Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #503 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Sam Morgan of Illuminate Coaching + Consulting. He was previously a guest in Episode #457. Today's episode was originally live-streamed on April 9th… Sam's been doing a livestream series on “Lean Coaching for Lean Coaches.” So, in today's episode, you'll hear Sam coaching me… and then we'll have a broader conversation about the work […] The post Lean Coaching for Lean Coaches: Sam Morgan Helps Mark Graban by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean Blog ..read more

tl;dr summary: Starbucks' mobile order system demonstrates significant variability both in the organization of pickup areas and in how beverages like the Nitro Cold Brew are handled across different locations. Inconsistencies persist, such as different labeling methods and the timing of Nitro Cold Brew preparation, which varies with some stores waiting for customer presence to ensure freshness. This store-to-store variation complicates the pickup process, especially during busy times. Recent technology additions like status notifications on […] The post The Inconsistent Mobile Order Delivery P ..read more

How often do you hear executives blaming employees, including frontline workers, for different problems or poor performance? I don't think that's a good look when leaders do that. Leaders are responsible for the system. Even though they are part of a system, they have more freedom and more ability to change systems that ultimately drive most performance. A blaming leader looks at low productivity numbers and blames “lazy workers.” A blaming leader sees mistakes and […] The post Transforming Leadership: How to Shift from Blame to Systemic Improvement by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean Blog ..read more

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 Whose Chatbot is it anyway? In a March mixtape, I posted an article about the comical defence by Air Canada when they sought to shirk responsibility for bad advice given […] The post Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape: April 19, 2024 by Ryan McCormack appeared first at Lean Blo ..read more

tl;dr summary: This post examines the trend of Tommy John surgeries in MLB and MiLB using Process Behavior Charts, revealing that the perceived surge in injuries is within historical variation. The data suggests shifts in patterns rather than a sudden increase, emphasizing the importance of contextual data analysis. Is there a “spike” or a “rash” of Tommy John surgeries in Major League Baseball this year? Statistically speaking, NO. I've seen a rash of articles about […] The post Analyzing MLB Tommy John Surgeries: Data Insights and Trends from 2000-2024 by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean B ..read more

I'm really excited to host and moderate the latest webinar in the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Webinar series, which will be presented by my friend Elizabeth Chase from the City of Frisco, Texas. Elizabeth is a librarian and Material Services Manager for the city's public library. I've had a chance to visit with her in their previous library location (where they implemented Lean methods to improve the flow and circulation of borrowed and returned items). I […] The post Webinar Preview: From Lean Theory to Practice in Libraries and Beyond by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean Blog ..read more

I have been really enjoying this book, released in 2021, by Kiyoshi “Nate” Furuta, a retired Toyota executive: Welcome Problems, Find Success: Creating Toyota Cultures Around the World. I bought it a year ago and wish I had started reading it sooner! Furuta is the retired former chair and CEO of Toyota Boshoku America, Inc. — an automotive parts supplier to companies including Toyota and General Motors. As it says on the company's website: “…we […] The post Embracing Challenges for Success: Lessons in Toyota Culture and Kaizen from Nate Furuta by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean Blog ..read more

Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #502 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is DeWayne Allen, an executive, speaker, and workshop facilitator. DeWayne is a results-driven executive with over 20 years of experience, renowned for leveraging a solid engineering and operations background to propel growth for Fortune 500 organizations.  As a visionary leader, DeWayne excels in crafting and executing strategic plans to deliver desired outcomes. With a proven […] The post Lean from a General Manager and Executive Perspective: DeWayne Allen by Mark Graban ..read more

Listen: In Episode 45 of the Lean Whiskey podcast, Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban join the Just-in-Time Cafe team of Elisabeth Swan and Tracy O'Rourke as a special nod to their 100th Episode, while also having a chance to toast Mark's accomplishment of 250 episodes of My Favorite Mistake podcast and 500 episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast. This episode blended the two formats a bit, but you can be sure whiskey was one of […] The post Lean Whiskey #45: Crossover Episode with the Just-in-Time Cafe: Flinchbaugh, Graban, Swan, O’Rourke by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean Blog ..read more

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 What would you pay to not lose a finger? Elimination is thought to be the best method to mitigate risks for safety, quality, or otherwise. But what will consumers […] The post Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape: April 5, 2024 by Ryan McCormack appeared first at Lean Blog ..read more