Lean Blog Audio

http://www.leanblog.org/audio288 http://www.kainexus.com/webinars Today, I'll be hosting and moderating the latest in our KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Webinar series. I'm really excited that the presenter will be Mark Valenti -- he's been a bit of a mentor and coach for me on the topic of "Motivational Interviewing," something I've really found helpful these past few years. Click here to register for the webinar, which is intended to provide tips for leaders and managers (and a transcript can be found at the end of this post): From Ambivalence to Action: Leadership Lessons from Motivational Interviewing The webinar is today at 1 pm ET. If you can't attend live, please register anyway and you'll be sent a link to the recording.

http://www.leanblog.org/audio287 General Jim Mattis has been making the rounds to talk about his new book that is out today: Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead. "Learning to Lead" sounds like it could be the title of a book about Lean management. We're learning how to lead people, to lead improvement, to lead organizations. You might say we're "practicing leadership," myself included. A few things jumped out from an article and an NPR interview with Mattis that made me think about Lean and the challenges we face in various workplaces. 

http://www.leanblog.org/audio286 This past weekend, an old friend came down from Michigan to spend two days in the Dallas area. Amongst the activities and catching up, we went bowling -- something I did a lot of as a kid and something my friend and I usually do when we get together. I ordered a drink -- not a Lean whiskey, perhaps surprisingly -- but this: "An UN-sweetened iced tea, please"

http://www.leanblog.org/audio285 This is a radio segment from the KOGO morning news on August 23rd, 2019. LaDona Harvey: When it comes to your career path, your family’s financial future, or even a weight loss journey, focusing on little setbacks can throw a real wrench in your progress. Ted Garcia: Joining us on the KOGO news live, the author of, “Measures of Success. React Less, Lead Better, Improve More,” Mark Graban. Good morning, Mark. Mark Graban: Good morning.

http://www.leanblog.org/audio284 Here is an article that caught my eye recently, from HBR: "How One Health System Overcame Resistance to a Surgical Checklist"

http://www.leanblog.org/audio283 Anyway, this article caught my eye the other day: Top Chefs and Restaurateurs on the Best Lessons They Learned from Failures Check out the article for the detail, but here are the five lessons and I think they apply to Lean and other things we practice, with my commentary…

http://www.leanblog.org/audio282 Hat tip to Stan Feingold from StoreSMART (a Lean Blog sponsor) for sending me this article: Bob Lutz Talks Panel Gaps, Tesla, and Why Every Detail Matters -- Getting it right starts at the top.

http://www.leanblog.org/audio281 When we have really sticky, complicated problems (like the widespread healthcare patient safety and quality problems), I think it's interesting to think about problems in the following terms... for a particular problem, which is true? It can't be solved (in general) That organization can't solve it (don't know how?) They won't solve it They don't need to solve it When we look at patient safety, there are many examples that show improvement is possible. So, it comes down to a question of "can't, won't, or don't need to?"

http://leanblog.org/audio280 I guess I'm wired for improvement. Or, it's just become a habit. Or, it's both. I celebrate moments when I can identify an opportunity for improvement in my work. I tend to be pretty transparent about problems and even mistakes (like forgetting my socks).  The Toyota-ism of "No problems is a problem" resonates with me. Identifying a problem shouldn't bring blame and shame... it's the first step in improving the way work is done. I'm fortunate that we've built a culture at KaiNexus where problems and opportunities are celebrated. It's safe for people to speak up and problems lead to improvement, not punishment. Our book Healthcare Kaizen shares stories and examples from organizations that have built a strong and sustained culture of continuous improvement. I almost take it for granted that improvement is a positive thing.

http://www.leanblog,org/audio279 Registration is open for "Kaizen Live!" -- the 2019 edition. Joe Swartz and I are excited to announce that we are hosting the fourth site visit to his organization, Franciscan St. Francis Health, in Indianapolis. It's being held October 3 and 4, with an optional workshop on October 2nd.  Click here to learn more. You'll find links to the registration page and be sure to check out the early registration and group rate discounts that are available.