Dear ,

I'm very excited to announce that my latest book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, has been officially selected as a recipient of the Shingo Publication Award by the Shingo Institute (the home of the Shingo Prize for organizations).

You can read the Shingo Institute's announcement here or scroll down on this blog post.

This is my third Shingo Publication award, with previous honors for my books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen (a book co-authored with Joe Swartz).

I look forward to accepting the award at the annual Shingo Conference in Utah this April.

Big thanks to everybody who collaborated with me on this book, including my editor, Tom Ehrenfeld. This book is the eleventh that he's worked on that's received the Shingo Award. Thanks also to my business book coach, Cathy Fyock, my cover designer, Don Coon, and the team at 1106 Design.

Thanks also to Jeff Liker for first endorsing the book and then nominating it for consideration.

I didn't write this a quote-unquote "Lean" book. I wrote it for a broader audience with two goals.

First, to provide a gentle introduction to Lean and TPS concepts to those who might not pick up a book about Lean. These methods and mindsets include:

• Not blaming individuals for systemic mistakes (a solid cultural habit at Toyota companies)
• Using mistake-proofing methods to prevent mistakes while learning from those that do occur
• Using FMEA (Failure Mode & Effects Analysis) to proactively identify risks in advance so we can address them
• Improving iteratively through PDSA (Plan Do Study Adjust) cycles (a.k.a. PDCA)
• Using small tests of change to mitigate risks as we try to improve

I also hoped that the book would be useful to readers who are steeped in their Lean journeys already. The book is also intended to be a gentle introduction to the topic of "Psychological Safety" for those who might not pick up a book on that subject, like The Fearless Organization or The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety, both excellent books.

I believe Psychological Safety is the foundation of Lean and continuous improvement at Toyota and beyond.

Psychological Safety is simply a matter of how safe one feels about speaking up candidly in the workplace.

If you've already read the book, thank you!! If you're unfamiliar with the book, you can get a free sample PDF chapter here.

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You can also enter to win a signed paperback copy here:

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💡 Why should you read this book?

⭐ Learn how to turn errors into engines of growth and innovation.

⭐ Discover real-world strategies to build a culture of learning.

⭐ Be inspired by candid stories from top leaders and innovators.

Whether you're a seasoned leader or just starting your journey, this book offers tools to foster trust, embrace vulnerability, and drive continuous improvement.

Thanks for reading!

Mark Graban