Customer Reviews

Follow the Learner: The Role of a Leader in Creating a Lean Culture

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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In this deceptively compact book, Dr. Bahri offers a first-person description of his own personal journey of learning as he figures out how to apply "lean production" principles to his dental practice. In the end, he also discovers the vital leadership component that makes it all work.

The book is divided into three sections.
The first describes the mechanics of implementing continuous flow of care to the patients - which Dr. Bahri calls "one patient flow." The net effect is two fold. First, most patients can get all of their care delivered on a single visit. And, perhaps just as important, is that the effort results in a significant increase in the throughput and efficiency of Dr. Bahri's practice.

The second section, though short, outlines some of his key learnings around leadership itself.

The third section summarizes the principles of purpose, process and people in the context of his experience and his own growth as a leader.

In the "lean manufacturing" world, many people initially struggle with how to take a system that grew out of the mass production of automobiles and apply it to their specific situation.

This struggle often stems from confusing the tools and techniques with the core principles they deploy, and more importantly, the thinking behind them.

Dr. Bahri, in describing his own journey, gives insight into the thought process required for success.

In the end, some will dismiss this story as "about dentistry" and look for more concrete examples in their own industry or service. That is too bad, because this book is exactly how to take "lean" and make it work anywhere.

Sami is an ideal example of those that are the most influential and often the most difficult to teach to lead Lean (senior leaders). He's self taught, well educated, a Dr. and a business owner. He admits failure and points out his shortcomings and failures as normal and educational (giving up control and perceived weakness are common management fears that need to be overcome). The book opens by discussing the tactical change that occurred in his business and follows with the organizational/systemic learning that is required. His book leads with what attracts a leader's attention (tactical application and results) and then tells them what kind of organizational learning must occur to achieve those results. The other great thing is that he was able to do all this in a book that is under 100 pages. This is not a book about converting a Dentist's practice to lean. This book tells the story of the creation of a Lean leader, his ability to learn, teach and most of all his willingness to promote organizational learning. These lessons are profound regardless of industry. Speaking from experience leading Lean transformations in both manufacturing and healthcare this is a must read.

Great book for any profession. Even manufacturing leaders will benefit by seeing their own concepts converted into a service industry. Dr. Bahri's book should be a must-read for everyone. He proves there's no excuse for not implementing Lean.

Even manufacturing professionals will benefit from this book, as it drives you to a better understanding of your own condition, when seen through an outsider's eyes.

For years I've heard about the "lean dentist" in Jacksonville, FL, and it's great to see that he's written a book. "Learner" is a keyword, without a doubt. Dr. Bahri tells the story of his thinking about management and leadership and how it evolved under the influence of some landmark books. He openly and charmingly talks about his mistakes and realizations.

Because we've all spent time at the dentist's office, usually waiting, it's refreshing to see a focus on the patient. Our dental experiences make Dr. Bahri's explanation of lean ideas and their implementation very easy to understand and think about. There are no complicated diagrams or overly detailed explanations, just simple explanations of gaining trust and engagement, reorganizing processes, and continuous improvement.

Thanks go to the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) for giving us this book. It's short, easy to read, and I highly recommend it.

A simple concise book that explains the concepts of lean and the journey of a dentist to learn and implement the changes in his own clinic. An enjoyable fast read!
Follow the Learner: The Role of a Leader in Creating a Lean Culture,

"Follow the Learner" is a Lean Institute published book about Sami Bahri who adopted lean thinking for running his dentist. It is a wonderful story about learning and experimenting with lean techniques in an outside of the traditional factory environment.

The book is small, less than a hundred pages, and can be read quickly. It consists of three different parts. The first part describes the journey Sami Bahri has made in his dental clinic while adopting lean practices and continuously looking for improvements. The second part discusses his role as a lean leader and a change leader -- what to do and what not to do. The first part covers principles of lean leadership.

The book is easy to read and a fascinating story of applying lean thinking outside its traditional context. It didn't provide me with major insights though. Also, the book refers a little bit too much to other material that Sami Bahri has studied, which at times made it uncomfortable to read.

All that said, "Follow the Learner" provides an interesting experience report of applying lean principles to dentistry. The book does exactly what I would expect it to do, thus I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars. I'd recommend this for people in dentistry or who are studying lean principles outside its normal context. I would not recommend this as an introduction to lean -- better look for other books for that.