Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Lost in the midst of parades, green beer, and Irish music, there is a story of a remarkable leader. That millions of people still celebrate a holiday honoring St. Patrick, 1500 years after his death, attests to his success as a leader. The life of this fifth-century Christian missionary in Ireland highlights some important business lessons that still apply today. Take Action Note that St. Patrick didn’t wait to be rescued from his circumstances. He took action himself. What action do we need to take? Where might we need to step out of our comfort zone? We won’t ever r ..read more

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 this journey because without learning we can not improve. "Without conflict there is no leadership."  — Michael W. Kublin That statement highlights the crucial role of conflict in effective leadership. While conflict can be uncomfortable, it's often a catalyst for growth, innovat ..read more

Every day we face challenges and problems in life, both big and small, and so it’s very important to be good at tackling them. Finding the best solutions to problems is a necessary skill for navigating the changes that are continuously affecting our company. Organizations that take a proactive and structured approach to problem solving position themselves to overcome obstacles and take advantage of opportunities. Rather frequently, companies – notably management – demand swift action when facing a problem. Well, there is nothing wrong with a bias for action but what often results is “cutting ..read more

Your ability to build trust in your team is essential if you are to empower them and achieve the results that will make you build confidence in yours and their abilities. Trust is needed in every aspect of performance in an organization and affects many aspects ranging from increased productivity, efficient management, job satisfaction, employee engagement and staff development. However, when there is organizational change trust becomes the most important aspect of a company to ensure the change succeeds. Model the Behavior You Seek Nothing speaks more loudly about the culture of an organizat ..read more

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 this journey because without learning we can not improve. "It isn’t where you came from; it’s where you’re going that counts."  — Ella Fitzgerald On some level, everybody is looking for a purpose in life. Finding that purpose starts with an understanding of who we really are. On ..read more

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 help you along your journey.  Another great reason to like A Lean Journey on Facebook. Click this link for A Lean Journey's Facebook Page Notes Feed. Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page: Lean Tip #3706 – Appoint a Strong Team Leader A team has no direction without an el ..read more

For virtually everyone change means hard work, risk, and the need to learn new ways for unproven benefits. Change is one of the most difficult things for humans to readily accept. Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change” which holds true for culture change. Fortunately, there is a formula that provides insight into how to successfully facilitate change: Where: V = Vision: How you would like things to be in the future, this is the “True North” thinking. S = Skills: Learn the sk ..read more

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 this journey because without learning we can not improve. "Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary."  — Margaret Cousins If you want your employees to be happy and productive, you need to give them recognitio ..read more

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of February 2025.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.     Getting the Right Things Done in a Digital World – Pascal Dennis shares his learnings from Lean innovation and mindsets in Tech startups and what it means for progressive organizations around the world.   Where Should We Start With Lean? - Alen Ganic explains if you’re considering Lean for your organization, start by securing leadership buy-in and making sure everyone understands why it matters then Lean tool ..read more

An empowered workforce is something that is highly desirable in an improvement culture. Your employees are the backbone of your business. Empowering your employees will help ensure they remain engaged, and willing to perform to the best of their ability. Unfortunately, just because we want it, it doesn't make it so. Empowering your employees involves providing them with a level of trust as well as permission to make certain decisions on their own, in order to fulfill their responsibilities within your organization and to further your company’s goals. Empowered employees are more confident in ..read more