KPIs, Coffee Sticks, Culture, and Change: What Leaders Get Wrong About Measurement

How many KPIs are too many — and how do leaders know which metrics actually matter?

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In Episode 7 of Lean Coffee Talk, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh explore how organizations overload themselves with metrics, why some “red” indicators fail to drive action, and how to evaluate whether KPIs are still relevant. They also discuss the role of change management in Lean transformations, why people don’t resist change itself but fear things getting worse, and how engaging employees early leads to more sustainable improvement.

Along the way, they connect lessons from Olympic controversies, construction megaprojects, coffee brewing methods, and even Starbucks stir sticks to core Lean ideas about customer value and “jobs to be done.”

A thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about leadership, measurement, culture, and curiosity.