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  • Lean Roundup #203 – April 2026

    Lean Roundup #203 – April 20260

      A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of April 2026.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.   Gotcha Walks – Bruce Hamilton talks about his early experience with Gemba walks and whether you are observing to understand or to find fault. Your Brain is Fine. Your

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  • The 8th Waste in Modern Environments

    The 8th Waste in Modern Environments0

      Lean thinking teaches us that waste exists in every process—but we don’t always expect to see it outside of traditional work environments. During a recent business trip, what should have been a routine rental car pickup turned into a powerful real-world example of all eight wastes in action. From waiting and overprocessing to the

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  • Lean Quote: Kaizen – The Power of Small Steps

    Lean Quote: Kaizen – The Power of Small Steps0

    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

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  • 10 Phrases That Kill Leadership Progress

    10 Phrases That Kill Leadership Progress0

      If you’ve spent any time studying leadership—through books, workshops, podcasts, or training sessions—you’ve likely encountered no shortage of models promising to make you a better leader. Many of them are thoughtful, well-researched, and genuinely helpful. But there’s a side of leadership development we don’t talk about nearly enough: what not to say. Leadership progress

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  • Lean Tips Edition #331 (#3991- #4005)

    Lean Tips Edition #331 (#3991- #4005)0

    For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips.  It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey.  Another

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  • Lean Quote: Every Problem Is a Gift

    Lean Quote: Every Problem Is a Gift0

    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

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  • Why Eliminating Waste Alone Doesn’t Work: Understanding Muda, Muri, and Mura

    Why Eliminating Waste Alone Doesn’t Work: Understanding Muda, Muri, and Mura0

      One of the most common frustrations in continuous improvement is this: teams invest significant time and energy eliminating waste, only to see the same problems return weeks or months later. Inventory creeps back. Lead times stretch. Firefighting resumes. The issue is not a lack of effort or commitment. The issue is focus. Most Lean

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  • Practicing Respect & Developing Mutual Trust

    Practicing Respect & Developing Mutual Trust0

      The “Respect for People” pillar in Lean philosophy, originating from Toyota, is foundational, emphasizing that mutual trust and respect for every individual drives continuous improvement, better results, and a strong culture, moving beyond just politeness to actively developing, empowering, and aligning everyone to solve problems, grow professionally, and contribute their best ideas. Without trust,

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  • Lean Quote: April Showers Brings May Flowers

    Lean Quote: April Showers Brings May Flowers0

    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

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  • 5 Keys to Leveraging Your Time: Applying Lean Thinking to Maximize Impact

    5 Keys to Leveraging Your Time: Applying Lean Thinking to Maximize Impact0

      Time is our most precious and limited resource. In business, every minute counts—not just in hours on the clock, but in the value created within those hours. Lean thinking teaches us to focus on what matters most: eliminating waste, maximizing value, and continuously improving processes. When we apply these principles to how we use

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About Tim McMahon

Tim McMahon is a Lean implementation leader, author, and blogger. As a Lean practitioner, Tim brings more 25 years of leadership experience implementing Lean manufacturing. Trained by disciples of the Toyota Production System, he worked in a Shingo Prize winning facility.

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