Tag Archives: kaizen

5 (Other) Reasons To Go To The Gemba

Posted on June 15, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

The gemba is the place where the work is done. Lean managers “go to the gemba” to see it for themselves (genchi genbustu). This might be done during a continuous improvement (kaizen) project. Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of spending … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean and Six Sigma | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Reports From Shingo Prize Conference

Posted on May 20, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

(updated) Just a quick note to be sure and check out Mark Graban’s reports from the Shingo Prize Conference.  In comments, Mark writes that he plans on interviewing Stephen Covey tomorrow. In his report on Day 1, Mark relays this … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean and Six Sigma | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Saving Lives By Reducing Medical Errors

Posted on May 19, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

Chasing Zero: Winning the War on Healthcare Harm is airing on the Discovery Channel and available for viewing online. The “war” metaphor seems inappropriate, and casting error as the “enemy” doesn’t resonate for me. It’s just not an accurate description … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean and Six Sigma | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Toyoda's Testimony

Posted on February 24, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

Today, I watched some of the Congressional testimony of Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota, and Yoshimi Inaba, chief operating officer for North America. First off, as to how to respond to the Toyota recall from a Lean perspective, I’m essentially … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean and Six Sigma | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Checklists: Get Consensus and Follow Up

Posted on February 22, 2010 by D. Mark Jackson

Matthew May just finished Atul Gawande’s The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, a book high up on my own reading list. Matt discusses two criteria for checklists: Clarity. Assume an untrained eye will read it. Make it bullet-proof, … Continue reading →

Posted in Lean and Six Sigma | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Lean Writing

Posted on September 13, 2008 by D. Mark Jackson

Can lean improve your writing?  Let’s take two essential lean concepts and see how they apply. Minimize Waste Eliminating unnecessary words makes for good writing. Ask any editor or writing coach. Removing unneeded words is reducing waste in your writing. Think … Continue reading →

Posted in Good Lawyering, Lean and Six Sigma | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment