Lean Six Sigma Academy

Once again, I have the privilege of hosting the latest edition of the Management Improvement Carnival. So without further delay here are some of my favorite posts from around the blogosphere over the last 30 days or so.

Are we Cowboys or Not? by Mark Graban.

Anyway, I’m not trying to start a “Liker v Bodek” battle, but it’s an interesting contrast in perspectives.

Competing in the Afterlife by Kevin Meyer

I don’t disagree that executive compensation is more than a little unreasonable at times, but I am also starting to see, slowly, the free market reigning in such excess.

Why I Love $7.41 per Gallon Gasoline by Jon Miller

That’s what I paid recently to fill up the tank of a rental car in Europe. I look forward to the day when we will have $8 per gallon gasoline in the U.S.A.

Necessary but Insufficient by Pete Abilla

Motorola (MOT), the inventor of Six Sigma, is in big trouble. Even though it invented Six Sigma, this is a clear example that shows how Lean or Six Sigma are not a cure-all for corporate woes…

Continual Improvement by John Hunter

Dr. Deming used to use the term continual improvement (rather than continuous improvement) later in his life because that would include continuous and dis-continuous improvement (innovation, etc.).

Relentless Pursuit of Kaizen by Mike Wroblewski

Jumping into firefighting mode was literally what happened to us this past week a mere 30 minutes before our scheduled kaizen event was to start.

Numb3rs by Sue Kozlowski

Now, part of the reason for this hyperbole is that exciting headlines get more people to buy the paper, and so you may think that the exaggeration is just a way to get people to read the accompanying story.

Eight Reasons Your Lean/Six Sigma Could Fail by Ron Pereira

Programs, by definition, end. Conversely, the ancient origin of the word philosophy (philosophía) means “love of knowledge” or “love of wisdom.” And true love, as the good book tells us, never ends.

The Management Improvement Carnival is one of my favorite aspects of John Hunter’s Curious Cat blog.  John asked me to host the carnival this month and I gladly accepted.  So without further delay here are some of my favorite posts from around the blogosphere.

People, Diapers, and Kegs by Kevin Meyer from the Evolving Excellence blog.

They become assimilated, Borg-like in nature. Some of us with more enlightened organizations may occasionally ask about their previous experiences, and tap into some of it at kaizens or other activities.

The Toyota Secret: Constant Change And Growth by Norman Bodek from Industry Week.

How did Toyota go from making junk, to making a Lexus and becoming the world’s largest and most successful automobile manufacturer? They improved every single day.

Why You Need A Tatakidai by Jon Miller from Gemba Panta Rei.

But I will humbly submit that there is one more that should be added to your list, even at the expense of bumping one other out of your Lean vocabulary list (kamishibai is a candidate for removal). The word is tatakidai (叩き台). Tatakidai literally means “beating board” or chopping block.

An Error Proofing Challenge by Mark Graban from the Lean Blog.

If you absolutely needed to ensure that the pallet wasn’t double stacked, can you think of a way of error proofing that?

The Importance of Management Improvement by John Hunter from Curious Cat Management. 

As I continue through life I realize that this management improvement stuff really can matter if done right.

The Gemba is the Dojo by Pete Abilla from the shumla blog.

The Gemba is the Dojo — precisely because the heart and mind need to be ready for teaching; the student must be humble enough and teachable enough to be taught.

Will Medicare Force Hospitals to Go Six Sigma? by Michael Cyger from the iSixSigma Blogosphere.

To me, it’s clear that Six Sigma - tied to the hospitals operating budget - is the answer. What has been done until now has not worked. It’s time for a change.

Lying to your customers by Seth Godin.

It turns out (at this Home Depot, anyway), that whenever they don’t feel like using the saw, they pretend it’s broken.

China 911! by Matthew May from the Elegant Solutions blog. 

Toys. Tires. Pet food. Cars. Calling all quality engineers: China needs you! This is not a case of errant manufacturing glitches. This is end to end, designed-in danger stuff.

Six Sigma Control Phase in Not Anti-Lean by Ron Pereira from LSS Academy. 

Finally, after some thought and reading Jon’s comments I also learned that I must personally work to promote more of a continuous - kaizen like - mindset when teaching six sigma.

If you have ideas for future submission please submit them to the next carnival by clicking here.

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Here are some of my favorite posts from around the blogosphere this week.

John Hunter, in response to one of my more controversial posts, offered an excellent take on how bad management results in layoffs.

Over on the iSixSigma blog Michael Marx shared an inspiring story of how the US Army nears $2 billion in Lean Six Sigma savings.

Mark Graban told us about how Nike plans to just do it with Lean.  It will be interesting to watch this story.

GM made the news (again) as they boasted of nearly matching Toyota in productivity.  Kevin, of Evolving Excellence fame, responded with a polite “who cares.”

Next, Seth Godin wrote an interesting piece on being coachable.  Very relevant stuff for many of us.

My favorite non Lean or Six Sigma post came from the coolest Alaskan blogger around.  Michelle, a gal with serious writing skills, offered some excellent housekeeping tips for those of us that blog.

And last, but certainly not least, Jon Lennon… I mean Miller, left us with a potential Grammy winning performance with his remake of the Beatle’s classic: hey-juneka. 

There was some awesome blogging this week.

I especially liked Jon Miller’s take on standing in the circle. I nearly fell off my chair laughing at the story Kevin, of Evolving Excellence, had today regarding the heavy heads of consultants. Michael Marx, of iSixSigma fame, shared an excellent letter the folks from Sigma Breakthrough Technologies, Inc. wrote to the nice people of the Wall Street Journal after they blasted Six Sigma. I doubt the stats the SBTI guys shared with WSJ will show up anytime soon. And of course, the beer launching machine video I posted seemed to be a popular topic considering the traffic it brought to the site.

Until next time, I wish you all the best on your journey towards continuous improvement.