Go Slow to Go Fast: What I Learned from Jon Miller About 8-Step Problem Solving

TL;DR:Continuous improvement stalls when teams skip disciplined problem solving. Jon Miller’s overview of Toyota’s 8-step framework...

Mutual Trust and Respect in Lean: Toyota’s Real Competitive Advantage

TL;DR: Toyota’s real competitive advantage is not its tools -- it is mutual trust and mutual respect. Leaders are responsible for...

Respect for People in Lean: What It Really Means and Why It Drives Continuous Improvement

TL;DR: Respect for People is the foundation of Lean management. It means engaging employees as problem solvers, creating psychological...

The CEO’s Role in a Continuous Improvement Business System

Many executives say they want a culture of continuous improvement.

What they often struggle to articulate is what that actually means in...

Why Pursuing Zero Harm Still Matters as a Leadership Strategy

When we hosted the webinar Pursuing Zero Harm: A Powerful Platform for Embedding Lean Capability with Meghan Scanlon, the discussion...

Looking Back: Why A3 Thinking Still Matters—At Work and Beyond

When we hosted the How to Use A3 Thinking in Everyday Life webinar with Jess Orr, the premise was intentionally a bit provocative. A3...

Digital Support for a Culture of Improvement: Reflections on Electrolux and the KaiNexus Advantage

In a recent webinar, I sat down virtually with Sandro Casagrande from Electrolux to reflect on the 20-year evolution of the Electrolux...

The Unified Approach: Connecting Strategy, Process, and People in Operational Excellence

For organizations committed to Operational Excellence (OpEx), the challenge is rarely a lack of ideas or ambition. The struggle often...

How Lean Healthcare Management Can Elevate Patient Care

Although the Lean quality improvement methodology was initially developed to improve the quality and productivity of automotive factories,...