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Avoiding the Dunning-Kruger Trap in Lean: Lessons from Early Mistakes episode artwork

Sep 6, 2025 6 min

Avoiding the Dunning-Kruger Trap in Lean: Lessons from Early Mistakes

from Lean Blog Audio: Practical Lean Thinking, Psychological Safety, and Continuous Improvement Hosted by Mark Graban

The blog post In this episode, Mark explores how the Dunning-Kruger effect shows up in Lean—especially after a first belt course, workshop, or book. Early enthusiasm can turn into overconfidence, creating blind spots and stalling growth. Drawing from his book Practicing Lean, Mark shares stories (his own and from contributors like Paul Akers and Jamie Flinchbaugh) about mistakes made early on, what they taught us, and why Lean should be treated as a practice, not a project. Key themes: Why certifications are a starting point, not the finish line How psychological safety helps keep overconfidence in check Lessons learned from early Lean missteps Practical tips for avoiding common training pitfalls All royalties from Practicing Lean benefit the Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation, supporting safer care for patients and families.

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Avoiding the Dunning-Kruger Trap in Lean: Lessons from Early Mistakes

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This episode is 6 minutes long.

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This episode was published on September 6, 2025.

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