Be Lazy—And Make Progress Faster

“All progress is made by a lazy person looking for an easier way.”

That quote captures the spirit of what we teach and do here at Changeover.com.

Science fiction legend Robert Heinlein wrote a story called The Man Who Was Too Lazy to Fail. In it, a boy growing up in West Virginia watches his father labor in the fields and decides he’s too lazy for that life. So he goes to school. When his classmates head to the mines, he opts for the Naval Academy. He becomes a pilot—then invents the autopilot to make flying easier. His “laziness” drives innovation.

That’s what I call creative laziness.

Lean Changeover Isn’t About Working Harder—It’s About Working Smarter

When I lead Achieving Lean Changeover and Secrets of Changeover workshops, people often assume I’m there to push them to work faster. But speed without strategy is wasted effort. As I like to say: trying to make people work faster is like trying to teach a pig to sing—it frustrates the teacher and annoys the pig.

Instead, I teach teams how to work less, more deliberately, and still reduce changeover time. The secret? Eliminate unnecessary work.

“Be Lazy”—The Right Way

In every workshop, I share Heinlein’s story and show a slide that simply says: “Be Lazy.” Not lazy in the traditional sense—but lazy in the ingenious sense. I want everyone from operators to technicians to plant managers to ask:

“Is there an easier way to do this?”

“Is this task even necessary?”

Often, the answer is surprising.

Real-World Examples of Creative Laziness

Cartoner Changeover

Operators were walking back and forth to adjust both sides of a machine—spending over 5 minutes just walking. One mechanic suggested adjusting all points on one side first. It worked. Walking time was cut, and changeover improved.

Tablet Reconciliation

Operators carried bottles to a table in small batches. We added locking castors to the table—now the table goes to the bottles. Simple change, big impact.

Laser Coding Bottles

Laser position had to be adjusted for every bottle height. We moved the code to the heel, where the centerline is always consistent. No more adjustments. The entire laser changeover was eliminated.

Why We Keep Doing Unnecessary Work

The biggest barrier to improvement? Inertia.

“It’s always been done this way” is the enemy of progress. Lean Manufacturing is really about identifying and eliminating waste. Or as I like to call it: Lazy Manufacturing.

There are hidden inefficiencies in every plant. I’d bet cash money there are some in yours.

Want to Join the Movement?

In my workshops, I hand out yellow lapel buttons that say “Be Lazy.”

Want one? Just drop me a note at:

johnhenry@changeover.com

Let’s make changeovers easier, smarter, and more effective—by being just lazy enough to find a better way.