Tom Hughes, CEO of GembaDocs and author of "Improvement Starts with I," delivered a thought-provoking keynote at Gemba Summit 2025 that challenged widely accepted lean beliefs. Hughes systematically "exploded" lean dogmas that hold organizations back: the overemphasis on culture without technical knowledge, unrealistic expectations that everyone becomes a "lean maniac," the narrow internal focus that ignores supply chain opportunities, and the misunderstanding of what respect for people truly means.

Key Takeaways:

• Culture alone leads to plateaus - you need both cultural energy and deep technical knowledge of lean tools
• Accept the 80/20 reality - not everyone will be a lean maniac, and that's okay
• Lean opportunities exist throughout your supply chain and customer interface, not just within your four walls
• Respect for people means dignified work, dignified pay, dignified place, and dignified treatment
• For every 10% labor turnover, you lose 1% of gross margin - look honestly at your pay
• Stop holding onto unrealistic, unsustainable targets that set people up to feel like failures

Speaker Details

• Name: Tom Hughes
• Company: GembaDocs
• Website: gembadocs.com

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