What NOT to Learn from the Undercover Boss
I don’t know if the show will last, but the Undercover Boss certainly has an interesting premise. Leaders of organizations go undercover in their own organizations to do front-line jobs, learning what is really going on. This is a great idea, and one consistent with lean where we talk about
Read MoreReflect, Don’t Dwell
Most organizations don’t spend time in reflection. It seems wasteful. But it’s vitally important in an organization trying to make progress. Without learning, courses aren’t corrected and lessons aren’t internalized. A favorite quote of mine by Soren Kierkegaard speaks to this point: “Life can only be understood backwards, but it
Read More25 Problems..or how to focus on the right systems
This month I have a featured article in Kevin Meyer’s Superfactory Newsletter. I’ve been a subscriber for many years, and Kevin does a great job. My contribution is titled 25 Problems..or how to focus on the right systems. I hope you’ll give a read, and sign up for the Superfactory
Read MoreTo lean, or not to lean?
Should you start lean in a difficult period such as this? But shouldn’t I wait things out? Shouldn’t I take it slow? Or keep my head down? No. I think this is a great time for companies to be focused on a lean journey. Here are my reasons. Companies will
Read MoreMy Most Successful Failure
First, let me state that I don’t celebrate failure. But I do, as I wrote about last week in Fail, Learn, Lead, celebrate the learning that comes from failure. Blogger Jason Markow started the idea of #FAILweek with the idea that people can share their failures, their lessons from failures,
Read MoreLeading Lean: Salvage Your Waste
I have a new post published on Assembly Magazine. See the full article on that site. A great lean thinker has a lens for value…. Continue reading….
Read MoreDoing More with Less
What’s your definition of lean? There are many. Personally, I think you shouldn’t focus too much energy on developing definitions. Perhaps the most common definition however is “doing more with less.” It’s cute, short, and to the point. It’s says a lot, but still leaves a little to the imagination.
Read MoreMeasurement Misnomers, and Toyota Dealership Problems
On our LinkedIn Group we get many good discussions and questions. We had one from Roger Cook that I thought was worth repeating and expanding upon. Here is the question: I’m curious if any of you have foolproof ways of insuring your metrics (which lean folks are famous for measuring
Read MoreGo ahead, play musical chairs
How often do you sit in a different seat at the dinner table? A regular meeting? A plane? When I travel, often starting on a regional jet, I’m usually in seat 1B. Not 1A, or 2B, but in 1B. It’s where I’m comfortable. Of course, my objective is to be
Read MoreBloggers Friday Follows: Eric Ries
If you’re on Twitter, you know of the tradition of the Friday Follow where you share who you follow so that others might benefit in the same way. I think the same think should apply to blogging. So I occasionally post a Bloggers Friday Follows of interesting bloggers that I
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