A Lean Journey

Lean Roundup #199 – December 2025

2025-12-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of December 2025. You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.

5 Big Lean Questions with Mark Graban: Purpose, Misconceptions, and the Path Forward – Mark Graban revisits the 5 meet up questions from last year’s A Lean Journey post.

The Unified Approach: Connecting Strategy, Process, and People in Operational Excellence – Mark Graban says true continuous improvement requires a holistic approach synchronizing strategy, process, employees, and leadership.

Will It Make the Boat Go Faster? – Ron Pereira shares a story about rowing and what actually moves us forward versus what just keeps us busy.

Lean in Government Is Possible – Alen Ganic shares stories from his time working across several government departments, using Lean tools to solve real problems and improve flow to people at a Lean conference in Europe.

Continuous Means Continuous, not December – Kevin Meyer discusses the arbitrary end of the year activities and a better way to think about it continuously.

Why is Year-End Reflection so Difficult? – Pascal Dennis discusses year end reflection and how we can get better with answering the right questions.

As Long as the Graph Goes up and to the Right – Christopher R Chapman shares a managerial tale and ties this to Deming’s management philosophy.

The Management Brief | The Lean Transformation Framework throughout 2025 - Josh Howell and Mark Reich use the five LTF questions as our lens, we revisit some highlights from The Management Brief in 2025.

The Design Brief | People First: Are you investing in your human assets? - Larry Navarre explores why people—not ideas or technology—determine the success of innovation and how Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) offers a framework for developing people.

Forget the Ping-Pong Table: How to Truly Put People First – James Morgan shares a leader’s guide to building teams that thrive in Lean product development.

Five NUMMI Tour Lessons That Still Define Lean Thinking – Mark Graban share 5 lessons that still matter today from his NUMMI factory visit 20 years ago.

Strategy – What’s Changed & What Hasn’t? – Pascal Dennis says when it comes to Strategy deployment & execution, what’s changed is AI, and what has no changed is the messy, human work of alignment, and the centrality of Leadership.

Keeping the Spirit of Christmas Alive All Year

2025-12-24T20:40:00.004-05:00

When December rolls around, something shifts in the way we live and interact with each other. We smile more, we take time to connect with loved ones, we give generously, and we find ourselves thinking about peace, gratitude, and goodwill. The “Christmas spirit” seems to soften our edges and make us more intentional about how we live.

But what if we didn’t have to wait for the holiday season to experience that spirit? What if we could carry it with us—365 days a year?

The True Gift of the Season

The holiday season often reminds us of what truly matters: family, friends, kindness, gratitude, and connection. These values shouldn’t be reserved for one season. When we focus on what we already have rather than what we lack, we step into a posture of gratitude that can transform how we see each day. The real magic of Christmas is not in the decorations, the presents, or the festivities—it’s in the way we show up for one another.

Simple Ways to Carry the Spirit Forward

The good news is that we don’t need lights, music, or a packed calendar of holiday events to keep the magic alive. We can choose to live in the spirit of Christmas every day by doing things like:

Smile often. A simple smile can brighten someone’s day and spark kindness in return.
Practice small acts of generosity. Hold the door, lend a hand, share a kind word—small gestures matter.
Show gratitude daily. Write it down, say it aloud, or simply pause to reflect on what you’re thankful for.
Give your time. Whether volunteering or simply being present with loved ones, your time is often the most meaningful gift you can offer.

Living With Intention

At Christmas, many of us are more deliberate about making memories, giving thoughtfully, and savoring time with those who matter most. Why not bring that intentionality into January, March, July, and beyond? When we keep our priorities in view—connection, compassion, and gratitude—we discover that every day has the potential for a little holiday magic.

A Year-Round Celebration

As Charles Dickens wrote in A Christmas Carol, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” The message is timeless: the joy, compassion, and love we cultivate in December don’t need to fade when the decorations come down.

So, as this season comes and goes, let’s choose to carry forward the best parts of Christmas—not just for a few weeks, but throughout the year. Because when we live with gratitude, kindness, and generosity, every day becomes a chance to celebrate.

Lean Tips Edition #326 (#3916 – #3930)

2025-12-22T06:00:00.002-05:00

For my Facebook fans you already know about this great feature. But for those of you that are not connected to A Lean Journey on Facebook or Twitter I post daily a feature I call Lean Tips. It is meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledge tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey. Another great reason to like A Lean Journey on Facebook.

Click this link for A Lean Journey's Facebook Page Notes Feed.

Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:

Lean Tip #3916 – Leaders Model the Behavior They Expect

People pay more attention to what leaders do than what they say. If you want a culture of problem-solving, reflection, and respect, you must model those behaviors consistently. Walk the talk by engaging in Gemba walks, participating in team huddles, and following standard work yourself.

When employees see leaders living Lean principles, they understand that improvement isn’t just a slogan—it’s a way of life. Conversely, when leaders cut corners or dismiss feedback, credibility erodes quickly. Lean leadership begins with example. The most powerful message a leader can send is: “I’m learning and improving too.”

Lean Tip #3917 – Engage Hearts and Minds

Lean is often misunderstood as a set of tools, but it’s really a philosophy centered on people. Engaging both the hearts and minds of employees means connecting them emotionally to their work and intellectually to problem-solving.

Help your team understand the “why” behind Lean initiatives. Show how their efforts improve the customer experience, reduce frustration, or make the workplace safer. When people see how their daily actions make a difference, they become motivated from within—not because they’re told to change, but because they want to. Lean engagement begins with meaning.

Lean Tip #3918 – Make Reflection Part of Daily Work

Reflection shouldn’t be reserved for the end of a project—it should happen daily. A short reflection at the end of a shift or meeting helps capture learning while it’s fresh. Even five minutes can make a significant difference in understanding what went well and what could improve.

Encourage teams to use reflection questions regularly: What worked today? What didn’t? What should we do differently tomorrow? When reflection becomes a habit, learning accelerates. Lean organizations that practice daily reflection don’t just react to problems—they anticipate and prevent them.

Lean Tip #3919 – Avoid the “Flavor of the Month” Syndrome

Lean can lose credibility when treated as just another corporate initiative. Employees may resist if they’ve seen improvement programs come and go without lasting change. Avoid this trap by committing to Lean as a long-term philosophy, not a short-term project.

Be consistent in language, tools, and expectations. Celebrate sustained improvements, not temporary wins. Reinforce Lean behaviors even when results take time to appear. When people see that Lean is here to stay, trust grows—and so does engagement. Stability and persistence build the foundation for cultural transformation.

Lean Tip #3920 – Simplify Before Automating

Technology can improve processes—but only after they’re simplified. Automating a broken or inefficient process only helps you make mistakes faster. Lean thinking encourages us to first eliminate waste, reduce variation, and clarify flow before adding automation.

Work with your team to strip the process down to its essentials. Ask: Which steps add value? Which can be eliminated or combined? Once the process is clean and efficient, consider how technology can enhance it further. Simplification first, automation second—that’s the Lean way.

Lean Tip #3921 – Respect for People is at the Heart of Lean

Respect for people is one of the two pillars of the Toyota Way—and the most often misunderstood. Respect means more than politeness; it means creating an environment where people can succeed. It’s about listening to employees, involving them in decisions, and valuing their expertise.

When leaders show respect, they earn trust and commitment. Teams that feel respected are more willing to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and take ownership of improvement. True Lean organizations don’t just eliminate waste—they unleash human potential.

Lean Tip #3922 – Visual Boards Keep Teams Focused on Priorities

A good visual board is a daily management tool that aligns the team’s focus. It communicates goals, progress, and issues at a glance, helping everyone stay connected to the work. Visual boards turn abstract numbers into tangible reality.

Involve the team in designing and updating the board so it reflects what truly matters. Use it during stand-up meetings to guide discussion, track actions, and solve problems. When information is visible, people are empowered to act quickly and collectively.

Lean Tip #3923 – Make Problems Visible

In many organizations, problems are hidden for fear of blame or punishment. But Lean teaches us that you can’t fix what you can’t see. Making problems visible is a courageous act that opens the door to improvement.

Encourage teams to surface issues immediately—through andon systems, daily huddles, or visual indicators. When problems are treated as opportunities to learn rather than reasons for criticism, people engage more openly. The sooner you see the problem, the sooner you can solve it.

Lean Tip #3924 – Coach Through the Gemba

The Gemba—the place where work happens—is where real learning occurs. Leaders who spend time at the Gemba gain direct insight into processes, challenges, and successes. Coaching at the Gemba allows you to guide employees in real time and demonstrate genuine respect for their work.

Ask open-ended questions and listen deeply. Observe the process before offering solutions. When leaders are visible and curious on the shop floor, they strengthen relationships and develop both people and processes.

Lean Tip #3925 – Improve the System, Not the Individual

When performance falters, it’s easy to point fingers. But most problems are systemic, not personal. Lean thinking teaches us to focus on improving the system rather than blaming the person.

Look for patterns—unclear standards, insufficient training, or flawed handoffs. When you fix systemic issues, performance improves across the board. Employees appreciate when leaders seek to understand the process rather than assign blame. Systemic improvement drives sustainable success.

Lean Tip #3926 – Use the “Five Whys” to Get to the Root Cause

Superficial fixes rarely last. The “Five Whys” technique helps teams dig deeper to uncover root causes instead of treating symptoms. Each time you ask “why,” you move closer to the underlying problem.

This simple tool encourages critical thinking and collaboration. Facilitate sessions where teams can openly discuss and analyze causes together. By addressing the root rather than the symptom, you prevent recurrence and strengthen your process knowledge.

Lean Tip #3927 – Develop Leaders at Every Level

Lean leadership isn’t confined to titles—it’s about mindset. Every person in the organization can lead improvement within their sphere of influence. Developing leadership capability at all levels ensures the long-term sustainability of Lean.

Provide opportunities for employees to facilitate Kaizens, mentor peers, or present improvements. Recognize their contributions and build their confidence. Leadership development is the ultimate form of respect—it says, “We trust you to make things better.”

Lean Tip #3928 – Foster a Learning Culture

Continuous improvement depends on continuous learning. A true Lean culture values experimentation, reflection, and knowledge sharing. Encourage employees to try new ideas, even if they fail. Mistakes are valuable learning opportunities.

Promote learning through after-action reviews, cross-training, and open communication. Recognize curiosity and persistence as much as results. A learning culture ensures your organization evolves faster than the challenges it faces.

Lean Tip #3929 – Metrics Should Reflect the Customer Perspective

When defining success, always start with the customer. Too often, internal measures overlook what truly matters to those we serve. Metrics should reflect customer value—quality, delivery, cost, and satisfaction.

Gather customer feedback regularly and align your metrics accordingly. When teams understand how their performance impacts the customer, they make better decisions. Lean organizations measure what matters most: the value delivered to the customer.

Lean Tip #3930 – Improvement Starts with Observation

Improvement begins with seeing the work as it truly is. Too often, we rely on reports, assumptions, or anecdotal evidence. Lean encourages leaders and teams to go to the Gemba—the actual place where value is created—and observe directly.

Take time to watch how materials flow, how people interact, and where delays or rework occur. Observation uncovers hidden waste, inefficiencies, and opportunities that data alone cannot reveal. Encourage your team to ask questions like: What did I notice? What surprises me? What can be improved?

Observation is more than looking—it’s seeing with intent. The insights gained are the seeds for meaningful, sustainable improvement.

Top Lean Quotes from 2025

2025-12-19T06:00:00.002-05:00

Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we cannot improve.

1. “I never lose. I either win or learn.” — Nelson Mandela (January 24, 2025)

2. “You have to be interested. If you’re not interested, you can’t be interesting.” — Iris Apfel (September 26, 2025)

3. “I think that my leadership style is to get people to fear staying in place, to fear not changing.” — Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. (May 23, 2025)

4. “The supreme quality of leadership is integrity.” — Dwight Eisenhower (March 21, 2025

5. “There is a story behind every person, a reason why they are the way they are. Don’t be quick to judge. Be kind and assume the best.” — Nicky Gumbel (December 5, 2025

Honorable Mentions

· “Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.” — Robert Louis Stevenson (June 20, 2025)

· “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” — Neale Donald Walsch (January 17, 2025)

· “It’s okay to admit what you don’t know. It’s okay to ask for help. And it’s more than okay to listen to the people you lead–in fact, it’s essential.” — Mary Barra (April 4, 2025)

· “…employees are offering a very important part of their life to us. If we don’t use their time effectively, we are wasting their lives.” — Eiji Toyoda, Former President and Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation (August 7, 2025)

These are the top quotes on A Lean Journey website in 2025.

Top 10 Tips of 2025

2025-12-17T06:00:00.004-05:00

As 2025 comes to an end and we look toward 2026 I wanted to revisit some tips. The Lean Tips published daily are meant to be advice, things I learned from experience, and some knowledgeable tidbits about Lean to help you along your journey. Here are the top 10 Lean tips from this past year:

1. Lean Tip #3681 – Visualize Success to Achieve Your Goals

To achieve your goals, you need to know what success looks like. Visualization is a practice that helps you imagine the results you want to achieve as if you’ve already accomplished them. It involves using all your senses to train your brain to get familiar with the experience of reaching your goal.

One way you can do this is by creating a personal vision statement, which is a statement that describes your personal values and goals.

Visualizing success in this way can help motivate you to clarify exactly what it is that you’re after and continue progressing toward it. It can also help you build confidence that your goal is within reach.

2. Lean Tip #3682 – Outline Your Goal’s Action Plan

Because goals are often long-term and abstract by nature, it can be helpful to break them down into simpler steps that demonstrate ongoing progress. Continued effort toward little goals can feel easier because you consistently reach milestones and can celebrate small wins.

To make an action plan, try creating a “goal ladder.” This life-planning process involves writing your main goal at the top rung of the “ladder” and making each of your smaller goals “rungs” that lead to your main goal.

It can also be helpful to make a to-do list and actively check off each step you complete for a greater sense of accomplishment. Adding due dates for each individual step can also help you stay on track.

3. Lean Tip #3696 – Clearly Define Roles and Responsibilities for Every Team Member

When team members are unsure of their own tasks and responsibilities, it often creates tension within a team. It is important for each team member to know exactly what he or she is responsible for so that there is no overlap in projects. If multiple employees are working on the same task due to confusion in responsibility, invaluable time and team effort spent on the task are wasted. Each individual should have responsibility in reaching the team goals as well as the tools and mutual support to obtain good results. Setting clear goals for each team member will help keep people aligned on their assigned tasks and responsibilities.

4. Lean Tip #3700 – Provide the Team with Learning Opportunities

How can we expect everyone to be perfect team players if they’ve never actually learned how to work on a team project? How to work on a team may sound obvious to some people, but it does not come naturally for everyone. To maximize the benefits of teamwork in the workplace, it is important to provide your team with proper training and guidance.

Providing learning opportunities will not only enhance teamwork skills, but will also increase employees’ engagement and job satisfaction. Workshops and qualified guest speakers from outside of the organization are a great way to ensure that all team members understand the importance of teamwork in the workplace as well as how to be an effective team member.

5. Lean Tip #3798 – Gather Ideas from the People Doing the Work

In a Lean and continuous improvement organization employees are your greatest asset and should also be the source of generating new ideas for improvement. No one knows the work better than the person who performs it everyday. No one has more “skin in the game” about the working process than that person. As a result, the best person to suggest ideas for improvement and to implement them is the line worker.

6. Lean Tip #3800 – Use Regular Feedback for Improvement

One effective way of gathering feedback on your continuous improvement efforts is to apply the Plan-Do-Check-Check (PDCA) cycle. The PDCA cycle allows you to scientifically test your experiments. The cycle ensures continuous improvement by measuring the performance difference between the baseline and target condition. This gives immediate feedback on the effectiveness of the change. If the idea was effective, the next cycle of improvement will start with the new baseline and your goal is to move towards a new target condition.

7. Lean Tip #3862 – Respect for People is the Core of Lean

Respect is not just a value—it’s a system of behaviors. In Lean, respecting people means involving them in decisions, listening to their ideas, and equipping them with the skills and tools to succeed. Without respect, Lean becomes a hollow set of tools.

When employees feel valued, they contribute ideas freely, take ownership of problems, and support one another. Respect also means recognizing contributions, protecting work-life balance, and ensuring improvements make jobs safer and more satisfying. Continuous improvement and respect go hand-in-hand.

8. Lean Tip #3863 – Uncover Root Causes with the 5 Whys

Surface-level fixes rarely solve long-term problems. The “5 Whys” method helps teams dig deeper to identify the root cause. By repeatedly asking “why” after each answer, you often move past symptoms to the underlying issue.

For instance, a late shipment might initially seem like a scheduling problem. But after asking “why” several times, you may uncover an issue with inaccurate inventory counts. Fixing the inventory system solves not only the late shipment but also prevents future errors. Root cause thinking saves time and prevents frustration.

9. Lean Tip #3878 – Create Clarity Through Visual Management

Confusion slows teams down. Lean leaders reduce this by making information visible and easy to understand. Visual boards, color coding, simple charts, and floor markings help everyone know what’s happening, what the goals are, and where attention is needed.

This kind of transparency empowers teams to act without waiting for instructions. It reduces wasted time, improves alignment, and fosters accountability. When goals and progress are clearly visible, conversations shift from “What’s going on?” to “How can we improve this?”

10. Lean Tip #3925 – Improve the System, Not the Individual

When performance falters, it’s easy to point fingers. But most problems are systemic, not personal. Lean thinking teaches us to focus on improving the system rather than blaming the person.

These 10 Lean tips can help you with your journey in 2026. What advice would you share for the New Year?

Lean Quote: Life as a Game of Juggling Five Essential Balls

2025-12-12T06:00:00.004-05:00

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends and spirit - and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends and spirit - are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.." — Brian Dyson, former CEO of Coca-Cola

The 5 Balls of Life

In a famous commencement speech, Brian Dyson used this juggling metaphor to illustrate the importance of balance. He explained that work is a rubber ball—if dropped, it bounces back. But family, health, friends, and spirit are glass balls—once dropped, they may be permanently damaged.

Here’s how Dyson framed it:

Work – A rubber ball. Jobs, tasks, even careers can recover over time.
Family – A glass ball. Relationships need nurturing and presence; neglect can cause lasting harm.
Health – A glass ball. If ignored, recovery is difficult and sometimes impossible.
Friends – A glass ball. True friendships require attention and care; once broken, they may never be the same.
Spirit – A glass ball. This includes your values, beliefs, and inner well-being. If neglected, it can leave you feeling empty or disconnected.

The Lean Leadership Connection

This analogy resonates strongly with Lean thinking. In Lean, we strive to eliminate waste, create flow, and focus on what truly adds value. The same principle applies to life: not all activities are equal. Some can recover if dropped (like work tasks), but others—our health, relationships, and inner values—require daily respect and attention.

Leaders in Lean organizations must remember that respect for people includes respecting the whole person, not just the employee. When we encourage balance, we help people bring their best selves to work. By modeling balance ourselves, we also show that productivity is not about endless hours but about sustainable, focused contribution.

The Takeaway

Dyson’s metaphor is a reminder to choose wisely where to put your energy. Work will always demand more, but family, health, friends, and spirit are fragile. As Lean leaders, we should reflect on what truly matters, protect what is irreplaceable, and help others do the same.

Balance is not a luxury—it’s a discipline. And just like in Lean, discipline is what sustains improvement over the long run.

Closing the Year with Clarity: How Reflection Fuels Growth and Renewal

2025-12-10T06:00:00.006-05:00

As the calendar winds down, many of us are eager to plan for the year ahead. But before racing into new resolutions, it’s worth taking time to pause and reflect. Reflection is more than looking back—it’s about uncovering meaning, celebrating progress, and creating the clarity we need to move forward with intention.

By definition, reflection is a deliberate act of stepping back to examine our beliefs, behaviors, and choices. It transforms everyday experiences into lessons. Without this pause, our days can blur together, and opportunities for learning slip away. With it, we build awareness, strengthen resilience, and cultivate growth.

Why Year-End Reflection Matters

Reflection isn’t just a “nice-to-do.” It is one of the most powerful tools for personal and professional development. Experiences alone don’t guarantee growth; it’s the act of questioning, analyzing, and learning from those experiences that makes them meaningful.

For leaders especially, reflection helps sharpen essential skills—decision-making, empathy, communication, and adaptability. In a world that prizes quick responses, it’s easy to forget that slowing down actually strengthens our ability to lead with purpose. Without time for reflection, we risk burning out, missing opportunities, or repeating the same mistakes.

A Framework for Reflection

You don’t need a complicated system to reflect effectively. Try this simple rhythm:

Pause: Step back from the day-to-day rush.
Observe: Look at the events, patterns, and emotions that stood out.
Listen: Pay attention to the inner voice that points you toward your values.
Decide: Identify adjustments or commitments to carry forward.

Think of it as a personal version of continuous improvement—pause, learn, and adapt.

Five Practices to Deepen Reflection

To make reflection stick, consistency matters. Here are five practices that can enhance your year-end review—and carry into the new year:

Practice radical honesty. Acknowledge both your wins and your struggles.
Spot your patterns. Identify habits that serve you—and those that hold you back.
Anchor in values. Clarify what truly matters so your goals align with your priorities.
Extend grace. Change takes time; treat mistakes as learning, not failure.
Capture your thoughts. Use a journal, notes app, or spreadsheet to document lessons and progress.

Questions Worth Asking Yourself

To focus your reflection, consider these prompts:

What mattered most to me this year?
Did my choices reflect my values?
Where did I grow the most, and where do I still need work?
How did I care for my health, energy, and relationships?
What did I learn about myself this year?

Simple Ways to Build Reflection Into Your Life

Reflection doesn’t have to wait until December. Small, consistent practices are often more powerful than one long annual review. You might:

Keep a weekly reflection journal.
Spend time outdoors without distractions.
Use a few minutes before bed to replay the day.
Hold a weekly check-in with yourself—set goals Monday, review Friday.

These habits create space for incremental progress and give you regular opportunities to reset.

Moving Forward With Intention

Reflection isn’t about perfection or tallying every success. It’s about honoring the progress you made, learning from what didn’t work, and carrying those lessons forward. Even partial progress is meaningful. Every step counts.

As this year comes to a close, give yourself permission to pause. Brew a cup of coffee, open a journal, or simply sit quietly and ask: What did this year teach me? The clarity you gain may be the most valuable gift you carry into the new year.

Leadership Lessons from 2025: Insights from a Global Manufacturing Executive

2025-12-08T06:00:00.008-05:00

In today’s dynamic manufacturing landscape, few leaders embody resilience and adaptability quite like Nashay Naeve, President of the Engineered Plastic Components Business Unit at Tsubaki-Nakashima. As one of the few women leading three global plants—located in Michigan, Italy, and the UK—Nashay oversees international operations from her home in Georgia. Her journey from mechanical engineer to global executive offers powerful lessons on leadership, change, and building high-performing teams in an ever-evolving world.

Reflecting on 2025, Nashay shared three key leadership lessons that guided her through a year marked by continued supply chain volatility, shifting workforce expectations, and the accelerating adoption of digital manufacturing technologies.

1. Adapt Strategy Locally

Global alignment doesn’t mean global uniformity. Nashay emphasizes the importance of empowering regional leaders to adapt strategies to their local realities. What works in Michigan may not work in Milan or Manchester. By granting autonomy and fostering trust, she’s found that teams become more engaged, more agile, and ultimately more successful.

In Lean terms, this reflects the principle of respect for people. Leaders must go to the “gemba”—the real place where value is created—to understand context and enable the best local solutions. A standardized system should never come at the cost of local wisdom.

2. Balance Breadth with Depth

As an engineer turned executive, Nashay credits her ability to lead effectively to having both breadth of perspective and depth of expertise. She encourages leaders, especially those in technical fields, to step outside their comfort zones—rotating through roles in operations, supply chain, or customer engagement to understand the full value stream.

This lesson aligns closely with Lean thinking. Continuous improvement requires seeing the entire system and understanding how each process affects the next. Developing “T-shaped” leaders—those with deep knowledge in one area and broad understanding across others—creates organizations capable of learning, adapting, and innovating at speed.

3. Reframe Risk as a Path to Learning

Perhaps Nashay’s most powerful insight is her approach to risk. She challenges her teams to “pilot and scale” rather than “plan and fear.” In a global manufacturing environment, perfection is unrealistic—experimentation is essential. Small, disciplined experiments create learning loops that strengthen organizational resilience and innovation.

This mindset echoes one of Lean’s most fundamental principles: kaizen, or continuous improvement through experimentation. Leaders who reframe risk as learning foster psychological safety, encourage innovation, and build cultures capable of thriving in uncertainty.

Leading with Purpose and Inclusion

Beyond the mechanics of operations and strategy, Nashay’s leadership philosophy centers on purpose and inclusion. She believes the future of industrial innovation won’t be defined solely by technology, but by leaders who combine clarity of vision with cultural intelligence and a commitment to developing people.

Her perspective serves as an inspiring reminder: great leaders don’t just drive efficiency—they cultivate capability, trust, and meaning. As organizations look ahead to 2026, these lessons offer a roadmap for leading with authenticity, agility, and impact.

Lean Takeaway:
Leadership in a global, complex world isn’t about control—it’s about connection. By empowering teams, embracing learning, and leading with purpose, we build not only stronger operations but stronger people.

Lean Quote: Don’t Judge Too Quickly

2025-12-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

"There is a story behind every person, a reason why they are the way they are. Don’t be quick to judge. Be kind and assume the best.." — Nicky Gumbel

Leadership often confronts us with the need to make fast decisions, but when it comes to understanding people, speed can be your enemy. The video "Don’t Judge Too Quickly" reminds us that snap judgments stifle possibility and erode trust. Leadership grounded in empathy—in holding off for the full picture—is the foundation of strong, inclusive relationships.

Nicky Gumbel’s insight, “There is a story behind every person… Don’t be quick to judge. Be kind and assume the best,” further reinforces this mindset. When leaders adopt this posture—believing that others’ actions usually stem from their own narrative, not malice—it opens the door for deeper connection and authentic engagement.

Why does this matter? Because assumptions are often rooted in our interpretations, not reality. A team member missing a deadline might be battling personal issues, not indifference. An offhand comment may reflect stress, not disregard. By choosing kindness over suspicion, we cultivate a culture where people feel seen, understood, and safe to bring their whole selves forward.

Imagine a workplace where curiosity triumphs over criticism. Leaders ask, “What’s really going on?” instead of concluding, “This is just how they are.” Questions replace quick dismissals. Listening replaces labeling. When leaders model this—and teach it—teams learn to approach each other with empathy and openness. In that space, innovation thrives, morale strengthens, and every story has room to unfold—and be heard.

3 Leadership Tips from Executive Coach Michael King to Start the New Year Strong

2025-12-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

As we prepare to turn the page into a new year, leaders everywhere are reflecting on how to create clarity, build stronger teams, and drive meaningful progress. Executive coach Michael King—founder of TEAMS. Coach and host of The Level Up Leader podcast—offers powerful guidance that pairs naturally with Lean leadership principles. His message: leadership success in the coming year won’t come from doing more, but from leading with greater intention, alignment, and authenticity.

Here are three of Michael King’s top tips for leaders heading into the new year, along with how they connect to Lean and continuous improvement.

1. Lead with Clarity of Vision and Identity

King consistently emphasizes that leadership begins with clarity—clarity of purpose, of goals, and most importantly, of identity. Leaders must ask: What do I stand for? What am I trying to create? Why does this matter? Without clarity, teams operate in a haze, and improvement stalls.

This directly supports Lean’s focus on true north thinking. When vision is crisp and goals are well-defined, it becomes easier to align people, eliminate wasteful distractions, and create processes that support what truly matters. As King says, clarity cuts through chaos—and in Lean, clarity is what empowers teams to solve problems at the source.

2. Use the Power of “Nope” to Protect Focus and Flow

One of King’s signature messages is the strategic power of saying “No.” Not negativity—alignment. Leaders often create their own bottlenecks by saying yes to everything. Instead, King encourages leaders to protect their energy and focus by declining tasks, requests, or opportunities that don’t support their mission.

This is Lean thinking in action. We can’t eliminate waste if we’re constantly piling on more work, more priorities, and more noise. The ability to say “no” preserves capacity for improvement, protects the team from burnout, and ensures that leaders spend their time on the vital few rather than the trivial many.

3. Turn Failure into Fuel for Growth

King teaches that failure isn’t the end—it’s an accelerator. In his “Dreaming Through Failure” approach, he urges leaders to extract learning from setbacks, redesign their systems, and keep moving forward with resilience. Failure becomes fuel.

This mirrors Lean’s belief that problems are treasures. Setbacks reveal gaps, illuminate process breakdowns, and surface improvement opportunities that would otherwise stay hidden. Leaders who frame failure as learning—not loss—create a culture of psychological safety where experimentation, problem-solving, and continuous improvement can thrive.

Starting the New Year with Intention

Whether you’re a frontline supervisor or a senior executive, these principles offer a strong foundation for the year ahead. Lead with clarity. Protect what matters most. Turn challenges into catalysts. When leaders model these behaviors, teams follow—and organizations unlock the conditions for continuous improvement.

Lean Tips Edition #325 (#3901 - #3915)

2025-12-01T06:00:00.005-05:00

Click this link for A Lean Journey's Facebook Page Notes Feed.

Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:

Lean Tip #3901 – Teamwork is the Foundation of Continuous Improvement

True Lean transformation starts with teamwork. The most effective Lean systems are built on collaboration, not competition. When individuals come together around a shared purpose, they can solve complex problems, generate new ideas, and sustain improvements that no one could achieve alone.

Building teamwork requires intentional effort. Create opportunities for people to work across functions, share perspectives, and align around customer value. When everyone sees how their role connects to the bigger picture, they take ownership of improvement efforts. Strong teams are not accidental—they are the result of trust, communication, and a shared belief that together, we can always make things better.

Lean Tip #3902 – Build Trust Before You Ask for Change

Lean relies heavily on people’s willingness to change how they work. But people won’t embrace change from leaders they don’t trust. Trust is built through consistency, transparency, and fairness. When employees believe their leaders listen and genuinely care about their success, they are far more likely to support new initiatives.

Start small—follow through on your promises, admit when you don’t have all the answers, and show appreciation for honest feedback. These actions communicate integrity and reliability. Before asking your team to change a process or adopt a new standard, ensure you’ve earned their confidence. Change without trust feels like control, but change built on trust feels like progress.

Lean Tip #3903 – Visual Management Strengthens Team Alignment

Visual management is one of the most powerful Lean techniques because it makes the invisible visible. When performance, problems, and priorities are clearly displayed, teams can align and act quickly. A well-designed visual system allows anyone to understand the current condition of the process at a glance—whether things are on track or need attention.

Use visual boards, Kanban systems, and process maps to communicate information openly. Make them team-owned, not management-owned. When people contribute to creating and maintaining these visuals, they develop ownership and engagement. Visual management is more than a display—it’s a communication system that reinforces accountability, collaboration, and shared responsibility for improvement.

Lean Tip #3904 – Lead with Questions, Not Answers

Effective Lean leaders don’t dictate solutions—they develop problem solvers. One of the best ways to do that is to lead with questions. Instead of telling your team what to do, ask questions that help them think deeply: What do you see? Why is this happening? What could we try next?

By asking rather than telling, you empower people to explore, learn, and discover insights for themselves. This approach builds confidence and critical thinking skills. Over time, teams become self-sufficient in problem-solving and improvement. Great leaders understand that their job isn’t to provide all the answers, but to create the environment where the best answers emerge from the team.

Lean Tip #3905 – Focus on the Process, Not the Person

When problems occur, our instinct is often to look for someone to blame. But Lean teaches us that nearly all performance problems are process problems, not people problems. Systems drive behavior. If you want consistent results, you must design consistent processes.

Shifting focus from people to process creates a safer, more constructive environment. Employees feel comfortable raising issues and suggesting improvements because they know they won’t be blamed for systemic failures. As a leader, model this behavior by asking “What in the process allowed this to happen?” rather than “Who caused this?” When you improve the process, you protect your people and your performance simultaneously.

Lean Tip #3906 – Use Leading Metrics to Drive Proactive Action

Metrics are the dashboard of Lean management, but not all metrics are created equal. Lagging metrics—such as monthly sales or defect rates—tell you what already happened. Leading metrics, on the other hand, predict what will happen. They give you the opportunity to act before results deteriorate.

Examples of leading metrics include the number of completed training sessions, frequency of preventive maintenance, or percentage of improvement ideas implemented. These measures are actionable and forward-looking. Use them to drive daily management and proactive problem solving. By balancing leading and lagging indicators, you can better guide your team toward sustained improvement rather than reacting to problems after they occur.

Lean Tip #3907 – Teach Problem-Solving as a Daily Habit

Problem-solving is not reserved for special events or projects—it should be part of everyone’s daily work. When employees learn structured methods like PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) or A3 thinking, they can tackle small issues before they grow into large ones.

Create a culture where continuous improvement is expected and supported. Encourage team members to identify and address problems in real time. Recognize those efforts, even if the outcomes aren’t perfect. Over time, your organization will build a collective capability to learn, adapt, and improve continuously. Problem-solving isn’t just a skill—it’s the muscle that strengthens Lean thinking every day.

Lean Tip #3908 – Servant Leaders Ask: “How Can I Help You Succeed?”

Servant leadership lies at the heart of Lean. A servant leader’s goal isn’t to command, but to enable. They remove obstacles, provide resources, and coach their teams to perform at their best. This mindset transforms the leader’s role from boss to supporter.

Ask your team regularly: “What’s standing in your way?” and “How can I help you succeed?” By focusing on the needs of your people, you demonstrate respect and earn trust. When employees feel supported, they’re more willing to experiment, take ownership, and collaborate openly. Servant leadership builds strong teams capable of sustaining continuous improvement over the long term.

Lean Tip #3909 – Celebrate Small Wins Frequently

In the rush to achieve big goals, it’s easy to overlook the small victories that happen every day. But those small wins are the fuel of continuous improvement. Each time a team solves a problem, eliminates waste, or implements a better standard, they’ve made real progress toward excellence.

Celebrate those achievements—publicly and sincerely. Recognition reinforces the right behaviors and motivates others to contribute. It doesn’t have to be elaborate; a simple thank-you or a story shared at a team meeting can make a big difference. Remember, Lean is a journey made up of thousands of small steps. Every win, no matter how small, deserves to be noticed.

Lean Tip #3910 – Standard Work Creates the Baseline for Improvement

Standard work is the foundation of Lean. It defines the best known way to perform a task today—so tomorrow, we can make it even better. Without standards, improvement is impossible, because there’s no baseline for comparison.

Developing standard work should be a collaborative process. Involve the people who do the work every day; their input ensures practicality and ownership. Once in place, use standards as living documents—update them as improvements are made. Standard work stabilizes processes, ensures consistency, and provides the structure needed to drive meaningful, lasting improvement.

Lean Tip #3911 – Reflection Turns Experience into Learning

Experience alone doesn’t guarantee growth—reflection does. Taking time to pause, review, and think critically about what happened is essential to continuous improvement. Reflection allows teams to capture lessons learned, identify what worked, and understand what didn’t.

After every project, Kaizen event, or even a busy week, build in reflection time. Ask questions like: What did we set out to do? What actually happened? Why was there a difference? And what can we do better next time? These discussions transform activity into insight and insight into progress. Lean organizations that make reflection part of their daily rhythm consistently learn faster and perform better.

Lean Tip #3912 – Share Best Practices Openly and Often

In too many organizations, improvement ideas stay trapped within one team or department. The true power of Lean comes when those ideas are shared freely. Sharing best practices helps spread success across the organization, saving time, avoiding duplicate effort, and inspiring new thinking.

Establish regular opportunities for sharing—Lean fairs, improvement showcases, or short “show and tell” sessions at team huddles. Make it easy for teams to learn from one another. When people see that their ideas make a broader impact, they feel valued and motivated to keep improving. Collaboration and openness turn isolated wins into organizational excellence.

Lean Tip #3913 – Empower Teams to Solve Problems at the Source

The people closest to the work often have the best understanding of what’s going wrong—and how to fix it. Empowering teams to identify and solve problems at the source builds both engagement and capability. Rather than waiting for management intervention, employees can take immediate, informed action.

Provide your teams with problem-solving tools, time, and encouragement. Recognize their efforts publicly to reinforce accountability and pride in ownership. When employees feel empowered to address issues directly, they become active participants in continuous improvement. This decentralized approach accelerates problem resolution and creates a culture of responsibility and initiative.

Lean Tip #3914 – Visualize Flow to Identify Waste

Seeing is understanding. Many process problems remain hidden until you make the work visible. Tools like value stream mapping and process flow diagrams allow teams to visualize how materials, information, and people move through a system. Once flow is visible, waste becomes easier to identify.

Bring your team together to map the current state of a process. Discuss delays, rework, or bottlenecks. Then design a future-state map that represents your ideal flow. This shared visualization not only reveals waste but also unites the team around a common vision for improvement. Lean thinking always begins with seeing the flow.

Lean Tip #3915 – Metrics Should Drive Behavior, Not Fear

Metrics are vital for tracking progress, but if used poorly, they can create anxiety and resistance. When numbers are weaponized, people focus on protecting themselves rather than improving the process. Metrics should motivate, inform, and align—not intimidate.

Choose measures that reinforce collaboration and learning. Share results transparently, discuss them constructively, and focus on trends rather than single data points. Encourage teams to ask, “What can we learn from this?” instead of “Who’s at fault?” A positive approach to metrics fosters engagement and drives meaningful improvement.

Lean Roundup #198 – November 2025

2025-11-26T06:00:00.001-05:00

A selection of highlighted blog posts from Lean bloggers from the month of November 2025. You can also view the previous monthly Lean Roundups here.

How Great Leaders Prevent Mistakes and Learn from the Ones That Happen – Mark Graban argues that the strongest improvement cultures pair mistake prevention with fearless learning—shifting from blame to curiosity so organizations can treat errors as opportunities to strengthen systems, build psychological safety, and continuously improve.

The Role of a Lean Leader – Alen Ganic explains a lean leader’s true role is to develop people by deeply understanding the work, living the philosophy daily, and building systems that enable team-driven, sustainable results.

Leading Through the Paradox: Lessons from James Stockdale – Ron Pereira says the Stockdale Paradox teaches that real leadership and continuous improvement require simultaneously confronting hard truths and maintaining unwavering faith in a better long-term outcome.

The Paradox of Happiness: Why Giving Gets You More Than Getting – Kevin Meyer’s reflection highlights that real happiness—and real lean effectiveness—comes not from seeking personal gain but from contributing value to others, as shown by research demonstrating that purposeful, outward-focused actions create greater fulfillment, resilience, and positive outcomes for both the giver and the recipient.

A Tale of Two Car Disassemblies – Christopher Chapman shares a story about two occasions Ford disassembled a competitor’s vehicle to learn what they were doing differently, and the lessons they took from each.

The Ambidexterity Challenge – What’s Our Overall Approach? – Pascal Dennis argues that a senior leader’s top job is organizational ambidexterity—simultaneously strengthening the core through Lean while fueling new growth through digital innovation—by removing waste and variation, deeply understanding the customer, and embedding digital thinking at the heart of the business.

Unlearning Traditional Management to Succeed with Lean - Josh Howell and Mark Reich share perspectives on how success with lean requires unlearning some traditional management approaches and what they’ve encountered along the way.

Reinventing Product Development: People First, Technology Second - James Morgan shares a practical roadmap for integrating new tools with Lean Product and Process Development (LPPD) principles to build more capable teams and create successful new value streams.

GE’s Larry Culp: Why Lean Thinking Starts with Safety and Respect for People – Mark Graban highlights how GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp exemplifies true Lean leadership by practicing continuous improvement personally, respecting the people who do the work, prioritizing safety and quality, and building a hands-on, problem-solving culture rooted in daily kaizen rather than executive distance.

Finding Your Way When You’ve Lost Momentum on the Lean Journey

2025-10-22T06:00:00.004-04:00

Even the most committed organizations can lose their way on the Lean journey. You may have started with strong momentum—kaizen events buzzing, visual boards filling up, and teams brimming with ideas—only to find months or years later that progress has plateaued.

This is normal. Businesses that implement Lean Thinking often face a “middle dip,” where initial wins slow down and enthusiasm fades. The key isn’t to avoid these plateaus—it’s to recognize them early, address root causes, and get back on the path to improvement.

Here are practical steps to rekindle Lean success:

1. Revisit Your “Why”

When teams forget why Lean matters, it can easily become a set of tools instead of a way of thinking.

Reconnect to purpose – Reaffirm the link between Lean and customer value, team well-being, and business health.
Tell the story again – Share wins from earlier in your Lean journey. Remind people of the problems you solved and the impact made.

Tip: Host a brief “Lean reset” meeting where leadership and frontline employees openly discuss the purpose and vision for continuous improvement.

2. Go to the Gemba (Again)

Lean thrives on observation, not assumptions.

Visit the place where value is created—shop floor, office, or field—and see firsthand what’s happening.
Listen more than you talk. Ask “why” five times before jumping to solutions.

Tip: If your leaders haven’t walked the process in the last month, schedule a Gemba walk this week. Plateaus often hide in plain sight.

3. Simplify Your Efforts

Over time, Lean can get weighed down with too many metrics, too many boards, or too many disconnected projects.

Focus on one or two critical goals that truly matter right now.
Remove busywork that doesn’t directly improve flow, quality, or customer value.

Tip: Use the principle of “stop starting, start finishing” to regain focus.

4. Reignite Small, Quick Wins

Large projects have their place, but if the team only sees long timelines and delayed results, motivation drops.

Encourage teams to solve small, visible problems quickly.
Celebrate and share even the smallest improvement.

Tip: A whiteboard or digital tracker of “quick wins” can help make momentum visible.

5. Reinvest in People Development

Skills decay if they’re not used or built upon. If Lean feels stagnant, it may be time to re-skill and inspire.

Offer refresher training on Lean principles and problem-solving.
Bring in new voices—guest speakers, cross-department exchanges, or site visits to other companies.

Tip: People who grow will help the system grow.

6. Check Leadership Engagement

Lean plateaus often mirror leadership fatigue. If leaders drift from daily engagement, so will the team.

Leaders should model the behavior they expect—asking questions, supporting experimentation, and removing roadblocks.
Recognize and support leaders at every level, not just the top.

Tip: If leadership attention has shifted away from Lean, it’s time to realign priorities.

7. Reassess Your Measures of Success

Sometimes the plateau is less about lack of progress and more about outdated metrics.

Are you still measuring what matters most to customers and the business?
Could you be missing important signals of improvement?

Tip: Review your KPIs quarterly to ensure they match your current stage of growth.

Final Thought

The Lean journey is not a straight line. It’s more like climbing a mountain with ridges, false summits, and pauses along the way. Plateaus are not failure—they’re opportunities to reset, refocus, and push forward with renewed clarity.

Lean is about learning. And when you feel lost, remember: the way forward is built by going back to the basics, engaging people, and improving—one step at a time.

Lean Quote: If You Want to Be Interesting, You Have to Be Interested

2025-09-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

"You have to be interested. If you’re not interested, you can’t be interesting." — Iris Apfel

I think the quote works on two levels. When you become more interested in other people—actively listening to them and engaging with them—they’ll see you as more interesting.

This saying highlights a fundamental principle of social interaction: genuine curiosity about others is more appealing than trying to be the center of attention. By actively listening and showing interest in what others have to say, you create a more engaging and positive experience for everyone involved, ultimately making you more likable and memorable.

Try these easy techniques to be more interested:

Focus on Others

When you're genuinely interested in others, you shift the focus away from yourself and onto them. This makes them feel valued and heard, which is a powerful way to build rapport and create connections.

Active Listening

Being interested involves actively listening to what others say, asking follow-up questions, and showing that you're engaged in the conversation. This demonstrates attentiveness and thoughtfulness.

Positive Feedback Loop

When you show interest in others, they are more likely to reciprocate and become interested in you. This creates a positive feedback loop where both parties feel valued and engaged.

Learning and Growth

Being interested also allows you to learn from others, expand your knowledge, and gain new perspectives. This continuous learning makes you more interesting in the long run.

Building Stronger Relationships

When you prioritize genuine interest over self-promotion, you build stronger and more meaningful relationships with others. This is because people are drawn to those who make them feel seen, heard, and appreciated.

In essence, the quote encourages us to cultivate a mindset of curiosity and empathy, which leads to more engaging and rewarding social interactions.

Lean Quote: Eiji Toyoda's Respect for People

2025-08-07T15:45:00.002-04:00

Eiji Toyoda’s Legacy: Respect for People in the Toyota Production System

On Fridays, we reflect on powerful Lean quotes that help us pause, learn, and grow. Words from visionary leaders don’t just inspire—they remind us of the foundational principles that drive long-term success.

This week’s quote comes from Eiji Toyoda, one of the most influential figures in modern manufacturing and a key architect of what we now know as the Toyota Production System (TPS):

"…employees are offering a very important part of their life to us. If we don’t use their time effectively, we are wasting their lives."
— Eiji Toyoda, Former President and Chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation

This quote isn’t just motivational—it defines one of the core Toyota Production System principles: Respect for People. Toyoda’s philosophy highlights a truth often forgotten in traditional management: time is life, and wasting it is disrespectful.

What Is the Toyota Production System (TPS)?

The Toyota Production System is a manufacturing philosophy that aims to eliminate waste, improve quality, and maximize customer value. TPS forms the backbone of modern Lean manufacturing practices worldwide.

Key Historical Milestones of TPS:

Year	Milestone
1937	Toyota Motor Corporation founded
1948	Taiichi Ohno joins Toyota and begins experimenting with process improvements
1950s	Post-war shortage leads Toyota to focus on efficiency over mass production
1960s	TPS formalized with Just-in-Time (JIT) and Jidoka (automation with a human touch)
1970s	Eiji Toyoda and Taiichi Ohno solidify Kaizen, standardized work, and respect for people
1980s	Western manufacturers begin adopting TPS practices, leading to the birth of Lean Manufacturing

TPS vs Lean Manufacturing: Understanding the Difference

While the terms TPS and Lean Manufacturing are often used interchangeably, they’re not exactly the same. Lean manufacturing is an evolution of TPS principles, adapted for broader use across industries and cultures.

Aspect	Toyota Production System (TPS)	Lean Manufacturing
Origin	Developed internally at Toyota	Derived from TPS
Focus	Elimination of waste, respect for people, JIT	Waste elimination, flow efficiency
Tools	Kanban, Andon, Jidoka, Kaizen	5S, Value Stream Mapping, A3 Thinking
Culture	Deep-rooted in Japanese work culture	Adapted to global business environments
Philosophy	Human-centered and long-term	Sometimes tool-focused in practice

Embedding Lean Into Company Culture

Eiji Toyoda’s approach to leadership wasn’t about implementing tools—it was about embedding Lean into the company culture. The "Respect for People" pillar is what distinguishes Lean culture vs traditional culture.

Traditional Culture vs Lean Culture

Dimension	Traditional Culture	Lean Culture
Leadership	Top-down directives	Servant leadership, mentorship
Communication	Hierarchical, siloed	Open, cross-functional
Learning	Training is event-based	Continuous improvement mindset
Mistakes	Punished	Treated as learning opportunities
Employee Role	Execute tasks	Solve problems, drive innovation

Eiji Toyoda and the Cost of Wasted Time

Toyoda emphasized that inefficient workflows aren’t just bad for business—they’re disrespectful to the human beings doing the work. This mindset isn’t philosophical fluff. It’s backed by data.

Time Wasted at Work: Survey Insights

A global survey of over 100,000 employees in 2,000+ companies revealed shocking stats:

Metric	Percentage
Employees who say their company uses their time wisely	12%
Employees who frequently have to ask their manager what to do	51%
Employees who can’t find what they need to do their best work	71%
Employees who think an Xbox works better than their work tools	81%

💡 These statistics reflect a failure to apply TPS kaizen and continuous improvement in the workplace.

Respect for People = Respect for Time, Skills, and Growth

One of the least discussed but most crucial Toyota Production System principles is human development. It’s easy to invest in machines or software. It’s harder—but more valuable—to invest in people.

Key Ways to Practice “Respect for People” in TPS:

Provide clarity: Ensure every team member knows what adds value and what doesn’t.
Remove barriers: Give people the tools, data, and autonomy to solve problems.
Develop skills: Offer on-the-job and off-the-job training to unlock their full potential.
Engage in Kaizen: Allow employees to lead improvements through small, iterative changes.
Eliminate wasted effort: Streamline meetings, approvals, and workflows.

Final Thought: Respect Is the Foundation of Lean

In remembering Eiji Toyoda, we aren’t just honoring a man who lived to 100—we're honoring a philosophy that changed the world.

If you're serious about implementing Lean, start by embracing this mindset: Respect your people's time like it’s your most valuable resource—because it is. That’s not just good leadership. That’s Lean.

Quick Action Tip:

Want to avoid becoming one of the 88% of companies disrespecting their employees’ time?
Start your week with a Gemba walk—go to the place where work happens, ask questions, listen, and learn. Then act on what you hear.

See Mark Graban’s post: Eiji Toyoda, Credited with Developing TPS and Expanding Toyota into North America, Passes Away at 100 , Bill Waddell’s post: Eiji Toyoda – the Master Innovator , Jon Miller’s post: The Man Who Saved Kaizen, and Karen Martin’s post: Eiji Toyoda: A Consummate Leader (1913-2013) for more great tributes to Eiji Toyoda.

The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation

2025-08-04T06:00:00.015-04:00

Our good friend Mark Graban is celebrating two years since his Shingo Award-winning book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, was published. To mark the second birthday of the book, he's offering a special paperback price: just $10.99 (regularly $19.95). This discount is available for a limited time. Check out my review below and get your copy now at Amazon.

We all make mistakes. That’s what makes us human but do we learn from them and how do they shape us to be who we are.

We all have a choice about how we react to our mistakes. We can ignore them and likely keep repeating or we can admit to them, think about what we expected to happen, and learn where we went wrong.

The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation written by Mark Graban dives into embracing and learning from mistakes and fostering a culture of learning and innovation.

I’ve known Mark for many years and this has been a passionate topic for a long time. I follow him online especially the podcast series My Favorite Mistake which led to this book. He has authored many tremendous contributions regarding Lean and continuous improvement so when this came out it was on my must-read list.

The book is filled with relatable real life stories of many types of people in many different roles who have made mistakes and learned from them. He has organized them into 7 lessons. Each lesson overlaps and feeds into the next lesson.

Lesson 1 - Admit mistakes quickly and honestly. Coach, don't punish, those who report mistakes and use the knowledge you've gained to coach others so a mistake isn't repeated.

Lesson 2 - Be kind. Not the same as nice, kindness is less about forgiving and more about using mistakes as learning opportunities.

Lesson 3 - Prevent mistakes. As a lean student poke yoke is always in my mind. Once you learn use systems to prevent mistakes from reoccurring.

Lesson 4 - Help everyone speak up. This requires a culture change. But this really starts with those you lead.

Lesson 5 - Improve don't punish. Hiding rather than learning from mistakes out of fear is one of the biggest mistakes.

Lesson 6 - Iteration. In order to innovate and create something new you must iterate to see what works and doesn't work. Reminds me of the practice of coaching kata.

Lesson 7 - Cultivate forever. Don't try to emulate someone else. Use your desire to learn and coach up and down to drive through the organization.

In the book, you'll find practical guidance on adopting a positive mindset towards mistakes. It teaches you to acknowledge and appreciate them, working to prevent them while gaining knowledge from the ones that occur. Additionally, it emphasizes creating a safe environment to express mistakes and encourages responding constructively by emphasizing learning over punishment.

The Mistakes That Make Us is a must-read for anyone looking to create a stronger organization that produces better results, including lower turnover, more improvement and innovation, and better bottom-line performance. This book will inspire you to lead with kindness and humility and show you how learning from mistakes can make things right.

I really enjoyed learning from others’ mistakes and the positive lessons that came from them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to change their perspective and their life for the better by cherishing the mistakes we make.

Note: The author, Mark Graban, provided an advance copy for the purpose of reviewing.

Lean Tips Edition #318 (#3796 - #3810)

2025-07-16T06:00:00.010-04:00

Click this link for A Lean Journey's Facebook Page Notes Feed.

Here is the next addition of tips from the Facebook page:

Lean Tip #3796 – Focus on Gradual Small Changes Instead of Major Shifts

The first advice is to focus on small gradual changes rather than large changes. Small changes can be made quickly, on a daily-basis, and are typically inexpensive. By focusing on small changes, you can remove barriers from just starting a continuous improvement process. This focus will allow your team to reap the benefits of their “small wins” right away. As more and more small changes are applied, your team will see an accumulation of benefits from them. This will give them more confidence to suggest more ideas.

Lean Tip #3797 – Prioritize Ideas that are Inexpensive

By going after the ideas that do not require a large amount of investment, you can remove the financial barriers of your continuous improvement efforts. This process can empower the line worker to suggest and implement ideas that can improve their working process because they know that their changes do not need upper management approval. Some ideas such as reducing waste, eliminating unnecessary steps, and re-organizing in the work processes fall into this category.

Lean Tip #3798 – Gather Ideas from the People doing the Work

Lean Tip #3799 – Empower Employees for Improvement

Although employees play a vital part in the continuous improvement process, it is management’s role to train and empower them. Most workers are unaware of Lean principles and practices such as 5S, the 8 wastes, value stream mapping, visual management, Kaizen, etc. As a result, they may not realize that many of the processes that they perform everyday and the frustration that they feel at work are due to unnecessary waste. Additionally some workers are modest and reluctant to share ideas. It is management’s role to educate their staff on Lean tools and techniques that can be applied to the continuous improvement process and to help their employees overcome any personal or psychological barrier that prevents them from trying out new ideas.

Lean Tip #3800 – Use Regular Feedback for Improvement

An effective continuous improvement program needs continuous measurement and feedback. Before you can start, you need to understand the baselines of your organization’s performance. Only by understanding and establishing a baseline can you evaluate new ideas for improving upon it. One effective way of gathering feedback on your continuous improvement efforts is to apply the Plan-Do-Check-Check (PDCA) cycle. The PDCA cycle allows you to scientifically test your experiments. The cycle ensures continuous improvement by measuring the performance difference between the baseline and target condition. This gives immediate feedback on the effectiveness of the change. If the idea was effective, the next cycle of improvement will start with the new baseline and your goal is to move towards a new target condition.

Lean Tip #3801 – Shift Belief to Data Rather than Opinions

All too often, decisions are made based on the opinions of those who management deems the “smartest” on the team. When they say, “I think...,” this causes executives to base their decisions on the esteem with which they hold that individual, rather than the value and integrity of the suggestion itself.

Instead management executive should seek information that begins with, “The data show…,” which allows any team member to make meaningful contributions to improvement while making fact-based operational decisions.

Lean Tip #3802 – Ensure Buy-In Beyond the Initial Launch

At the outset of the project, everyone is excited and participates, particularly because management of the manufacturing organization shows keen interest. However the lean journey is a marathon and not a sprint. It is key that management continues to assess, evaluate and promote the lean journey with middle management and operational staff.

Make it clear from the outset that progress will be monitored throughout the journey and that the lean champions within the organization clearly play an important role.

Lean Tip #3803 – Set Clear Rules of Engagement at the Outset

It has been said many times that we should “begin with the end in mind”. When the senior executives in the business operations decide they want to undertake a lean journey, it is important that they build the fence and allow the staff to build the house. This can only happen if goals, objectives, expectations, roles, responsibilities and authority are properly assigned and delegated.

Lean Tip #3804 – Set Up for Success

Help the staff achieve success by pre-identifying some “quick wins” as well as provide opportunities for acceptable failure. With this in place, staff can feel wins and not fear losses or mistakes.

It is certain that there will be missteps along the lean journey, so it is important that the staff knows early on how to handle them when they occur and does not feel the need to bury them in order to avoid persecution by management.

Lean Tip #3805 – Train, Train, Train

There is nothing worse than entering a new responsibility without adequate training and development under your belt. Instead, management can allow for basic training at the outset of the lean journey so that all staff understand the goals and ideals behind lean manufacturing. Then, provision of additional, advanced training to key leaders and project participants allows the team to enhance their abilities and to properly evaluate situations beyond just their past experiences.

Identification of either superior trainers within the operation -- such as a sister company or different location -- or procurement of an external resource to provide this training, is ideal. The training should be widely shared within the organization and not provided to just one individual. The more staff who are trained, the better the results will be.

Lean Tip #3806 – Cultivate a Lean Mindset

The first step on the Lean journey is fostering a Lean mindset across your team. Lean isn’t just about tools and processes; it’s a way of thinking that prioritizes value, efficiency, and continuous improvement. Encourage your team to view every task through the lens of adding value to the customer and eliminating waste. This shift in perspective is essential for building a culture where Lean principles can thrive.

Lean Tip #3807 – Identify and Map Value Streams

Value stream mapping is a fundamental Lean tool that helps visualize the flow of materials and information through your processes. By mapping out current workflows, your team can identify bottlenecks, redundancies, and wasteful steps that don’t add value. Collaboratively develop a future-state map that reflects streamlined, efficient processes. This exercise not only uncovers inefficiencies but also sets a clear path for improvement.

Lean Tip #3808 – Prioritize and Eliminate Waste

Lean identifies seven types of waste (transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, overproduction, overprocessing, and defects) that can hinder productivity. Once you’ve mapped your value streams, work with your team to prioritize which wastes to tackle first. Start with the low-hanging fruit—those areas where simple changes can have an immediate impact. As you eliminate waste, you’ll notice improvements in efficiency, quality, and morale.

Lean Tip #3809 – Implement Standard Work Practices

Standard work practices are the foundation of a Lean organization. They ensure consistency, reduce variability, and make it easier to identify problems. Work with your team to develop clear, standardized procedures for critical tasks. Document these processes and ensure everyone follows them. By establishing a baseline of performance, you create a stable environment for continuous improvement.

Lean Tip #3810 – Encourage Continuous Improvement (Kaizen)

Kaizen, or continuous improvement, is at the heart of Lean. It’s about making small, incremental changes that collectively lead to significant improvements over time. Foster a culture where every team member feels empowered to suggest and implement improvements. Regularly hold Kaizen events to brainstorm and test new ideas. Remember, the goal is to create an environment where improvement is a constant, ongoing process.

Leading with Accountability

2025-07-07T06:00:00.001-04:00

Accountability is essential for any successful organization. When team members take ownership of their projects and accept responsibility for outcomes, the entire company benefits. In order to foster a culture of accountability, leaders must step up to the plate and model specific behaviors. Accountable leaders don't necessarily have to come from the C-suite. Anybody, at any level can lead through accountability.

In the book Winning With Accountability, author Henry J. Evans of Dynamic Results examines the ways in which individuals can demonstrate accountable interactions. The four pieces to accountability are:

1. Clear expectations: The request, task, expectation, project and the response must be detailed and clear. One tool that can help with assessing specificity and clarity here is the SMART goals framework.

2. Specific date and time: The individual commits to delivering something by a specific day and specific time. Align priorities and resources with your biggest goals.

3. Ownership: The individual takes responsibility for seeing the task through to completion and accepts responsibility for the outcome. One task, one owner.

4. Sharing: Accountability is created when two or more people know about a specific commitment. It’s crucial to make your team your accountability partners—it’s about declaring your commitment and asking your teammates to hold you accountable.

Accountability is the sauce of successful teams. Not only is accountability an essential quality to have at work, but also in life. Accountability is when you accept a hundred percent personal responsibility for your actions and decisions.

Successful teams and companies can’t thrive without accountability. Accountability in the workplace creates more robust relationships, healthier working spaces, and more productive teamwork.

Accountability is a skill that can be coached in many employees, and it is a value that is truly contagious. Accountable people lead by example, and when they take steps to lead their colleagues towards more accountable interactions, ownership and responsibility will catch on like wildfire. And the best part? Anyone, at any level of the company can step up to be a leader of accountability.

Lean Quote: Courage in a Leader Inspires Commitment from Employees

2025-06-20T06:00:00.009-04:00

"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others." — Robert Louis Stevenson

Leadership takes making bold and often unpopular decisions. Effective leadership requires courage - to stand up for what is right, for what we believe in, and to take the necessary risks to be innovative and creative.

The courage of true leadership is revealed while still standing in the midst of controversy and challenging circumstances. It is relatively easy and requires little effort to stay in your comfort zone or to do what is convenient. Courage is not required to stay comfortable. Leaders need essential people skills to get people to work together smoothly even if some compromise may be needed. However, it also takes courage to make a stand on what you believe to be right.

When things are difficult, unknown, and perhaps unattainable we may turn the other direction. We must find the inner strength to overcome these perceived barriers. History has proven time after time that the power of a thought is the beginning for actions that will alter the future positively. Understanding this, and having the courage to keep going even in the face of all obstacles, allows us to accomplish anything we want.

Recognizing these truths about courage will assist you in overcoming any challenge that you face:

1. Courage Begins with an Inward Battle - Courage isn't an absence of fear. It's doing what you are afraid to do. It's having the power to let go of the familiar and forge ahead into new territory.

2. Courage Is Making Things Right, Not Just Smoothing Them Over - Courage deals with principle, not perception. It's knowing when to stand up and having the conviction to do so.

3. Courage in a Leader Inspires Commitment from Followers - A show of courage by any person encourages others. But a show of courage by a leader inspires. It makes people want to follow them.

4. Your Life Expands in Proportion to Your Courage - Fear limits a leader. But courage has the opposite effect. Courage not only gives you a good beginning, but it also provides a better future.

Courage means trusting yourself to overcome your fears and doing what you are afraid to do. Courage increases conviction and inspires others to confront their fears.

Overcoming the Dysfunctions of a Team

2025-06-18T06:00:00.006-04:00

In my last post I exposed Lencioni’s five potential dysfunctions of a team. Addressing and overcoming each of the five dysfunctions is a crucial step toward improving team performance and success.

Let's explore each one – and uncover strategies for teams to navigate a clear path to success.

1) Absence of trust

Trust is the foundation of teamwork. Teams who lack trust conceal weaknesses and mistakes, are reluctant to ask for help, and jump to conclusions about the intentions of other team members. It is crucial to establish a team culture where individuals feel able to admit to mistakes and weaknesses, and use them as opportunities for development.

Strategies for developing mutual trust among team members:

Facilitate team-building exercises: Such activities can help team members to learn more about each other on a personal level, fostering a sense of camaraderie and understanding that can build trust.
Model vulnerability: You can lead by example by being open about your own mistakes and weaknesses. This can encourage team members to do the same, fostering an environment of honesty and mutual respect.
Promote open communication: Encourage team members to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns openly. Try making an extra effort to include people who are a little more reserved, and recruit more outgoing members to team occasions where everyone has a chance to speak, can help create a culture of transparency and trust.

2) Fear of conflict

Teams who lack trust fear conflict and are often reluctant to discuss controversial topics and share perspectives and ideas. These discussions are necessary to enable the team to reach a decision, or agree on how to approach and resolve a problem.

Strategies to overcome a fear of conflict:

Establish shared rules for healthy debate: Make it clear that disagreement is not only acceptable but encouraged – as long as it's respectful and constructive.
Reward candor: if someone has a problem or disagreement, thank them for raising the issue, even if they don’t end up getting their own way. When issues are resolved successfully, consider sharing the story in a more open forum (when appropriate!) as an example of constructive conflict or compromise.
Mediate disagreements: When conflicts arise, help mediate the situation. This can help ensure that the conflict stays focused on ideas and does not become personal.

3) Lack of commitment

When teams do not engage in open discussion due to a fear of conflict, team members often feel that their ideas and opinions are not valued. They may become detached or even resentful, and fail to commit to the chosen approach or common goal as a result.

Strategies to overcome a lack of commitment:

Involve team members in decision-making: Ensure that everyone feels they have a voice in decisions that affect the team. This can lead to higher levels of commitment.
Clearly communicate the team's vision and goals: Regularly remind your team of what they're working towards to keep them committed. Provide the larger context that informs the team’s work. Make it clear how team members’ work contributes to the bigger picture by illustrating dependencies between the team’s tasks.
Celebrate achievements and track progress: Recognizing and celebrating when the team meets their goals can help reinforce commitment.

4) Avoidance of accountability

Team members who have not bought-in to the chosen approach or goal will not feel accountable for achieving it.

Strategies to overcome an avoidance of accountability:

Set clear expectations: Make sure each team member understands what is expected of them, both by the manager and one another. Invite the team to explicitly define a shared set of standards and collectively commit to sticking to them.
Be consistent: Apply rules and standards to everyone equally – if you are always letting certain things slide, the standards are not really ‘a standard’, and you would be better off ‘legalizing’ what you’re currently overlooking.
Set team targets and make progress visible: In some types of team, consider setting shared targets and making performance visible. This encourages everyone to pull their weight – some people don’t mind slacking-off on the boss but don’t want to let their mates down.
Lead by example: Hold yourself accountable and expect the same from your team. This can help foster a culture of responsibility and accountability.

5) Inattention to results

Team members who are not held accountable for their contributions are more likely to become distracted and focus on individual goals instead of collective success.

Strategies to increase attention to results:

Set team goals: Establish clear, measurable goals for the team and regularly check in on progress.
Reward team success: Implement a system to recognize and reward the team for achieving their goals.
Reiterate the importance of team success: Regularly communicate the value of collective results over individual accomplishments. Recognize and reward people for putting the team goals ahead of their own. Contextualize individual performance through how it impacts the overall success of the team.

Team dynamics play a pivotal role in the success of any organization. The intricacies of how members interact, trust, communicate, and work towards a collective goal can make or break any ‘collaboration’.

As I’ve delved deep into the dysfunctions, it’s evident that addressing them systematically transforms the fabric of group interactions and paves the way for unprecedented success.

Trust, open communication, accountability, and shared vision are not just buzzwords; they are the lifeline of a high-performing team.

So, as you move forward, remember that fostering a harmonious team environment is an ongoing process that offers invaluable rewards. Here’s to building teams that function efficiently and thrive together!

Teamwork: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

2025-06-16T06:00:00.002-04:00

One of the most interesting models of team effectiveness was developed by Patrick Lencioni (2005). According to him, all teams have the potential to be dysfunctional. To improve the functioning of a team, it is critical to understand the type and level of dysfunction.

There are five potential dysfunctions of a team in Lencioni’s model:

1. Absence of Trust:

This occurs when team members are unwilling to be vulnerable with each other, hiding weaknesses or mistakes, and not being open to asking for help. This lack of vulnerability prevents the development of trust, which is the foundation of a high-performing team.

2. Fear of Conflict:

Teams where trust is absent are often unable to engage in healthy, constructive debate. They may avoid conflict or seek artificial harmony, which can lead to a lack of clear thinking and decision-making.

3. Lack of Commitment:

When teams fear conflict, they may struggle to commit to decisions and plans of action. This can result in ambiguity and a lack of clear direction, making it difficult to move forward effectively.

4. Avoidance of Accountability:

Without clear commitments and a willingness to hold each other accountable, teams may struggle to address shortcomings or unproductive behaviors. This can lead to a decline in overall performance and a feeling of team members not being held responsible for their actions.

5. Inattention to Results:

When the previous dysfunctions are present, team members may prioritize their own individual needs and goals over the team's overall success. This can lead to a lack of focus on achieving collective results and a diminished sense of shared purpose.

Each of these dysfunctions has the ability to wreak havoc in a team, significantly impacting its members’ ability to work together effectively and achieve their goals. Regardless of the skill or experience, the more dysfunctions present, the less likely a team is to perform.

Luckily, Lencioni posits that if a team acknowledges and addresses the dysfunctions head-on, they can improve their performance. The benefits of that should be pretty clear, but I think Lencioni says it best with this quote:

“If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”

― Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

In a future post I’ll address how to overcome the 5 dysfunctions of a team.

Lean Quote: Good Leaders vs Great Leaders

2025-06-13T06:00:00.002-04:00

"Good leaders build products. Great leaders build cultures. Good leaders deliver results. Great leaders develop people. Good leaders have vision. Great leaders have values. Good leaders are role models at work. Great leaders are role models in life." — Adam Grant

What differentiates a great leader from good leader?

Great leaders are not just ‘better’ than good leaders. They are a class apart. They inspire to learn and grow, spread positive energy, uproot complacency, and can turn an unproductive group into a blooming one with their effective and powerful personality.

Being a good leader requires you to have your own set of qualities that give you the ‘good’ title.

Good leaders often work toward protecting the current state of affairs. They keep the good ideas going, work around them, and witness gradual growth.

Great leaders, on the other hand, are game-changers. They innovate, generate ideas of their own, and make them work.

You will be lucky to work with great leaders as they motivate you to become one. Talking about the differences, the following are the stark differences between a good and great leader:

Good Leaders Tell You What They Can Do and Great Leaders Make You Realize What You Can Do

Great leaders have magnetic personalities. They make you feel better about yourself, and who does not like to be accompanied by people of this nature?

Leaders who impress you with their capabilities and knowledge are good. The ones who have the ability to make you feel better are considered to be great.

Good Leaders Will Have the Right Attitude, and Great Leaders Make Friends

A good leader comes out to be bigger than life, having huge responsibilities and a different lifestyle.

On the other hand, you will be able to relate to a great leader. They will be someone you can trust and call your friend and do not show the difference between themselves and you, and they work towards diminishing the gap between them and their team.

Good Leaders Say, Great Leaders Make You Believe

Good leaders will tell you that you are doing great, and a great one will appreciate you and motivate you to do even better.

There is no learning limit with great leaders. They are focused on your growth, learning, and efficiency, along with the company’s targets.

Actions of trust and respect by a great leader make people feel included and important.

A great leader goes beyond just managing the team—they inspire, motivate, and create a high-performance culture that drives lasting success.

Delegation vs Empowerment

2025-06-11T06:00:00.002-04:00

As a business leader, you have a responsibility to develop others, leverage your resources, and create an environment that engages people to volunteer their commitment. These are traits of a good leader, and one of the most effective tools you can use to fulfill your responsibilities and allow others to contribute is delegation and empowerment.

Delegation and empowerment are two ends of a continuum that leverage resources, develop others, and allow people to feel as if they are contributing.

The key difference between delegation and empowerment comes down to one important factor: who is in control, or how much autonomy does the individual have in the job.

“To delegate” is to deliberately assign a defined task, mission, or function to a specific person or entity, normally a direct report or subordinate.

“To empower” is a broader term that conveys giving or allowing others the freedom to act with little (or any) prompting, direction, or supervision. It also includes providing additional tools to enhance a person's capabilities.

There are three factors you must consider when deciding if you want to delegate or empower: knowledge, skills, and abilities. The more competent and experienced the team member, the more you can empower them to take ownership of the task and exercise more control. On the other hand, for less experienced team members, more direction and control may be required to ensure successful completion of the task.

The amount of control and autonomy required to complete a task is an important factor to consider when deciding whether to delegate or empower. Tasks that are very prescribed may not provide many opportunities for empowerment, but there may still be some aspects that can be delegated to team members to develop their skills and provide additional support.

Another important factor is the amount of control and autonomy that a leader is willing to give when deciding whether to delegate or empower. Unfortunately, some leaders have a tendency to micromanage everything and everyone, feeling that they must be involved in every decision and activity.

Leaders who micromanage may feel that their team members don’t have the necessary knowledge, skills, or abilities to complete tasks successfully without their guidance. However, this mindset can be counterproductive, as it can stifle creativity and innovation, demotivate team members, and limit their potential for growth and development.

Moreover, micromanagement can be a drain on a leader’s time and energy, leaving them little time to focus on strategic initiatives and higher-level tasks. It can also create a sense of distrust between the leader and their team members, eroding the team’s morale and productivity.

Your job, as a leader, is to develop others, leverage your resources, accomplish the work, and create an environment that engages people to volunteer their commitment. You can do this by giving people appropriate levels of control and autonomy with delegation and empowerment.

Delegation and empowerment creates a sense of ownership and responsibility within your team. It allows your team members to take the lead in their assigned tasks and work towards achieving the desired results. This, in turn, leads to increased productivity, better teamwork, and improved morale.

Delegation and empowerment also help in developing your team members’ skills and abilities. As you delegate tasks and empower them to make decisions, they gain valuable experience and knowledge that will benefit them in their career growth.

Moreover, by delegating and empowering your team members, you as a leader can be free to focus on strategic initiatives and higher-level tasks. As you delegate more tasks, you free up your time and energy to focus on more significant issues, such as planning, strategizing, and creating new business opportunities.

Delegation and empowerment are powerful tools that can help leaders leverage their resources, develop their team members, and create an environment that fosters engagement and commitment. By understanding the differences between delegation and empowerment, leaders can determine when to use each one and how to apply them effectively.

Understanding Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in Your Employees

2025-06-09T06:00:00.007-04:00

What motivates your employees?

A key component of leadership is motivation and how different techniques can be used to motivate and engage employees. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation refer to the forces that drive behavior. Internal motivation arises from within, while external motivation comes from outside forces.

Intrinsic motivation is when you engage in a behavior because you find it rewarding. You are performing an activity for its own sake rather than from the desire for some external reward. The behavior itself is its own reward.

Extrinsic motivation is when we are motivated to perform a behavior or engage in an activity because we want to earn a reward or avoid punishment.2 You will engage in behavior not because you enjoy it or because you find it satisfying, but because you expect to get something in return or avoid something unpleasant.

Of the two types of motivation, intrinsic motivation tends to be the strongest motivator over the long-term. Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations can be helpful if you understand how to leverage them for employee professional development. Many people think intrinsic motivation is the most desirable of the two, but both have their strengths if you know how to take advantage of them.

Intrinsic motivation isn’t possible in every situation due to human nature. No two employees are precisely alike in what motivates them and what brings them satisfaction in the workplace. Not all intrinsically motivated individuals will apply those skills in their workplace, either.

While it’s true that employees do benefit from a bit of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation comes in to offer something extra. These incentives — whether it’s a special perk, a bonus or something similar — can push your team forward. Offering the chance of rewards or praise can get them to complete tasks they weren’t initially interested in or level the playing field for all employees to participate and move your department or company towards the same goal.

Generally, managers should utilize extrinsic rewards when they need to motivate their team to take on new responsibilities or learn new tasks. Try not to rely on extrinsic motivation for everything, as that can create the unrealistic expectation that there will always be this kind of reward.

It’s possible to influence intrinsic motivation, though it’s not as straightforward as offering an extra day off for the highest performer on the team. Personal preference means that some people will never grow interested in a topic or want to pursue continuing education, no matter how much it can benefit them in the workplace.

But that’s not always the case. Some extrinsic motivation, such as recognition for a job well done or delivering positive feedback, can be utilized as tools to inspire intrinsic motivation. This also has a positive effect on employee motivation.

Rewards used to inspire extrinsic motivation can encourage intrinsic enjoyment of the task over time. However, too many extrinsic rewards can have the opposite effect, leading employees to rely on them to stay motivated.

Both extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation drive human behavior. There are several key differences between motivation that comes from external rewards and the kind that is driven by an individual's genuine interest, including the influence of each type on a person's behavior and the situations in which each type will be most effective.

Understanding how each type of motivation works and when it is likely to be useful can help people perform tasks (even when they do not want to) and improve their learning.

A Lean Journey

Lean Roundup #199 – December 2025

Keeping the Spirit of Christmas Alive All Year

Lean Tips Edition #326 (#3916 – #3930)

Top Lean Quotes from 2025

Top 10 Tips of 2025

Top 10 Posts of 2025

Lean Quote: Life as a Game of Juggling Five Essential Balls

Closing the Year with Clarity: How Reflection Fuels Growth and Renewal

Leadership Lessons from 2025: Insights from a Global Manufacturing Executive

Lean Quote: Don’t Judge Too Quickly

3 Leadership Tips from Executive Coach Michael King to Start the New Year Strong

Lean Tips Edition #325 (#3901 - #3915)

Lean Roundup #198 – November 2025

Finding Your Way When You’ve Lost Momentum on the Lean Journey

Lean Quote: If You Want to Be Interesting, You Have to Be Interested

Lean Quote: Eiji Toyoda's Respect for People

What Is the Toyota Production System (TPS)?

Key Historical Milestones of TPS:

TPS vs Lean Manufacturing: Understanding the Difference

Embedding Lean Into Company Culture

Traditional Culture vs Lean Culture

Eiji Toyoda and the Cost of Wasted Time

Time Wasted at Work: Survey Insights

Respect for People = Respect for Time, Skills, and Growth

Key Ways to Practice “Respect for People” in TPS:

Final Thought: Respect Is the Foundation of Lean

Quick Action Tip:

The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation

Lean Tips Edition #318 (#3796 - #3810)

Leading with Accountability

Lean Quote: Courage in a Leader Inspires Commitment from Employees

Overcoming the Dysfunctions of a Team

Teamwork: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Lean Quote: Good Leaders vs Great Leaders

Delegation vs Empowerment

Understanding Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation in Your Employees