My best learning for Lean was elementary school (NL)

The principles of Lean aren’t complicated. What is complicated is truly understanding them—beyond the definitions and tools—to the point where you start to recognize them everywhere around you.

Robert Martichenko discovered that the shortest path to that understanding does not lead through a factory, but through an elementary school.

What do you learn in *My Best School for Lean Was Elementary School*?

This book explains the core principles of Lean through the everyday experiences of top-performing elementary school students. Not as a metaphor, but as genuinely relatable situations that shed surprising clarity on the essence of Lean.

Organizing pencils, lining up for lunch, putting away toys after class; Martichenko shows how these kinds of everyday activities are perfect illustrations of concepts such as waste, standardization, flow, and problem-solving thinking. By drawing these connections in a completely unexpected setting, this book not only introduces you to the concepts but also helps you see the underlying thinking—in factories, in offices, and in everyday life.

The book thus goes beyond a mere introduction to individual Lean terms. It aims for something deeper: developing a perspective that recognizes waste and opportunities for improvement wherever you look. And it shows that, at its core, Lean is about creating a culture centered on learning and problem-solving—something that comes naturally in a good elementary school.

Why do I have to read *My Best School for Lean*?

Most Lean books are written for people who already know what Lean is. This book is written for anyone encountering the subject for the first time, as well as for experienced practitioners who want to look at Lean from a completely different perspective.

The strength of Martichenko’s approach lies in its unexpectedness. By explaining Lean through a world everyone is familiar with, concepts that would otherwise remain abstract suddenly become concrete and intuitive. This makes the book particularly well-suited as a first step in a Lean journey, as a gift for a colleague, as part of an orientation day, or simply as an enjoyable and informative read.

Who is *My Best Lesson in Lean Was Elementary School* written for?

• Anyone who is new to Lean and looking for an accessible, non-technical introduction
• Managers and team leaders who want to introduce Lean to their team in a fresh and innovative way
• Lean coaches looking for an accessible book to get skeptical colleagues on board with Lean thinking
• Experienced practitioners who want to sharpen their intuition for Lean by approaching it from a different angle

What do fellow writers think of this book?

"Martichenko demonstrates that the best way to understand something is to see it in a context you’re already familiar with. This book is a surprisingly effective introduction to Lean thinking." — Jim Womack, founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute

"Simplicity is the hardest thing to achieve. This book is both simple and profound—and that’s a rare combination." — Dan Jones, co-author of Lean Thinking

Additional Information

About the author

Robert O. Martichenko is a supply chain expert, author, and Lean practitioner with decades of experience in logistics and fulfillment. He is the founder of LeanCor Supply Chain Group and has guided countless organizations through Lean transformations in their supply chains.

In addition to *My Best School for Lean Was Elementary School*, he also wrote *Building a Lean Fulfillment Stream*, also available in the Lean Management Institute’s online store. His work is characterized by the belief that Lean principles are accessible and relatable to everyone, regardless of background or experience.