Article

How can I help middle managers handle contradictory instructions from top management?

Dear Gemba Coach: As a lean coach, how can I help middle-managers who are faced with contradictory instructions from top management?

by Michael Ballé

Article

Warning: What You Call Kaizen May Really Be Rework

If you begin your lean management transformation on the shop floor, you run the risk of having to rework processes and products that should have…

by Chet Marchwinski and James Morgan, PhD

Article

What is Lean Management?

If lean thinking means a different approach to business, then it must also imply a different approach to managing by the people striving to operate…

by John Shook

Article

Ask Art: Why Is Something As Simple As Lean So Difficult to Do?

"Recently my good friend Paul Akers of FastCap and lean blogging fame asked me why lean, which appears to be so simple, ends up being…

by Art Byrne

Article

What Too Many Leaders Get Wrong with Coaching Kata

Think you can dive headfirst into Coaching Kata with your direct reports? Think again.

by Beth Carrington

Article

Are You Prioritizing Efficiency Over Value?

A major element of lean is efficiency, but it's certainly not the ONLY element. While it may seem logical that customers value efficiency, an overreliance…

by Cameron Ford

Video

Autonomous Car Beta Version, Anyone? A Q&A with Jim Womack on Disruptive Innovation

What may be ahead for carmakers, product developers, and the lean management movement in a disrupted world is the subject of this Q&A with management…

by James (Jim) Womack, PhD and Chet Marchwinski

Article

The Next Frontier: Lean Government

On a recent trip to Saskatchewan Dan Jones went looking for a Canadian healthcare example but in the process he stumbled upon what he believes…

by Dan Jones

Article

Uncovering Lean’s Soul

Dr. John Ehrenfeld argues that lean as a different way of being is still woefully undervalued in lean transformations today. Here is his take on…

Article

Levelled Production: Where to Start

"A fixed repeating pattern in production that involves more frequent short runs seems ridiculous and impossible to achieve," writes Ian Glenday. In his latest piece…

by Ian Glenday

Article

Active Caring

Caring about others, caring about quality, caring about professionalism. When you care, continuous improvement and action come naturally. Turner Construction CEO Peter Davoren says that…

by Jim Benson

Article

Even Visual Management Starts from Need

Have you ever implement a visual management tool at your gemba after seeing it used successfully somewhere else? If so, according to Mark Hamel, you…

by Mark Hamel

Article

Yes, Lean is About Cost Reduction

Why focus on cost reduction? Because many of the cost-saving kaizens of are simpler and require less engineering resources, and this type of kaizen motivates…

by Mark Reich

Article

Book Value: The Mental ABC's of Pitching

"With both the All-Star Game and our Lean Coaching Summit approaching, I got to thinking about ways that non-lean books offer insights into coaching and…

by John Shook

Article

Why don't you use plain English instead of confusing Japanese terms such as “monozukuri” or “hitozukuri”?

Dear Gemba Coach: Why do you keep using confusing Japanese terms such as “monozukuri” or “hitozukuri” rather than plain English? Isn’t that what professionals do…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Want Your Organization to Survive Over the Long Haul? Value Process Over Results

"There are two ways to run your business," writes Doc Hall. "Focus on value, or focus on results... Interestingly, when you focus on value, good…

Article

Serious Games

Boaz Tamir (President of Lean Institute Israel) and lean coach Smadar Cohen Isvoranu share their reflections on a recent lean product and process development workshop…

by Boaz Tamir

Article

Using A3 Thinking to Solve Recruiting Problems: An interview with Gavin Martin

It's a shame that A3s are often thought of as being meant to solve manufacturing problems. The reality is they can be used to explore…

Article

Is Lean Getting "Fat?"

"Yes, lean has successfully spread around the world and gone from manufacturing to nearly every other type of value stream," writes Brent Wahba. But on…

by Brent Wahba

Article

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Leader Standard Work

What are some problems a lean practitioner might run into when implementing leader standard work? Ken Abbs and Scott Ullman reflect on four they experienced…

by Ken Abbs and Scott Ullman