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Once of the most difficult challenges managers face is delivering constructive criticism (positive or negative) to their employees. Such feedback must be offered delicately and with respect, otherwise leaders risk losing any trust they’ve earned from their team members. But giving feedback is a necessary part of the feedback loop. Leaders need to offer guidance, […]

While a manager must juggle a multitude of tasks to be successful, one integral skill they must master early on is to earn the trust of their employees. However, this is no easy task to tick off your to-do list. Getting the respect and trust of your workers can go a long with when trying […]

While lean was originally conceived to streamline manufacturing processes, lean thinking can be applied across any industry. Lean is a set of principles that were originally concocted in the 1940s to improve workflows on the Toyota manufacturing floor. There are many documented successes when manufacturers have implemented lean practices to much success. But luckily, manufacturers […]

You’ve likely heard the phrase: “The people make the place.” This is often particularly true when it comes to the workplace. Whether it’s working with competent colleagues or motivated managers, your co-workers can make or break a professional environment. But when it comes to leaders, not everyone in a management position possesses the qualities you’d […]

As a lean leader, you’re likely always on the prowl for ways to increase your team’s productivity. Continuously improving is the name of the lean game, as peak performance and efficiency can have a direct effect on a business’ bottom line. And while this may be counterintuitive at first, offering up truly constructive feedback to […]

As seasoned lean leaders are well aware, the concept of continuous improvement is a major tenet of lean management. As part of this crucial concept, leadership must have an eagle eye when it comes to spotting potential areas for improvement. Most aspects of your organization’s production process should be examined regularly and assessed for the […]

Lean is a set of principles that were originally concocted in the 1940s to improve the manufacturing processes on the Toyota manufacturing floor. There are many documented successes when manufacturers have implemented lean practices to much success. But luckily, manufacturers don’t own the patent on efficiency. While lean was initially thought up to help manufacturers […]

It’s not a secret that happy employees are engaged employees. And as we’ve discussed in previous posts, when workers are engaged and invested in their work and their organization, they are generally more productive. Creativity and productivity, rather that juxtaposing, tend to work hand in hand. And when a lean leader really thinks about it, […]

As part of being a lean leader, a major portion of a manger’s job is to continuously examine every part of an organization’s operations to look for potential improvements. Every process, each workflow and all projects should fall in line with the lean tenet of continuous improvement and should benefit the value stream. But one […]