just one more…' seems to be the compulsion," writes Pascal Dennis. Read why less is more…

by Pascal Dennis

Article

How Does Asking Questions Create Change?

Lean is not a sum of processes to acquire and apply which then will make things magically work better. It’s a set of techniques to…

by Michael Ballé and Tracey Richardson

Article

Adopt or Adapt? When Modifying Lean Makes Sense

One of the key decisions every lean coach, consultant, practitioner, and leader makes is when to fully adopt a particular lean practice or when to…

by Karen Martin

Article

Closer Collaboration for a Leaner Planet

Roberto Priolo, editor of Planet Lean, makes the case for lean learning and collaboration across the globe.

by Roberto Priolo

Article

Why the A3 Process Involves More than Filling in Boxes

As she details how to problem-solve using the A3 methodology, a veteran lean coach explains why it's essential to understand that completing an A3 problem-solving…

by Tracey Richardson

Article

Community Communication

Lean thinking and practice is all about tackling problems – little ones, big ones, wicked ones, sticky ones, concrete ones, fuzzy ones. We tackle problems…

by John Shook

Article

Lead 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 community at large – that…

by John Shook

Article

Learning Lean - Collaboratively

John Shooks reflects on the importance of continual learning in lean practice, emphasizing the distinction between being a passive knower and an active learner.

by John Shook

Article

Homicide by Example?

My LEI colleague Dave LaHote is fond of saying that managers - and especially senior managers - overestimate their effectiveness, particularly as they seek to…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD

Article

My CEO has asked me to take a hard look at the lean program at our hospital – where should I start?

Dear Gemba Coach: I am ops director of a large hospital. We have been doing lean for several years now, with a lean office of…

by Michael Ballé

Article

How Do I Keep My Lean Team Motivated for the Long Term?

Dear Gemba Coach: My team often feels that they are alone in their improvement efforts. Even after all our work we continue to encounter resistance…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Isn’t lean just a scam to squeeze teams for more production?

Dear Gemba Coach: Lean is a scam. People like you who write about “respect” are pushing a smoke screen that allows consultants to just squeeze…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Can 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 the only thing standing in…

by Michael Ballé

Article

The Chief Cause of Problems is Solutions

"In complex organizations, we [oversimplify] problems, try to fix them as painlessly as possible, cross our fingers, and move on to the next fire," writes…

by Brent Wahba

Article

The (Real) Lean Firefighter: Bringing Lean to the Grand Rapids Fire Department

Brad Brown had no lean experience when he joined the Grand Rapids Fire Department (GRFD) in 2003. But as the Great Recession went into full…

Article

Advice from the Gemba: How Can I Change a Culture?

One of the most common questions asked by lean leaders is the question of culture change. How, they ask, can we change a firmly rooted…

by Lean Leaper

Video

Strategy Deployment at The Lean Enterprise Institute

Is your organization “chasing too many rabbits?” It’s a tendency too many companies have of annually setting more strategic objectives than they can possibly implement…

by Chet Marchwinski

Article

Lessons Shared On Learning to Lead; and Leading to Learn

In her new book, Katie Anderson argues that, "being a leader means clearly defining a challenge or target for your people. The purpose of a…

by Katie Anderson