Lean Management Program Set

Managing to Learn by Toyota veteran John Shook, reveals the thinking underlying the A3 management process found at the heart of lean management and leadership. Constructed as a dialogue between a manager and his boss, the book explains how “A3 thinking” helps managers and executives identify, frame, and act on problems and challenges. Shook calls this A3 approach, “the key to Toyota’s entire system of developing talent and continually deepening its knowledge and capabilities.”

Although this guide isn’t the end-all-be-all for how to use the A3 process, it includes some of our favorite tools, tips, and questions that illustrate the tool’s underlying learning process. We hope it gives you enough to get started and become an A3-thinking problem solver.

Does your organization struggle to achieve consistent business results? Do you set strategic goals but fail to see them translate into measurable outcomes? Are your teams disconnected from the execution of strategic priorities?

If so, Managing on Purpose introduces the hoshin kanri methodology—a proven system for aligning strategy with execution, enabling sustainable results across the organization. This approach has helped industry-leading organizations such as Toyota, Turner Construction, GE Appliances, and many others achieve breakthrough performance while fostering innovation and developing leadership capabilities.

Daily Management to Execute Strategy is your essential guide to aligning daily operations with strategic goals. Written by lean management experts José Ferro and Robson Gouveia, this book offers practical tools and insights to help managers and teams navigate the complexities of daily management. Learn how to solve problems, develop your team, and drive continuous improvement—all while keeping your organization on track to achieve its long-term objectives. 

Jim Lancaster tells an inspiring and practical business story in his new book, The Work of Management. It’s a close-up, candid look at Lancaster’s personal transformation as a leader. It’s also a practical, in-depth, business case study of Lantech’s lean transformation, relapse, and comeback that American manufacturing – and other industries -- can use to profitably transform themselves.