Lean Blog Audio

The blog postIn this episode, Mark Graban shares a small but revealing story from a local post office — and what it teaches us about bad metrics and broken systems. When a clerk tapped the “green smiley face” on a customer feedback device for the customer, it raised an important question: was this about genuine service, or just gaming the system?Mark explains why the issue isn’t the clerk, but the system around him — a system that encourages scoring over substance, compliance over improvement. Drawing on Lean thinking and Deming’s philosophy, he explores how poorly designed metrics push people to protect themselves instead of serving customers.You’ll hear why:Metrics without context mislead more than they informPeople naturally adapt to meet incentives, even if it means gaming the numbersMost performance is a function of the system, not individual effortIf you’ve ever wondered why “customer satisfaction scores” or other simplistic measures don’t always match reality, this episode will resonate. Leaders everywhere — in healthcare, government, and business — need to ask not “why did they do that?” but “what about the system made that behavior the best option?”Because when we fix the system, we don’t need people to game it.

The blog postIn this episode, Mark Graban shares a powerful story from an operating room that highlights the importance of culture, leadership, and psychological safety in healthcare. A nurse noticed a small break in sterility, spoke up, and apologized. The surgeon’s response? “Don’t be sorry, you’re being safe.”That short exchange changed the tone of the entire room. Instead of discouraging or shaming, the surgeon encouraged and reinforced the nurse’s action — preserving not only sterility, but also trust.Mark unpacks why moments like this matter so much, how leaders’ real-time reactions shape culture, and why “you’re being safe” should be the norm in every hospital. He connects the story to key themes from The Mistakes That Make Us and Lean Hospitals, emphasizing that safety and respect for people aren’t abstract ideals — they’re daily practices that save lives and build better systems.Whether you work in healthcare, manufacturing, or any high-stakes environment, this episode challenges you to reflect: How do you respond when someone speaks up? Do you reward their courage — or risk silencing it?

The blog postAre 95% of enterprise AI pilots really “failing”? And how does that compare to the long-repeated claim that 70% of Lean initiatives fail? In this episode of Lean Blog Audio, Mark Graban examines what’s really behind these numbers. He explains why many so-called “failures” stem not from flawed tools or technologies, but from leadership gaps, unrealistic goals, and a lack of psychological safety.Drawing lessons from Lean practice and his book The Mistakes That Make Us, Mark highlights the importance of experimentation, learning from setbacks, and creating an environment where people feel safe to try, adjust, and improve. Whether you’re implementing AI, Lean, or any transformation, the key is shifting from fear of failure to a culture of continuous learning.

In this episode, Mark revisits a 2007 conversation with James P. (Jim) Womack, founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute and co-author of The Machine That Changed the World. Nearly two decades later, Jim’s reflections on the origins of the word “Lean” remain just as relevant.The blog postThe discussion takes us back to MIT in 1987, when Womack and his colleagues were analyzing data from auto plants around the world. Toyota and Honda were clearly operating in a fundamentally different way—faster design cycles, fewer errors, less capital, less space, and more value. But they needed a name for this system. That’s when researcher John Krafcik suggested a term that captured the essence of “less”: Lean.Womack reflects on how the word solved one problem—it shifted attention away from “Japanese manufacturing” or “the Toyota Production System” to something more universal. But the name also created challenges: because Lean rhymes with “mean,” too many managers misused it as shorthand for cutting jobs rather than creating more value while respecting people.Mark reads Womack’s timeless warnings and lessons: Lean was never about headcount reduction; it was always about eliminating waste, improving flow, and engaging people in problem-solving. And while the term has traveled in many directions since that 1987 “naming moment,” its underlying principles—value for customers, respect for people, and continuous improvement—remain as important in 2025 as ever.Listen in to hear Jim’s words from that original 2007 interview, plus Mark’s reflections on why this conversation still matters today.

Episode pageIn this episode, I share a reading of my recent blog post, based on a Catalysis webinar where I explored what we can learn from Lean in Japan. Since 2012, I’ve been fortunate to travel to Japan six times with study groups, including those led by the Kaizen Institute, Honsha, and Katie Anderson. Each trip has reinforced the paradox that Lean is both easier and harder in Japan—and that the deepest lessons are not about tools, but about mindsets, culture, and leadership.What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeWhy Lean in Japan isn’t about “being Japanese,” but about cultivating long-term thinking and respect for people.How Ina Food practices “tree-ring management” and why profit is seen as a byproduct, not the goal.How Toyota reinforces its role as a “people development company” through problem-solving and Kaizen.The double-edged role of Japanese culture: precision and standardization on one hand, but reluctance to speak up on the other.How mechanisms like the andon cord create safer ways to surface problems.What Japanese hospitals are learning from American health systems—and vice versa.Why Kaizen isn’t about cost savings alone, but about making work easier and building capability.Memorable lessons from leaders like Dr. Shuhei Iida of Nerima General Hospital: “If you keep doing Kaizen, you will get innovation.”Key Quotes from the Episode“Profit is like excrement produced by a healthy body. Nobody’s goal is to wake up and produce excrement — it’s just the natural result of living and doing things well.” — Chairman of Ina Food“The role of the leader is to set the vision — that cannot be delegated.” — Japanese executive“If you keep doing Kaizen, you will get innovation.” — Dr. Shuhei Iida, Nerima General HospitalWhy It MattersLean is not a set of tools to copy, but a system of beliefs and practices rooted in respect, learning, and long-term thinking. Speaking up about problems isn’t easy—whether in Japan or elsewhere—which is why leaders must create psychological safety and model improvement themselves.Resources & LinksCatalysis webinar recording (available soon)Learn more about upcoming Lean Healthcare Accelerator Experience in JapanWork With MeIf you’re a leader aiming for lasting cultural change—not just more projects—I help organizations:Engage people at all levels in sustainable improvementShift from fear of mistakes to learning from themApply Lean thinking in practical, people-centered ways📩 Let’s talk: mark@leanblog.org

The blog postWhen Mark applied for a burglar alarm permit, he accidentally sent the form to the wrong Newport — Rhode Island instead of Kentucky. The voicemail he got back was kind, clear, and even funny: pointing out that an 845-mile police response probably wasn’t going to work.In this story, Mark reflects on:Why small mistakes are easier to handle with humility and humorHow Toyota’s “expected vs. actual” lens helps frame errorsWhy psychological safety and kindness matter more than blameHow to turn a minor error into a “favorite mistake” — one you can laugh about and learn fromIt’s a reminder that even harmless slip-ups can reinforce bigger lessons about improvement, culture, and how we respond to mistakes.

Discover how the Dunning-Kruger effect influences Lean training, leading to overconfidence after initial certifications. Explore stories of early mistakes that reveal the importance of treating Lean as an ongoing practice. Learn about the need for psychological safety to mitigate blind spots and encourage growth. Gain practical tips for avoiding training pitfalls and fostering true improvement in your Lean journey. Plus, support patient safety with insights tied to meaningful contributions from authors.

The blog postSometimes an “improvement” makes things worse. The Germans even have a word for it: verschlimmbesserung.In this episode, Mark Graban shares the story of how a well-intentioned fix to Europe’s vineyard fungus problem in the 19th century nearly wiped out the continent’s wine industry. The introduction of American grapevines solved one issue but unleashed a far bigger one: phylloxera, a microscopic pest that devastated vineyards, economies, and cultures across Europe — including Mallorca, where wine production lay dormant for nearly a century.This historical case offers powerful lessons for today’s leaders:Why most of the time small, contained tests are bestWhen risks are irreversible, testing may not be safe at allHow to balance experimentation with rigorous risk assessmentWhy good intentions aren’t enough if you create tomorrow’s crisis while solving today’s problemFrom vineyards to hospitals, factories, and offices, the challenge is the same: how do we solve problems without making things worse?

The blog postToo often, leaders think that if they simply “get everyone doing Kaizen,” performance will automatically improve. While daily improvement is essential, some problems are too deeply rooted in the system for frontline staff to fix on their own.In this episode, Mark Graban explores why Kaizen is necessary but not sufficient — and why leaders must take responsibility for changing the systems that shape performance. Drawing on Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s reminder that “a bad system will beat a good person every time,” Mark shares real-world examples, including a hospital laboratory redesign that transformed results once leadership tackled systemic constraints.You’ll learn:Why leaders can’t delegate away system-level changeThe difference between local improvements and structural redesignsHow system fixes and daily Kaizen reinforce one anotherPractical lessons for avoiding frustration and building real, sustainable improvementThe message is clear: frontline staff can’t Kaizen their way out of a broken system. Leaders must create the conditions where Kaizen can truly flourish.

The blog postAlbert Einstein once called the “cosmological constant” the biggest blunder of his life. But what if that so-called mistake actually holds timeless lessons for leaders today?In this episode, Mark Graban explores Einstein’s “favorite mistake” — why he altered his equations to fit prevailing beliefs, what he missed in the process, and how the story connects directly to Lean thinking, Toyota Kata, and continuous improvement.You’ll hear how Einstein’s cautionary tale mirrors what happens in organizations when:Data contradicts long-held assumptionsTeams run pilots that outperform the old way, but leaders resist changePeople hesitate to speak up because it feels unsafe to challenge the consensusThe conversation highlights the importance of scientific thinking, experimentation, and psychological safety — and why the real mistake isn’t being wrong, but failing to learn.Whether you’re leading change in healthcare, manufacturing, software, or beyond, you’ll come away with practical insights to help you trust the data, encourage dissent, and model learning from mistakes.