The goal of any athlete competing in a race is to win. How much do they want to win by isn't something athletes usually think about. They are content if the smallest margin of measurement results in a win. For example, a runner wins if they finish 0.001 seconds ahead of their nearest competitor. … [Read more...] about Winning With Lean
Management as an Engineering Problem
What has been Lean's contribution to business and society over the last 35 years? Has it been great or small? And for whom? I recently read a fabulously informative and beautifully written 1992 doctoral dissertation by Carlos E. Pabon, titled: "Regulating Capitalism: The Taylor Society and … [Read more...] about Management as an Engineering Problem
History Matters
Most people who are interested in Toyota's management practice have no interest in the history of progressive management ideas and practices that preceded it. Nor is there much interest in the problems and difficulties faced by those who worked to advance progressive management prior to TPS. I find … [Read more...] about History Matters
Visceral Disdain for Lean
Why do people have an almost instinctive negative reaction to management innovations that affect their work, especially anything that might result in higher output? The negative gut reaction that workers have towards modern progressive management, ranging from suspicion to outright disdain, reduces … [Read more...] about Visceral Disdain for Lean