Lean Epiphanies : Cataputt the Cow and Other Inspirational Continuous Improvement Stories

It should not be surprising that the application of world-class manufacturing techniques is even more critical to company survival than it was even a decade ago. In Lean Epiphanies, lean expert and Shing Prize winning author Gary Conner relates inspirational stories of the places he has been, the companies he has worked with, and the people he has met in his Lean Enterprise Training consultancy over the course of the last 20 years. Conner's experience conducting hundreds of continuous improvement events involving thousands of team members led to his writing this fun, easy-to-read collection of short stories. Readers will find the conversational style refreshing and the insights transformative and encouraging in their own continuous improvement efforts. Each short story relates an “Aha!” moment that teaches something new. Lean newcomers and seasoned practitioners alike will learn through Conner’s compelling insights into human nature, company culture, leadership, and what it takes for business success in the changing dynamics of the new world economy.

Preface
Foreword

Chapter 1 : Catapult the Cow
Chapter 2 : Kurt's Outline
Chapter 3 : "Have a Nice Day"
Chapter 4 : Curt's Cat
Chapter 5 : My Best (Worst) Training Experience
Chapter 6 : "People Depend on Me!"
Chapter 7 : Watching Paint Dry
Chapter 8 : "What if I Train Them and They Leave?"
Chapter 9 : With Them, Not to Them
Chapter 10 : Propagating Tubers
Chapter 11 : Tool Room Transformed
Chapter 12 : The Five-Minute MBA
Chapter 13 : Turning It Down
Chapter 14 : Sometimes I Feel Like Johnny Appleseed
Chapter 15 : I Do My Beat Thinking in the Hot Tub
Chapter 16 : "Leave the Book"
Chapter 17 : What I Learned from Hurricane Katrina
Chapter 18 : A Motorcycle in Japan
Chapter 19 : The Roadmap
Chapter 20 : Panic is the Mother of Invention
Chapter 21 : The Older I Got, the Smarter My Dad Got
Chapter 22 : Machines Do Not a World-Class Company Make
Chapter 23 : Poka-Yoke, the End of Quality Control?
Chapter 24 : Poker is a Zero-Sum Game
Chapter 25 : Bigger is Not Always Better
Chapter 26 : Scraping the Barnacles
Chapter 27 : Celebrate the Journey
Chapter 28 : People are Like Bamboo
Chapter 29 : Quick Kills
Chapter 30 : Supporting Their Habit
Chapter 31 : It's Not Always What You Think
Chapter 32 : Get Close to Your Customer
Chapter 33 : Hoshin Kanri
Chapter 34 : Keep It Simple
Chapter 35 : Finding the Common Denominator
Chapter 36 : What You Give Up when You Become a Manager
Chapter 37 : Building Communication Bridges
Chapter 38 : How Many Light Bulbs Does It Take to Change a Company?
Chapter 39 : Ten Questions to Ask Yourself
Chapter 40 : Lubbock, Texas
Chapter 41 : The Envelope, Please
Chapter 42 : "I Need My Green Card"
Chapter 43 : Just Ask, "Why?"
Chapter 44 : Staying Off Track
Chapter 45 : "If You Pick It Up, Finish It."
Chapter 46 : Plug and Play
Chapter 47 : Plumb Lean
Chapter 48 : That was Easel
Chapter 49 : Who is Emma Dias?
Chapter 50 : Smelling the Number 9 (A Canary in the Mine)
Chapter 51 : An Unfinished Lean Story
Chapter 52 : Have a Seat

References