I really loved the way you elaborated the myth of Japanese Companies. Many Companies are implementing Lean / TPS for a competative edge. But it souds like, when every one is doing the same; how one can get the competitive edge?

Frankly speaking this article made me confused about Lean and TPS.

Another huge issue is failing to define our terms. This is especially easy in management where we try to think in terms of essentials and generalities, but where the discipline of consistently tracing the meaning of terms down to observable characteristics is often overlooked.

The result is people talking past each other, which leads to frustration, and then ultimately to strawmen, slippery slopes, ad hominem, and all the other fallacies you describe.

Michael Webb

It is very nice article. This article explains with samples the discussion on Linkedin we shared. Thank you for the link

Gokhan Tasdeviren

The fact that something is SERIOUSLY wrong with healthcare in US is nothing new of course and you must be aware of this. Also, what you have described is based on a rational analysis of course.

However and unfortunately, since when does a rational analysis form the basis for actions by politicians (because ultimately only they can act to make meaningful and sustainable changes in healthcare)?

Every country has its own blind spots. Blind spots of course are there because NO one wants to analyze them! US too is no different. Ever try to argue gun laws in US?

As a citizen of Canada I am in a far better position though. The Canadian healthcare system is NOT without flaws of course. However, it still is far better than that in US.

Having said that, the governments here also are oblivious of many flaws and inadvertently or deliberately certain flaws are overlooked. Coincidentally, I too had my Hernia surgery at a very well known hospital in Toronto. This hospital specializes ONLY in Hernia surgery and patients from all over the world, including US come to this hospital.

Even though the the treatment, the staff, the doctors and the surgeons, etc. were all first class, they too badly fouled up once that caused me to reschedule my surgery date. The “cause” of this foul-up – an “effect” – could be VERY easily rectified with proper admission registration processes. When I wrote a letter about this to the Chief Surgeon, he in essence brushed me off.

As long as society holds healthcare professionals to an iconic status and thinks that they can do no wrong, it is next to impossible to have any meaningful and sustainable change.

At the same time, we MUST not stop trying!