Lessons from the Road

Beyond the Lean Initiative [Lessons from the Road]

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 04-08-15

Through my IndustryWeek column, Lessons from the Road, I’ve been exploring some of the issues associated with the ongoing maturing of a lean journey. In this installment, Beyond the Lean Initiative, I explore issues with making lean an integral part of the organization. It can no longer be an initiative.

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Losing Control of Your Lean Journey [Lessons from the Road]

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 02-11-15

Do you feel a little out of control of your lean journey? Good. The lean journey is not one that can be so self-contained that one person or team can keep their arms around it. If they can, it either hasn’t reached that important transitional point, or you are choking

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Building a Strong Lean Foundation [Lessons from the Road]

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 11-30-14

Organizational transformation is a tricky challenge. Many, if not most, of the questions I received have to do with how to transform an organization. And a small organization is just as challenging as a large organization, but for different reasons. In the last installment of Lessons from the Road, I

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The Lean Starting Line [Lessons from the Road]

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 10-02-14

It’s time for another installment of Lessons from the Road, my column for IndustryWeek. In the next few installments, I will talk about the lean roadmap, or how to handle the change management of the lean journey. This month, I am talking about the beginning of the journey, The Lean

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Using Observation Systematically [Lessons from the Road]

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 08-13-14

I’ve written about observation many times before, but in my latest IndustryWeek Lessons from the Road column, I address how to use the different levels of observation and make better decisions about observation. Here is an excerpt from Using Observation Systematically: There are four distinct levels of observation, each with

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Role Modeling for Change [Lessons from the Road]

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 06-08-14

My last two Lessons from the Road columns [Building Behaviors Bedrock of Lean Success and Build a Deliberate Culture, Not an Accidental One] focused on the tactics and strategies of culture change, which is crucial for a successful lean journey. One of those tactics is to role model the right

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Building Behaviors Bedrock of Lean Success [Lessons from the Road]

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 02-13-14

For my latest column, I set out to write about culture change. I barely got through the introduction and realized I’m already out of room. Such is the restriction of a 1-page column. So, the introduction became the column. You can read the latest installment of Lessons from the Road,

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3 Rules for Equipment Excellence [Lessons from the Road]

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 12-08-13

My latest IndustryWeek column shares some thoughts on equipment excellence, more from a strategic perspective than simply how to fine tune what you have. Here is the beginning of one of my 3 points on equipment assets: 1. Be frugal on features. I saw a recent mock advertisement for Apple

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Get the Most from Your Assessments [Lessons from the Road]

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 10-10-13

I have performed a lot of assessments over the years. If done right, they’re actually quite exhausting. You’re trying to absorb everything you are hearing, seeing, not seeing, while trying to follow a process, draw conclusions, and generate next questions. But when done well, and received openly, they can provide

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4 Keys to Making Innovation a Capability [Lessons from the Road]

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 07-31-13

Is innovation born or built? I don’t know the answer as it applies to people. But as it applies to organizations, it’s built. My latest IndustryWeek Lessons from the Road column, titled Making Innovation a Capability, focuses on building an innovative organization. There are key lean skills and mindset that

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