Last week, I published my first cartoon collaboration with a skilled artist (and medical assistant), Carrie Howarth.
You might call that cartoon “Strategy Dog-ployment.”
None of us expect this to be a weekly thing, but sometimes you strike when inspiration hits.
Here is our latest collaboration, the “Sensei Cafe.”
Again, at the risk of killing the joke by explaining it…
I’ve heard stories about Toyota managers grilling their employees, respectfully, about their Kaizen ideas.
The manager (or you might call them a “sensei” if they are very senior and very well respected) would not just say yes or no to an employee idea. I’ve heard before that Toyota managers rarely say “yes” to something the first time. They’ll ask questions. Do you really understand the root cause? What alternatives have you considered before deciding on a countermeasure to test?
The idea is that the sensei is trying to understand the thought process. It’s not just “did you develop a good countermeasure?” but more of “how is your thinking?” That’s a better way to develop people than just approving or disapproving (and coaching on) their answer.
I’m sure the guy at the counter is thinking, “Hey, I just want that patty melt.”
Anyway, hope you like the joke. The server is wearing a name tag that says “sensei.” A “Mississippi Muda” pie sounds pretty tasty, eh?
You can see more of Carrie’s artwork on her Tumblr site: http://theorganconspiracy.tumblr.com/
Want this image on a mug?
About LeanBlog.org: Mark Graban is a consultant, author, and speaker in the “lean healthcare” methodology. Mark is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as the new Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. Mark is also the VP of Customer Success for the technology company KaiNexus.
