“Respect for people” isn’t about being nice—it’s about how leaders design systems, make decisions, and respond to problems. In Lean organizations, respect shows up through listening, job security, psychological safety, clear communication, and a commitment to learning rather than blame. This archive brings together blog posts, podcasts, and examples that explore respect for people as a core Lean principle—one that enables trust, engagement, continuous improvement, and better outcomes for customers and employees alike.
TL;DR (2026): This interview with Masaaki Imai still matters because it captures an early, unvarnished view of how “respect for people” was practiced–not idealized–by Taiichi Ohno and Toyota. It reminds today’s Lean leaders that respect doesn’t mean being soft or…
Yesterday, I tweeted a quote about patient safety that I’ve seen posted on the wall or bulletin board in many hospitals: “To err is human, to cover up is unforgivable, and to fail to learn is inexcusable.” – Sir Liam…
The last two days, I’ve been facilitating my LEI workshop called “Key Concepts of Lean in Healthcare.” We had a great group and had a number of people who had a good amount of Lean healthcare experience. To help baseline…
I had an amazing conversation on Saturday with Paul Akers (pictured at left), the founder and president of FastCap, a company in Washington, a former Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat, and the host of “The American Innovator” radio…
I don’t often do a “cranky blog post,” but I’ve got a head cold (as I write this on 9/30) and I’ve gotten sucked into watching some free online “lean healthcare white belt” training that just makes me want to…
I’ll start the week with another post about my tour of the TMMTX (Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas) plant in San Antonio. Today, I’ll write about the visitor center – other than having Toyota vehicles on display, what does the company…
This blog post is about my first visit to TMMTX in 2010.
Today is a federal holiday in the United States, Labor Day. I know that’s obvious to the 70% of you reading from the U.S., but it seemed worth pointing out to the international readers. Labor Day became a holiday in…
Here are a few events I’ll be a part of in the next few months, maybe I’ll see you there: Cindy Jimmerson’s “Big Sky” Lean Leadership Retreat, Sept 20-22 Michigan Lean Consortium’s Lean Healthcare Event, Sept 28 LEI “Key Concepts…
Dr. W. Edwards Deming always said we need to drive out fear from organizations, as point 8 of the 14 Points said: “Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company.” Too many organizations, including hospitals, are…
TL;DR: Effective daily huddles are short, visual, two-way conversations held in the gemba–focused on safety, performance, and surfacing issues, not solving them on the spot. A key cultural aspect of Lean is the “daily huddle.” Sure, this practice isn’t exclusive…
It’s nice to see examples of Lean Healthcare success in the news, this time on the front page of the Denver Post — “Denver Health saves millions using Toyota efficiency principles.” As the city health system, they are both an…
