Whether I am speaking about lean to an audience of one or 100, if the conversation goes on long enough the question inevitably arises: “What’s next for lean?” I always manage an answer, typically tying it to the theme of the discussion, speech, or intended teaching but never quite giving the same answer. Is this because “what’s next” keeps changing? Did the last “next” thing already happen between speaking opportunities? Or am I just inconsistent? There may be truth to all three, but on deeper reflection I must admit that my answers have sometime been a bit flippant. I don’t think this one is an important question, and in some cases my answers have been designed to shock people into this realization.

What is the future of lean? Here are a few of my past favorite answers to this question:

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