Mike Micklewright

Lean trainer and facilitator

Mike Micklewright has been teaching and facilitating quality and lean principles worldwide for more than 25 years. He specializes in creating lean and continuous improvement cultures, and has implemented continuous improvement systems and facilitated kaizen/Six Sigma events in hundreds of organizations in the aerospace, automotive, entertainment, manufacturing, food, healthcare, and warehousing industries. Micklewright is the U.S. director and senior consultant for Kaizen Institute. He has an engineering degree from the University of Illinois, and he is ASQ-certified as a Six Sigma Black Belt, quality auditor, quality engineer, manager of quality/operational excellence, and supply chain analyst.

Micklewright hosts a video training series by Kaizen Institute on integrating lean and quality management systems in order to reduce waste.

Tue, 05/28/2019 - 12:02
Dyslexics Wanted, Part Three Problem-solving, creativity, and mistake-proofing
Wed, 07/28/2010 - 06:00
In part one of this series I described what dyslexia is and how I linked “dyslexia” with “lean.” In part two, I suggested an approach to training in the work place called “universal design for learning” (UDL), which takes into account those who…
Dyslexics Wanted, Part Two Lean attributes helpful to those with dyslexia
Tue, 07/27/2010 - 06:00
In part one of this series I described what dyslexia is and how I linked “dyslexia” with “lean.” I described how, despite the many positive attributes of people with dyslexia (e.g., tending to be more creative), schools and businesses have done a…
Dyslexics Wanted, Part One How those with the condition can thrive in a lean environment
Fri, 07/23/2010 - 10:44
There’s a good chance that 20 percent of the people reading this article have dyslexia. Are you one of them? Are you proud that you have dyslexia? You should be. People with dyslexia typically are smart and creative. I wish I had it. Perhaps then,…
Unionize! All for one, one for waste
Tue, 05/11/2010 - 08:55
O K, so I used this title as an attention grabber. I’m sure that I’ve already upset some people with this title and they will proclaim to never read my column or newsletter again… at least until the next edition. You should know me by now.  When…
Quotality! Definition: The insane business practice that assumes productivity will be maximized by instilling production quotas into the business system
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 09:00
Nearly 30 years ago, W. Edwards Deming gave us his 14 Points for Management regarding how Western management must change. His 11th point was actually two points: 11a) Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute leadership…
God’s “Mistakes” And how education and quality try to “correct” them
Mon, 01/04/2010 - 16:34
Can you imagine producing products with a tremendous amount of variation? I’m sure many of you know this all too well. I mean, here you’re trying to produce the same products, trying to ensure consistency, and many of the products you produce have…
When It Comes to Health Care, Even the “Whys Guy” Forgets to Ask Why Conventional answers don’t always give you the best results.
Tue, 10/27/2009 - 05:00
In one of my recent Quality Digest published articles, “Why Root Cause Analysis Sucks in America,” I provided a list of 10 reasons why root cause analysis (RCA) in the United States is so awful. Number 2 on the list of 10 is: 2. We don’t practice…
Ten Signs Your CEO Still Has No Idea About ISO 9001 and Lean A list of issues for you to pass on
Thu, 09/10/2009 - 08:26
It’s pretty obvious that in so many companies, based on their actions and behaviors, CEOs and other top managers just don’t get ISO 9001 and all the derivative standards. The following 10 signs are written in no particular order. You’ll need to…
Why Did Training Within Industry Die in the United States? Principles are principal.
Tue, 07/07/2009 - 03:00
Mike Micklewright's pun of the month (we can only hope there is just one) Question: When Potsie and Fonzie tried to trick Richie into handing over his date to Ralph Malph in exchange for a better looking girl, what did they call the deal?…
RIP … My Dear Saturn Part 2 of a two-part story
Mon, 05/11/2009 - 09:30
Question: How do Somalian pirates differ from some Wall Street CEOs? Answer: A Somalian pirate takes hostages and demands money. A Wall Street CEO takes money and demands hostages. Without the need, drive, pursuit, and focus on reducing waste…