In a Lean culture, the mindset is that “problems are treasure” or “problems are gold.” By honestly identifying problems, we can solve problems and prevent them from occurring in the future. Problems in healthcare can include medication errors, laboratory specimen mixups, and other problems that can harm or kill patients. The stakes are high. Traditional organizations pressure people into hiding or covering up problems. When people cover up “near misses,” that’s particularly tragic because yesterday’s … Continue reading The Fallacy of Firing People to Fix Patient Safety