Planet Lean: The Official online magazine of the Lean Global Network
Unlocking the potential of Lean in NGOs

Unlocking the potential of Lean in NGOs

Lynne Smith
April 4, 2024

INTERVIEW - In this interview, Lynne Smith discusses the potential and difficulties of applying Lean Thinking to NGOs and looks back at the lean transformation at the Gates Foundation.


Interviewee: Lynne Smith, former Director of Business Design at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Interviewers: Roberto Priolo and Steve Bell


A big thank you to Lynne for sharing her knowledge and experience, and to Steve Bell for making this interview happen!


THE INTERVIEWEE

Lynne Smith is former Director of Business Design at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

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John Shook on transformations and lean in a crisis
November 4, 2022
John Shook on transformations and lean in a crisis

VIDEO INTERVIEW – We recently caught up with John Shook at the Lean Healthcare Academic Conference in Stanford and asked him to share his thought on the questions we need to ask ourselves in a lean journey and on lean in turbulent times.

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How humility transformed a car dealership in Botswana
January 5, 2017
How humility transformed a car dealership in Botswana

CASE STUDY – The story of how a humble leader, who recognizes the importance and contribution of each individual to the company’s success, is making a car dealership in Botswana a fantastic example of lean transformation.

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Lean through four generations
August 12, 2022
Lean through four generations

FEATURE – Every lean generation has faced challenges, and it’s critical we understand the context around us if we are to continue to grow our Community, says Jim Womack.

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Build trust and enjoyable work to get employee engagement
July 10, 2014
Build trust and enjoyable work to get employee engagement

RESEARCH - Offering us a glimpse into how the human mind works and into Toyota's approach to people engagement, this article tells us how to create a better working environment for our employees.

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An NGO uses lean principles to rebuild New Orleans
June 4, 2015
An NGO uses lean principles to rebuild New Orleans

CASE STUDY – Following one of the deadliest hurricanes in US history, an NGO started to use lean management principles to speed up the reconstruction of homes in the Louisiana city… and the results were impressive.

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Lean project boosts sustainable development in Myanmar
September 1, 2016
Lean project boosts sustainable development in Myanmar

FEATURE – A group of Italian researchers and professionals partnered with a NGO to prove how lean thinking can pave the way for the competitiveness and sustainable development of SMEs in Myanmar. Is this a new model for the developing world?

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Supporting Sri Lankan society by transforming our company
January 19, 2018
Supporting Sri Lankan society by transforming our company

INTERVIEW – Prior to his talk at this year’s Lean Transformation Summit, the CEO of a large apparel manufacturer tells us about the company’s lean journey, and its impact on Sri Lankan society.

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How to harness lean to foster innovation and improve society
April 4, 2017
How to harness lean to foster innovation and improve society

FEATURE – We spend a lot of time talking about innovation, but what is the actual impact of leveraging lean to achieve it? As the author points out, the potential is huge, provided certain conditions are met.

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