Today marks the 5th anniversary of A Lean Journey Blog and as tradition here each year I take the opportunity to reflect. The act of “self-reflection” is called Hansei is Japanese. It is the practice of continuous improvement that consists of looking back and thinking about how a process can be improved. I’d like to
READ MOREToday’s post marks a bit of a milestone for me, as this post is the 1,000th one since I started this blog back in May 2009. This is a big milestone for me as I’ve never seen myself as a writer and when I started, I wasn’t sure where it would lead. This blog is
READ MOREOn 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
READ MOREValue 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
READ MORELast 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
READ MOREOn 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
READ MOREA 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
READ MOREHow 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
READ MOREOn 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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