Lean Blog Interviews: Real-World Lean Leadership Conversations in Healthcare and Beyond

My guest for Episode #507 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Wendy K. Smith, co-author of the book Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems. She’s also one of the keynote speakers at this year's AME (Association for Manufacturing Excellence) annual conference. Episode page with video, transcript, and more Enter to win a copy of the book! Wendy is the Dana J. Johnson professor of management and faculty director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at the Lerner College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware. She earned her PhD in organizational behavior at Harvard Business School, where she began her intensive research on strategic paradoxes—how leaders and senior teams effectively respond to contradictory yet interdependent demands. Working with executives globally, she has been a noted keynote speaker and teacher for audiences worldwide. Her research, published among the top journals in the field, has received numerous awards, including the Web of Science Highly Cited Research Award (2019, 2020, and 2021) for being among the one percent most-cited researchers in her field. Wendy lives in Philadelphia with her husband, three children, and the family dog. In this episode, Wendy discusses strategic paradoxes and how leaders can effectively navigate contradictory yet interdependent demands. Our conversation covers practical examples from Lean Manufacturing and the Toyota Production System, highlighting how "both/and thinking" can lead to innovative solutions and improved performance. Wendy also shares the emotional and cognitive challenges of embracing paradoxes, offering insights into how organizations can create environments that support dynamic, integrative thinking. This episode is a deep dive into the nuances of leadership, organizational behavior, and the power of embracing complexity in problem-solving. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What are strategic paradoxes? The need or opportunity to break paradoxes? Good examples of both/and thinking in different businesses? Origins in lean manufacturing Just-in-time but hold no inventory High quality but also super fast Focusing on both short-term and long-term? Opportunities for startups to exploit new both/and thinking? Process as a dirty word in startups? We can’t vs. we haven’t figured it out yet? Both/and focus on customers and employees? Connections to Amy Edmondson and Psychological Safety? The Dr. Brian Goldman TED Talk Give us a preview of your keynote talk for AME? A teaser… The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

In this live stream episode, host Mark Graban introduces a panel of experts discussing the upcoming Future of People at Work Symposium. The event is co-sponsored by nine organizations, including the Lean Enterprise Institute, GBMP Consulting Group, and the Shingo Institute. Panelists Josh Howell, Bruce Hamilton, and Ken Snyder share their perspectives on the symposium's goals, emphasizing the need to address the evolving workplace and workforce dynamics. They highlight the importance of focusing on people in the face of technological advancements and the necessity of fostering a collaborative environment to adapt to future challenges. The panelists provide an overview of the symposium's structure, which will include interactive sessions focused on workplace evolution, technology integration, and supply chain transformation. Unlike traditional conferences, this event aims for active participation, encouraging attendees to engage in collaborative problem-solving. The speakers stress the importance of continued dialogue and collaboration within the lean and improvement communities to address the ongoing changes in the work environment. The symposium, set to take place in Detroit on July 18 and 19, 2024, is presented as a crucial step in creating a more meaningful and effective future of work.

My guest for Episode #506 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Tim Hobbs, the founder and president of Hobbs Technical Consulting. He is an author and an in-demand international keynote speaker, trainer and business consultant. He is currently working in the semiconductor industry as a director of digital transformation. Episode page with video, transcript, and more Tim served nine years in the U.S. Navy, managing and maintaining advanced electronic navigational, alarm, combat, telecommunication and power systems. After his military service, he worked for Intel Corporation for 14 years. He received a B.S. in business information systems and an M.B.A. in technology management and earned his Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt Certification. Tim authored the book The Anatomy of Problem-Solving. He'll also be one of the featured keynote speakers at the 40th anniversary of the AME International Conference (the Association for Manufacturing Excellence), being held in Atlanta, Georgia, from October 28 – October 31, 2024. Enter a contest to win a free book and online course from Tim! In this episode, Tim shares insights from his extensive career in the semiconductor industry, his journey through the US Navy, and his expertise in problem-solving. We discuss Tim's background, including his roles in digital transformation and Lean Six Sigma, and delve into his philosophy on critical thinking and structured problem-solving methods. Tim also previews his upcoming keynote at the conference, highlighting the importance of leveraging problem-solving for career success and organizational improvement. The conversation touches on his book, “The Anatomy of Problem Solving,” and an exciting book giveaway contest for our listeners. Tune in to gain valuable insights into effective problem-solving and strategic career advancement from an industry expert. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: Tell us about the start of your lean journey? Preview of your keynote talk? How do you combine frameworks and methodologies with critical thinking in problem-solving? Can you elaborate on organizational and political problem solving? Tell us about your online training program? What method are you using for problem-solving, and how did you develop it? What is the story behind your book, “The Anatomy of Problem Solving”? What approach do you recommend for dealing with team dynamics in problem solving? How do you position problem solving for upward mobility in a career? Can you explain the PIE (Performance, Image, Exposure) framework and its importance in career advancement? What strategies do you suggest for engaging with potential sponsors? How do you handle the human element in problem-solving, especially when dealing with different personalities? Tim's online training program The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

This is cross-posted from my Lean Blog Audio podcast series. Episode page with links and more info⁠ I'm very happy to announce the release of my new ⁠Mistake-Proofing course⁠, available NOW through ⁠Karen Martin⁠ and ⁠TKMG Academy⁠. You can ⁠buy the course individually at TKMGAcademy.com⁠ for $129. Volume discounts are available for large teams or your entire workforce (for more information, email ⁠[email protected]⁠). The course is also part of the wonderful ⁠collection of courses⁠ in the all-access ⁠annual subscription⁠. The annual price of $529 goes up significantly at 11:59 pm CDT on May 31st, so act now for the best value pricing. Other TKMG Academy ⁠instructors⁠ in the series include Karen Martin, ⁠Elisabeth Swan⁠, ⁠Mike Osterling⁠, ⁠Tracy O'Rourke⁠, ⁠Brent Loescher⁠... and more. And if you ⁠subscribe to TKMG Academy⁠, you can participate in Karen's "Community of Practice" meeting with me on Wednesday, June 26th.

My guest for Episode #505 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Art Byrne, who was a guest back in Episode 158 about 12 years ago — we discussed his book The Lean Turnaround. Episode page with video, transcript, and more: https://leanblog.org/505 Today, we’re discussing his new book, The Lean Turnaround Answer Book, an edited compilation of his “Ask Art” columns published by the Lean Enterprise Institute. Art Byrne has been implementing Lean strategy in various U.S.-based manufacturing and service companies, such as Danaher Corporation, for more than 30 years, including The Wiremold Company, which he ran for 11 years. He retired as an Operating Partner at the private equity firm J. W. Childs Associates L.P. In this episode, Art revisits the podcast after twelve years to discuss his new book, The Lean Turnaround Answer Book, an edited compilation of his "Ask Art" columns from the Lean Enterprise Institute website. Art shares his extensive experience implementing lean strategies across various industries, including his notable work with Wiremold and his role in private equity at JW Childs Associates. The conversation also covers Art's motivations for writing his books and his continuous efforts to disseminate lean knowledge, addressing the practical challenges and questions that arise in Lean implementations. Art elaborates on the essence of Lean principles, emphasizing the need for a fundamental shift in organizational philosophy and strategy. He recounts his experiences in transforming companies through Lean methodologies, including detailed anecdotes about reducing setup times, managing inventory, and improving operational efficiency. Art highlights the significant impact of lean on organizational performance, customer service, and financial health. The discussion also touches on the challenges of aligning traditional cost accounting with lean practices and the importance of engaging the finance department in the lean journey. Overall, Art's insights offer a comprehensive guide to Lean implementation, reinforced by real-world examples and practical advice. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: Tell us about the book and how this one came to be… Cost accounting and inventory? Orry Fiume - “Real Numbers” book The strategic value of setup reduction? How was Lean utilized in your private equity work? How was your role different as a PE partner? Looking for companies with a certain Lean potential? What factors are you looking for? Best Lean turnaround story? More likely a smaller PE company than a large public company? But Lean is not the default management approach for manufacturing? Higher than 10 years ago? Boeing - did they forget what Shingujitsu taught them? The problems caused by “make the month” The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

My guest for Episode #504 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Katie Anderson, author of the book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn. Episode page with video, transcript, and more In this episode, Katie takes the reins along with me, Mark Graban, to discuss the transformative journey of Japan Study Trips. Recognized globally for its rich contributions to modern business practices, Japan has long been a beacon for leadership and continuous improvement. But how can one experience this powerful journey? Strong leadership is integral to sustaining a culture of improvement. During these trips, participants get to hear from individuals like Katie Anderson, known for her insightful book "Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn." Engaging with thought leaders deepens their understanding of the continuous learning process while expanding their networks. Not only they learn about the principles, they also meet and engage with their pioneers reflecting the deep connection between leadership and continuous learning. These discussion illuminates the importance of a culture where mistakes are seen as stepping stones to innovation. Personal engagements with companies recognized for their Lean practices reaffirm the significance of 'being over doing,' making these trips a true journey of transformation and discovery. Questions, Links, Notes, and Highlights: Learn more about Katie's November trip that I'm a part of Mark's website about Japan Tour How can we shift focus from doing to being in order to create a culture where better results and output are achieved? What role does continuous learning play in creating and fostering cultures of improvement and growth? How do leaders in organizations prioritize being over doing to cultivate a mindset and culture of learning and improvement? What are some common production principles and tools observed on shop floors, and how do they align with overall cultural objectives? What are the behaviors that need to become standard across an organization to create a culture of kindness, constructive response, and continuous improvement? How can leaders in various organizations and industries cultivate a mindset and culture of learning and improvement similar to those seen at Toyota? What role does sharing knowledge, stories, and experiences play in enhancing learning and strengthening connections within an organization or across industries? How do mistakes and constructive responses to them contribute to shaping a culture focused on learning and growth? The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

My guest for Episode #503 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Sam Morgan of Illuminate Coaching + Consulting. He was previously a guest in Episode #457. Episode page with video, transcript, and more Today's episode was originally live-streamed on April 9th... Sam's. been doing a livestream series on "Lean Coaching for Lean Coaches." So, in today's episode, you'll hear Sam coaching me... and then we'll have a broader conversation about the work that he's doing. We can all use a coach! We embark on a deep dive into creating and harnessing a culture of continuous improvement and Lean in various industries, especially within the healthcare sector. The episode unfolds the role of Lean coaching and the evolution of continuous improvement to meet the current business dynamics. Mark and Sam engage in a discussion on the intersection of psychological safety and effective continuous improvement. They discuss how creating an environment that facilitates incident reporting without fear of reprisal can lead to reduced adverse events, particularly in high-stakes industries like healthcare. This conversation serves as a guide for leaders to understand the importance of building a culture where openness is promoted, and trust leads to real-world enhancements. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: Going full time - leaving The Standard? Entrepreneurial experiments? People being coached in live format... and people watching? The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

My guest for Episode #502 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is DeWayne Allen, an executive, speaker, and workshop facilitator. Episode page with video, transcript, and more DeWayne is a results-driven executive with over 20 years of experience, renowned for leveraging a solid engineering and operations background to propel growth for Fortune 500 organizations. As a visionary leader, DeWayne excels in crafting and executing strategic plans to deliver desired outcomes. With a proven track record in fostering relationships and adeptly managing cross-functional teams, DeWayne ensures seamless alignment of internal operations with overarching business objectives. He is also a trusted advisor to C-suite executives for strategic decision-making. DeWayne is dedicated to empowering 1000+ Black leaders to become influential corporate executives through STEM education, fostering diversity, equity, and innovation. In this episode, we discuss how industrial engineering principles can be harnessed into strategic corporate leadership. Allen, who began his career as an engineer, spotlights his use of Six Sigma, lean methodologies, and continuous improvement tactics to tackle modern business challenges, from corporate turnarounds to driving growth. His success in transitioning into business-oriented roles, executing lean success in dynamic environments, and managing diverse operational aspects as a general manager add to his rich collection of professional experiences. Moreover, Allen's innovative application of lean methodologies to the hectic process of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) demonstrate his knack for using these principles regardless of context. And his view on incorporating lean management within nonprofits signals a broader utility for these principles outside of just manufacturing or profit-centered entities. In light of Allen's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), he champions the integration of these ethical and social values with lean principles for greater operational excellence. Join us and delve deeper into the workings of DeWayne Allen's lean philosophy and powerful leadership style. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What's your Lean origin story? As a leader, helping everybody feel like and work like ONE TEAM? Becoming a formal leader — steps to work up to being a GM? What are some of your favorite stories or examples of using Lean throughout your career? You've worked as General Manager — The split of your time and attention? What was your view of Lean in that role and what you learned there? Tell us about applying Lean in Mergers and Acquisitions work? Can you make that a process? Tell us about your work in the Non-profit space – National Society of Black Engineers, applying it there? The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page My guest for Episode #501 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Marcia Daszko, a speaker, workshop facilitator, and consultant. For more than 25 years, she has passionately been speaking, consulting, and guiding executive teams in Fortune 500/private corporations; education, the U.S. Navy; and non-profits to achieve exponential success. Mentored by Dr. W. Edwards Deming, she is nominated for the International Deming Prize; and writes a leadership column for the Silicon Valley Business Journal. She has taught MBA classes at six universities. Marcia's author of the book Pivot Disrupt Transform: How Leaders Beat the Odds and Survive. She was also co-author of Turning Ideas into Impact: Insights from 16 Silicon Valley Consultants. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: How did you get connected to W. Edwards Deming? What was it like spending time with Dr. Deming? Not just statistics? Challenging ideas like performance appraisals “Change management is another management fad” Tell us more about the consulting work that you've done and do? “Identify your problems accurately to problem-solve”?? Helping leaders with “Accelerate efficient, effective data-driven decision-making”?? Accountability and responsibility — big difference Am I blaming executives unfairly??? 3 Fundamental Business Strategies? “Hope is not a business strategy” Continual vs. Continuous? The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with transcript and more My guest for Episode #500 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is me, your usual host Mark Graban. Today, I'm mixing up the format with a solo episode that celebrates 500 episodes over almost 18 years. I'll share some of the origin story and history of the podcast. You'll hear clips from Episode 1 (with Norm Bodek) and Episode 50 (where Jamie Flinchbaugh asked me about getting started). You'll also hear a clip from a recent conversation where Barry McCarthy, of AME Australia, asked me about persisting with podcasting all these years. Thanks for listening, whether this is your first time, you've listened to them all, or somewhere in between! The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. Notes and Highlights: More than 500 episodes in 921 weeks, a little more than one every two weeks for 17.75 years 3,276,745 total downloads / listens, although I'm not convinced the stats are 100% consistent The top 10 most downloaded episodes The most frequent guests (#1 is Norman Bodek with 14 episodes) One anonymous guest Where listeners are from The origin story and the intro to Episode #1 A clip from Episode #50 My reflections on the clunky podcast name A shift over time from “big names” to highlighting new faces and their stories The one time I forgot to record! In memoriam: guests who have passed away

My guest for Episode #499 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is James P. Womack. Jim really needs no introduction for this audience, he's the founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute (in 1987) and remains a senior advisor to them. Episode page with transcript and more In the late eighties, he and Dan Jones led MIT's International Motor Vehicle Research Program (IMVP), which introduced the term “lean” to describe Toyota's revolutionary management system. Based on that research, Womack coauthored The Machine That Changed the World (Macmillan/Rawson Associates, 1990), Lean Thinking (Simon & Schuster, 1996), Lean Solutions (Simon & Schuster, 2005), and Seeing the Whole Value Stream (Lean Enterprise Institute, 2011). Jim was really gracious and helpful to me in being an early guest on this podcast, going back to Episode 12 in late 2006 when we talked about Lean in China. Today is his 8th appearance on the podcast: 7 times solo and once last September as part of a group that did a post-game show with me after the GE Lean Mindset event. I've seen and talked with Jim many times over the past decade, so it's totally my fault that I haven't had him on since 2011. When I asked him to come back to help celebrate 500 episodes, he quickly agreed — and I'll have him back again much sooner than this last gap between appearances. In today's episode, Jim shares reflections and stories on a number of companies, countries, and topics, including: China and Vietnam GM, Toyota, Boeing, Danaher, Rivian, and Tesa And he answers some questions that were suggested by LinkedIn commenters. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: I think listeners would love to know what keeps you busy these days in the world of Lean? Planet Lean – celebrating 10 years A few people asked: How can we influence a union to start embracing Lean, when the union at our company has been actively against it from the start? Lean in China – almost 18 years ago episode – Ep 12 — Thoughts on how things have evolved? Has Tesla ever invited you to visit their gemba? Which companies does he consider to be Lean exemplars in the United States? What do you think we, as a Lean community, could/should do better? Read Ed Schein's Organizational Culture and Leadership Did you ever meet Dr. Deming? The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This episode is also brought to you by “The Optimistic Outlook,” hosted by Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens USA. This podcast is a hub for those passionate about transformative concepts that shape both our workplaces and our world. Find it in your favorite podcast app. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

My guest for Episode #498 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Jeffrey K. Liker. Jeff is Professor Emeritus from the University of Michigan, President of Liker Lean Advisors, and author of the great books in the Toyota Way series. Episode page with video, transcript, and more He was previously a guest here in Episodes 3, 4, 37, 39, 41, 111, and 400. Today, we have a discussion centered around learning from mistakes in the context of Toyota and lean methodologies. The episode delves into the significance of recognizing, reacting to, and learning from mistakes within organizations that employ Toyota Production System (TPS) or lean strategies. Jeff shares his insights on how Toyota's culture of continuous improvement and learning from errors fundamentally drives its success. The conversation touches on Toyota's approach to leadership and problem-solving, emphasizing the structured response to mistakes at different levels of the organization, from the factory floor to top management. The episode further explores the Toyota leadership model, illustrating how leaders at various levels are expected to react when mistakes occur. Liker explains the role of the andon cord system in facilitating immediate problem identification and resolution, showcasing Toyota's commitment to quality and efficiency. He elaborates on the multi-layered leadership response to errors, detailing the responsibilities of team leaders, group leaders, and higher management in fostering a culture of learning and improvement. The discussion underscores the importance of a systemic approach to problem-solving, where the focus is on understanding and addressing the root causes of mistakes rather than attributing blame to individuals. This episode offers valuable insights into the principles of lean leadership and the critical role of acknowledging and learning from mistakes in achieving organizational excellence and innovation. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: How you'd expect Toyota leaders to react to a mistake on the factory floor? Less likely to blame an individual? Root cause vs. controllable cause? That can be a tough lesson to teach other companies? Hardest habit to break is the blame habit? Mistakes people make in trying to help change behavior What's necessary, in another company's workplace culture, for people to feel safe pulling the andon cord or speaking up? Article about the Ford plant and andon cords in 2007 Jeff insights on that Dearborn plant The mention of psychological safety in “Toyota Culture”? What do you think of the phrase “psychological safety”? Or just the concept of it? Fujio Cho – biggest surprise was that TMMK workers were afraid to pull the andon cord New book: Engaging the Team at Zingerman's Mail Order The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This episode is also brought to you by “The Optimistic Outlook,” hosted by Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens USA. This podcast is a hub for those passionate about transformative concepts that shape both our workplaces and our world. Find it in your favorite podcast app. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

My guest for Episode #497 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Tobias Gilk, the founder of Gilk Radiology Consulting (GRC). He is an architect by training, but has spent 20+ years focusing on MRI safety... initially through the architecture and planning of MRI facilities, but quickly growing into the technology, clinical practice, regulation, and economics of MRI safety. Episode page with video, transcript, and more He is recognized by both state and federal courts as an expert in MRI safety issues. Tobias has published dozens of papers and articles on MRI safety. He is also twice a member of the American College of Radiology's MRI Safety Committee (twice named co-author of ACR MRI safety standard guidance). In this episode, we dive deep into the complexities of MRI technology, acknowledging its transformative role in health care but equally highlighting the overlooked dangers that require meticulous handling. Delving into safety protocols, process failures, and the risks associated with projectiles and thermal injuries, they underscore the need for stricter adherence to safety protocols. We not only discuss the intrinsic risks associated with MRI but also explore the regulatory landscape, identifying key gaps that permit inconsistency in safety practices. The narrative is a pointed reminder that safety is of paramount importance, and mitigating risks requires thorough screening, careful positioning, and a collective commitment to safety-first processes. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: Give us a quick MRI technology overview... "The safe modality" What causes danger to staff and patients?? Machine malfunctions are very rare -- possible burns? A typical safety story? Clinically safe but with inherent process-related dangers? Why aren't there better access controls and checks about what and who comes near the magnet? Couldn't we cheaply brute force this by posting an educated "MRI Guard" outside the danger zone? Is patient safety really the top priority?? Staffing cost vs. risks of harm or machine damage... How common / frequent are incidents that harm or kill? "If you've been told that MRI safety only comes at the expense of throughput, you've been lied to." "Absolutely, Lean is essential to MRI safety..." The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This episode is also brought to you by "The Optimistic Outlook," hosted by Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens USA. This podcast is a hub for those passionate about transformative concepts that shape both our workplaces and our world. Find it in your favorite podcast app. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

My guest for Episode #496 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Randy Carr, the CEO of South Florida-based World Emblem – one of the largest embroidery companies in the world with plants in the U.S. and Mexico. Episode page with transcript, video, and more Since 1993, the family-owned business has been the “go to” for emblems and patches for sports headwear, footwear, sports garments, and other apparel, with an output of more than 100 million products a year. In this episode, we delve deeper into World Emblem's systemic view of their business operations within the scope of the SQDCM (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Morale) model. Learn how this approach steered them toward not just honing a product's price-point, but also delivering a superior experience that justifies that price. Discover how lean principles became an integral part of their response to various business challenges, ranging from pre-COVID operational inefficiencies to the financial impact of pandemic-induced difficulties. As World Emblem continues to foster a culture of continuous improvement and uphold their focus on safety, quality, and customer service, this lean journey illustrates the effectiveness of lean in maintaining robust competitiveness within a dynamic global market. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: We'll somewhat structure this interview like an A3 Let's start by telling us about the background of World Emblem — what was the need for change? Their “management system” wasn't right? How did you learn about Lean? A 7-figure leap of faith to hire consultants Baby steps… vs. trying to learn and do it yourself? Countermeasure — Why Nearshoring? Hoshin Planning process – how has that worked? Benefits? Allocating your time as a CEO — 30% with customers? Using Lean outside of production? Being honest about problems — a key part of the DNA What's next on the action plan? How will continue you evaluating your progress? The UK “True Lean” methodology The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

My guest for this bonus episode of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Gregory H. Jacobson, M.D., a co-founder and the CEO of KaiNexus. Episode show page with transcript, video, and more Greg, also a practicing emergency medicine physician to this day, was previously a guest in Episode 149 and was a part of a physician panel in Episode 361. He also joined me for Episode 31 of the "My Favorite Mistake" Podcast. We also podcast together fairly often via the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Podcast. Greg is one of the three keynote speakers at this year's Healthcare Systems Process Improvement Conference that's presented by the Society for Health Systems. I'll also be facilitating an intensive session on Psychological Safety and Continuous Improvement. Come join us in Atlanta next month!! In this episode, we preview Greg's talk at the conference. Since it's been more than 11 years since Greg has been here, we talk about the progress that KaiNexus has made as a company and as a continuous improvement software platform. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: The three "Habits" webinars we mentioned: One, Two, and Three A video about values and success traits at KaiNexus Excerpt from The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation about KaiNexus The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it’s been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

My guests for Episode #495 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Catherine Chabiron and Fabrice Bernhard, who are discussing her new book Learning to Scale at Theodo Group: Growing a Fast and Resilient Company. Episode page with video, transcript, and more Catherine Chabiron is a board member for the Institut Lean France, a member of the Lean Global Network, like the Lean Enterprise Institute. Catherine is an established expert in Lean management with a professional journey spanning over 40 years. She has experience in a range of service and support functions, including IT, Logistics, Sales, Finance, and HR, both in France and globally. As a Lean executive coach, her expertise in Lean thinking has been largely shaped by her experiences within the automotive industry, where she has lived and breathed the Lean philosophy. This has been further enriched by her regular visits to the Toyota supply chain in Japan, an experience that has offered her unique insights and an in-depth understanding of how a learning culture operates. So, speaking of Theodo Group, we're also again joined by their chief technology officer and co-founder, Fabrice Bernhard. He co-founded Theodo in Paris in 2009, which has grown on average 50% yearly for the last 8 years and generated 90M€ revenue in 2022. He is now based in London to help with the international expansion. We delve into the broadened application of lean principles in our discussion with Fabrice Bernard and Catherine Chabiron. Bernard shares how Theodore Group implemented Lean as a strategic pillar in their operations, using it as a toolbox to create sustained growth and maintain competitive edges. They systematically addressed business challenges using TPS, Extreme Programming, and Scrum to conjure the “agile magic” of a small, integrated team at scale. Don't miss out on the chance to hear about cultivating a Lean culture that goes beyond strategy and tool adoption. By fostering an environment of continuous learning, teamwork, and the relentless pursuit of excellence, Theodore Group effectively established Lean as the backbone of their company's culture. We also expound on broader societal challenges that can be addressed through Lean methodologies and the journey of A3 thinking in fostering deep understanding and collaboration. This episode takes an expansive look at Lean practices, demonstrating its adaptable, innovative, and ethically conscious nature across different industries, proving its potency in driving companies towards sustained growth. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What are your Lean origin stories? Lean as a strategy at Theodo Group? How did the two of you come to work together? First met in Japan, right? What led to the book? Startup vs Scale-up? Six Planet Lean articles – LINK Sharing Lean thinking with your CEO and other leaders? How do you embody Lean? A lot of virtual work now? If so what does Gemba mean? What does continuous improvement mean to you? How do leaders foster a learning culture? How does continuous improvement address not just the scaling challenge but societal challenges? Why are the current ways of scaling a company broken? Big Company Disease? Silos and process trumping customers, compliance over initiative The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it’s been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #494 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Chad Bareither, the founder and principal consultant of Bareither Group Consulting. He brings a wealth of experience as a change agent in the corporate world, having worked with organizations that include several Fortune 500 companies. He's now the author of a new book, Improve LESS: The Focus and Align Framework for Sustainable Continuous Improvement. Chad holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University, is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and has further honed his expertise with Master's degrees in both Industrial & Systems Engineering, and Applied Statistics from Rutgers University. In this episode, we discuss his experience in various industries where, of course, Lean is not about building cars. We also discuss his book, the "Focus and Align Framework," and why trying to improve less can lead to greater results. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What's your Lean origin story? Civilian role with the U.S. Army – working with the manufacturers / suppliers vs. internal Army processes? Can't copy and paste? “We don't build cars”?? Becoming a consultant? Being an outsider vs. insider – what have you learned about that? The story behind the book — why this book? Tell us about the common problem statement and the current state — trying to do too many things, being too busy? The “focus and align” framework? The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it’s been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more. This podcast was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more My guests for Episode #493 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Gene Kim and Steve Spear, co-authors of the new book Wiring the Winning Organization: Liberating Our Collective Greatness through Slowification, Simplification, and Amplification. Joining us for the first time is Gene Kim, a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, researcher who has been studying high-performing technology organizations since 1999 – He was the founder and CTO of Tripwire for 13 years. He is the author of six books, The Unicorn Project (2019), and co-author of the Shingo Publication Award-winning Accelerate (2018), The DevOps Handbook (2016), and The Phoenix Project (2013). Since 2014, he has been the founder and organizer of DevOps Enterprise Summit, (now the Enterprise Technology Leadership Summit) studying the technology transformations of large, complex organizations. He lives in Portland, OR, with his wife and family. Dr. Steven J. Spear, DBA, MS, MS is a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and author of influential publications like the book The High-Velocity Edge, and the HBR articles “Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System,” and “Fixing Healthcare from the Inside, Today.” An advisor to corporate and governmental leaders across a range of fields, he is also the founder of See to Solve, a business process software company. He has a doctorate from Harvard, masters degrees in mechanical engineering and management from MIT, and a bachelor's degree in economics from Princeton. Steve was previously a guest give times in episodes 58, 87, 262, 358, and 386. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: Gene — what's your “Lean” origin story or however you would frame or label it? Steve — what's a key highlight of your Lean origin story? “The ultimate learning machine” – Toyota Backstory on working together on this book? How many copied 2 pizza teams from Amazon and failed?? What puts some companies in the “danger zone” and how is that detected if it's not obvious? The andon cord was a way to speak up Steve – see, solve, share? A 4th step? See, safe to speak, solve, share? You write about recurring problems in a workplace. How do you think the behavior of managers punishing people for problems gets in the way of solving problems? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #492 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Nick Katko, previously here in Episode 428 in 2021 with his co-author Mike DeLuca talking about their book Practicing Lean Accounting. Today, Nick is here to discuss his book, The Lean CFO: Architect of the Lean Management Accounting System — now in its second edition — released back in February. Nick also did a webinar earlier this year as part of the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement webinar series. For over 20 years, Nick has worked at BMA, assisting clients in Lean management implementation by working closely with them to resolve the real-world issues they face. He holds a BS in accounting and an MBA in finance, both from the University of Kentucky, and is a certified public accountant. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What makes a CFO a “Lean CFO”? Are there “degrees of Lean CFO”?? Are there some wrong things to measure? Things we should start measuring? Viewing inventory as an asset? How does inventory reduction trip us up potentially? What is “lean management accounting”?? Robbing Peter to pay Paul – ending that via Lean causes a problem then? Is there a way to ease your way out of that? Reducing inventory is an outcome of better processes? Is it better for Lean to be part of a growth strategy? Chapter 3 – “Lean is the strategy” — are you hearing that more often? Are they walking the talk?? How common is this? “Knowing what's possible” when you have experience with Lean – and the emotions people feel, regret? The virtuous cycle of using CI to drive CAPACITY (instead of cost reduction)? The Lean CFO: Architect of the Lean Management Accounting System — What's different in the 2nd edition? Tell us about your new BMA Lean Accounting Certification Program… The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #491 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Sarah Tilkens, an experienced Lean Leader with a demonstrated history of working in construction and manufacturing. She is a senior manager of operational excellence at GE Healthcare. Sarah's a Six Sigma Black Belt, a certified life coach / executive coach, a lifelong learner, leader, mother, and CEO and Founder of her company, The KPI Lab. She earned her bachelor's in Biological Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Sarah's Lean journey is intriguing as she sculpted her Lean management skills on the manufacturing floor at GE, despite her background in Biological Sciences. Interestingly, her Lean journey extends from being intrigued by her colleagues pursuing Six Sigma certifications to studying at GE's Lean Academy in Japan, where she observed the best Lean practices. Moreover, she details her unique philosophy about Lean mindset, the significance of continuous improvement, and her holistic approach to coaching--indispensable factors in her role as a Lean Leader. She also talks about her personal transformation during the pandemic, integrating coaching skills into her professional life, and why self-care is a priority. Tune in to this engaging discussion to learn about Sarah's Lean journey as she shares her most significant learnings and experiences. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: Tell us your Lean or OpEx origin story... Did you get exposed to Lean when you worked in construction? Why construction? - went into sales, to a place of discomfort How was the shift to manufacturing? Hired as a Lean Leader - learned it there at GE How did they educate you about Lean at GE? You joined GE Healthcare in November 2018 -- right after CEO Larry Culp was brought in as the first outsider CEO, right? I was able to attend the September event that was hosted by GE (including GE Healthcare) called The Lean Mindset - how do you describe that mindset? 1x1 fit - each coachee as a customer? Creating PULL for projects?? -- better defining problem statements Tell us about getting certified as a coach? How can you take care of yourself so you can better help others as a leader? How long should we give an experiment before deciding if we should adjust or try something new? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with links, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #490 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Quint Studer, the co-founder of HealthCare Plus Solutions Group and owner of the minor league baseball team, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He's a returning guest, having joined us in Episode #353 (2019) when we talked about his book, The Busy Leader's Handbook. He's written many other books — his first being Hardwiring Excellence (2003), a book that was recommended to me when I started serving healthcare organizations back in 2005 — and that book made a huge impact on me. Quint previously founded Studer Group, which received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2011. He's also currently a speaker, an entrepreneur, and a philanthropist. His most recent previous book is The Calling: Why Healthcare is So Special. His latest book is Rewiring Excellence, a free eBook. The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust, written in partnership with Katherine A. Meese, PhD, is due for publication in March 2024. In this episode, Quint speaks poignantly about the need to transform rigid practices in healthcare. His clarion call emphasizes the significance of rewriting conventional healthcare procedures to create adaptable strategies. This dynamic conversation also illuminates his concept of ‘rewiring' excellence. Quint challenges the traditional definitions and procedures regarding excellence, maintaining that these outmoded ideologies need to be revamped with modern perspectives for enhanced results. Thus, stay tuned to hear more about how to navigate the changing landscape of healthcare. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What can leaders do to help ensure that the calling doesn't turn into burnout and a loss of that calling? How can we stop the blame game? “If you do it right, there should be no turnover” (CNAs) Focus, fix, and follow up The need to close the loop… Blame culture Assumptions — about why MDs don't refer in house Quint's excellent article, ‘I may be wrong': The power of admitting our mistakes Why do people get vilified for saying they were wrong or they changed their minds? When people hide behind “do you have any research?” Tell us about your latest book, Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired… free eBook now, print book in pre-order status. How do we decide if a hardwired process needs to be “rewired”? What is the “Human Capital Ecosystem™ Assessment“? Looking ahead to your next book — how can leaders build trust? Hosting a podcast now? The Healthcare Plus Podcast The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

This episode will be available to paid Apple Podcasts subscribers only until November 1st, when it will become available to the public. Ward is a seasoned C-suite executive with over 6 years leading fully remotely while building technology organizations from the ground up for companies 150 to 650 employees in size and 50M to 125M revenue across the Americas and Europe. He is currently Chief Product Officer and CTO at RealSelf and is a technical advisor with his own company - website is https://wardvuillemot.com - where he advises startup founders and CEOs on technical roadmaps and technology organization along with lean approaches…

Episode page with video and more Our guest today is D. Lynn Kelley! She is author, with John Shook (who has been a guest here many times), of the new book, Change Questions: A Playbook for Effective and Lasting Organizational Change. Lynn currently serves as a senior advisor to BBH Capital Partners. Following a career highlighted by leadership roles in engineering, supply chain, and continuous improvement in various industries, Kelley retired from Union Pacific Railroad in 2018. At Union Pacific, she was senior vice president of supply chain and continuous improvement. She was also the executive co-owner of the company’s innovation program. Before joining Union Pacific, Kelley was vice president of operational excellence, an officer and a member of the executive leadership team at Textron. Kelley holds a PhD in evaluation and research and taught undergraduate and graduate statistics courses. Before becoming a professor, she held the positions of executive vice president and chief operating officer of Doctors Hospital in Detroit. The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with transcript and more: https://leanblog.org/487 In today’s episode, we’re joined by two Lean leaders from GE Aerospace: Sam Ruehle, Lean Operations Leader, Lean Transformation Team Greg Pothoff, Executive Director – Business Management Aviation Supply Chain I interviewed them after the GE Lean Mindset event that was held last month in New York. Two separate conversations, but common themes — and the same questions of two Lean leaders at different stages of their careers, Sam being a recent college graduate and Greg having 25 years of Lean experience, starting first in the auto industry (which is actually where I first met him 20 years ago). I asked the same core questions, found below, but each conversation is unique as we learn about their roles at GE and their reactions to the Lean Mindset event. Sam emphasizes the importance of the Lean mindset as being framed by three essential pillars: Respect for People, Continuous Improvement, and Customer Focus. As a young leader, she combines this Lean mindset with a touch of humility, an open mind, and an emphasis on collective problem-solving to catalyze impactful changes. One of Greg's core beliefs is the importance of focusing on the smaller, incremental changes in addition to the larger, more noticeable ones. He also stresses the need for establishing a blame-free learning environment, where employees are encouraged to experiment, make mistakes, and more importantly, learn from them. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: How would you describe a "Lean Mindset"? What is an underappreciated aspect of the "Lean Mindset"? What surprised you most about the Lean Mindset event? What advice would you have for others about developing a "Lean Mindset"? What is one change you have had to personally make to lead in this way? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with transcript, links, and more: https://leanblog.org/486 My guest for Episode #486 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Mike Kaeding, the CEO of Norhart. They design, build, and rent apartments. They are transforming the way this is done by incorporating technologies and techniques that have revolutionized other industries. This has resulted in improved quality and reduced cost of housing. Ultimately, they are committed to solving America's housing shortage and affordability crisis. And in doing so they hope to improve the way we all live. He was previously (May 2023) a guest with me on the My Favorite Mistake podcast. In today's episode, learn how Kaeding's company, Norhart, applies Lean practices to uplift the housing sector. Their compelling ambition to bridge the labor productivity gap between manufacturing and construction industries lies at the heart of their Lean journey. From their unique recruitment strategies to their effective lean techniques, Norhart aspires to reshape the housing industry. Kaeding outlines their intrusion on tradition by focusing on continuous improvement rather than mere experience. Discover how their Lean approach emphasizes flow in both construction processes and material delivery, spotlighting Norhart's determination to overhaul established construction norms. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: High-reaching mission — similar to Toyota “The way we've always done it”?? How do you encourage everybody to get past that? Hiring people who are willing to be different? How to do that? How do you then maximize their potential? The appeal of culture in hiring and recruiting? Netflix “keeper test”? “We want that person to be happier with us after firing…” How to balance the right timing of hiring with growth? Balancing jobs — cycle times and flows across trades? Material flow and synchronizing that Toyota helping you on JIT — how to find this balance with long lead time or bad availability?? Mike on the My Favorite Mistake podcast What's your Lean origin story? For you and Norhart? “Not knowing what I'm doing…” was a benefit Working with TSSC? How did they help you frame or choose that initial problem to solve? “Problems are not a bad thing” Your role as CEO? Creating that psychological safety? Wanting to be the best at what you do? You as a CEO? What does that mean to you? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with transcript and more Erica Lee Garcia is an entrepreneur, engineer and leader who has managed to create a positive impact in the engineering profession. Topics in this episode include: Her lean origin story Lessons from running a suggestion program for 2.5 years Shifting to mining, not just a new company but a new industry Engineers Without Borders participation For close to a decade now, Erica has been working to tell better stories about engineering so that kids can make better decisions about this little known career path and make them feel welcome in the profession. Her deliberate method of mixing empathy and compassion with real-world experience enables her to tell authentic and relevant stories in a way that is relate-able to everyone listening. Working as the Chair of her local PEO Chapter, she empowers fellow professionals and impacts change from within. She also has a unique perspective, having spent years working in the automotive and mining industries as an engineer, and the moving on to become an entreprenuer - starting three companies of her own. Erica Lee Consulting - supporting businesses implement Lean Six Sigma Engineer Your Life - coaching new grads through the often stressful and confusing time as they enter the engineering profession Engineers of Tomorrow - a nationally incorporated not-for-profit which takes a grass-roots approach at delivering engineering outreach to kids Erica also contributes her insights as a 30 by 30 Champion - an initiative to increase the percentage of licensed female engineers is Canada to 30% by 2030.

Episode page with transcript and more Featuring James P. (Jim) Womack, Katie Anderson, Jamie V Parker, and Mark Graban. There's more to come from me, Katie, and Jamie about the day. Jamie's podcast is "Lean Leadership for Ops Managers." Katie's new podcast is called "Chain of Learning." - Coming soon Videos from the GE Lean Mindset sessions: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxRhTjvLlyoIh7CVg51ZIM5hRl5XOjlgl **A Candid Conversation on Lean Thinking: Breaking Down the Lean Mindset with Industry Experts** Join us as we delve into a Deep Dive bonus episode of "Lean Blog Interviews," focusing on the intricacies of Lean Thinking. The thought-provoking analysis of the Lean Mindset is led by four esteemed panelists — Mark Graban, Katie Anderson, Jim Womack, and Jamie V. Parker — who share their takeaways from the 'GE Lean Mindset' event. Central to Lean Thinking is the relentless pursuit of improvement — a belief that stands tall even amidst failings and setbacks. Coupled with the embracing of failure as a fundamental part of the learning process, the idea of never-ending improvement underscores the Lean Mindset. The panelists share their thoughts and experiences revolving around these integral components of Lean Thinking.

Episode page with transcript and more My guest for Episode #484 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Keith Ingels, who previously joined us in Episode 390. He's the RLM Manager of Solutions & Support Centers — RLM being the Raymond Lean Management system. He was also a guest with me for Episode 62 of “My Favorite Mistake.” His story and insights were also featured in Chapter 8 of my book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation. In today's episode, we discuss how the Raymond Corporation makes Lean / TPS their own management system, even while being under the Toyota corporate umbrella. RLM focuses on developing people and that starts with leaders. Why does a culture of continuous improvement start with small steps and not requiring ROI calculations for every improvement? We discuss how kaizen participation rates are a leading indicator of employee morale and how absenteeism and turnover are lagging indicators. We talk about that and more… “Critique the process, not the people.” Questions, Notes, and Highlights: Tell us about Raymond Corporation and its place within Toyota Industries The fit of products with Toyota branded forklifts? Back in 2020 your title was TPS Manager — has some of the language evolved? Minor differences? More English words, advising customers to do that and to own their own system TPS House – foundations Flow AND quality Helping people unlearn?? “It's about developing your people” — If you can see a problem, you can solve a problem “Critique the process, not the people” Assumptions vs. real knowledge “What are you hoping to achieve?” vs. “what problem are you trying to solve?” Coat hooks – not requiring ROI? – starting with small steps “You can't put a meter on morale” Utilizing fresh eyes and new employees for Kaizen “problem seeing eyes” Making it safe — problem speaking mouths? How to help people feel safe to speak up? Tell us about your “Microburst teaching” approach… “You have to reinvent that safe environment every day” (psych safety) How do leaders cultivate the conditions for people to learn from mistakes? Same habits for building trust and kaizen? Anything different? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with transcript and more For episode 483, we are joined today by Amanda Zimmerman + Dominic Stokes, two Lean Six Sigma professionals who co-host a new podcast called “Squishy Lean.” Amanda Zimmerman is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with a global background. Amanda has worked in Oil and Gas, Software, and in a variety of industries all over the world mentoring professionals in Continuous Improvement. She holds an MBA from Imperial College of London. In 2020 she launched Beautiful Opportunities, aiming to empower people in continuous improvement worldwide and make it easy for people to start applying the tools. Dominic is an industrial engineer with a background in manufacturing engineering and management consulting. Ever since he first learned about lean manufacturing principles, Dom has looked for more opportunities in and outside of work to learn and practice. His overall goal is to find ways to convert commercial lean tools to residential uses. When he isn't learning about lean, he is spending time with his wife and dog or cutting his hair. In today's episode, we discuss their Lean origin stories (or Six Sigma then Lean or Lean Six Sigma). We also talk about the origins of their podcast, using Lean methods at home, the power of experimenting, and helping people not feel bad about making mistakes when they're doing something new. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: Harder to define what's a “Six Sigma culture” compared to a “Lean culture”? The psychological safety required to point out problems and try things Laundry — smaller batches… eliminating the time spent sorting / pulling apart Why someone is in the middle or anti-Lean? Experiments that led to the podcast? How did you two meet? – Lean Portland How did the podcast come to be? What's squishy lean? How to not let things get “too squishy”? “More important to experiment… than to do it perfectly” How to make it easier for people get started with C.I.? My blog post about lessons from personal trainer How to help them feel they aren't making a mistake when new? A focus on learning not punishment? You mentioned using Lean at home… after learning it at work… Dominic – wants to convert “commercial grade lean” for use at home… to have people learning lean at home… as kids… and then bring to workplace? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Hey audiobook fans! The audiobook version of my book is available now! It's just over five hours long, professionally produced, and read by me. It's available through: Amazon Audible – free with a trial membership Apple Books If you're one of the first 3 people to email me ([email protected]) and you live in the US or UK, I'll email you a code to get a free copy of the audiobook via Audible.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more CONTENT WARNING: Today's episode includes discussions about a death by suicide and mental health issues. Help is available. In the U.S., call 988. In the U.K., call 116 123. These calls are free from any phone. My guest for Episode #482 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Gemma Jones. Gemma is an Improvement Coach, Trainer, and Visual Facilitator, based in the UK and working globally. Gemma started her career in Engineering and quickly found a passion for Improvement. She spent 20 years in Manufacturing across numerous industries, then in 2018 she left employment to build her own business. Gemma's mission is to help organisations and individuals be the BEST they can be, by helping people SEE, helping people THINK, and helping people CHANGE. In today's episode, Gemma brings up important topics related to Lean and mental health, and we discuss parallels between "mental health first aid" and physical first aid. How can we learn how to help others when they might be struggling? What signs should we look for? We also discuss her origin story in Lean and Continuous Improvement, the POWER of coaching and asking questions, how the Kata Girl Geeks global group started and grown over the past 3 years, and how her mission now is to encourage and enable the global community of CI Practitioners and Leaders to actively tune in to HELP people. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What's your Lean / C.I. origin story?? Tell us about that Kata Girl Geeks Tracy Defoe – Episode 467 Coaching and asking questions? The benefits of having groups for women? You're very interested in the overlap in mental health and continuous improvement… you did a keynote talk recently on this… tell us about that. We don't know really that much about the totality of people's lives, stress, and other factors Got trained in “mental health first aid“ What signs might you look for? Who needs mental health first aid if somebody's not asking for it? Good ways of bringing up this up with people? “I noticed you're not seeming yourself…” Value Stream / Process Mapping and asking people to add emojis How are you helping people on this topic and incorporated into C.I.? Why avoid the question why? Defensiveness Incorporating this into workplace safety discussions and focus? A broader view of safety? Parallels to physical first aid Website – resources page for C.I. — “how to help” Free training recommended by Gemma The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #481 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is George Saiz. As a coach, writer, and speaker, George Saiz actively promotes enterprise excellence through a people-centric culture to the next generation of leaders. In his new business novel, We Started with Respect, he shares from his executive experience in the medical device industry and the many best-practices sites he visited as president and CEO of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. He is retired and currently resides with his wife in Carlsbad, California. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What's your Lean origin story? The Goal — a business novel The leader going first with the learning?? Compliance vs Commitment Using Lean as business problem solving vs. tools for operations? Exposure then to Lean / TPS? The need to focus on process AND people (culture) What aspects of Lean don't work without a high enough level of mutual trust? Gallup surveys show that two out of three employees are disengaged to some degree –causes or root causes? Examples of companies that invest well in supervisor and manager training? The need to DESIGN culture? Tim Clark's podcast, “Culture by Design“ Tearing down the walls — starts with executive leadership team Looking back — key Influences and mentors? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Visit our website at www.leancast.org. Lean Blog Interviews is hosted and produced by Mark Graban.

Episode page with transcript, video, and more For Episode #480 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast turns the tables, as regular host Mark Graban is interviewed today by a guest host, his friend Paul Critchley. Paul was previously the host of the New England Lean Podcast and he's been a guest of Mark's in Episode #5 of the Lean Whiskey podcast series. Today, Paul asks Mark questions about his new book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation, the general topic of learning from mistakes, and more. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What was the origin of the My Favorite Mistake podcast? What have you learned from your guests about PDCA / PDSA and learning from mistakes? What's your favorite mistake? Iterating on improvements and engaging people in that process What advice would you give to leaders and managers so they can incorporate a culture that encourages risk takin… that mistakes are okay with psychological safety? Saying “I'm sorry” shows strength not weakness What'd you wanna be when you were little? What inspires you? What's one thing nobody knows about you? What superpower do you wish you had? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #479 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Arnout Orelio, a returning guest (from Episode 403 in 2021). He has been working with Lean management since 1995, the last 15 years as a trainer, coach, and consultant in healthcare. He is the owner of The Lean Mentor, where he helps people who want to (learn to) improve healthcare. Arnout focuses on teaching lean leadership, as an author, speaker, and mentor, bringing top performance and high levels of productivity within everyone's reach. His mission is to make “more time for better health care.” His first book was Lean Thinking for Emerging Healthcare Leaders and, today, we're discussing his brand new book, Lean Thinking in Healthcare. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: How do you summarize your 25 years of learning how to improve? Creating more time for better healthcare? Problem and productivity as dirty words? Similarities between Dutch and US health systems / payers? What's the general state of healthcare in the Netherlands right now? It's hard to manage the work when you don't understand the work From the cover — 4 things… do they represent “True North” to you? At your hospital? Right care, right place, right time for the right patient Zero Waste – resource efficiency vs flow efficiency? How to engage everybody in improvement, every day? Fixing or redesigning the system vs. improving the system? Learn to change small systems first Cycle of continuous misery? Not just what are we moving from, but also what are we moving to? What does it mean to “learn from the best” in your experience? The best hospitals? The best organizations? Two problems with learning from others? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #478 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Shaunté Kinch. In 2022, Shaunté founded Empact Global, a consultancy that works with organizations to help them solve really BIG problems. Her more than 20 years spent implementing Six Sigma, LEAN, and design thinking concepts have inspired her to take on “wicked problems” in a “VUCA” (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) world. Originally trained by Shingijustu (pioneers of the Toyota Production System) she has educated over 2800 people in continuous improvement and innovation, led hundreds of workshops, and coached more than 60 leaders. Shaunte holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, and a Masters of Engineering, Design, and Manufacturing, both from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. In today's episode, we discuss what Shaunté learned about Lean in her first aerospace jobs, including time spent working with the famed Shingujitsu consulting group. What did Shaunté learn and discover when she was recruited into her first healthcare organization? We discuss problem-solving in the context of shopfloor improvement, management practices, and big societal problems like inequities and a lack of diversity in some Lean settings. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: How does Lean help us navigate a VUCA world? What we know vs. what we THINK we know? Facts vs. data? How do assumptions get leaders in trouble? Leaders observing leaders? Doing so in a non-blaming way? Helping people go from “we don't have time” to making time? What's your Lean origin story? “Everything was an experiment” – seeds planted by her father, a math & science teacher Northrup Grumman – “Lean Engineering” Boeing – “real training” from Shingujitsu From Aerospace to healthcare? What's different? “I don't think challenge is supported enough in HC” Ideas on how Lean practices need to evolve? Shifting to working independently / your own firm? Fighting the way we've always done it, including in hiring and selecting speakers for events Diversity and representation on conference stages, Lean in general How does it feel to go to a conference and not see a Black woman on the stage? Celebrating Juneteenth The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #477 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Zeynep Ton. She is a professor of the practice at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Previously, she was on the faculty of the Har­vard Business School. Ton received numerous awards for teaching excellence at both schools. She was previously a guest in Episode 228 in 2015, discussing her first book The Good Jobs Strategy. Her new book, released in June, is The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work. In today's episode, we discuss what's meant by “good jobs” — and how it's not just about compensation. What are good jobs and what's the case for them, in both human and financial terms? Among other topics, we discuss how it's a system, the “good jobs system,” and there is risk in trying to just copy a piece or two that sounds good (which reminds us both of issues around adoption of the Toyota Production System). Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What are “good jobs”? Has this definition evolved at all? “Operate with slack” Nursing shortages — the effect of not operating with slack Improving call center jobs — reducing the need for calls to begin with HBR piece — mental models of customer-centric vs. financial-centric The new book — “the case” for good jobs? Benefits of lower turnover Simple thinking vs. systems thinking — 2% margin business “can't afford” higher wages… or can't afford NOT to? 5 Corporate Disabilities when you have high turnover Tight labor markets — a greater need for companies to adopt “the good jobs strategy” or at least some practices? Sam's Club — competitive pressure to catch up or emulate Costco? The good jobs SYSTEM — risk of copying just one piece, such as higher pay? Cost of Poor Quality vs. Cost of Bad Jobs — not on the financial statements Operational Indifference… vs operational excellence “There's a grave disconnect between what's happening on the front lines and what executives think is happening.” Finding balance? “standardizing processes when that makes sense and empowering employees to help customers” Obstacles to creating good jobs? The logical evidence-based case to be made vs. habits and beliefs of executives (mental models)? “Many leaders don't even consider frontline work critical to company performance.” Cost-benefit analysis — easy to calculate the cost of higher pay… predicting the benefits is seen as a leap of faith? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with transcript and more Joining us for Episode #476 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Ken Pilone, who has more than 30 years experience in Organization Development in Government, Retail, Automotive, Distribution, and Aerospace. He recently retired from Providence Health & Services, working most recently as the Senior Manager of Business Process Engineering at Providence Health & Services — a role that encompassed internal Lean consulting, including executive coaching, lean training, leadership development, and all functions typical of a lean promotion or PI/CI function. He's now working as an independent coach. He spent nearly 20 years with Toyota as Lean consultant within the company as well as with suppliers, vendors, partners, and community groups. He a co-creator of the University of Toyota at the company HQ. He led the work to adapt the Toyota Production System to non-production environments (warehousing, supply chain, HQ administration depts., sales, product distribution, dealer operations, etc. In addition, he led the Center for Lean Thinking. Ken has a Masters's in Industrial Psychology and Organizational Development with his Toyota experience, Ken has developed specialties in Lean consulting in non-production environments, curriculum development and delivery, leadership, and management development coaching, Toyota problem-solving method training, and public speaking. He's the author of Lean Leadership on a Napkin: An Executive's Guide to Lean Transformation in Three Proven Steps. In today's episode, we discuss the application of Lean in healthcare and Ken's experience there… and more! Questions, Notes, and Highlights: Police work? LAPD Viewing work as a process… Helping people see that in healthcare? How to go about that? Not using the term “value streams” Fixing defects vs. fixing the system? Defects in policing paperwork in the field Correcting the paperwork vs. why it occurred Process is broken — Band-Aids No time… why? How can we create time? Microexperiments vs. implementing? How to help people look at improvements as experiments? Psychological safety – removing the danger? “Never Events”? Zero Harm? JPL – process gremlins and being proactive… “Breaking the system on purpose” Adapting to healthcare… Tell us about your later transition into working in healthcare? Pulled or pushed? The importance of leading with humility? How to build that? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

CEO of Industrial Logic, author of Joy of Agility Episode page with video, links, transcript and more Joining us for Episode #475 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Joshua Kerievsky, the founder and CEO of Industrial Logic, one of the oldest and most well-respected agile consultancies on the planet. Since 1996, Joshua and his global network of colleagues have helped people in teams across many industries leverage the wisdom and power of modern product development methods. An early pioneer and practitioner of Extreme Programming, Lean Software Development and Lean Startup, Joshua most recently crafted “Modern Agile” to help people and organizations benefit from a principle-based approach to agility. Joshua is passionate about helping people produce awesome outcomes via genuine agility. He is an international speaker and author of books including most recently, Joy of Agility: How to Solve Problems and Succeed Sooner. In today's episode, we discuss how “agility” doesn't strictly mean “Agile” in software. How was Joshua inspired by leaders including former Alcoa CEO Paul O'Neill? What can all kinds of organizations learn about the art of evaluating experiments in ways that lead to more improvement and greater innovation? Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What's your “origin story” when it comes to these methods? Agile is an adjective… “ready ability to move with quick, easy, grace” — resourceful and adaptable It's not just about speed, but also quality? Do you recall when you were first introduced to “Lean” — was it via “Lean Startup” early days? The Industrial Logic name? “Process” sounds bad? Why is that? Toyota – enabling bureaucracy vs. limiting bureaucracy SAFE experiments Paul O'Neill admiration – safety 2012 The Power of Habit book What does safety mean in software? The risk of mistakes — expensive $$ decision… small tests of change??? The art of evaluating experiments? Keep going? Pivot or persevere? For those who don't know, what's “agile” vs. what you describe as “agility”? This is NOT a book about software development Driving out fear like Deming? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #474 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Norbert Majerus. He has his own firm now but previously worked for Goodyear, joining the company in 1978 in his home country of Luxembourg. He moved to Akron in 1983 and worked disciplines in the Goodyear innovation centers in both locations, retiring in 2018. His first book (2016) Lean-Driven Innovation: Powering Product Development at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was a Shingo Award recipient. His latest book is Winning Innovation: How Innovation Excellence Propels an Industry Icon Toward Sustained Prosperity. In today's episode, we discuss Lean and innovation — how they co-exist, how Lean Product Development drives innovation, and how to truly engage people by leading with humility and respecting people. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What's your Lean origin story? Goodyear had tried Lean a few times in MFG – didn't work well — WHY? This was before Billy Taylor – they worked together 5 years Growing up on a farm — Toyota is said to be a company of farmers… how did Lean resonate with you? Lean is Lean? – doing this in unusual places, it's all the same Definitions? Innovation vs. improvement? Make sure we don't stifle creativity (we can all be creative, as Norm Bodek always said) Toyota and The Innovator's Dilemma Akio Toyoda stepping aside as CEO — a new push for EVs there? Can combine lean and innovation How best to connect “Respect for people” and “rapid problem solving and experimentation” for product development and innovation? Humility… Can you be innovative enough for long enough withOUT those lean culture concepts? Your new book is in a Business novel format – why write it this way? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Blog post about Mr. Shingo's passing Today, we mourn and remember Ritsuo Shingo, who recently passed away at age 75. I am re-releasing episode 409 with him from two years ago this month, in April 2021. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and everybody who worked with him, including my friends at the Shingo Institute.

Author, podcaster, and consultant Episode page Joining us for Episode #473 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Elisabeth Swan, author of the new book Picture Yourself a Leader: Illustrated Micro-Lessons for Navigating Change. It's currently the #1 new release in the Amazon TQM category… Elisabeth has consulted in the business process performance industry for over 30 years. Her experience spans from helping local non-profits expand their reach to guiding Fortune 100 companies through Lean Transformations. She has trained and mentored thousands of people in improvement projects generating millions in savings. She has deep experience coaching problem solvers and facilitating leadership retreats, strategic planning sessions, process walks, and kaizen events. Elisabeth is the Co-Designer and Lead Instructor for the Lean Six Sigma Leadership Course at University of California, San Diego (UCSD). She is a co-founder, with Tracy ORourke, of the Just-in-Time Café and co-host of the Just-in-Time Café podcast. She co-authored, also with Tracy, The Problem Solver's Toolkit: A Surprisingly Simple Guide to Your Lean Six Sigma Journey. In today's episode, we discuss her new book and the process for getting there, including the role of feedback, editing, and an editorial board as inputs to iteration and improvement. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: Tell us the story behind the book? Why this book? Why this format? Sketching and drawing during the pandemic? Why illustrate each chapter? Asking people — “What have you figured out?” (PDSA) vs. “what do you know?” Who is the book written for? Lean leadership or just good “leadership” influenced by C.I.?? Do some people have trouble picturing themselves a leader? “The word leader can mean many things” — tell us more about that – how can everybody be a leader? Author talk: Writing and Editing process – PDSA cycles? (Plan, Do, Study, Adjust) Iterating, asking for honest feedback? “The curse of knowledge?” Iterating on the cover design? “Heading off the head scratchers” — acronyms “Perfecting Rework” — you invited me to contribute a “wisdom of the crowd” story here… W. Edwards Deming's – American way of making toast… you burn it, I'll scrape it The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Managing Director of Gemba Automation Episode page with video, transcript and more Joining us for Episode #472 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Mit Vyas, managing director for Gemba Automation. He started his career at Toyota and worked for other large corporations. He founded Gemba Automation, a company that has helped customers in software, medical devices, fashion, and construction develop profitable and sustainable businesses. Mit holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. In today's episode, we discuss what Mit learned working at Toyota, how that's been applied through Lean Startup thinking, and why the practice of meditation has been so important to him. Questions, Notes, and highlights: I already gave part of the answer by mentioning Toyota… but tell us more about your Lean origin story? First job at Toyota – Process Engineer at Toyota was my first “real” job. The experience there was the springboard to the rest of my career. Inputs & outputs? — not telling you the answer? “What the actual facts” are out in the factory floor “Making your thinking visible?” – Problem Solving A3 A3 coaching and questions? What do you know and how do you know it? Foundations? How can you learn problem solving if you don't know what the standard work or Takt are? What does the word “Kaizen” mean to you, to Toyota? What does “Challenge” mean at Toyota? What does it mean to you? Leading with humility? How do you apply PDCA thinking in your company? To starting a company? What's the problem statement that led to the company as a countermeasure? Lean Startup concepts? Minimum Viable Product? Minimum Viable Service? Have you found good product / market fit? Check and Adjust — pivot or persevere? Calming your nervous mind? Power of meditation – You've been meditating… what have you learned from that practice? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Co-founder, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners Episode page with links and more Joining us for Episode #471 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Dr. Randal Pinkett. He was a guest in Episode 380 in 2020, with Prof. Jeffrey Robinson, his co-author for the book Black Faces in White Places. Today, I'm honored to be joined by Randal again to talk about his new book, his fifth book — Data-Driven DEI: The Tools and Metrics You Need to Measure, Analyze, and Improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, released yesterday, March 14th. Randal is an entrepreneur, innovator, speaker, author, media personality and DEI expert who is leading the way in business, technology and equity for all. He is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, a global, multimillion-dollar research, training, consulting, technology, and data analytics firm whose mission is to provide insights about diverse people that lead to equity. He's a graduate of the MIT Leaders for Global Operations Program. He's a Rhodes Scholar with a PhD also from MIT. As we talked about a little bit last time, Randal was the winner of Season 4 of The Apprentice.

Episode page with video, transcript and more Joining us for Episode #470 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Gary Michel. He was Chairman and CEO of JELD-WEN, Inc. until August 2022 and, just after that, I saw him give an outstanding keynote talk at the AME annual conference in Dallas. Gary was previously President and CEO of Honeywell Home and Building Technologies (HBT) and President and CEO of ClubCar. He also led the Trane HVAC business, among other executive roles. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. His book, Decomplify: How Simplicity Drives Stability, Innovation, and Transformation, will be available later this year. In this episode, Gary discusses his Lean origin story and how he views and drives Lean as a CEO. He reflects on the importance of strategy deployment and Lean as an enterprise approach, and shares his approach to Lean problem solving as a CEO. Gary emphasizes the impact of taking a “fresh eyes” approach to Gemba walks, and talks about the importance of being inquisitive and taking responsibility for simplifying processes (or “decomplifying” them). Questions, Notes, and highlights: What's your Lean origin story? Lower volume business – how to make it flow? We're not Toyota? Strategy deployment… lean as an enterprise How to be focused on most pressing needs? Reaction to the John Toussaint quote – “you've seen one lean transformation….” “I teach problem solving a lot” Who were your teachers, guides and coaches? Shedding Old habits and old philosophies How did you drive Lean problem solving from the CEO seat? How to coach others away from bad habits? Culture impact of coaching leaders vs. selecting the right ones for promotion? Having a rallying cry to set direction Working to reduce fear of speaking up Get out there… those closest to the work How to get other leaders out to the Gemba? The impact of taking leaders out on a Gemba walk?? Some are afraid of that, making mistakes? The importance of taking a “Fresh Eyes” approach?? Why should leaders be inquisitive when things don't look the way they're supposed to look? What's your definition of a “great company”? Problem Solving AND communication as much as anything else Influencing other CEOs to take interest in Lean yet alone drive it? Gets asked – What if my CEO isn't driving this? Decomplifying annual planning and strategy cycles? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

I'm sorry for mistakenly releasing two episodes on the same day... now three. Blog post related to this bonus episode

New book, available now! For links, video, transcript, and more visit the episode page Joining us for Episode #469 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Matt May and Pablo Dominguez, the authors of the new book What a Unicorn Knows: How Leading Entrepreneurs Use Lean Principles to Drive Sustainable Growth. It's available now! Matt has been before, in episodes 67 and 103… and he was my guest for episode 39 of My Favorite Mistake. Pablo Dominguez is an Operating Partner at Insight Partners, a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software ScaleUp companies that drive transformative change in their industries. Pablo has spent his entire career as a go-to-market and sales-focused operator, working in consulting, public companies, startups, and, most recently, ScaleUps. The application of lean principles has figured centrally in driving sustainable growth in each of these ventures. Matthew E. May leads the Lean ScaleUp program at Insight Partners, with Pablo. His mastery of lean principles and methodologies comes from spending nearly a decade inside the Toyota organization, where he played an integral part in launching the University of Toyota, a corporate university dedicated to teaching, preserving, and expanding the Toyota Way. Previously the author of many great books, including The Elegant Solution and, most recently, Winning the Brain Game. In this episode, we discuss their new book and how they are both influenced by Toyota and broader Lean thinking, including the Lean Startup methodology — and we discuss the questions and topics listed below: Questions, Notes, and highlights: Pablo, since this is your first time here, it would be great to hear your “Lean origin story” Helping people cope with the discovery of waste and opportunities to improve? Feeling bad about it before moving forward? Congratulations on the release of the book… in startup circles, what's meant by the term “Unicorn”? What's a ScaleUp compared to a startup? What is product-market fit? An example? Risk of trying to scale prematurely? One of the core themes in your model is “Constant experimentation” Investors – do they want to hear about “constant experimentation”? Do they want certainty? How to prevent Big Company Syndrome (a.k.a., Big Company Disease)? What is meant by “Lean ScaleUp”? How do you react when you hear this aversion to “process” in agile or startup circles, as if process means being inflexible? What's a “lean kaizen sprint”? Applying this to the sales process? Lessons Toyota about “building team spirit”? Building teamwork across silos? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Chief Medical Officer of TeamHealth Episode page with video, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #468 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Jody Crane, M.D. He's the Chief Medical Officer for TeamHealth, and he was previously a guest for Episode 120. As a proven leader, Dr. Jody Crane, M.D. is considered one of the leading experts in emergency department operations in the United States. Dr. Crane has taught and led healthcare and emergency department improvement efforts with hundreds of organizations in a wide variety of settings on six continents. In this role, he supports clinical quality and safety and performance improvement initiatives for all clinical service lines. We're talking today because he's a keynote speaker at the upcoming Healthcare Systems Process Improvement conference, which is brought to us by the Society for Health Systems. I'm a member, and I'll be there at the event this year as usual, February 15 to 17 in Louisville, Kentucky. See Jody's full bio and more about his keynote talk. His book, co-authored with Chuck Noon is The Definitive Guide to Emergency Department Operational Improvement: Employing Lean Principles with Current ED Best Practices to Create the “No Wait” Department. Questions, Notes, and highlights: First off, give us a bit of a preview of the core messages for your keynote talk… It's a tough time in healthcare — three big issues The impact of pay, culture, and working conditions? Moral Injury vs. Burnout? Fixing an imperfect system — broader value stream issues that aren't in our control? Transitions between facilities and communication across shift handoffs – process improvement opportunities? Helping people see improvement opportunity vs. “this is just the way it's meant to be” Framing the problem as “not enough nurses” or “too much waste”? The impact of Lean? The untapped potential of Lean? Two questions for executives – Have you heard of Lean? Have you been part of a Kaizen Event? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Coach at www.TheLearningFactor.ca Joining us for Episode #467 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Tracy Defoe. She is an adult education consultant and researcher specializing in workplace education. For parts of the last 10 years, she has been puzzling over the challenges of participation and leadership in continuous improvement. She has taught communication, writing, teamwork, and cross-cultural communication as well as teaching methods to adults in colleges, universities, and the workplace. A regular consultant to business, labour, and government, Tracy is also an advocate for plain language and clear design. Questions, Notes, and highlights: Her website Your origin story for C.I., Lean, Kata…? How to navigate the distribution of varied mix-level knowledge / experience in a room when it's not 1×1? How much can somebody absorb at once when learning? “I don't know Yeti” – the mascot for Kata School Cascadia The benefit of making learning fun? Starter Kata questions – when is it OK to move beyond the rigid starter questions? Teaching and coaching through questions Being a 2nd coach? Mentor for the coach Difficult to not jump in with advice when you DO know the process — for kata coaching? Intervening vs. allowing them to make the mistake? Being heard vs. feeling heard The power of plain language… as opposed to jargon? What example comes to mind? Kata / Kaizen? “Problem solving” sounds too definitive Kaizen Events off track… Kata goes off track how? Having a “third coach”? Tell us about Kata Girl Geeks Master Class with Tracy and Tilo Schwarz Time in the coaching dojo and how you learn every time? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Episode page with video, transcript and more My guest for Episode #466 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is a returning guest, Billy Taylor. Since his last appearance, Billy has written and released a great book titled The Winning Link: A Proven Process to Define, Align, and Execute Strategy at Every Level. Billy had a long career at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, where he served as plant director for both union and non-union facilities, leading lean transformations in Goodyear's largest and most complex tire-producing sites. Billy more recently founded his firm LinkedXL, where he is CEO. He was previously a guest in Episodes 293 and 298, back in 2017. He was also a guest on Episode 5 of “My Favorite Mistake.” Questions, Notes, and highlights: Before we talk about your book, what stood out to you most at the AME conference this year? How to understand the level of trust? How do build it?? “Coaching leaders on how to show up” Productive huddles – Key Performance Actions (KPA) What is “title-itis”? Best people… best processes Defining winning — why is that a challenge for some organizations? Lack of agreement on what winning means? Purpose mapping – agreeing on this first? Developing your strategy — how do we know if a strategy is the “right” strategy?? Truly differentiating?? What's your CPI – critical performance indicator? “Have you defined what winning means to you?” SOAP – Strategy on a Page Aligning to win — As you write — Making jobs better not making jobs go away? “America… not a hiring problem… a retention problem” Psychological Safety “Covid changed the way we do business” The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.