Lean Roundup #139 – December 2020

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of December 2020.  You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.

5S As A Cultural Enabler – Scott Gauvin says if you introduce 5S with the intention of it being the first step to improve employee engagement and company culture it will take on a new, more significant meaning. 

What is a Good Life? – Pascal Dennis says a good life entails having good values, and trying to live up to them.

Failure Is Always An Option – Johanna Rothman says when everyone reframes failure as learning and risk management, we can think our way through the various problems.

Tribute to Norm – Bruce Hamilton remarked how Norman Bodek enriched all of us.

The Lockdown Unlocks Real Work – Dan Markovitz says working from home presents a different set of challenges but the Covid pandemic provides an opportunity to assess and redesign work processes, it also provides an opportunity to lighten the administrative and managerial burden on our workers.

A Surprising and Extraordinary Master Class in Non-Lean Management – Mark Graban explores what might be a very non-Lean (un-Lean?) company in the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati.

Simpler Definitions of Muri, Muda and Mura – Jon Miller shares a new set of definitions to help bring a cohesive explanation of muri, mura and muda.

Norman Bodek and Respect for People – Kevin Meyer comments on the powerful legacy and valuable gift to the world Norman Bodek had.

Lessons from Lincoln on True North, and the Perils of the Journey – Jamie Flinchbaugh discusses the parallels in the lean journey to that of the journey of Lincoln and Stevens navigating the ending of slavery.

Process-Results Dichotomy  - Bob Emiliani says that the Lean community still does not understand the current state of leadership and the process-results dichotomy is just one example that highlights this lack of understanding.

Who Cares? How to Engage Your People in Sustained Lean - Joanna McGuffey & Thomas Richert discuss how to get other people to buy in to lean.

Are You Deploying Lean Mechanistically--or Organically? – Jeffrey Liker describes the lean implementation difference between the mechanistic approach—project based, expert driven, top down, tool--and the organic approach—purpose driven, a journey, engaging people, coaching.

Remembering Norman Bodek, the “Miraculous Life” of an Author, Teacher, and Publisher of Groundbreaking Business Books – Chet Marchwinski shares the legacy and life of Norman Bodek.

Improve Continuously by Mastering the Lean Kata - Rose Heathcote & Daryl Powell believe that the essence of lean—as it applies to all functional areas of the enterprise to different industries and sectors—is continuous improvement, with learning at its core.