Joining me today for Episode #287 is another returning guest (see Episode #198), Harry Kenworthy. We're talking about his book, which will be released on Friday, Lean Government NOW! : Increase Service, Capacity and Employee Engagement While Reducing Costs and Wastes.
Harry was also a contributor to the book Practicing Lean, which is now available in audiobook format.
There's a great endorsement blurb from Dean Schroeder, one of the authors of some of my favorite books on “Kaizen” and improvement:
“Harry Kenworthy delivers a much needed book on how to improve the day-to-day operation of Government. From one of the leading experts in the field of process improvement in government, Lean Government Now! supplies a knowledge-rich treatment of the key elements and concepts critical to success in continuous improvement in government, from small towns to national-level departments.”
— Dean Schroeder, Ideas are Free and The Idea-Driven Organization
I've been involved with some “government healthcare” organizations in different countries, but have never delved into other parts of government. I'm glad Harry is doing so! This seems like a big challenge, but an important and necessary one. We're seeing some examples of success with Lean at the local and state levels around the U.S., it seems. I hope we see more.
I hope you enjoy our discussion whether you work in government or vote, pay taxes, or use government services (or all of the above!!).
I'm including a four-page PDF summary, as I've been doing recently.
Streaming Player (Run Time 48:17)
For a link to use for this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/287.
For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS, through Android apps, or via Apple Podcasts. You can also subscribe and listen via Stitcher.
Topics, Questions, and Links:
- Related podcasts:
- #198: (5/15/14) Harry Kenworthy, Lean in Government
- #210: (10/1/14) Darrell Damron & Hollie Jensen, Lean in Washington state government
- #217: (3/2/15) Alan Robinson, co-author of The Idea-Driven Organization and more
- #125: (7/28/11) Mike George, Lean Six Sigma and StrongAmericaNow.com
- Tell us about your book Lean Government NOW!
- What inspired you to write?
- Who is the audience?
- Are you seeing increased interest in Lean in government over the past three years since we last did a podcast together?
- Can you talk about cost reduction vs. other goals?
- In your KaiNexus webinar on your “Ten commandments of Lean,” you quoted a Toyota VP:
- “The most important thing for Toyota is people. Toyota is all about teaching and training people and building a culture of continuous improvement.”
- Is that close to being true in some government levels or agencies?
- What are some examples of “one-stop shopping?”
- What does “Practicing Lean” mean to you?
- His clearing house site: http://leangovcenter.com/
Book Summary:
You can download a 4-page PDF summary of this post:
- Low-res PDF (for reading on screen)
- High-res PDF (for printing)
Video with Harry Kenworthy:
What do you think? Please scroll down (or click) to post a comment. Or please share the post with your thoughts on LinkedIn – and follow me or connect with me there.
Did you like this post? Make sure you don't miss a post or podcast — Subscribe to get notified about posts via email daily or weekly.
Check out my latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation:
Those interested in improving management practices in government may find these useful:
Public Sector Continuous Improvement Site
https://curiouscat.com/management/psci/
Posts on my Curious Cat Management Improvement blog about the public sector
http://management.curiouscatblog.net/category/public-sector/
I’m very saddened to share the news that Harry passed away…