Number 37 – People Who Do the Work Audie Penn, April 29, 2024February 7, 2026 Identify waste and its impact on people who do the work. Practitioners: tactical, and integrative This is a loaded little sentence. We could simply start with what is waste. Or we could focus on the impact of waste. We could also debate this idea of ‘people who do the work’. …
Number 52 – Data and Information Audie Penn, April 26, 2024February 7, 2026 Gather, analyze, and use data and information to support problem-solving. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic Data and information are in abundance. Abundance Can Overwhelm. Some of it is useful and some of it is not. Do you know the difference? Despite this abundance, sometimes data is ignored in the problem-solving…
Number 171 – Develop and Manage Audie Penn, April 24, 2024February 7, 2026 Develop and manage toward SMART goals. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic There will always be concepts that are shared across philosophical approaches. As I encounter them, my initial response is often to scoff. SMART goals did not originate in the Toyota Production System. I am not even sure where or…
Number 156 – Ownership or Execution Audie Penn, April 22, 2024February 7, 2026 Encourage and support the attainment of stretch goals that focus on increasing customer value. Practitioners: strategic The first system of the four that shows up in my thinking today, with this concept in mind, is the strategy system. It Starts with Strategy Deployment. Our annual strategy deployment process evolves out…
Number 95 – Building Our Problem-Solving Muscle Audie Penn, April 19, 2024February 7, 2026 Use A3 to conduct projects. Practitioners: tactical, and integrative A problem-solving system of some kind is a necessary element in the change process of the performance system. Consistency in practice is building our problem-solving muscle. The language used to describe this system varies, depending on who taught you continuous improvement….
Number 74 – Adopt, Adapt, or Abandon Audie Penn, April 17, 2024February 7, 2026 Encourage and share best practices. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic Adopt, Adapt, or Abandon This one seems simple on the surface, and that is what makes is so dangerous. What is wrong with sharing best practices is how we go about the practice. Immediately a phrase I picked up from…
Number 18 – From Current State to Future State Audie Penn, April 15, 2024February 7, 2026 Facilitate and develop plans that move change from current state to future state. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic To unpack this concept, we might look at failure modes that are common in improvement projects. What moves us from current state to future state makes all the difference. For example, a…
Number 1 – Power or Force Audie Penn, April 11, 2024February 7, 2026 Break down barriers that prevent progress and encourage the participation of all stakeholders. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic This idea is shared by all the practitioner levels. The assumption here is that to accomplish this objective, one must have achieved some level of authority in the organization. The common thought…
Number 5 – Investment in Human Development Audie Penn, April 8, 2024February 7, 2026 Establish and enable proper training and grow investment in human development to create new ‘scientists’ in the organization, providing opportunities for continued experiential learning and growth. Practitioners: strategic The return on investment in human development is immeasurable. I believe this to be true. Additionally, I have seen the results of…
Number 83 – Caution: Practice Makes Permanent Audie Penn, March 25, 2024February 7, 2026 Apply one or more lean tools on project-based improvement efforts. Practitioners: tactical, integrative, and strategic Practice Makes Permanent One can fall prey to tunnel vision if the solution under development seems to have significant reach. For example, “We got it all with this idea!” This statement is a trap. We…