Lean v. Innovation…Wrong Question!

I get the question all the time, especially from organizations who have significant investment in some process improvement program — like a “lean six sigma” or “lean kaizen” (I hear the ghosts of Toyota engineers booing) initiative – and have picked all the low-hanging fruit clean, squeezed as much inefficiency from their work as is […]

The Art of 5 Whys

Recently I had a conversation with a friend who was upset about some directional shifts and looming job shuffles swirling around their company. As I listened to the lament, I recognized the fact that they were focusing on the symptoms of the issue. All of his reactions and proposed courses of action in response to […]