First, most businesses function better when the economy is stable, and fiscal policy has a major impact on economic stability. Yes, there are businesses that thrive on chaos, but those are the exception and not the norm. The vast majority of us value reliability, predicability, and high-functioning governmental entities and policies that support business growth and consumer well-being. Fights about the debt ceiling do neither of these things.

My goal in introducing the eight wastes of Lean and the two additional wastes of emotion and meetings is more about developing the ability to see wastes clearly than it is about properly classifying them. As the saying goes, “What gets measured gets managed.” This ability to see waste is key to the adoption of a continuous improvement mindset. After all, if we can’t see waste and inefficiency, how can we continually improve our standard work?