Most business readers have heard of the Lean principles developed for factories--a set of tools and ideas that have enabled companies to dramatically boost quality by reducing waste and errors--producing more while using less. Yet until now, few have recognized how relevant these powerful ideas are to individuals and their daily work. Every person at a desk, drafting table, workstation, or operating table must (like a factory) deal with the challenge of reducing the waste that creeps into their work. The same Lean principles that have improved efficiencies on the factory floor can be just...