Lean Roundup #60 - May, 2014

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of May, 2014.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.

Contradictions in Lean: Part Four – George Bohan explains the contradiction "supervisor as overseer vs. supervisor as leader".

The Devil on the Bus – Kevin Meyer says alignment of mission and being on the same bus does not mean that everyone must always agree.

Pick and Choose Your Lean Tools if You Want to Fail – Peter Abilla explains why Lean fails if you pick and choose tools instead of applying tools to solve problems.

Forget about the Toyota “house of quality” – Dan Markovitz shares Ritsuo Shingo advice about forgetting the Toyota “house of quality” in favor of building your own.

The Case for Kaizen Events – Karen Martin explains how to use Kaizen events responsibly and effectively.

What is the role of a sensei in your organization? Tracey Richardson defines the fundamental skills and technical knowledge that a Lean trainer needs.

The Power of Mentors – John Smith explains the role of mentors and use in organizations.

A Good Management System is Robust and Continually Improving – John Hunter says a good management system doesn’t rely on heroic efforts to save the day they are designed for success.

When Standard Work is NOT the Answer – Joe Crist explains when  and when not to use standard work during problem solving.

The Principles and Methods for Improvement are the Same in Manufacturing and Service Companies – John Hunter says while there is still plenty of room for improvement on the factory floor, in health care, software and everywhere else unfortunately, the room for improvement in the executive suite is greater.

Why Public Companies Can’t Be Lean – Bill Waddell talks about why publicly traded companies rarely realize the potential lean principles and philosophy has to offer; and why the few that do rarely sustain.

Making time for improvement – Michel Baudin discusses how to find time for improvement and making Lean initiatives successful.

No Real Lean Without a Sensei – Michael Balle explains the critical role Sensei has in Lean implementation both technically and politically.

Lean Culture in a Warehouse Operations Setting - David Sherman explains why a Lean management culture bridges a critical divide: the gap between lean tools and lean thinking.

The Four Levels of Visual Management & Part 2 - Pascal Dennis explains the four levels of visual management in the order of increasing power.

How Long Does it Take to Form a Habit? – Al Norval talks about Lean behaviors becoming habit.

Is History Repeating Itself? – Bob Emiliani reviews the history of Lean and asks if Lean has reached it’s peak.

Kaizen is Usually a Team Sport – Mark Graban says we all have a role to play in Kaizen and that is why it is more effective as a team sport.

The root of all evil – Bill Waddell discusses why functional silos are the root of enormous amounts of wasted time and money and they are at the root of most lousy cultures.