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Lean Blog AudioAuthor: Mark Graban
Lean Blog Audio features Mark Graban reading and expanding on LeanBlog.org posts. Explore real-world lessons on Lean thinking, psychological safety, continuous improvement, and performance metrics like Process Behavior Charts. Learn how leaders in healthcare, manufacturing, and beyond create cultures of learning, reduce fear, and drive better results. Listen and learn: leanblog.org/audio Language: en-us Genres: Business Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Building an AI Chat Assistant From My Lean Hospitals Book
Thursday, 19 February, 2026
The blog postWhat if a book could become an interactive coach instead of a static reference?In this episode, Mark Graban shares a behind-the-scenes look at his experiment turning the award-winning book Lean Hospitals into an AI-powered chat assistant embedded directly on his website. What started as a Friday afternoon curiosity quickly evolved into a working WordPress plugin, a subscription model, and a new way to deliver improvement knowledge on demand.Mark walks through how non-developers can use AI tools to write functional software, what he learned comparing different AI coding assistants, and why the real breakthrough isn’t the technology — it’s the ability to access proven Lean thinking at the moment of need.He also explores the broader implications for leaders and organizations: Could AI assistants trained on your own standards and practices reinforce daily management, support problem solving at the gemba, and scale coaching without more training sessions?This episode is both a practical case study in rapid experimentation and a thoughtful discussion about the future of learning, leadership, and continuous improvement in the age of AI.Key themes include:Turning expertise into on-demand guidanceUsing AI to prototype software without coding experienceSubscription models for knowledge deliveryPoint-of-use support for leaders and frontline teamsWhy technology alone won’t create a Lean culture — but can reinforce the right behaviorsIf you care about scaling improvement capability, preserving organizational knowledge, or simply experimenting with new ways to learn, this episode offers a candid look at what works, what broke, and what might come next.
