Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. News, articles, books, podcasts, and videos about how to make the workplace better. Operational Excellence, Improvement, and Innovation Is Your Lean Approach Doing More Harm Than Good? Dark Lean. Fake Lean. Toolbox Lean. Lean Theatre. These terms describe the misuse of lean principles, where organizations apply lean […] The post Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape: December 13, 2024 by Ryan McCormack appeared first a ..read more

Are "visuals" and "visual management" the same thing? Are "visuals" always Lean, necessarily? In this post, I talk about the differences using an example from a hospital and my car's dashboard. The post Visuals vs. Visual Management: Key Differences Explained with Real-World Examples by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean Blog ..read more

In 2014, The Louise Batz Patient Safety Foundation developed the Weezie's Angel Healthcare Hero Award in honor of Louise Batz, who was lovingly called Weezie by her family, to recognize those individuals in a hospital setting who go above and beyond in caring for patients, creating awareness, making good catches and advocating for patient safety. Louise “Weezie” Batz spent her life helping others and bringing joy to those around her. She taught her daughter (and […] The post Nominate a Weezie’s Angel Healthcare Hero for Patient Safety and Outstanding Care by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean ..read more

Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more Welcome to this bonus session of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast, originally recorded as a LinkedIn Live event! In this conversation, I partnered with Rebecca Michalik from AME Australia to discuss my upcoming workshops in Australia and New Zealand in March 2025. We'll dive into key themes like psychological safety as a foundation for continuous improvement and how to make smarter use of performance metrics through […] The post Preview of Mark Graban’s AME Australia “Road Show” in 2025; Improving the Way We Improve by Mark Graban appeared ..read more

Quick Reminder: Don't forget the LinkedIn Live event that Elisabeth Swan, Karen Martin, and I are doing tomorrow on the topic of visual workplaces, visual management, mistake-proofing, and more. Learn more in this blog post. The recording will also be available. Now, onto today's post… As Christmas approaches, I'm getting into the holiday spirit. So far, I've avoided hearing the Wham! song “Last Christmas,” so I have not yet faced “Wham-aggedon.” I was at my […] The post When the Grocery Store’s Christmas Spirit Confused a Lean Thinker (and Others) by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean Blog ..read more

Join us for an unscripted (improvisational?!) Lean LinkedIn Live Talk Show on the Visual Workplace. Mark Graban, Karen Martin, and Elisabeth Swan plan to explore the impact of visuals in digital and physical workspaces. We'll dive into the power of visuals to reduce confusion, enhance efficiency, and save lives. Get ready for a dynamic mix of panelists and surprise guests who will share their insights on the transformative power of visual communication in professional settings. […] The post Coming Wednesday – A LinkedIn Live Event on Visual Workplaces & Lean Management by Mark Graban appea ..read more

I'm doing another book giveaway contest — enter to win a signed paperback copy of my book The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation. Because of high international shipping costs, I've limited previous contests to those with U.S. mailing addresses. But I'm happy to open this contest up to everybody, regardless of your location. Click here to enter The post Global Giveaway: Enter to Win a Signed Copy of “The Mistakes That Make Us” by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean Blog ..read more

Yesterday morning, I drove to a local client to facilitate a lunch-and-learn workshop featuring the Deming n”Red Bead Game” and “Process Behavior Charts.” Read more about those topics in my book, Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More. I was supposed to meet my host at 10:30 AM in the lobby of their building. By 10:35, I realized I was in the wrong building–the correct street, but 1.5 miles away from the right […] The post Facilitating Learning While Learning Myself: Mistakes, Music, and Moving Forward by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean Blog ..read more

Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #521 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is  José R. Ferro, PhD, a Senior Advisor with the Lean Enterprise Institute and the Founder and President of the Lean Institute Brasil. By founding Lean Institute Brasil in 1999 to disseminate the principles and practices of lean thinking to Brazilian companies, Ferro helped catalyze a global movement to establish lean institutes in other countries, which ultimately […] The post Daily Management, Strategy Execution, and Lean Leadership with José Ferro by Mark Grab ..read more

I was thrilled to be invited to join more than 100 other speakers for this day-long (24 hours) global event — the Lean Global Connection event presented by the Lean Global Network. It was free, and it looked to be an amazing event. I was able to watch a few sessions live. But, better yet, recordings are now available through this YouTube playlist. My session is embedded further down on this page. Keep reading to […] The post Recording of My Lean Global Connection Event Talk — And a Mistake! by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean Blog ..read more