“BOOM! Down goes Muhammad Ali.”  Billy Taylor’s powerful voice echoed throughout the halls of the Mass Mutual Center as a room full of onlookers jumped in their seats.  A gripping image on the screen showed the greatest heavyweight champion in boxing history splayed out lifelessly on the canvas.  Would he admit defeat? Or would he continue to fight on?  And what does this have to do with lean?

This story was not really about boxing; it was about perseverance, and the message was clear.  Becoming lean is not easy, and organizations looking for a quick win are sure to be knocked out of the fight in the blink of eye.  Lean is a struggle, and it’s precisely that struggle that builds within us the strength to carry on.  We must realize that whether it’s boxing, lean, or life in general, everyone – even the great ones – eventually fall.  It is the great people and the great organizations, however, that find the will to get back up.

The 2014 Northeast LEAN Conference

This was just one of many powerful messages delivered last week at the 10th annual Northeast LEAN Conference hosted by the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (GBMP).  For two days, some of the top lean thinkers in the world gathered in Springfield, Massachusetts to share their unique perspectives and success stories along the theme of this year’s conference:  Putting People First.

Couldn’t be there in person?  No worries.  The KaiZone has you covered!  I’ve sifted through my copious collection of notes – thanks again, OCD – to bring you some of the key messages and golden nuggets from a few of the many outstanding lean thought leaders that presented. [Read more…]