It's not so much the word "Lean" that is the problem. It is the word "thinking" that is the problem. "Thinking" is a chronic problem among non-Lean people, but it includes Lean people as well. We cannot or do not want to think. Or we think we think, but we do not think. On top of that is a … [Read more...] about The Problem with Lean Thinking
Psychological Safety and Lean
Psychological safety has recently become a subject of interest in the Lean community (see here, here, and here). In her book The Fearless Organization, Professor Amy Edmondson defines psychological safety as: "...the belief that the work environment is safe for interpersonal risk taking. The concept … [Read more...] about Psychological Safety and Lean
Waste is a Feature, Not a Bug
In classical management, waste is a feature, not a bug. It is only within the very narrow realm of Toyota's management system and Lean management that waste is bug. This sets up a cognitive dissonance that Lean people have difficulty resolving. It comes from the inability to resolve the distinction … [Read more...] about Waste is a Feature, Not a Bug
Lean Can’t Fail!
What is the future of Lean management when some of its leading proponents construct an alternate reality in which Lean transformation processes are claimed to be fail-safe? Perhaps Lean is unlike anything else in existence, given to us fully formed by its creator, and, in some magical or occult way, … [Read more...] about Lean Can’t Fail!
Lean Graft Incompatibility
Here is a practical way to understand how Lean management usually fails to take hold in brownfield organizations that have for years been governed by classical management thinking and practice. Grafting is a horticultural technique whereby two plants are joined together to allow the graft to grow … [Read more...] about Lean Graft Incompatibility
System T and Lean
The two major forms of progressive management practice that emerged over last 100-plus years both struggled to survive. Why does today's form of progressive management, Lean management -- something with proven benefits and so much potential to do good for humanity -- struggle to survive against the … [Read more...] about System T and Lean
The Bad Boy of Lean
"A real irony is that ‘respect for people’ requires that people feel the pain of critical feedback." — Akio Toyoda Yes, that's me; the Bad Boy of Lean, el chico malo de Lean. I am an irritant to some Lean movement leaders because I freely challenge their work. As a result, I have a bad … [Read more...] about The Bad Boy of Lean
The Shingo Experiment
In early January 2019, I decided to conduct an experiment to test if a great advocate of human and technical progress is just that, or if it is more comfortable with the status quo. My new book, The Triumph of Classical Management Over Lean Management: How Tradition Prevails and What to Do About It, … [Read more...] about The Shingo Experiment
Where Scientific Thinking Lives and Dies
For many years now, there has been a great emphasis in the Lean movement on the development of problem-solving skills. Specifically, teaching people how to think scientifically through the use of PDCA, kata, coaching, etc. Typically, the target audience for training in scientific thinking is … [Read more...] about Where Scientific Thinking Lives and Dies