Lean Roundup #124 – September 2019

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of September, 2019.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.

How to Be an Effective Change Leader – Jon Miller describes 4 key points that make Lean leaders more effective.

The Problem of Profit as a Purpose – Kevin Meyer explains that a primary focus on profit can create short term rewards, but can also create tremendous if not deadly long term reputation and financial damage and, most importantly, hurt people and society. 

8 Tips For More Meaningful Team Building Experiences – Marci Reynolds shares 8 tips for more meaningful team building experiences for our employees.

The Cancer of Fear – Mark Rosenthal discusses how fear based leadership systematically breaks down trust, which chokes off the truth from every conversation.

Management Improvement System Flavors – John Hunter says Agile is not the new Lean rather they are similar but start with Lean first.

What is a Thinker-Doer? – Bruce Hamilton discusses the transformative power of many small improvements converging from all points transforming your organization to a thinker-doer culture. 

What Does Leader as a Teacher Really Mean? – Al Norval talks about the need for leaders to build the capability of their people in order to achieve the desired results.

Your Lean Six Sigma Belt Program Is the Problem – Dan Markovitz discusses the issues with organizations that focus on the acquisition of colored belts instead of daily kaizen.

Data-Driven Delays – Bob Emiliani explains the reasons data bias causes delays in taking action or results in maintaining the status quo.

The Best Indicator of Success with Lean – Jon Miller says a well functioning andon system  is a good indicator of management commitment to Lean management.

Oh, the Mistakes I’ve Made… Kevin Meyer explains the importance of reflecting on mistakes is  to learn, then move forward, change and improve, and perhaps even teach.

Lean Lesson: Don’t Get Crushed Because of Bad Standardized Work – Mark Graban says if kaizen-based improvement is truly a “change for the better,” why would people go back to their old ways.

Ask Art: What Foundational Items Must I Be A Zealot About? – Art Byrne shares 3 foundational areas that you must focus on to make the lean fundamentals work.