I'm very excited to announce that my latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, has been officially selected as a recipient of the Shingo Publication Award by the Shingo Institute (the home of the Shingo Prize for organizations).
You can read the Shingo Institute's announcement here or scroll down on this page.
This is my third Shingo Publication award, with previous honors for my books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen (a book co-authored with Joe Swartz).
I look forward to accepting the award at the annual Shingo Conference in Utah this April.
Big thanks to everybody who collaborated with me on this book, including my editor, Tom Ehrenfeld. This book is the eleventh that he's worked on that's received the Shingo Award. Thanks to my business book coach, Cathy Fyock, my cover designer, Don Coon, and the team at 1106 Design.
Thanks also to Jeff Liker for first endorsing the book and then nominating it for consideration.
I didn't write this to be a quote-unquote “Lean” book. I wrote it for a broader audience with two goals.
First, to provide a gentle introduction to Lean and TPS concepts to those who might not pick up a book about Lean. These methods and mindsets include:
- Not blaming individuals for systemic mistakes (a solid cultural habit at Toyota companies)
- Using mistake-proofing methods to prevent mistakes while learning from those that do occur
- Using FMEA (Failure Mode & Effects Analysis) to proactively identify risks in advance so we can address them
- Improving iteratively through PDSA (Plan Do Study Adjust) cycles (a.k.a. PDCA)
- Using small tests of change to mitigate risks as we try to improve
I also hoped that the book would be useful to readers who are steeped in their Lean journeys already. The book is also intended to be a gentle introduction to the topic of “Psychological Safety” for those who might not pick up a book on that subject, like The Fearless Organization or The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety, both excellent books.
I believe Psychological Safety is the foundation of Lean and continuous improvement at Toyota and beyond.
Psychological Safety is simply a matter of how safe one feels about speaking up candidly in the workplace.
If you've already read the book, thank you!! If you're unfamiliar with the book, you can get a free sample PDF chapter here.
Press Release:
Mark Graban Honored with Shingo Publication Award for The Mistakes That Make Us
LOGAN, Utah – February 5, 2024 – The Shingo Institute, a program in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, is pleased to announce that Mark Graban has been awarded the Shingo Publication Award for his transformative book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation.
The Shingo Publication Award recognizes outstanding works that contribute significantly to organizational excellence through thought leadership and practical application. This prestigious award aligns with the Shingo Institute's mission to inspire leaders to achieve organizational excellence through the application of principles embedded in the Shingo Model™.
“Receipt of the Shingo Publication Award signifies an author's significant contribution and practical application to the body of knowledge regarding organizational excellence,” said Ken Snyder, Executive Director of the Shingo Institute.
Mark Graban's book has received high praise from industry leaders:
Jeffrey Liker, author of The Toyota Way, states:
“Dr. W. Edwards Deming told us to drive out fear. Toyota's model is respect for people and continuous improvement. They go hand in hand. Hiding mistakes is the death of continuous improvement. In The Mistakes That Make Us, Mark Graban uses stories to delve deeply into the disease. He gives us powerful suggestions for creating an environment that breeds trust and high performance.”
Karen Martin, President & Founder of TKMG, Inc., and author of Clarity First, adds:
“Mark's exploration of mistakes provides a new body of knowledge–both practical and psychological–for individuals and businesses alike to capitalize on. This book's greatest power is in how Mark weaves in the tenets for success with real-world examples and lessons that readers can apply right away. It would be a mistake not to read this book!”
Billy Ray Taylor, CEO of LinkedXL and author of The Winning Link, shares:
“Whether you're just starting out in your career or a seasoned veteran, this book will inspire you to see failure not as something to be feared but as an essential part of the path to success. The Mistakes That Make Us is a book I'll be recommending to colleagues and friends for years to come.”
Katie Anderson, leadership consultant and author of Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn comments:
“Through his podcast “My Favorite Mistake” and now his book, Mark Graban has normalized the inherent human reality of making mistakes and has created the space and a framework for us to learn from them. The path to success is paved with mistakes. And – like the Japanese proverb ‘Fall down seven times, get up eight' represents – what matters is how we get up from the setbacks that knock us off course and find a path forward. Mistakes only become failures if we don't learn from them. We can all relate to — and learn from– the stories and insights in Mark's book. The Mistakes that Make Us is your guide on how to get up when you fall down and to turn your mistakes into a source of learning and a pathway to success.”
Tom Ehrenfeld, Editor of 11 Shingo Award recipient books, including The Mistakes That Make Us states:
“This wise and generous book serves as a generous prod to forgive one's mistakes and move forward productively. Mark shares smart lessons animated by vivid anecdotes from countless podcast guests about their own instructive moments, delivering an overall message that is useful and compassionate. As the editor of Mark's book, I especially admire the way he has processed their experiences to draw helpful lessons for readers. Consider this a friendly nudge to adopt a relentlessly pragmatic approach reframing all of life's experiences from blame and remorse to a wide range of instances for improvement.”
Mark Graban will be recognized at the 37th Annual Shingo Conference Awards Gala on April 29, 2025, in Provo, Utah. The Annual Shingo Conference features workshops, site tours, keynotes, and breakout sessions designed to provide organizations with insights into achieving organizational excellence. For more information, visit shingo.org/events.
To order your copy of The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, visit https://mistakesbook.com or https://shingo.org/books.
About the Shingo Institute
The Shingo Institute is home to the Shingo Prize, an award recognizing organizations that demonstrate an exceptional culture fostering continuous improvement. Part of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University, the Shingo Institute is named after Japanese industrial engineer and Toyota adviser Shigeo Shingo, one of the world's thought leaders in the Toyota Production System.
Drawing from Dr. Shingo's teachings and years of experience working with organizations worldwide, the Shingo Institute developed the Shingo Model™, the basis for its various educational offerings, including workshops, study tours, and conferences. Workshops are available in multiple languages through the Institute's Licensed Affiliates. For more information on workshops and affiliates or to register to attend an event, please visit https://shingo.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mary Price, Events and Marketing Director
Shingo Institute
Phone: +1.435.760.0711
Email: mary.price@usu.edu
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Check out my latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation:
