Blog

10 More Ways to Show Respect for People 0
- Lean Management
- April 3, 2013
Respect for People is one of the least well known and often under practiced principles of Lean thinking. As a voice in the Lean community I feel a sense of responsibility to try to change that. Showing respect in the workplace is one of the most important traits of a Lean environment. Some of the
READ MORE
Daily Lean Tips Edition #45 0
- Lean Tips
- April 2, 2013
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
READ MORE
So God Created a Quality Manager 0
- Lean Fun, Quality
- April 1, 2013
Quality Digest created a video honoring the role of the quality manager in today’s organizations, based on Paul Harvey’s timeless tribute to the farmer, which debuted at the 2013 Super Bowl. Mike Micklewright and Quality Digest present this homage to quality managers: Those hard-working, often-overlooked gatekeepers of continuous improvement. Told in the style of the
READ MORE

Lean Quote: Respect for People Consists of Understanding, Mutual Trust, and Teamwork 0
- Lean Quote
- March 29, 2013
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
READ MORE
Guest Post: Combat Project Overload with Prioritization 0
- Guest Post
- March 26, 2013
Today I am pleased to present a guest post by Antonio Ferraro of Creative Safety Supply (one of our sponsors). Antonio talks about managing multiple projects and provides some tips on prioritization. This a subject we can all relate to and perhaps use some help improving. ——————————————————————————— In the work environment, it is not uncommon
READ MORE
Lean Quality Improvements in Government Demonstrate a Willingness to Be Better 0
- ASQ's Influential Voices
- March 25, 2013
ASQ’s CEO is asking for examples of Lean and Quality applied in Government. Government agencies have found that Lean methods enable them to better understand how their processes work, to quickly identify and implement improvements, and to build a culture of continuous improvement. Numerous government agencies, ranging from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the States
READ MORE

Lean Quote: Listening is a Vital Skill for Managers 0
- Lean Quote
- March 22, 2013
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
READ MORE
Top 10 Principles of Employee Empowerment 0
- Lean Management, Teamwork
- March 20, 2013
Empowerment may not be a new concept to you, but many organizations experience problems because they don’t know how to ‘live it’. Empowerment is often described as “having the power to make decisions”. However, this empowerment/decision making power is something that must be earned, not given, through a set of fundamental principles cultivated as follows:
READ MORE
Improvement in Unexpected Places is A Lesson for All 0
- ASQ's Influential Voices
- March 19, 2013
In this month’s ASQ post Paul Borawski asks the Quality community to share stories of improvement in unexpected areas. I am reminded a recent trip to my eldest son’s classroom which is full of lessons. Many of those we seem to forget or even think odd when we get to the corporate world. What seems
READ MORE

A Lean Journey