Visual Controls, Spider-Man, and Do Hotel Chains Care About the Planet?Visuals should be more than silly eye candy
Fri, 09/07/2012 - 10:18
In many ways, visual controls are a 24/7 mirror of leadership’s competency and credibility. That’s pretty scary if you think about it. It’s like voluntarily living in a fishbowl, not that everyone truly understands the gravity of that.
It reminds… Lean and Free WillWe must respect each person’s free will while doing our level best to teach them
Wed, 08/29/2012 - 11:07
To borrow a phrase that was borrowed by Pope Benedict XVI for his (in)famous 2006 Regensburg lecture, “There is no compulsion in lean.” OK, the pontiff didn’t really use the word “lean” (rather, it was “religion”), but the underlying sentiment is… Why Do You Ask?A lean leader’s role is to teach and learn—not fix
Mon, 07/02/2012 - 12:03
The question, “Why do you ask?” is typically posed in response to an inquiry that is deemed a bit nosey. It’s actually more of a statement... along the lines of, “Mind your own business!”
But for the purpose of this article, it really is a question… Simplistic Ain’t LeanIt’s unrealistic, nonlean thinking
Wed, 04/25/2012 - 13:15
Leonardo da Vinci’s comment, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” could easily serve as a lean tag line.
Surely, lean tools, like standard work, visual controls, and mistake proofing devices, are only truly effective if they are easily… Reading BackwardsProofreading causal relationships
Tue, 04/10/2012 - 11:59
Problem-solving tools are powerful things. But not so powerful that they are immune to human error. Few things are.
Analogously, this is one reason why our school teachers strongly encouraged proofreading. You know—critically reading what you just… Lean ListeningLean leaders facilitate and demand accountability
Mon, 04/02/2012 - 09:42
Lean transformations might be easier if we possessed some measure of the sixth sense—extrasensory perception (ESP).
Sort of like in the 1999 psychological thriller film, The Sixth Sense, we might be inclined to whisper repeatedly that, “We see… ROWE vs. Lean: My Two CentsCan the Results-Only Work Environment follow the operational excellence path?
Wed, 03/07/2012 - 10:46
Recently, fellow-blogger David Kasprzak, introduced me to the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) strategy. ROWE, created at Best Buy’s Minneapolis headquarters, espouses a philosophy under which employees can work where they want, when they want,… Standard Work Is Like Food: Taste Before SeasoningHow long should standard work processes remain before improving them?
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 13:01
During a recent trip to the great state of Texas, I heard some down-home wisdom: “Before you season your food, why don’t you taste it first?” The person who uttered that question was not talking about food. Rather, he was challenging someone who was… Unexpected Snow and Two Lean LessonsHow nature keeps things relevant
Tue, 11/22/2011 - 14:06
During the first winter storm this year in the Northeast, I found myself, along with hundreds of thousands of folks in the area, without power for the better part of a week. It was a long wait before the lights came on… and the heat.
Heck,… Lean Decay Rate How long does a lean reversion take?
Thu, 11/03/2011 - 10:24
I’m certainly no physicist, but I think there’s a worthy analogy between the decay of radioisotopes and lean behavior within an organization.
According to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ webpage on Radiation Emergency Medical…
