The Power of Teams and the Tower of Babel
In my blog post last week Using the Minds of the Many, I described the power available when people THINK as a team. Team thinking is called "collaboration" and requires…
The “AllAboutLean” blog
If you're serious about Lean, consider signing up for the weekly blog by Christoph Roser by going here (The subscription form is at the top of the right sidebar). I…
Use the Minds of the Many
The foundation of Lean is thinking people. Human beings have a set of mental skills that enable them to think thoughts, develop plans, trouble-shoot problems, and experiment with ideas to…
What Kind of BRAIN do I Need?
My last few posts have focused on the role of "thinking" in Lean. I've said that the core of it is "THINKING People." In the Lean Business Culture, we don't…
What is “Scientific Thinking?”
"For the purposes of this book we'll define scientific thinking as a process of deliberately engaging reality with the intent of learning. At the core of scientific thinking is continuous…
The Root Idea of All Lean Thinking
"The root idea of all Lean thinking is kaizen: continuous, small step-by-step improvements done by the people who do the work themselves." Toyota experts call this "Kaizen-mind." It means that…
TPS: “THINKING Production System”
If you've studied Lean for a while, you may have seen the abbreviation "TPS." It usually means "Toyota Production System." Toyota created the business culture we now call "Lean" in…
Leaders are Teachers
"A strong assumption within Toyota's culture is that managers are leaders and leaders are teachers. This is something you cannot easily see simply touring a Toyota plant. The most important…
Make Your People “Increasingly Capable”
"At Toyota, OJD [On the Job Development] is arguably the most important responsibility of all managers and Toyota has developed a systematic approach. Toyota uses the term 'development' because it…
Training: Stay with the Student Until…
"The instructor's responsibility is to stay with the student until they can comfortably perform the job to takt time following the standardized work. This is known as the 'stabilization stage.'…