Lean Blog Audio

Blog post Research by Ethan Burris shows that the top two reasons employees choose to keep quiet in the workplace are:1️⃣ Futility2️⃣ FearFear of getting in trouble is a big problem. But there are also many workplaces where people say, quite literally, “I'm not afraid to speak up, it just isn't worth the effort.”That's the Futility Factor.Please answer this poll question via LinkedIn. And I'd love to hear your thoughts in a comment here on the blog post or on LinkedIn.

The blog post You don't find the root cause of a problem in a conference room. OK, so we've gotten away from the whiteboard. Now what? You might not even KNOW the root cause by thinking and talking out where the work is actually being done. That's one of the most powerful lessons I've learned from former Toyota people I've been able to work with.

Blog Post Professors Robert H. Hayes and William J. Abernathy have harsh words about a common, if not typical style of American management: “…an overdependence on analytical detachment – what they call ”managerial remote control.” They say it is an approach that exalts financial analysis, not line operations. It rewards executives who see their company primarily as a competing set of rates of return, who manage by numbers and computer printouts. Further, they say, it is a seductive doctrine that promises the bright student a quick path to the top and that piles its rewards on executives who force through impressive short-term performance, at indeterminate cost to long-term health. Fearing any dip in today's profits, American companies keep research and technology on short rations, skimping the investment critically needed to insure competitiveness tomorrow.” These are warnings about: Prioritizing financial analysis over an operations focus Emphasized and rewarding short-term performance over long-term perspectives Is that from a recent article that I've read? Yet another article about Boeing's troubles? No. It's a 1982 article in the New York Times. Hat tip to Tom Ehrenfeld for sharing it with me.

The blog post It's interesting to observe a hospital process (or lack thereof) when a family member needs surgery. I had the opportunity to do so one day last week. I originally shared this on LinkedIn as a post and real-time updates. Thankfully, the clinical care seemed to be good, and that family member is recovering well from the outpatient procedure. But, the experience could have been better. I'm critiquing the process and the apparent culture, not the individuals involved. They are part of a system, which includes their job role design, training, and supervision.

Former Ford CEO Don Petersen, known for his leadership and mentorship from Dr. Deming, passed away at 97. The podcast discusses his transformative leadership at Ford, focusing on quality improvements and employee engagement. It reflects on his emphasis on innovation, teamwork, and company culture, despite reports of strained interactions with subordinates.

Read the blog post How often do you hear executives blaming employees, including frontline workers, for different problems or poor performance? I don't think that's a good look when leaders do that. Leaders are responsible for the system, especially senior leaders. Even though they are part of a system, they have more freedom and more ability to change systems that ultimately drive most performance. A blaming leader looks at low productivity numbers and blames “lazy workers.” A blaming leader sees mistakes and blames “careless workers.” A blaming leader sees employees choosing not to speak up about problems and blames “cowardly workers.”

Read the blog post I recently spoke and facilitated at a health system's quarterly leadership forum event on the topic of “Psychological Safety as a Pre-Condition for Continuous Improvement.” It was very well received, and I'm very passionate about the need for leaders to help every team member believe that it's both safe and effective to speak up in the workplace. Psychological Safety plus Problem Solving is a very powerful combination. Let me know if you'd be open to a brief conversation on collaborating for your next leadership forum or another executive event. I'm keen to share insights that can further empower your team and take your improvement journey to the next level. Learn more here and let me know if this would help your healthcare organization (or any organization outside of healthcare): Transforming Healthcare Leadership: Cultivate Psychological Safety for Unprecedented Continuous Improvement

Read the blog post I have been really enjoying this book, released in 2021, by Kiyoshi “Nate” Furuta, a retired Toyota executive: Welcome Problems, Find Success: Creating Toyota Cultures Around the World. I bought it a year ago and wish I had started reading it sooner! Furuta is the retired former chair and CEO of Toyota Boshoku America, Inc. — an automotive parts supplier to companies including Toyota and General Motors. 

Read the episode, view video, and more There was a fascinating article in Bloomberg BusinessWeek about GE doing its final spinoff of GE Vernova (ticker symbol: GEV) and the remaining business that Larry Culp remains CEO of, GE Aerospace (formerly GE Aviation, ticker symbol: GE). The inside story of how GE CEO Larry Culp dismantled a 131-year-old American giant. AN EMPIRE DIVIDED

The blog post and video Embracing Imperfections and Learning from Mistakes: A Leadership Insight from the 2022 AME Annual Conference... In a riveting conversation between Larry Culp (at the time, CEO of GE and now CEO of GE Aerospace) and my good friend Katie Anderson at the 2022 Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) Annual Conference, valuable lessons on leadership, transparency, and fostering a culture where challenges and imperfections are openly shared were illuminated. Come join AME at their 2024 Conference in Atlanta later this year. Here's a short clip: