Lean Roundup #69 – February, 2015

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of February, 2015.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.

Knowledge, Personality, and Persuasive Power – John Hunter says these traits provide an understanding how to influence your organization.

The Economic Benefits of Lean – Bob Emiliani explains that Lean is not for cost cutting like many think but rather if done properly can lead to financial success.

LEAN THINKING IN 10 WORDS – Mark Rosenthal shares 3 phrases (10 words) that frame the foundation of improvement.

6 Ways To Help Eliminate Unscheduled Downtime – Brad Poulter shares 6 ways to prevent unscheduled equipment downtime.

One Man’s Lean Journey: Driving Employee Engagment Through Standardized Work Creation – Matt Wrye says standardized work is the foundation of employee engagement.

Kaizen Only Goes So Far - Martin Boersema says Lean is a two-pronged fork. Use kaizen to get immediate results and engage your employees. Use Hoshin Kanri and lean management to get even closer to True North!

What does it take to become Lean? - Vivienne Fagrell shares a story of continuous improvement that illustrates the Lean journey.

Applying Lean Principles to Warehouse Management – Jeff Maree shares 5 tips to apply Lean thinking to your warehouse.

Improving Management Globally – John Hunter discusses the need for global quality improvement however says far too little is being done.

Valuing the small improvement – Jamie Flinchbaugh explains why small improvements matter.

The Lean Coaching Script – Greg Stocker shares 4 key points that can be used to reinforce Lean thinking.

Defining “Respect for People” – Bob Emiliani defines the Lean principle respect for people beyond just employees and continuously evolving over time.

Reprise - What is a Team? – Pascal Dennis defines what a team is and how best they operate.

Just Own It – Kevin Meyer says don’t just do Lean rather to be successful you must own it.

Guest Post: The Kaizen / Kata Nexus – Michael Lombard explains that Kaizen is reinforced by Kata and that Kata is enabled by Kaizen.

Cartoon: The Workplace “Brain Check Station” – Mark Graban says Kaizen is not about checking your brain at the door, it requires the right leadership, the right culture, and the right environment.