The realistic story of managers and employees involved in a do-or-die lean manufacturing transformation comes alive in “The Gold Mine” audio book, just released by the Lean Enterprise Institute.
Written by Freddy and Michael Ballé, The Gold Mine deftly weaves together the technical and human challenges of implementing lean manufacturing as a business system.
This unabridged dramatization of the novel features performances by multiple readers who bring its realistic business story and characters to life. You’ll hear from:
- Bob Woods, the curmudgeonly lean sensei;
- Mike Woods, Bob’s son who talks his father out of retirement to help an old friend save his company;
- Phil Jenkinson, the friend and struggling entrepreneur on the verge of bankruptcy;
- Amy Cruz, an HR manager;
- Plus, the managers and employees at Phil’s company.
Lean as a System
The audio version, like the original book, presents all the key lean principles, ranging from well-known ideas such as pull and flow, to lesser-known yet equally important principles such as jidoka and heijunka. The book also reveals lean as a system—using a realistic business story that is both compelling and instructive to show how lean principles are interrelated.
But most of all, The Gold Mine audio book is about people. It tells a vivid human story of how the hearts and minds of managers and employees are won over as they struggle to understand and apply lean quickly to right a sinking company.
Managers and executives just beginning a lean transformation will get valuable insights about how to sidestep the technical and cultural problems of a lean conversion. And experienced lean thinkers will discover fresh insights about overcoming resistance to change.
Originally published as a softcover in June 2005, The Gold Mine received a Shingo Research Award in 2006.
The Gold Mine: a Novel of Lean Turnaround (audiobook, unabridged dramatization)
- Publisher: Lean Enterprise Institute
- Publication Date: Nov. 10, 2010
- ISBN: 978-0-9763152-9-2
- 9 CDs set
- Price: $45.00
- Media: Chet Marchwinski, cmarchwinski@lean.org , 617-871-2930
- Hear an excerpt; download illustrations.
Author on the Air
Hear co-author Michael Ballé:
- The Lean Nation, Michael Ballé interviewed on AM 790 (East Providence RI).
- Go and See, webinar by Michael Ballé.
Related Lean Management Books
- The Gold Mine, softcover, 360 pages
- The Gold Mine E-books, available from Apple, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
- A Leader’s Study Guide to The Gold Mine
- The Lean Manager: A Novel of Lean Transformation, by Michael Ballé and Freddy Ballé
What is Lean?
The terms lean manufacturing, lean production, or lean management refer to a complete business system for organizing and managing product development, operations, suppliers, customer relations, and the overall enterprise.
Lean Enterprise Institute
Lean Enterprise Institute, Inc., was founded in 1997 by management expert James P. Womack, Ph.D., as a nonprofit research, education, publishing, and conference company with a mission to advance lean thinking around the world. We teach courses, hold management seminars, write and publish books and workbooks, and organize public and private conferences. We use the surplus revenues from these activities to conduct research projects and support other lean initiatives such as the Lean Education Academic Network, the Lean Global Network and the Healthcare Value Leaders Network. Visit LEI for more information.
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