Episode page with links and more During my most recent visit to Japan (as part of a tour hosted by Katie Anderson ), we spent time in several remarkable organizations where the focus wasn't just on performance or process… but on people. One company in particular introduced me to a word I hadn't encountered in this context before: kaiteki . Roughly translated, kaiteki means “comfort,” “ease,” or a “pleasant working environment.” But what stood out was how deeply embedded this idea was in the comp...
Jun 19, 2025•5 min
Episode page with survey results and more When someone on your team makes a mistake, what happens next? Do they speak up–or stay quiet? Do leaders give feedback that demonstrates curiosity–or do they blame employees? After interviewing over 200 leaders and contributors for my podcast “My Favorite Mistake ” and book, The Mistakes That Make Us , one truth has become clear: Speaking up isn't about character–it's about culture. ----- And if you're looking for a practical way to bring this conversati...
Jun 16, 2025•4 min
The blog post I'm honored to share that my workshop, "The Deming Red Bead Game & Process Behavior Charts: Practical Applications for Lean Management," has been accepted for the 41st Annual International AME Conference , taking place this October in St. Louis. The conference theme-- Gateway to the Future: AI and Beyond --is both timely and forward-looking, and I'm grateful to contribute a workshop that brings us back to foundational thinking: systems, variation, and learning. While AI is the ...
May 29, 2025•5 min
Read the blog post We all say mistakes are a part of learning. Or at least many of us do, as individuals. But how many organizations actually act that way? Too often, people are punished for systemic errors. So, problems get hidden. When problems are discovered, blame is assigned instead of learning being shared. And we wonder why our teams hesitate to speak up. That's why I created a simple new resource: The Mistake-Smart Leader's Checklist [ Download it here ]...
May 27, 2025•3 min
The blog post Thanks to NPR for their recent story about how today, April 23, 2025, marks the 40th anniversary of what is considered one of the biggest business or product marketing failures of my lifetime — the failed introduction of “New Coke.”
May 22, 2025•7 min•Ep. 417
The blog post Are your improvement efforts falling flat, or are you constantly chasing red dots? Are you interested in improving the way we improve? I've had to re-tool my Cincinnati workshop (June 17th) since my collaboration partner is now, unfortunately, unable to make it. Join me for a practical and thought-provoking day exploring two essential foundations for sustainable performance: psychological safety and modern leadership metrics. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER In the morning, we'll explore ho...
May 19, 2025•4 min•Ep. 416
The blog post There's a phrase I've been thinking about a lot lately: "You get your say, not always your way." It's a short sentence, but it says a lot. It's about voice, it's about respect, and it's about the kind of culture we're building--especially when we aim for continuous improvement. In The Mistakes That Make Us , I wrote about the characteristics of learning organizations. One of the most important is encouraging people to speak up--not just about mistakes, but also about ideas, concern...
May 17, 2025•3 min•Ep. 415
Read the blog post Since 2012, I've had the opportunity to visit Japan six times , each trip a deep learning experience–rich with lessons about Lean, Kaizen, leadership, culture, and continuous improvement. This June, I'm heading back for my seventh visit –and what makes this one especially exciting is that it will be my fifth trip focused on Lean in healthcare … and the first that I've helped design from the ground up. It's my first trip in this format, but I was invited to partner up with two ...
May 14, 2025•6 min
The blog post Nearly 30 years ago, I had my first real encounter with what not to do as a leader. I was working in a General Motors factory where the culture was one of daily disrespect. Leaders--if you could call them that--were quick to belittle, yell, scream (with spittle flying) at employees on the floor. The lesson I learned wasn't the one they thought they were teaching. This behavior wasn't "tough love" or "just how things are done in manufacturing." It was toxic. And it didn't lead to im...
May 06, 2025•6 min•Ep. 413
The blog post Before I departed for my recent workshop tour of Australia and New Zealand , I knew that I would learn things in the process of teaching and facilitating on my favorite topics. I didn't expect to learn about flying koalas , though! I did expect to learn something when I had the opportunity to meet up for lunch with a friend, former Toyota Australia leader Barry McCarthy . Barry's also the chair of this year's AME International Conference in St. Louis . I first met Barry back in 201...
Apr 15, 2025•8 min•Ep. 412
Blog post I'm very excited to announce that my latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation , has been officially selected as a recipient of the Shingo Publication Award by the Shingo Institute (the home of the Shingo Prize for organizations).
Feb 12, 2025•11 min•Ep. 411
The blog post I'm excited to be presenting this webinar on February 12th at 1 pm ET as part of the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement webinar series : The webinar description: “Are you looking for practical ways to eliminate errors and enhance efficiency in your organization? Join us for “Mistake-Proofing in Action: Real-World Examples Across Industries,” an insightful webinar showcasing how organizations across healthcare, manufacturing, and service sectors have successfully implemented mistake-pr...
Feb 07, 2025•4 min•Ep. 410
The blog post Last Sunday, in Frankfurt, Germany, I took part in a guided walking tour of the city. Our group included a young professional from Australia in his early 20s. He has taken leave from work to travel, backpacking across Europe. We had an opportunity to chat over lunch and a local “ apfelwein ” (hard cider). He lamented his frustrations at work. He said, “My boss thinks he is giving clear direction to us. Then we do the work our best way… only to be criticized for not understanding th...
Feb 06, 2025•2 min•Ep. 409
Episode page At its core, Lean is about people–respecting them, empowering them, and ensuring their well-being while driving continuous improvement. Recently, GE Aerospace's Lynn, MA, facility provided an inspiring example of what it means to put these principles into action, even under challenging circumstances. Read more about this and/or watch a video at this link: Keep the Line Moving: GE Aerospace's Lynn Facility Is Using FLIGHT DECK to Put Safety First...
Jan 21, 2025•6 min•Ep. 408
Episode blog post A sad but true leadership tale: “Unlike most CEOs who rely on their executive team to keep them informed, [redacted] relies on his team to keep him feeling good about himself. And so whenever somebody would tell him something that he didn't know and make it very clear that he wasn't the smartest person in the room on each and every topic, he generally fired them.”
Jan 17, 2025•3 min
Read the blog post During Katie Anderson ‘s #JapanStudyTrip this past November, a participant shared an observation with me that resonated deeply: “The biggest challenge is our blame culture. It's easier for people to do nothing because they don't get in trouble. But if they make a mistake, they get punished. And our company is successful enough that there's not a compelling reason for top leaders to change the culture.” This isn't a story from the U.S., but the feeling is universal. A workplace...
Jan 06, 2025•12 min•Ep. 406
Read the blog post: https://www.leanblog.org/2024/11/lost-iphone-japan-taxi-tokyo-kindness-culture/ I'm thrilled to be back in Japan for the first time in five years. Today is the start of Katie Anderson's Japan Study Trip (learn more about joining her in May 2025). It's great to be here for another week of learning and great experiences. Little did I know, I'd kick off the trip by nearly losing my iPhone on the streets of Tokyo–a mistake that ended up teaching me a valuable lesson about Japan's...
Dec 10, 2024•6 min•Ep. 405
The blog post Just over a week ago, I got back from Katie Anderson's Japan Study Trip . It was amazing! I have so much to write about and share. But first, Facebook reminded me of something from exactly ten years ago–the second time I visited Japan with the Kaizen Institute . I asked 2024 ChatGPT to translate this 2014 news story that's pictured below (with me sitting there and taking notes in the front row of the meeting room). See the English text below the image:...
Dec 05, 2024•4 min•Ep. 404
The blog post: https://www.leanblog.org/2024/11/surveying-the-lean-global-connection-audience-on-barriers-to-speaking-up/ At yesterday's Lean Global Connection event , I posed a straightforward yet revealing question to the audience: “What keeps you from speaking up at work?” The responses illustrated two of the common barriers. I posed the survey options based on the research of Prof. Ethan Burris , from the University of Texas at Austin, who has found that fear and futility are the top two rea...
Dec 03, 2024•7 min•Ep. 403
Blog post My whole career, I have worked with the Lean methodology (aka the Toyota Production System). I've just really never done much with Six Sigma. I've read about Six Sigma. I took a Green Belt course when I worked at Dell in the late 90s. I've studied and used statistical methods (especially what I learned in my Industrial Engineering studies and at MIT ), but I've never done anything I would call Six Sigma in my career. I have respect for Six Sigma as a discipline, just as if I were a che...
Oct 29, 2024•8 min•Ep. 402
How Often Does This Happen? Read the blog post It's a story I've heard too many times. An organization spends years, even decades, entrenched in a top-down, command-and-control culture. In this environment, employees are micromanaged, decision-making is reserved for those at the top, and when things go wrong, the finger-pointing begins. “Blame and shame” becomes the norm. Then, someone decides, “We're going to get Lean.” On the surface, this should be great news. Lean offers proven strategies to...
Oct 24, 2024•7 min•Ep. 401
I've played around with ChatGPT before ( including in a few blog posts ), but the advancements in A.I. technologies are pretty breathtaking. Check out the blog post I recently tried out the new “ Notebook LM” tool from Google . I uploaded a PDF of my latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation , and it was able to generate a realistic-sounding podcast episode about the book. It's like an NPR podcast in tone and style. There's a male A.I. host and a fe...
Oct 21, 2024•18 min•Ep. 400
Read the blog post When discussing mistakes, it's common to hear terms like “stupid mistake” or “dumb mistake” thrown around, especially when reflecting on our own errors. However, labeling mistakes in this way is unproductive. In The Mistakes That Make Us , one of the key ideas is that we shouldn't label mistakes as “stupid” or “dumb.” Mistakes are a natural part of the human experience, and even the smartest, most capable people make them....
Oct 09, 2024•9 min•Ep. 399
Read the blog post “I am never, ever wrong.” That's a statement that should disqualify an applicant from ANY leadership position. True leadership isn't about projecting infallibility–it's about fostering a culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities for learning and growth. Leaders who claim they're never wrong create an environment where fear of failure stifles innovation, and team members are less likely to speak up or challenge ideas. This is the opposite of what effective leadership req...
Oct 07, 2024•3 min
The blog post Today, I want to share a section from my book, The Mistakes That Make Us . I'm sharing an excerpt here in this post, and I'm also making it available as a podcast episode using an excerpt from the audiobook version. In this book, I explore how mistakes can actually be one of the best ways we learn and grow—whether it’s in business or life in general. The excerpt I’m about to share is from Chapter Three, where I talk about the importance of kindness. Often, we think that being "nice...
Oct 01, 2024•7 min
I've blogged about this before , but I'm going back to the problems at Starbucks again with today's post. Starbucks has a new CEO who is talking about how the coffee shop experience is broken . Many aspects of the Starbucks mobile ordering process are broken. Well, the ordering process is fine... it's the fulfillment process that needs improving....
Sep 12, 2024•6 min
Read the blog post In many organizations, moving away from a culture of punishment when mistakes are made is a significant leap forward. It signals a shift toward understanding, systems thinking, and improvement. But once you've made that change, what's next? Do we need to replace punitive approaches with something better? If so, what? How do you ensure that your new approach leads to meaningful learning and continuous improvement?...
Sep 04, 2024•9 min•Ep. 395
Read the blog post A friend of mine–with a long history of Lean and Toyota Production System knowledge practice–recently shared a troubling story about a relative who works at a manufacturing plant. I'll call this factory team member “Guy.” Call me cynical, if you must, but I totally believe this story, so I'm sharing it here. And my friend has zero reason to make this up. Guy's factory has a bonus system in place that's supposed to reward employees for hitting key performance targets each month...
Aug 29, 2024•6 min•Ep. 394
Read the blog post I've been writing about learning from mistakes for a long time, including my previous books before my latest, The Mistakes That Make Us . This idea isn't new, but it's essential–especially in fields like healthcare, where the stakes are incredibly high. From Lean Hospitals : “Mistakes are a reality in healthcare, and while we strive to prevent them, it's crucial to create an environment where they are identified quickly, addressed effectively, and used as opportunities for lea...
Aug 27, 2024•4 min•Ep. 393
Read the full blog post In writing The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation , I wanted to challenge the way we think about mistakes, leadership, and organizational culture. Throughout my career, I've seen firsthand how the traditional responses to mistakes–punishment, fear, and blame–can stifle growth and innovation. The ideas I present in the book are meant to provoke thought and, in some cases, to stir debate. Here in this post, I'd like to share and dig into...
Aug 22, 2024•9 min•Ep. 392
