Tag: Problem Solving

Lean Leadership – Why you must celebrate those tiny lean successes

I’ve heard it many times from really successful managers. “We’re doing improvement, we’re just not documenting it.” My eyebrows always raise a bit when I hear this particular phrase. That’s because the manager is missing a fantastic opportunity to energise and motivate their team with the magic of recognition and celebration of success. As an … Continue reading Lean Leadership – Why you must celebrate those tiny lean successes

The Three Essential Things Every Company Needs for a Successful Lean Transformation

The pursuit of perfection in systems and processes has been the key theme of my career for twenty years. Now I’ve read a ton of books, lean books, theory of constraint books, books about how to combine theory of constraints and lean and don’t even get me started on books about six sigma. But earlier in my career I found that not one of those books gave me any pointers on how to move a company from one state to another in terms of culture, or how to create momentum. For sure, I knew about Value Stream Mapping, PDCA cycles and Just in Time but what I was lacking was the secret formula to making lean or any other methodology really work.

Clear that Desk! – Tips on achieving a more minimalist, lean workspace

Earlier this year I wrote a post about managing workplace clutter and my own personal quest for a minimal ‘lean’ workspace. At the time, I wasn’t sure how easy my seriously pared down workspace was going to work out. Would I be buried under clutter a few months later, or constantly frustrated by having nowhere to put anything?

In Lean and Intentional Living, the path to improvement is lined with discomfort

Change often comes with discomfort, even change for the better. Our minds are comfortable with the status quo and reluctant to forge ahead into known obstacles and discomfort. If we focus on WHY we want to change and fix our gaze to the horizon where our ambitions hover, we can see that discomfort is merely a necessary part of following the path to true north.

Intentional Living – Knowing is not doing when it comes to life and process change

We can quickly find ourselves slipping from a position of motivation when the going gets rough. Like many others I’m sure, I find inspiration in reading just one more blog or researching just one more cutting edge idea. Unfortunately, putting awesome information into my brain does not directly result in putting one foot in front of the other when it comes to getting off the couch and getting active.

When starting out with Lean Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – Less is More

In a post I wrote earlier this year, I talked about the key pitfalls of visual display boards and some tips for avoiding them. I briefly mentioned what I believe is a key fundamental for new lean practitioners or those new to visual display boards which is to avoid having too many Key Performance Indicators … Continue reading When starting out with Lean Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – Less is More