Lean Blog Audio Mark Graban Podcasts

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.




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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.


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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.




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Blog post with links

The other day, I read about the passing of Donald E. Peterson, who was a key CEO for Ford Motor Company in the 1980s (from 1985 to 1990).

From the Detroit Free Press:

Former Ford CEO Don Petersen, who spent 41 years with automaker, dies at 97




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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.”




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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






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