Clicks and bricks Podcast

Mark Graban — My Favorite Mistake

James Hilovsky, The Fran Dream — Matching Real People to the Right Franchise

Mark Graban is a serial author, consultant, and host of the podcast My Favorite Mistake. He’s written multiple books—including Lean Hospitals, Healthcare Kaizen, and Measures of Success—and helps leaders translate “lean” from a buzzword into practical, people-first improvement. Mark matters because he shows founders and operators how to make work easier so safety, quality, and productivity rise as outcomes—not as compromises.

In this Clicks & Bricks episode, Mark breaks down how Western businesses often chase efficiency and cost first—hurting customers and employees—while Toyota-style thinking improves the work and lets performance follow. He also dives into learning from mistakes (without shame), building psychological safety, and coaching as a manager’s primary job.

Key Takeaways from the Episode:

  • Make work easier first. When you redesign work to be simpler and safer, quality and productivity improve as a result—not by squeezing harder.

  • Own mistakes, don’t bury them. Admit it, learn, and prevent repeats; the problem is repeating the same error, not making one.

  • “Lean” is about the right resources. It’s not “do more with less”; it’s the right people doing the right work the right way at the right time.

  • Coach > command. A manager’s main job is developing people through clear expectations, continuous feedback, and safe experimentation.

  • Start small to build change-muscle. Encourage baby-step improvements so teams gain confidence before tackling bigger shifts.

👉 Watch the full episode now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEoS5RAmZTc 

Memorable Quote:

“To be successful, you need to learn from your mistakes and stop repeating them.”

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