• 10 Things Your Lean Leader Can Do Now To Make a Difference Culturally

    10 Things Your Lean Leader Can Do Now To Make a Difference Culturally0

    The best leaders understand the present is nothing more than a platform for the envisioning of, and positioning for, the future. If you want to lead more effectively, shorten the distance between the future and present. Inspiring innovation and leading change call for more than process– they require the adoption of a cultural mindset. Implementing

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  • No Time for Improvement Means No Improvement

    No Time for Improvement Means No Improvement0

    Whether a company has just switched to Lean production or is still using a traditional manufacturing approach, if it does not establish an official improvement time policy, very little improvement will ever happen there. We have seen this everywhere, even in companies which loudly proclaim their commitment to continuous improvement. Little or no actual time

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  • Reader Question: Management Involvement In Lean

    Reader Question: Management Involvement In Lean0

    A long time reader, Dave, recently asked me for advice on leadership commitment for Lean implementation: Can Lean be successful if you don’t have top down commitment? I currently work for a midsize manufacturer that only like to say they are Lean, when in reality they only have one division attempting. Any advice? In my experience I

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  • 10 Signs of a Non-Lean Manager Who Disengages the Workforce

    10 Signs of a Non-Lean Manager Who Disengages the Workforce0

    Companies with poor management practices typically have employees who are disengaged. While a disengaged workforce is a symptom of substandard leadership, just what constitutes bad management? Here are a few problematic practices and signs I believe should be axed: 1. Bad Communication Few things cause employees to tune out faster than a management team that

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  • Top 10 Reason Why Lean Transformation Fails

    Top 10 Reason Why Lean Transformation Fails0

    I believe when Lean principles are properly understood and applied, the upside for productivity improvements is nearly infinite. I have personally witnessed numerous Lean thinking initiatives that have improved productivity by large amounts (like 40-60%) in short periods of time with minimal expenditures.  The Lean track record is well documented by numerous authors. Despite the

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  • 10 More Ways to Show Respect for People

    10 More Ways to Show Respect for People0

    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

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