Lean Rules to Live By

Rules create structure in our systems. Without rules there would be in chaos. Lean rules provide the guidance needed to implement improvement, explaining the “why” behind lean tools and the Six Sigma methodology. Lean rules also help develop new solutions to problems. For everyone in an organization, these rules help structure activities, connect customers and suppliers, specify and simplify flow paths, and bring improvement through experimentation at the right level.

In their paper Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System, Harvard Business Review, 1999, S. Spear and H.K. Brown boiled down the essence of the Toyota method to these Lean 4 Rules-In-Use:

Rule 1: All work shall be highly specified as to content, sequence, timing, and outcome.
Specify in advance the exact Content, Sequence, Timing, and Outcome of work.

• Content (what is being done?)
• Sequence (in what order?)
• Timing (how long should it take?)
• Outcome (what clearly defined measurable results are expected?)

 Establish predictable outcomes for each process so shortfalls and over production are immediately apparent.

Rule 2: Every customer-supplier connection must be direct, and there must be an unambiguous yes-or-no way to send requests and receive responses.
Interaction between Humans, Materials, and Information should be Clear, Direct, and Binary. No ambiguity.

Create a workplace that is:
     Self-ordering
     Self-improving
     Self-regulating
     Self-explaining

What is supposed to happen, does happen, on time, every time.

Rule 3: The pathway for every product and service must be simple and direct.
Organize for uninterrupted flow with simple, direct paths for work flow. The pathway should not be subject to interpretation on a case-by-case basis. Build in self-diagnostics so when a path is not being followed, it should be obvious and immediately correctable without too much time passing or outside intervention required.

Rule 4: Continuously Improve
Develop leaders who can apply the scientific method to improve anything. Allow improvement to come from the source by those doing the work - as close to the problem as possible. Respond directly to any problem that arises with clear helping/coaching chains. Whenever possible, start as an experiment supported by a coach.

Toyota developed this set of principles, Rules-in-Use, as the building blocks of a production system. They allow organizations to gain maximum efficiency so everyone can contribute at or near his or her potential. When the parts (activities, connections, and pathways) come together the whole is much, much greater than the sum of the parts.

Lean Quote: Done is Better than Perfect

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Done is better than perfect." — Scott Allen

It's kind of like the old adage, "You can have it fast. You can have it cheap. Or you can have it perfect. But you only get to pick two".

Or, as someone else once said, "Don't let Perfect be the Enemy of Good." Striving for the highest quality you can (whether at work, home, or any endeavor) is great … but "can" has to include a time parameter. Something that never ships, is never finished, never gets done, is ultimately as useless as churning out something crappy.

Don’t spend your time trying to make things perfect. There will always be a few mistakes when you try to crank things out the best you can. Don’t do shoddy work, but don’t concern yourself with attempting to be perfect.

Lean is more about trial and error than the right tool for the job. It’s about what you learn and applying that knowledge to the problem. And it's better to get something done imperfectly than to do nothing perfectly.

In some situations, the happier course is to know when good enough is good enough and not to worry about perfection or making the perfect choice.

Gemba-Based Education - Visual Workplace/Visual Thinking

The Lean Enterprise Institute, Rhode Island-based VIBCO and instructor Gwen Galsworth will collaborate to offer the Visual Workplace/Visual Thinking seminar. The format is a combination of classroom and shop-floor learning. Participants will first attend a visual workplace workshop on March 27th in Warwick, RI, followed by a visit to VIBCO on March 28th to observe and evaluate its efforts at implementing a visual workplace.

I have been fortunate to visit VIBCO and have gotten to know the team well over the last several years. They have been on their lean journey since 2004 and visual management is an important part of their solution.

Visual management a frequent topic on this site is a means to a sustainable culture and business results. Gwendolyn's work in the arena of visual thinking is unparalleled. 

LEI brings together this unique to learn about visual thinking and then its actual application by going to the gemba.  I am sure this will be a valuable opportunity rich with new ideas. The cost for day 1 is $800 and the cost for day 2 is $400. To see complete event details or to register, please visit the LEI website.

Book Review: Blind Spots

The corporate culture in American business has certainly changed in the last decade with factors like the recession. This can give you pause to all that supposed career advice. Alexandra Levit debunks those business myths we've heard repeatedly in her latest book Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can't Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success.

In her book, Levit documents how some of these long held beliefs have become myths. She explores why holding on to these myths can be detrimental to business and career success.

Here’s what she says in her introduction to the book:

“I wrote it because I was tired of reading silly theories and platitudes dispensed by business and career authors who sell their work by giving these myths credibility and by telling readers what they want to hear. Here is one thing you can count on: I will tell it like it is. I will be honest with you about what will render you successful in today’s business world, not yesterday’s. I refuse to give you overly provocative advice that hasn’t worked for anyone I know, like quitting your job tomorrow and starting your own business the next day, or marching into your boss’s office and announcing that he should appreciate your individuality.”

She explores the 10 biggest myths of business success that people believe to be true even though they don't work for 98 percent of all truly accomplished people. They are:

Myth #1: Overnight success is possible.

Myth #2: Controversy will propel your career.

Myth #3: Employers want you to be yourself.

Myth #4: Being good at your job trumps everything.

Myth #5: It’s best to climb the ladder as fast as possible.

Myth #6: You’ll get more money because you’ve earned it.

Myth #7: The problem isn’t you, it’s the organization.

Myth #8: You won’t get laid off, you’re too essential.

Myth #9: If only you could break out of Corporate America, everything would be perfect.

Myth #10: Do what you love and the money will follow.

For each topic, she covers how the myth was established, giving a short discourse on it. She then explains why the belief is no longer valid in today’s business environment. She gives examples of people who followed the myths and were not successful. But, she provides more than anecdotal evidence. She follows up with data and studies to validate her claims. She then offers suggestions on what works today. She uncovers the myth and gives solutions to move forward.

Alexandra has written a very useful book that speaks to both new and experienced workers, whether in management or not, whether private sector or government. Her book is well written, concise and thought provoking. Each of her 10 myths are supported by relevant anecdotes, including what’s happening currently in the workplace.

I believe you will find this an enjoyable, informative, and valuable resource in moving forward successfully. When you read Blind Spots you'll have a lot fewer of them in your career and business.

Alexandra Levit is a former nationally syndicated columnist for the Wall Street Journal and frequent national media spokesperson. She was recently named Money Magazine's Online Career Expert of the Year and the author of one of Forbes' best websites for women. Alexandra‘s goal is to help people find meaningful jobs - quickly and simply - and to succeed beyond measure once they get there. You can see more from her online at Alexandra Levit’s Water Cooler Wisdom.

Note: Alexandra and I have connected online a number of times over the last several years. She graciously shared a copy of her book for my review.

New Product: WeekDate Simplifies Planning

WeekDate provides one dedicated area for monthly events and one for weekly events that never change. This clever calendar is split into 3 sections:

Top - Monthlies
Monthlies are activites that occur every month on the same day. For example, your book club is the fourth Thursday of every month.
Bottom - Weeklies
Weeklies are events that occur every week such as yoga class that is every Tuesday morning or your Weekly Status Meeting on Wednesday afternoons.
Middle - Specifics
Specifics are everyday things that need to go specifically on a date, such as a doctor's appointment, lunch with a friend, or a business meeting.These specific pages are color coded so you know where you are in the month at all times. (1st week, 2nd week, etc.)

Check out this video demonstrating how this calendar works:



What do you think? Is this product one that cuts down wasted entries in a planner by putting meetings where they belong? Now you only have to write it once.

New Blog Feature - ASQ's Influential Voices

I was invited to participate in ASQ’s Influential Voices blogging community. ASQ, American Society of Quality, is a global community of experts and the leading authority on quality in all fields, organizations, and industries. As a professional association, ASQ advances the professional development, credentials, knowledge and information services, membership community, and advocacy on behalf of its more than 85,000 members worldwide. As champion of the quality movement, ASQ members are driven by a sense of responsibility to enrich their lives, to improve their workplaces and communities, and to make the world a better place by applying quality tools, techniques, and systems.

Last year, ASQ invited quality professionals from around the world to engage with ASQ in an online conversation—a conversation about quality, about the future of the field, about what makes them and the quality community tick.  They called this program ASQ's Influential Voices. 

Each month, ASQ’s CEO, Paul Borawski will select a topic that the Influential Voices will respond to with their own thoughts. Discussion topics include different aspects of quality, special events, interviews and quality’s impact and role across industries. You to take a look at Paul Borawksi’s blog and the Influential Voices blogroll.

I think this fits well with my new career in quality and the mission of this site to share lessons and chronicle my journey in Lean Thinking. It is my belief that you will enjoy this new feature and welcome your feedback as I begin this new endeavor.


I’m part of the ASQ Influential Voices program. While I receive an honorarium from ASQ for my commitment, the thoughts and opinions expressed on my blog are my own.