Lean 911

In this episode, we dive into the rise, dominance, and controversy surrounding Six Sigma — the corporate improvement system that promised near-perfect quality and became a management obsession across America. From Motorola's statistical revolution to Jack Welch's aggressive rollout at General Electric, Six Sigma evolved from a useful quality tool into what some critics call a full-blown corporate ideology. Drawing from Mark DeLuzio's provocative essay "The Six Sigma Hysteria," we explore why many Lean practitioners believed Six Sigma created more bureaucracy than breakthrough innovation. We unpack the clash between Lean thinking and Six Sigma methodology, the explosion of belt certifications and consulting culture, and the argument that companies became obsessed with measuring defects while ignoring waste, flow, and human creativity. Along the way, we examine real-world stories from Toyota, Danaher, and GE, and from factory floors where frontline employees solved problems that data alone could not. We also ask a bigger question: Are modern businesses repeating the same mistake today with AI, Agile, and productivity frameworks? This episode is about more than Six Sigma. It's about the danger of turning tools into religion — and what happens when companies mistake methodology for culture.

In this powerful episode of Lean 911, Mark DeLuzio sits down with former Air Force fighter pilot and Danaher sales leader Randy Fitzhugh to unpack the real science behind value selling and why most organizations get it wrong. Drawing from his elite military background and executive experience, Randy reveals how sales is a disciplined, repeatable process. Together, they break down the four pillars of value selling: qualifying opportunities, monetizing value, pre-call planning, and time & territory management. You'll hear eye-opening stories, from cockpit checklists to multimillion-dollar deals, that show why process, preparation, and deep customer understanding outperform charisma every time. This episode dives into: Why most sales teams think they sell value but actually don't How to monetize quality, delivery, and lead-time improvements The hidden cost of treating products like commodities Why checklists (yes, like pilots use) can transform your sales performance How small improvements in sales activity can drive massive revenue gains The critical role of lean thinking in commercial excellence "You don't get what you expect. You get what you inspect." Stop selling features. Start selling value, systematically.

Mark DeLuzio, the Father of Lean Accounting, tells his experience and observations on how traditional cost accounting will derail a Lean Transformation. In many organizations, Lean transformations don't fail on the shop floor—they fail in the finance office. In this episode, "The CFO vs. Lean: The Fight That Gets Lean Leaders Fired," we examine a pattern that plays out in companies across industries: Lean improvements begin to transform operations, but traditional cost accounting systems tell leadership the exact opposite story. As inventory falls, batch sizes shrink, and flow improves, the accounting system often reports declining "efficiency," higher unit costs, or unfavorable absorption variances. The numbers appear to signal failure—even when operational performance is clearly improving. When executives rely on these metrics, the Lean initiative becomes the scapegoat. Too often, the Lean leader is blamed for results that are actually caused by outdated financial measurement systems. In this episode, we unpack the structural conflict between Lean principles and traditional cost accounting, explore why CFOs frequently defend these legacy systems, and explain how perfectly "correct" financial reports can lead companies to make deeply wrong decisions. Most importantly, we discuss how organizations can realign finance with Lean thinking so the transformation—and the people leading it—don't become casualties of the numbers.

A shop floor comment stops everyone in their tracks: the work finally matches what the customer actually needs. That is the spark behind Accidentally Aligned, and it opens a bigger issue most leaders dodge: alignment does not come from posters, audits, or a new playbook. It comes from how leaders behave when the process is broken, and the numbers are ugly. Mark and today's guest, Jason Neal, get into the messy middle of transformation: earning trust at the Gemba, protecting dignity when tempers flare, and dealing with the damage caused by "Lean policing." They also tackle a practical trap that shows up everywhere: leaders say they want engagement, then they take away overtime without replacing it with a better system. The result is predictable. So is the fix. If you are trying to keep momentum after the first wave of kaizen, this episode gives you language and moves you can use on Monday morning. Timestamps: 00:06:48 - Accidentally aligned with the customer voice 00:10:24 - Respect for people when the process fails 00:22:38 - Trust as the foundation for Lean sustainment 00:22:51 - When the Lean office becomes an audit function 00:23:37 - Losing credibility by switching to policing behavior 00:25:33 - Stopping disrespect before it becomes normal 00:34:54 - Turning overtime into kaizen time without breaking trust 00:35:12 - Why cutting overtime first backfires

Mark DeLuzio discusses how the 2-Bin Kanban is meant to ensure the operator does not run out of parts. Find out why it should not be used to structure your primary Kanban system.

Mark DeLuzio discusses the absence of engineers from the Gemba in both manufacturing and design. He also discusses the sin of engineering, which he calls "Catalogue Engineers."

Mark DeLuzio discusses the dangers of cost-based pricing as well as the various issues encountered when doing so. He introduces the merits of market-based pricing instead.

Mark DeLuzio discusses the institutionalized waste of Mura and Muri, and if left unchallenged, it will derail a Lean transformation.

A lean office can either accelerate transformation or quietly undermine it. The difference often comes down to trust, leadership alignment, and a clear sense of purpose. Drawing on his time as the architect of the Danaher Business System, Mark shares hard-earned lessons about what makes a lean office succeed and where so many stumble. From CEOs treating their lean teams as spies to audits that destroy credibility, he explains the traps to avoid and the principles that matter. You’ll hear why capability-building should be the core "product" of any lean office, how to prioritize resources around strategy, and why reporting directly to the CEO is so important. This episode is packed with practical insights for anyone running or working with a lean office, whether you're starting fresh or trying to course-correct.

Mark DeLuzio discusses the rules and mindset needed to be an effective critical thinker, which is essential to effective problem-solving. Every Lean coach needs to know how to solve problems effectively. Unfortunately, this knowledge is not widespread. Learn the skills required to take your problem-solving abilities to the next level.

Mark DeLuzio discusses the intangibles that made all the difference to the success of the Danaher Business System. He also discussed the main ingredients of DBS, the 5Ps: Purpose, Principles, People, Plan, Process.

Replay from our live April 7 webinar. Most Lean initiatives stall because leaders chase tools instead of building capability. In this rare unfiltered session, Mark DeLuzio teams up with seasoned transformation veteran Mark Forkun for a blunt conversation on the realities of Lean, why most organizations fake it, and what it takes to get results that last. From the hidden failure of matrix org charts to the silent sabotage of cost accounting, this webinar replay is a wake-up call for anyone tired of surface-level improvement. You'll hear how Toyota's true strength isn't what's on the walls, but what's in the minds. You'll also get hard-won insight on problem solving, value stream management, and the dysfunction of Lean "audits" that create motion without impact. Plus, Mark Forkun shares a preview of his new book and the habits he believes matter most for sustaining Lean results. Timestamps 00:02:10 Why there’s no silver bullet in Lean 00:04:30 What you don’t see is what matters — Culture, mindset, and invisible systems > visible tools. 00:07:40 Value stream management vs. functional silos 00:13:00 How Lean accounting drives better decisions — Traditional cost systems sabotage transformation. 00:24:00 Cost of poor quality is hidden everywhere — Why finance must stop tracking irrelevant metrics. 00:25:10 Lean ≠ TPS 00:33:00 Standard work and problem solving 00:47:00 Philosophy and principles lead the way 00:54:00 Why Gemba boards fail and audits backfire — Most Lean efforts are theater, not transformation. 01:00:00 Tech without waste elimination = faster waste — AI and ERP as enablers, not solutions.

In this episode, Mark DeLuzio talks about why Lean/CI people are not being listened to and gives sage advice as to how to reverse this trend.