Burning PlatformNext stop, <em>The Twilight Zone</em>
Mon, 10/05/2015 - 17:12
A favorite Twilight Zone episode that played during Labor Day weekend put me in mind of the stressful “push production” environment that many organizations still endure today.
In a technical sense, push production refers to launching orders into… Putting the Pieces TogetherWe need to look at the whole pie
Tue, 08/11/2015 - 14:19
Summer is here and that means a family vacation to the beach, the boardwalk, and the Hamilton’s favorite pizza place. We all agree that Manco’s pizza is the best anywhere, but we differ on the reason why.
My brother, Geoff, thinks it’s the cheese—… Up, Back, and AroundLearn to trust everyone on your team
Mon, 07/20/2015 - 13:35
Watching the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team take the World Cup on July 5, 2015, caused me to reminisce about my short-term coaching stint of a U12 soccer team.
Before becoming a coach, I hadn’t played soccer or even watched a game, but there… Precisely WrongRemembering Eli Goldratt
Tue, 07/07/2015 - 12:03
June 11, 2015, marked the fourth anniversary of the passing of someone who, although not typically credited as a “lean” thinker, nevertheless had a profound effect on many lean implementers. Eliyahu Goldratt, or Eli, was an Israeli physicist whose… Shigeo Shingo’s P-D RatioIf ‘frenetic’ describes your work atmosphere, take the higher path to just-in-time production
Mon, 06/08/2015 - 14:37
The last few weeks for me have been all things Shingo, including a presentation at the Shingo Institute’s International Conference three weeks ago in Provo, Utah, followed by four days of Shingo Institute workshops at Vibco in Richmond, RI.… Senior MomentsDuring a <em>gemba</em> walk, a manager’s impact can be expressed in seconds
Wed, 05/20/2015 - 14:21
I was speaking last week with, Jen, a senior manager at a large manufacturer, and she commented to me, “I know it’s important for me to get to the floor, but the time involved for me and my staff to regularly visit two dozen different departments… Unreasonableness<em> Muri</em> happens when the team hears conflicting directions from infallible authorities
Tue, 04/21/2015 - 11:59
Sometimes we receive unreasonable and confusing directions, and sometimes we give them.
As in the short video clip below, even if the systems behind this confusion are sound and the motivations reasonable, when you put them together they can… The Emperor’s New Huddle BoardsTop managers must clothe themselves in honesty
Mon, 03/30/2015 - 17:00
After a one-day observation at a local company, I participated in a wrap-up meeting with the general manager and his team.
“We’ve been at this for five years,” the general manager said to me, proudly referring to his division’s lean implementation… Musical KataWe can make beautiful music together with the right mind-set
Wed, 03/04/2015 - 11:39
I sang baritone and sometimes tenor in the St. John’s Lutheran Church choir, according to the key of the hymn we were rehearsing and also depending upon who showed up for rehearsal. There were no tryouts for our choir; willingness to sing on Sunday… Artificial IgnoranceIs automation the tail wagging the dog?
Mon, 02/09/2015 - 12:47
For a few years—back in the early ‘80s—I fell prey to information automation fascination. I managed an IT department transitioning from a basic accounting system managed by an external service bureau to a batch inventory-control system to an order-…
