Lean Roundup #99 – August, 2017

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of August, 2017.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.

Is Lean a Set of Principles or a Set of Tools? – Pascal Dennis says Lean principles (thinking) are the road to transformation.

What it Means to Turn the PDCA Cycle One More Time – Jon Miller says each turn of the PDCA cycle lets us peer deeper into the cracks in our processes where systemic root causes hide.

Motivation and Helping People Learn, Make a Difference, and Have Fun – Gregg Stocker says we are here to learn, to make a difference, and to have fun and what that means to him.

The Hidden Costs of Batching [Lessons from the Road] – Jamie Flinchbaugh explores the impact of batching on your processes and on your customers.

The Power of Freed Capacity – Karen Martin discusses the power of freed capacity and how you can quantify the results.

When You’re Convinced You’re Right, You’ve Lost Your Ability to Learn – Pascal Dennis discussed the corrosive effects of self-righteousness to personal growth, and hence to lateral learning in an organization.

Life is complicated. Supply chain management shouldn’t be. – Alexa Cheater says connecting data, processes and people in your supply chain will help you embrace the simple life and take back your day.

There Are No Silver Bullets – Mark Rosenthal explains the real work is understanding what social and cultural norms in your organization are holding you back and dealing with those.

The Battle Between Activity & Action – Marci Reynolds explains why there is a big difference between activity and action.

Variation in Definitions of #Lean (The Good, the Bad, and the Different) – Mark Graban says Lean is not just about cost reduction… it’s more about “respect for people” and changing the way we do things… which leads to lower cost as an end result.

It's All About the Mindset on Gemba Walks – Darren Walsh says approaching gemba walks with the right mindset can be the deciding factor in how effective the management team is in eliminating firefighting, making good decisions, developing people and improving performance.

Why You Should Think of Lean Tools as Frames – Michael Balle says to understand the essence of lean thinking, it’s critical to see many of what are popularly interpreted as powerful tools as frames.

Do You Practice Routine Personal Development? – Katie Anderson says we all have to practice daily, without fail, to maintain our skills and desired habits, work to close our personal behavioral gaps, and then have space for innovation and developing new skills and habits.