I have written “Leading Lean” for ASSEMBLY for over 5 years. This marks my 55th and final contribution. I still have plenty to say, but it’s time for me to move on from this particular role.

Every corporation wants to be innovative. But, being innovative is not a behavior. It’s not something on your to-do list between picking up dry cleaning and writing performance reviews. Innovation is the by-product of plans, processes, people and behaviors.

Ever have the strange feeling that something big is wrong, but you don’t know what it is? Managing by control points is the only cure.

The CEO must be the champion and leader of a lean transformation, but the board of directors can have a major impact, too.

Lean applies to every function within a business. You cannot succeed on your lean journey without engaging the sales organization at some point.

Manufacturers have no trouble hanging onto key employees these days, since job opportunities are scarce. But, that hasn’t reduced the need to find new ways to engage people. No matter what type of economic opportunities a company can provide, engagement still plays an important role in employee retention.

A great lean thinker has a lens for value.

Continuing education is key to any lean deployment strategy.

An action plan is one of the most important parts of an A3 report. Turning ideas and conversations into crisp, focused action plans is something every lean leader needs to do.

My last three columns have touched on different aspects of applying lean thinking to projects and problems, including different aspects of A3 thinking and methodology. This month focuses on yet another aspect, the target condition.