The name “Gemba Tales” is borrowed from Mark Hamel’s Shingo Prize-winning, Kaizen Event Fieldbook: Foundation, Framework, and Standard Work for Effective Events. There are 39 Tales within the Fieldbook, all based upon the experiences (some successful, some not) of the author and other lean practitioners and shared for the purpose of providing insight into the application of certain lean concepts. The purpose of this blog is really no different, just a bigger community for sharing and learning. As for the “community,” a Jakob Nielson usability study determined that about 90% of online-community folks are “lurkers,” meaning they read without entering into the conversation, 9% participate “a little” and 1% actively contribute. So, here is an open and genuine invitation from me asking you to participate in the conversation. Don’t be a lurker. We can all learn from each others, especially if we abide by the lean principles of humility and respect for the individual. Gemba: A Japanese term that means “actual place,” it is the place where the work is (being) done. In conjunction with genchi genbutsu, Japanese for “go and see,” it specifies direct observation of the gemba in order to grasp the current condition and gain insight into kaizen opportunities. Appropriately, Gemba Tales is about lean stories, lessons, and reflections. We all have stories to tell... ..........................................................