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Many processes are linear. They occur with defined steps in a defined order. You would traditionally improve a linear process utilizing a process map, or value stream map, to map out the flow and then start taking the waste out. Quite a bit of continuous improvement has been achieved in

A brief message for those who have the opportunity to work on self-improvement during the COVID19 distancing measures. I will be working on a video course on strategic thinking. What questions do you have about strategic thinking, business model canvas, etc.? I will use those questions to help shape my

I stumbled upon something I wrote 18 years ago, and I thought it was relevant for current times. I wrote it on behalf of an equipment manufacturer who was marketing to manufacturing companies. Manufacturing, in particular, was in deep recession and times were tough. Today, some of your lives are

The language and names that we select and use matter. They help add context or perspective to the object or task and can affect the accessibility of ideas and connection between ideas. For example, when Starbucks started scaling, they used different words for drink sizes, from Tall to Grande to

Many companies are responding appropriately to the COVID19 pandemic, restricting travel and reducing large groups. This means lean conferences and training are mostly canceled, even those which didn’t involve travel. But that doesn’t mean that lean learning has to, or should, stop. With that I mind, I am making the

Coronavirus, Supply Chains, and JIT In Episode 14 of Lean Whiskey, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh finish off another weekend by catching up, drinking whiskey, and talking shop. In whiskey, we explore the idea of adding water to your whiskey. Rather than take the tradition as fact, the lean thinker

I have spent as much time on lean product development as I have on any other area over the past 10 years.  That’s largely because, for most companies, manufacturing products a little faster or cheaper is nothing compared to the overall business results delivered through a stronger product-development engine. I’ll

This article was originally was published in the Lean Mag   There are many valuable books and knowledgeable speakers who offer informed opinions about what is needed to make a lean journey successful. Trust, or a culture of trust, will often make that list. But how much does trust matter?

In Episode 13 of Lean Whiskey, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh reconnect in their first joint episode this year, after a couple of weeks of guest hosts. Our last episode together was filled with Grinches, gremlins, and glitches, so it was nice to both be in a proper recording location

In this episode, I reveal a coaching phrase that has helped me lead teams to the most effective outcomes in all pursuits. The phrase is “it’s more important to be effective than right.” Use this phrase to unlock your team’s learning, collaboration, and creativity no matter what the project is.