Lean Coach is grounded in a specific book and a specific method. It asks one question at a time, in the Toyota sensei tradition, and declines to invent Lean concepts or hand you a conclusion a question could teach you.
01What this is
Lean Coach is built by Mark Graban, author of Shingo Award-winning books including Lean Hospitals (3rd edition) and host of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast. It coaches the way a sensei coaches: one question at a time, starting from what you have actually observed, and working toward a standard and a countermeasure you arrived at yourself.
Most AI tools are optimized to give you an answer fast. This one is optimized to make you think. It is built on the Claude API from Anthropic, grounded in specific source material, and tuned away from the instinct to answer first and ask later.
It is not neutral about everything. Respect for People and psychological safety are not positions to debate; they are the ground the coaching stands on.
02Two modes
Most of the time, coaching is the point. But there are moments when you need a definition, a reminder, or a quick reference. Lean Coach has two explicit modes. You choose which one is running.
Default
Socratic. One question at a time.
The default posture. The coach asks what you have seen, what you think is happening, and what you would try next. It will not hand over a conclusion a question could teach you. Slower on purpose.
"What have you observed at the gemba in the last week that made you think this is a standard-work problem?"
On request
Direct answers, still grounded in the source.
When you already know what you need and the question is factual, switch to Tell Me. The coach answers directly, cites the method, and stops. It still will not invent Lean concepts it does not know.
"Standard work has three elements: takt time, work sequence, and standard work-in-process. Here is how they fit together..."
You can switch at any time by saying "coach me" or "tell me." The mode persists until you change it.
03What this is not
04Choose a version
Same method, different source material and vocabulary. Free to try, email signup required.
For healthcare
Grounded in Lean Hospitals (3rd ed.). Vocabulary and examples from clinical and hospital operations.
For everyone else
Grounded in core Lean principles and twenty-plus years of practice across manufacturing, services, and knowledge work.
05About Mark
Author of Shingo Award-winning books including Lean Hospitals (3rd edition) and host of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast. Twenty-plus years consulting with hospitals, manufacturers, and knowledge-work teams on Lean and continuous improvement. More at markgraban.com.