Books on lean management and the Toyota Production System are too often presented as if this system has been a virtual heaven of production efficiency and worker satisfaction. In the author’s enthusiasm, questions about...
Read MoreThe behavior of Congress and getting to the edge of the cliff is no mystery. It is a phenomena well known to freshman college students and every mouse or pigeon subjected to behavioral psychology research.
Read MoreThe primary task of a manager is to think. The future success of the organization is dependent upon his or her ability to think clearly, critically, and creatively.
The greatest enemy of continuous improvement is arrogance, particularly on the part of leaders, and the opposite quality of humility is a requirement of learning and improvement.
In my previous post I introduced the idea that there are “big thoughts,” or over-arching cultural principles that are essential to creating a genuinely lean culture. I suggested that the principle of Unity was the first. The second is what I will call the principles of Empiricism and Humility.
Read MoreIs “Lean” a change methodology or an end-state, where we are going, or how we are getting there. Many lean implementations fail due to a failure to appreciate effective change methodologies. Whole-system architecture is a “macro-lean” change methodology.
Read MoreA few impressions of Russia and Russian managers after a week in St. Petersburg teaching Lean Culture and Continuous Improvement.
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