The Importance of Standard Work I'm an early riser. The first thing I do is turn on the coffee machine and wait, bleary-eyed, for liquid confidence to trickle into my cup. It's a ritual I go through just about every morning. One cup of hazelnut, one cup of decaf. After that I'm set for the day. All my life I've thrived on change: causing it, managing it, or coping with it. But the routines of our lives, even the small, inconsequential ones, provide comfort and structure. Hence the success of Standard Work when consistency of task is important. Not only does it provide a better product, but the routine is psychologically comforting if it works well. ...