Lawrence M. Miller, Author at Management Meditations

Sustainability and Change Management

Posted by Lawrence M. Miller | Aug 7, 2013 | Corporate Culture, Lean Culture, Lean Management, Lean Manufacturing, Toyota Production System | 0

Many leaders worry that their lean implementation efforts are not sustainable and they are too often right! Twenty years ago I worked with the Merck Cherokee Pharmaceuticals plant to design a team based organization. It has sustained over the past twenty years. Of course, it has been modified and evolved. But it has sustained. I know of dozens of cases of significant and positive change that have been sustained. I also know of dozens of cases in which they have not been sustained. The reasons are not complicated.

Leadership Legitimacy: Nelson Mandela and Mohamed Morsi

Posted by Lawrence M. Miller | Jul 3, 2013 | Corporate Culture, Leadership, Organizational Behavior Management | 7

If one is in pursuit of the role of leadership one would do well to study the lessons of both Nelson Mandela and President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt. Both participated as outsiders seeking a revolution against dictatorial and oppressive rule. Both witnessed the success of the revolutions they advocated and both came to power to face the challenges of internal division and the need to build a new and democratic culture. There the similarities end and in the difference there are significant lessons for leaders of all organizations.

Invisible Waste – Removing Friction from the Lean System

Posted by Lawrence M. Miller | Jun 24, 2013 | Corporate Culture, Leadership, Lean Culture, Lean Health Care, Lean Management, Lean Manufacturing, Organization Design and Process Improvement, Organizational Behavior Management, Toyota Production System, Whole-System Architecture | 0

There are two words that are keys to eliminating invisible waste in organizations. These are adaptation and alignment. The failure of organizations to adapt to the dynamics of the external landscape and the failure to align internal systems and behavior both result in wasted energy. They both cause friction, friction between the organization and the environment and friction between members of the organization. Whether it is in a mechanical system or in a human system, friction is wasted energy. Too many leaders and change agents fail to address this form of waste.

Transformational Change vs. Continuous Improvement

Posted by Lawrence M. Miller | May 15, 2013 | Corporate Culture, Lean Culture, Lean Management, Organization Design and Process Improvement, Socio-technical systems, Toyota Production System, Whole-System Architecture | 5

(The following was published yesterday in Industry Weeks Continuous Improvement Newsletter.) It may sound like sacrilege to hear someone say that continuous improvement may not always be the right answer. Of course, it is the...

“Respect for People” and “The Design of the System”

Posted by Lawrence M. Miller | May 10, 2013 | Corporate Culture, Lean Culture, Lean Management, Lean Manufacturing, Organization Design and Process Improvement, Organizational Behavior Management, Socio-technical systems, Toyota Production System | 13

Michel Baudin, a fellow blogger and author, posted a video link of a panel discussion that included Jeffrey Liker (The Toyota Way, Toyota Leadership) in which British consultant John Seddon makes the comment that “This respect for people stuff is horse shit.” Seddon argues that what leads to improvement is the system and not an intervention to respect or deal better with the people. Respect for people is the result, not only of personal patterns of communication, but also the result of the nature of the system.

Author: Lawrence M. Miller

Sustainability and Change Management

Leadership Legitimacy: Nelson Mandela and Mohamed Morsi

Invisible Waste – Removing Friction from the Lean System

Transformational Change vs. Continuous Improvement

“Respect for People” and “The Design of the System”

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