Utilizing the 4Cs of Trust In Uncertain Times
People need to be able to rely on trust now more than ever. Are the actions you’re currently taking building trust with your internal and external customers? In this video I’ll share how to use the 4Cs: Demonstration of Care, Communication, Competence, and Consistency to help build trust in these
Read MoreAdvice during COVID19 for Internal Lean Resources
During the past couple of weeks, I’ve had numerous conversations with internal lean resources with all sorts of titles, struggling with how to support lean during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Some are shut down, others are on work from home restrictions. Some companies are at full tilt, supporting the crisis
Read MoreLean Whiskey Episode #15
In a special live-to-YouTube Episode 15 of Lean Whiskey, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh begin their week by catching up, drinking whiskey, and talking shop. This episode was an experiment both in video recording the episode and in streaming it live to get viewer participation and questions. We didn’t have
Read MoreDo you know what problem you’re working on right now?
In this (somewhat dated) interview with Professor Nelson Repenning, he explores that question. Nelson was a first-year professor at MIT when I was there and was one of my favorites, teaching systems dynamics. He suggests “leaders who can formulate clear problem statements get more done with less effort and move
Read MoreWorking at the speed of collaboration and coordination
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
Read MoreWhat questions do you have about strategic thinking?
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
Read MorePerspectives and Reflection in Hard Times
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
Read MoreComplimentary Access to Lean Learning Platform (JFlinch Learning Lab)
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
Read MoreLean Whiskey Episode #14
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
Read MoreA Few Nuggets on Lean Product Development
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
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