Blog (2)

Don’t Just Watch the Huddle — Watch the Play

In many organizations, senior leaders are encouraged to “visit the huddle” as part of their role in the daily management system. Leaders showing up, listening to teams, and demonstrating interest in...

Daily Management, Lean Leadership

A healthcare leader reviewing a safety report with a team, reflecting on recurring issues and discussing ways to build a culture of learning and prevention.

Preventing Repetition: The Hidden Work of Real Safety Improvement

“We have the same safety issues as twenty years ago. Depressing.” That’s what the COO of a large healthcare system told me after we reviewed the most recent patient and employee safety incidents. It...

Problem-Solving, Continuous Improvement

Elevating Leadership: Letting Go to Lead Better

Most leaders step into a new role with high expectations for themselves. They have been promoted because they excelled in their previous position, delivered results, and demonstrated the ability to...

Lean Leadership

Groundhog Day for Leaders: Breaking Free from the Illusion of Progress

It’s Groundhog Day… again. Only this time, it’s not Punxsutawney Phil repeating the same day. It’s you. Same walk. Same questions. Same template. Same results. Every morning, you gear up to lead....

Lean Leadership, Continuous Improvement

Why Lean Principles in Manufacturing Still Matter

Some leaders I meet still believe that Lean is outdated. They assume it was a passing trend. Others believe Lean doesn’t apply to their industry or current challenges. But in my experience, those...

Lean Tools, Continuous Improvement

How Gentle Emotional Experiences Improve Leadership

Years ago, I invited my sensei, Tom, to walk the floor with me. We were visiting the frontline teams together, observing the system and looking for nuggets of insight. I had always appreciated Tom’s...

Lean Leadership

What Gravity Flow Design Taught Me About Smart Work

The Allure of Automation Early in my career, I was captivated by automation. I admired the clean precision of motorized conveyors, their rhythmic movement, and the apparent efficiency they offered....

Waste Reduction, Process Optimization

Strategy map cascaded to shop-floor huddle boards.

What True Strategy Deployment Looks Like

Strategy Deployment: Why Most Organizations Misdefine It, And How to Get It Right Introduction: Why Most Strategy Deployment Efforts Are Misdefined In recent months, several senior executives have...

Strategy Deployment

Spaghetti diagram before/after showing 75% floor-space reduction.

Motion vs Time in Lean: Improve Work by Studying Motion

“𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.” – Frank Gilbreth In the early days of my career as an industrial engineer, I spent a lot of time chasing decimals. Stopwatch in hand, I...

Lean Tools, Waste Reduction

5S workstation eliminating waste and creating flow in mid-size factory.

5S Lean Management: You Don’t Have a 5S Problem, You Have a Parenting Problem

The Real Problem Isn’t 5S — It’s Ownership If you’ve been around Lean transformations for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard a familiar complaint. A leader walks into a workspace and sighs,...

Workplace Organization

Dresser made by Didier when he was learning cabinet making

The Intelligence of Hands in Manufacturing

It wasn’t a school project. It was a Louis XV dresser. Marquetry. Hand-cut dovetails. Gold leaf. Glue made from fish bones. That is what my three-year cabinet-making training looked like. It was an...

Lean Leadership, Continuous Improvement

Why Lean Transformations Get Stuck: The Real Barrier

“Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one’s self-esteem.” — Dr. Thomas Szasz Most Lean transformations don’t stall because of a lack of strategy, technical...

Lean Leadership, Continuous Improvement

Lean Insights & Proven Strategies for Manufacturers

Browse dozens of articles packed with practical tips on stabilizing operations, engaging teams, and scaling sustainably with confidence.

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Don’t Just Watch the Huddle — Watch the Play

Preventing Repetition: The Hidden Work of Real Safety Improvement

Elevating Leadership: Letting Go to Lead Better

Groundhog Day for Leaders: Breaking Free from the Illusion of Progress

Why Lean Principles in Manufacturing Still Matter

How Gentle Emotional Experiences Improve Leadership

What Gravity Flow Design Taught Me About Smart Work

What True Strategy Deployment Looks Like

Motion vs Time in Lean: Improve Work by Studying Motion

5S Lean Management: You Don’t Have a 5S Problem, You Have a Parenting Problem

The Intelligence of Hands in Manufacturing

Why Lean Transformations Get Stuck: The Real Barrier

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