Continuous Improvement is about people and communication.  Many of us are effective speakers, but few are really good listeners.  If, as Dr. Shingo said, 95% of objection is cautionary (I believe this caution is due to lack of trust) then one of leaderships/managements primary objectives must be to create an environment of mutual respect and trust.  One key ingredient in the creation of a favorable environment is a constant practice of good listening.

Good listening does not come naturally to me. (more…)

click here to find out more2009 Northeast Shingo Prize Conference

2009 Northeast Shingo Prize Conference

Art Smalley was fortunate to have been one of the few Americans to work for Toyota in Japan for an extended period of time. From working on assembly lines to maintaining precision equipment to project management he experienced all facets of production life in Toyota. Combined with his proficiency in reading and writing the Japanese language he has keen insights on TPS that few in America possess. Subsequent to Toyota, Art was also director of lean for a large U.S. company that underwent a successful lean implementation program. Additionally he spent several years as a lean expert for the international management consulting firm of McKinsey & Company. “There is a decided over-emphasis in the west on simply using the tools of TPS. More attention needs to be applied on solving systemic manufacturing problems that will generate business results”.

Industry Week Webinar link

Creating Level Pull workbook link

Mark Graban is a Senior Consultant with ValuMetrix Services, a Johnson & Johnson organization. Mark earned a bachelors degree in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University and was a fellow in the Leaders for Manufacturing program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning dual masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration. He has led process improvement efforts in various industries, having moved into healthcare in 2005. Mark is the author of a book entitled “Lean Hospitals: Improving Quality, Patient Safety, and Patient Satisfaction,” due out in late July. He is also founder of the Lean Blog website at www.leanblog.org.

What two operational issues are the primary focus of your healthcare clients?

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Taking place October 15 & 16, 2008 at the University of Mass. beautiful Boston campus. “A Community of Lean” , a great opportunity to listen to, and share your continuous improvement ideas with others clearly interested in the process.

Click on the Shingo Prize icon above for details.

John Shook – Toyota Culture – Part 2

Toyota’s alternative to “Command and Control”

What is the most challenging aspect of implementing lean in North America?

“It’s easier to act your way to new thinking than to think your way to new action”

Culture is embedded in the work.

“Managing to Learn” published by LEI
Mentoring the Toyota Way
Due to be available this summer (2008)

Today Competing welcomes John Shook. John learned about lean while working for ten years with Toyota, helping the company transfer its production, engineering, and management systems from Japan to its overseas affiliates and suppliers. This real world experience in implementing lean principles throughout an organization gives him extraordinary insights into the challenges faced by those who are interested in lean. As co-author of Learning to See, John helped introduce Value Stream Mapping as the tool which allows lean practitioners to speak in a common language. (more…)

What’s the big deal about networks?

Why should we join a network of companies with common interests? What’s in it for me and my company?

Let’s suppose your company is interesting in pursuing “lean” or the Toyota Production and Management System. Maybe you are working with an “external consultant” or have used your own internal resources. External consultants often bring a broad understand of concepts and practices learned through working in multiple situations and multiple companies and cultures, but alas…..I am one of “them”, so I bring little objectivity to that subject. Internal consultants can be successful as well.

Anyway……. you are on the road to creating a Lean/Continuous Improvement organization. Congratulations, that is great stuff…..but unless your company is in a position to win a Shingo Prize, perhaps you could learn something helpful for your Lean journey if you continue to listen.

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I have been in business since 2000, working with over 60 companies to improve operations by using the Toyota Production and Management systems. During that time, I have seen potential achieved and too many organizations that never achieved their potential. Over the next few minutes I will give you my definitions of what I consider to be effective implementations of Toyota (or Lean) principles. Then I will compare and contrast my experiences.

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Today’s podcast explores an area of Lean potential just beginning to gain momentum. Competing’s guest is Dan Markovitz founder and President of Time Back Management, a consulting firm that focuses on improving efficiency by applying lean manufacturing principles to knowledge workers and in the forefront of expanding the possibilities and scope of lean application. (more…)