Lean Quote: Closing the Knowing–Doing Gap
- Lean Quote
- October 17, 2025

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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Value Stream Mapping is a foundational approach to visualizing your systems to optimize value through focused improvements. My good friend Karen Martin and Mike Osterling present a detailed guide to this approach in their book Value Stream Mapping. Karen and Mike attempt to address 3 common gaps in value stream mapping (VSM): 1) Unfamiliarity with
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Last week on The Lean Edge authors were asked about the role of a sensei: What is your experience of working with sensei, and what advice should we give executives seeking to learn lean deeply regarding senseis? It is a very good question so I wanted to share my thoughts on the matter. Lean manufacturing
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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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A common question by those just starting down a Lean journey is how do you find time for improvement. “You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it.” – Charles Buxton (Philanthropist and Politician) It is an age-old battle — production time versus improvement time. Two worthy rivals attempting
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How do you prepare your employees for the big game? Coaching. The most effective leaders see themselves not as managers or supervisors, but as coaches. In a sports environment, a “coach” is someone who trains athletes or athletic teams to achieve their maximum physical performance. In the business world, a “coach” refers to a manager
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