The Lean Solutions Podcast

In this episode, Tom Passaro and I discuss him and his team's early lean journey, and the challenges and wins they have experienced. What You'll Learn: 1. Tell us about your company. 2. What products/services do you provide? 3. Who is your ideal customer? 4. Why did you decide to embark on your own lean journey? 5. What challenges have you had? 6. What have the results been? 7. What do you have to celebrate? About the Guest: Tom is the President and co-founder of Innovative Power Products, located in Long Island New York. He has been an entrepreneur for over 35 years in the RF and Microwave industry. Him and his team embarked on their Lean journey about 2 years ago. Links: Click here to connect with Tom on LinkedIn Tom Passaro's email: [email protected] Click here for more information on Innovative Power Products Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Matthew Singh and I discuss PI initiatives and programs as well as positively influencing culture. What You'll Learn: 1. What do you think are some important elements of a successful PI program? 2. How does one go about impacting positive cultural change? 3. What insights can you provide about the sustainability of a program? 4. What's been your greatest challenge in your PI endeavors? 5. What has been your greatest win in the PI endeavors? About the Guest: Matt Singh is the Director of Operational Excellence and Master Black Belt for the Department of Administrative Services in the state of Nebraska. Over the last 20 years he has previously served in a variety of progressive management roles including sales & service, operations, and supply chain. He is certified as a Master Black Belt in Six Sigma, Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma, Certified Lean Sensei, and holds the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential. Links: Click here to explore Nebraska's Center Of Operations Page Matthew Singh's email: [email protected] Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Ken Segel and I discuss the importance of continuous improvement principles as they apply to patient care. What You'll Learn: 1. Can you tell me a little bit about Value Capture’s mission and history so our listeners can get a sense for your work in healthcare, and how your firm combines leading with safety and Toyota Production System principles or lean? 2. How about your personal story? How did you get connected to this mission? 3. Can you say a little bit more about the state of lean in healthcare? What challenges are you seeing? What are your health system clients doing to try to break through? How are you advising them? 4. How about the current state of safety in healthcare? There have been some scary headlines recently about patient safety not having progressed much in 20 years … 5. Last summer we both spoke at a conference where in a keynote you and Mark Graban announced that this is an ideal time for folks in any industry to grab WORKFORCE SAFETY as an imperative to revive or strengthen lean journeys. Can you say why? 6. Where do you think the Operational Excellence movement should go next, to move deeper into the work and not risk being a series of the latest flavors of the month? About the Guest: Ken is the Chief Executive Officer and a co-founder of Value Capture. In this role as CEO, Ken provides support to CEOs of healthcare organizations dedicated to eliminating injuries and improving quality as a means to dramatically raise the clinical and financial performance of the entire institution. Prior to forming Value Capture, Ken served as the founding director of the Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative (PRHI). PRHI achieved best-in-nation regional results in the elimination of several classes of risk for patients. Before helping to create PRHI, Ken served for five years as Senior Program Officer at the Jewish Healthcare Foundation of Pittsburgh, where he guided many community health improvement initiatives and initiated the Foundation's formal public policy program. Earlier in his career, he served as an aide to the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives, directed the overnight operations in the 1992 Clinton-Gore presidential campaign “War Room,” and served as Policy Director and speechwriter for the Democratic Party. He also taught political organizing and election monitoring in Ukraine and Russia. He is also a Certified Facilitator of the Shingo Institute. Links: Click here to connect with Ken Segel Ken Segel's email: [email protected] Click here for more information on the "Leading With Safety" Seminar Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Adam Lawrence and I discuss the Wheel of Sustainability and its elements. What You'll Learn: 1. Which element of the Wheel of Sustainability do you find most challenging for your Kaizen teams to engage with and why? 2. How do you help your Kaizen teams deal with this element (Clear Benefits) 3. What are you trying to accomplish with this element during a Kaizen event? 4. Do you have some stories how using this element of the Wheel of Sustainability helped avert or avoid problems? 5. How does Leadership Commitment support and work with this element? About the Guest: Adam Lawrence is the Managing Partner of Process Improvement Partners, LLC. He has 30+ years of experience in process improvement activities, targeted at manufacturing and business processes. Having facilitated 300+ Kaizen events in multiple industries around the world, Adam aligns with leadership, engages teams, and creates sustainable results. Adam is also the author of The Wheel of Sustainability. Links: Click here to connect with Adam Lawrence Click Here to learn more about the Wheel of Sustainability Click here for the Process Improvement Partners LLC Website Click Here for Adam Lawrence's YouTube Channel Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Mike Leigh and I discuss the application of lean as well as the implementation of a lean mindset within organizations. What You'll Learn: 1. Can you describe your Lean journey so far? 2. How has your attitude toward the application of Lean changed? 3. What is your approach to helping companies move forward on their Lean journey? 4. You're not a big fan of Six Sigma. Why is that? 5. What advice would you give to Lean practitioners who want to make a difference in their organizations? About the Guest: Mike Leigh is the President of OpX Solutions, a performance improvement company that helps manufacturers remove the barriers that prevent them from achieving their goals by developing leaders and improving processes. Prior to starting his company, Mike had a 13-year manufacturing career where he held a variety of operational supply chain leadership roles. Prior to that, he served in the US Navy as a surface warfare officer where he specialized in nuclear propulsion, and later retired as a Commander in the reserves. Links: Click here to connect with Mike Leigh Click Here to learn more about Opx Solutions Click here for the OpX Solutions YouTube page Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Rich Sheridan and I discuss the impacts of implementing a culture of storytelling. What You'll Learn: 1. Why are you called the Chief Storyteller at Menlo? 2. Why is storytelling such an important part of your company's culture? 3. What kinds of stories are relevant to tell? 4. How do you curate stories? 5. How do you build a storytelling culture? About the Guest: Rich Sheridan, CEO and Chief Storyteller at Menlo Innovations, is a successful entrepreneur and author of two best-selling books—Joy Inc.: How We Built Workplace People Love and Chief Joy Officer: How Great Leaders Elevate Human Energy and Eliminate Fear. Rich’s passion for inspiring organizations to create their own joy-filled cultures has led him to address audiences across the world—through four continents and 18 countries (and counting) as well as throughout the United States. Links: Click here to learn more about Rich Sheridan Click Here to learn more about Menlo Innovations Click here for more information on Rich Sheridan's books Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Katie Anderson and I discuss a culture of excellence through continuous improvement during a pre-recorded webinar. What You'll Learn: 1. What are the ingredients that make up a culture of excellence? 2. In cultures of CI, what does it mean to “learn, lead, and care”? 3. Can you share your favorite story from Mr. Yoshino that exemplifies a culture of CI? 4. Why do you do the Japan study trip? 5. What will we see that backs up how the Japanese culture played a part in Toyota’s success? About the Guest: Katie Anderson is an internationally recognized leadership and learning coach, consultant, and professional speaker, best known for inspiring individuals and organizations to lead with intention and increase their personal and professional impact. Katie is passionate about helping people around the world learn to lead and lead to learn by connecting purpose, process, and practice to achieve higher levels of performance. Her book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning is an international #1 Amazon bestseller Links: Click here to learn more about Katie Anderson Click here for more information on Katie Anderson's books Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Toby Curry and I discuss lean process implementation in an organization as well as factors that can contribute to failure in a lean practice system. What You'll Learn: 1. Can you give us some background on who you are and some of your work experience? 2. Lean manufacturing practices have been around for decades. Throughout the life of Lean Practices, the demand for these skills and practices has been cyclical. Why do you feel there is or should be a heightened awareness or attraction to Lean practices in today's climate? 3. Can you give us an example of a lean process implementation that your organization has benefited from? 4. What do you feel is the largest factor that contributes to failed lean initiatives in manufacturing facility? 5. If you could go back now and impart some wisdom to yourself before you started practicing lean initiatives, what would it be? About the Guest: Toby Curry serves as the director of operations for Coastal Automotive, a Tier-1 global automotive safety component manufacturer, where he is responsible for operational P&L, continuous improvement, production, logistics and quality. Toby has spent over 20 years in the automotive manufacturing industry, with 10 of those years in executive leadership. He’s passionate about making a positive difference for customers, community, and employees through building a great workplace culture. A US Navy Submarine Veteran, prior to joining Coastal, Toby served in various roles including process engineering, continuous improvement, and production supervision. He earned his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Grand Valley State University and a certificate in executive management from the University of Notre Dame. Links: Click here for Toby Curry's LinkedIn To Contact Toby Curry Directly: [email protected] Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Katie Labedz and I discuss trends and ways to become successful in terms of a person's CI journey as well as improving everything in every process. What You'll Learn: 1. Tell us about your new book "How to Improve Absolutely Every Process" 2. What trends are you seeing in the CI space? 3. Why are people hesitant to start or restart their CI journey? 4. Why do most CI journeys fail? 5. How can people set themselves up for success in their CI journey and where to start? About the Guest: Katie Labedz is the President of Learning to Lean, LLC. She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Project Management Professional. She has been practicing Lean, Six Sigma and Project Management concepts for over 20 years. She has a diverse background that includes manufacturing, materials, supply chain, HR and IT in the automotive and electronic industries. Katie makes it her professional goal to expose the genius in all of her students. She has also authored two books: "How to Improve Absolutely Anything-Continuous Improvement in Your Home, Office and Family Life" and "How to Improve Absolutely Every Process-Kaizen for process improvement and fun." Links: Click here for more information on Katie Labedz Click here for Katie's New Book Click here for the Kaizen "Go" Bundle Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Tony Hayes and I discuss ways to create a lean learning culture through an organizations atmosphere and leadership platforms. What You'll Learn: 1. What is the definition of a good Lean “Learning Culture? 2. What are the challenges to creating this type of atmosphere within an organization? 3. What role does Leadership play in facilitating or creating the platform for learning? 4. Can you share some examples of how you have done this at your current company or others from your past experiences? 5. What advice would you give our listeners as the consider creating their own Learning Culture within their organizations? About the Guest: Tony is an Executive Lean Leader, responsible for the Wabash Management System, Continuous Improvement and Quality at Wabash, supporting the CEO and the Executive Leadership Team, driving customer value creation. He has extensive experience in delivering profitable growth, improving risk profile, and increasing return on invested capital in the automotive, transportation, aerospace and defense industries. Tony is a seasoned operations and lean expert with extensive experience in strategy and organizational governance. Tony has utilized his lean expertise to assist organizations with their most complex problems in manufacturing, engineering, material planning and logistics, value chain management, and quality. Links: Click here for Tony Hayes' LinkedIn To Contact Tony Hayes Directly: [email protected] Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Steve Johnson and I discuss training paths and employee tools when it comes to a robust training program. You'll also here how a robust training program can help reduce employee turn-over. What You'll Learn: Why did you start a training program for technicians? What does the training path look like for a technician? Does an employee need any experience or certifications to start this program? Does the employee need any tools? How long will it take to complete this program? About the Guest: Steve Johnson has over 30 years of experience in the automotive industry. He served as a certified technician at a local Gm dealership for about 8 years. Steve's work ethic was unmatched, which is what earned him a position as a Service Advisor. Eventually, when a service manager position became available, Steve was asked to grab the metaphorical reigns and lead the service team to achieve an unprecedented level of customer service and shop performance. To achieve this, Steve had to develop a service team that would exceed his level of expectations for professional business and work culture needed to create the best service team Berger has ever had. The dealership has received GM dealer of the year award 11 times and has continued to break multiple financial records year after year. Links: Click here for more information on Steve Joh⁠nson To Contact Steve Johnson Directly: [email protected] Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Tanya Stinson and I discuss the impacts of costly wastes and modern technology as well as one of healthcare's number one problems: communication. What You'll Learn: What are a few of the most costly wastes in healthcare currently? If there was one thing that you could change in healthcare right away, what would it be? Do you feel like healthcare organizations are siloed? Do you think technology can help with the issues we have impacting patients in healthcare today? What is an improvement in healthcare that costs nothing to implement? About the Guest: Tanya is the Founder of Leaning Towards Change, LLC. Tanya is an Experienced Leader in the Healthcare industry where she is responsible for Performance Improvement, Quality, Risk, Patient Safety, and Compliance. She serves as a Mentor and Coach to Physicians, Nurses, and other clinical and non-clinical staff in utilizing the Lean and Six Sigma Methodology. Links: Click here for Tanya Stinson's Linkedin Click here to learn more about Leaning Towards Change Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Tom Hughes and I discuss the extensive experience Tom has gained helping hundreds of organizations across the world do standard work / digital work instructions better with his software product GembaDocs. What You'll Learn: 1. How did the whole GembaDocs thing happen? 2. How can you say it’s a Game Changer? That’s a pretty big claim! 3. Why is OWNERSHIP so important with Standards? 4. Why / how can we implement standards in a more intelligent way? 5. Improvement Starts With I ; GembaDocs – how do people access them? About the Guest: Tom Hughes is an Ireland-based entrepreneur and the author of "Improvement Starts With I." He is the creator of GembaDocs, a software company that assists businesses in creating quick, simple, and digital standard work practices. Tom is currently a partner in Lumen Electronics, an Irish business that develops and manufactures products. Links: Click here for more information on Tom Hughes Click here for more information on GembaDocs Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Mark Deluzio and I discuss the Danaher business system, as well as the art of Lean Transformation.What You'll Learn:Why do Lean Transformations fail?Could you explain the importance of having a business strategy and the ability to deploy/execute the strategy.What made the Danaher Business System so successful?As the "Father of Lean Accounting," how important is it to change the accounting systems when embarking on a Lean Transformation?What role does Respect for People play in the success of a Lean TransformationAbout the Guest:Mark DeLuzio is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lean Horizons Consulting. He is also a former Corporate Officer and Vice President of Danaher Business System (DBS) for Danaher Corporation.Danaher has been recognized as the leading implementer of Lean globally and has been rated as the 3rd most profitable US stock over the last 30 years. Mark is also credited with developing the first Lean Accounting process in the United States for Danaher’s Jake Brake Division, where he served as their Chief Financial Officer. Mark is the author of “Turn Waste into Wealth,” which offers practical advice for those considering a Lean transformation and “Flatlined – Why Lean Transformations Fail and What to do About It”, which offers the lessons learned from Mark’s association with hundreds of Lean transformations on a global basis.Links:Click here for more information on Mark DeluzioClick here to order one of Mark Deluzio's booksClick here for Mark Deluzio's PodcastClick here for more information on B.R.A.V.E.Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Bob Emiliani and I discuss the problem of classical management. What You'll Learn:What is classical management?You put together an A3 and challenged lean practitioners. Can you tell our listeners what is an A3?What were the root cause results of the A3 investigation?What are your suggested solutions?Any new books in your future?About the Guest:Dr. Bob Emiliani has been a Lean practitioner and professor of Lean management for over 25 years.Prior joining academia, he worked in industry for 15 years and had management responsibility in engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain management. He was the first academic to establish a research agenda focused on Lean leadership, resulting in numerous publications and varied leadership development workshops. His work on Lean leadership and Lean as applied to higher education are widely recognized.Links:Click here for more information on Bob EmilianiClick here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Sam Morgan and I discuss his personal journey into launching his coaching business to include his personal use of kata to make it happen. We discuss the use of kata for both business and personal applications. What You'll Learn:How did you get to the point of starting your own coaching business?You don't have any lean certifications (LSSMB) or coaching certifications (ICF) What makes you feel like you are qualified to coach lean and ops leaders?You talk to lots of lean and ops leaders, what's the biggest challenge you are hearing that they face on a daily basis?What do you feel like we need to do to solve this challenge?What does continuous improvement mean to you?About the Guest:Sam Morgan is a self-proclaimed “confident learner.” After spending the past five years of work in the continuous improvement space he landed at KataCon, a conference for continuous improvement professionals who practice the Toyota Kata. There he had a powerful moment realizing where his true passion lies: transforming people through coaching.Links:Click here for Sam's Linkedin PageClick here for Sam's WebpageClick here for The Lean Solutions Summit

In this episode, Dr. Joe Sprangel and I discuss Humanist Manufacturing. Joe explains the Humanist Manufacturing Framework to include the humanist commitments necessary for leader success. What You'll Learn:What is Humanist Manufacturing?Could you share the phases of your humanist manufacturing framework?What are the humanist commitments you used as the foundation of your framework?The second phase is focused on the leader and the leadership team. Why is this important?It appears that you have a strong emphasis on creating a human-centric organization. What does this mean to you?About the Guest:Dr. Joe Sprangel is an associate professor of business at Mary Baldwin University. He is also the founder and principal consultant of Emmanuel Strategic Sustainability. He made the transition to higher education after 28 years of industry experience. His industry career included work in machine build and repair, machine design, manufacturing engineering, and plant and engineering management.Links:Click here to purchase a copy of Joe's book on AmazonClick here for Joe's Website Click here for The Lean Solutions Summit

The wait is over....Its finally time for Season Two! Listen in for background on The Lean Solutions Podcast, as well as impact metrics from this past year. Season Two kicks off this Tuesday with Dr. Joe Sprangel. Season Two includes video and audio for every episode. Tune in every Tuesday with some returning and some new guests. Find all episodes on your favorite podcast platform or go to www.findleansolutions.com and click on 'podcast.'

In this episode, I am presenting our teams approach to lean product and process development events. This was a presentation I gave at the LPPDE virtual conference last month. You may be wondering why we haven't been posting regular episodes...we are preparing to launch season two this next year. Stay tuned for more amazing podcasts as we kick off the new year. About the LPPDE: The Lean Product and Process Development Exchange, Inc. is a nonprofit organization created to foster opportunities to grow and share the knowledge, expertise and experiences that help organizations use lean product development to dramatically improve product development performance. The LPPDE conferences are organized roughly yearly in both Europe and North America. These conferences are the motor for the flow of knowledge about lean in the product development context. We explicitly call our conferences "Exchange" - because that is what we think is the best moderator for learning: listen, experts, see peers, discuss, learn from best practices from others and participate in workshops, that are offered at introductory as well as advanced level. Many participants of LPPDE conferences return because they know: whenever I visit an LPPDE conference, I am sure I will return with a high number of great ideas, excellent examples, and practical tips to continue my journey on the lean path in product development. Check them out at www.lppde.org

In this episode of The Lean Solutions Podcast, I met with Craig Tedrow, Tina Pietrangelo, and Mark Schmidt to discuss the current workforce challenges in hiring and retaining employees. About the Guests: Craig Tedrow is an experienced Continuous Improvement Professional with a demonstrated history of working in the automotive, aerospace, and defense industry. Skilled in Training Coordination, Continuous Improvement, Team Building, Presentation Skills, and Conflict Management. Strong professional with an Associate's degree focused in Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services from Grand Rapids Community College. Most recently managed the Continuous Improvement department at Plasan Carbon Composites. During exponential growth developed a week long training curriculum to provide a mix of lecture and lab instruction to on board new associates. Intensely involved in training and adherence to Standard Work Instructions using video technology, and Training Within Industry methods. Strong relationships with engineering, operations, maintenance, and facilities, helped to advance implementation of robotics and automation. Tina Pietrangelo is the Plant Manager at Pliant Plastics overseeing Manufacturing Operations. Pilant is a Plastics Injection Molding company and employs 120 members. She has lived in the Holland area for over 30 years and is currently on the board of Escape Ministries and formerly has served on the boards of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holland and Ready for School. Prior to joining Pliant, Tina held positions as Plant Manager within the office furniture industry and has held Human Resources positions for a recycling company and automotive interior company. She is also an owner/investor of some restaurants in West Michigan. Mark Schmidt is the founder of BizStream, a custom software and web development company. With more than 20 years of experience in custom software, website development, and content management systems (CMS), Mark grew the business from one to 33 employees, plus contractors, in 17 years. He has managed purchase of new building, renovations, and furnishings for growing team and is a global leader in chosen web technology, Kentico CMS; top 3 partners of 1,100 total Kentico partners; Kentico Gold Partner with competencies in intranet, integration, training, EMS, mobile, and ecommerce; Kentico certified developer.

In this episode, Mike Ettore and I discuss leadership concepts from the military and how they can help in the corporate world. What You'll Learn: Trust-Based Leadership Marine Corps Core Value Military Leadership concepts in the corporate world About the Guest: Mike has served in leadership roles for over 45 years. He’s earned a reputation for being an exceptionally effective leader and is known for achieving superior results in a wide range of challenging environments. In addition to having retired as a Marine Corps Infantry officer and decorated combat leader, he also served successfully as a C-level executive in Kforce, Inc. (NASDAQ: KFRC), a publicly traded professional services firm with annual revenue in excess of $1 Billion. While serving as Chief Services Officer, Mike was responsible for the majority of Kforce’s corporate support departments and functions, including Human Resources, Information Technology, the Program Management Office, Marketing and Social Media, Procurement, Corporate Real Estate and the domestic and Manila-based Financial Shared Services teams. He also served as the executive sponsor for strategic planning and most of the logistical activities associated with the integration of acquired companies and the divestiture of organic business units. Over the course of his Marine Corps and business careers, Mike was highly regarded for being an exceptionally effective mentor and developer of leaders. After retiring from Kforce in 2013, Mike founded Fidelis Leadership Group and has devoted himself to his greatest passion, helping others develop into World Class Leaders. He has successfully coached and mentored executives and senior leaders from a wide range of industries and is sought after for his expertise in all aspects of leadership development and the creation of leadership training programs. In addition to being a lifelong student of leadership, Mike has earned Master’s degrees in Business Administration and Management. He is also the author of four books devoted to the topics of leadership and leadership development. Important Links: Website: http://fidelisleadership.com/ Podcast: https://www.fidelisleadership.com/podcast Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeettore/ Mike’s Books: https://amzn.to/3qmEoSq Email: [email protected]

I am still travelling. In this episode, I replay a webinar with Ernie and Tracey Richardson as we discuss their book, 'The Toyota Engagement Equation' and the many learnings from working with Toyota over 30 years.

I am currently travelling so I wanted to post this throwback episode where I discuss the fuel needed to spark and maintain a continuous improvement culture. Enjoy.

This past week, Lean Solutions was a proud sponsor for the AME international Conference in Dallas. Craig Johnson and I were there to attend, exhibit, network, and record some great interviews for the podcast. During this episode, I was able to catch up with the Conference Chair, Dan McDonnell, as well as many other attendees and speakers of the conference. We discussed learnings, takeaway's, and tour/workshop ahha moments. About AME: The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME), is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1985 dedicated to helping companies with continuous improvement and their pursuit of excellence. Whether looking to learn about lean manufacturing or one of the continuous improvement tools like value stream mapping, kaizen, lean supply chain, lean new product development, lean accounting, or leadership of lean transformation you've come to the right place. AME is practitioner based which means our events and workshops are hands-on and taught by others who have “been there” and want to share their experiences. Visit our site to obtain more information on all of our educational opportunities or join AME and start receiving the many benefits of membership. Make sure to mark your calendars for AME 2023! 🎸The Place: Cleveland, Ohio 🎸Dates: October 30 – November 2, 2023 🎸Theme: ReImagining Excellence 🎼Theme Song: Don’t Stop Belevin’ by Journey Important Links: https://www.ame.org/ame-cleveland-2023 https://ame.org/ https://www.benderinc.com/ https://www.va.gov/long-beach-health-care/ https://www.raymondcorp.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-dyer-75a646

In this episode, Elisabeth Swan and I discuss the intangibles when it comes to leading others. Elisabeth is the president of Swan Consulting & Associates, Inc., and co-founder of the Just-In-Time Café. She’s the co-author of the Problem-Solver’s Toolkit: A Surprisingly Simple Guide to Your Lean Six Sigma Journey, and has been helping clients drive change for decades. She’s a Master Black Belt, Speaker, Coach and Lean Six Sigma consultant with a focus on leveraging people to build vibrant problem-solving cultures. Today, we discussed her new book titled, "Picture Yourself a Leader: Illustrated Micro-lessons in Navigating Change" which will be published in just a few months. What You'll Learn: What do you mean by "intangibles" in terms of process improvement? Why do people struggle with intangibles? Do you have an example(s)? What are some root causes? What are some actions people can take? About the Guest: Elisabeth has been working as a business process improvement consultant and change leader for over 30 years. She specializes in process-based organization design, problem solving, Lean Six Sigma and change management for blue chip clients. Her client engagements focus on working with leadership and leveraging the talents of internal project managers and teams in achieving strategic goals. The track records of these engagements consistently showcase measurable improvement. Elisabeth's industry experience includes healthcare, hospitality, financial services, insurance, telecommunications, energy and technology. Specialties: - Process Improvement Program Design - Lean Six Sigma - Coaching - Training Design and Implementation - Leadership Coaching - Improvement Team Training - Large Group Facilitation - Facilitation and Communication Skills Important Links: To get updates on when the book comes out: http://eepurl.com/hWMUtH To buy the Problem-Solver’s Toolkit (scroll to the bottom): https://www.jitcafe.com/services https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabethswan/

In this episode, Craig Johnson and I discuss the importance of structured problem solving and the power of a robust training program. What You'll Learn: Why should organizations adopt a structured problem solving process? Some of Craig's favorite problem solving tools. Why should people pursue lean training? What does good lean training look like? What does the future of lean training look like? About the Guest: Craig Johnson is a leadership professional with a diverse background in engineering, manufacturing, and talent development. He is passionate about bringing attainable, available, applicable, and affordable Lean Six Sigma training and certification to the entire world. He founded the Utah Lean Six Sigma Training Center and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Craig is now the Director of the Lean Solutions Academy and Community. Important Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigjohnson-lssbb-cmfgt/ https://www.findleansolutions.com/academy/ Email [email protected]

In this episode of The Lean Solutions Podcast, Kevin Gausch and I discuss lean applied in different industries. Specifically, the construction industry. His knowledge and stories help explain how lean can be applied outside manufacturing when practitioners truly understand the principles of continuous improvement. About the Guest: As a Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence through ASQ with a focus on the construction industry, Kevin has set himself apart as an expert in quality management. In the past 30 years, his experience includes Quality and Project Management in the utility contractor space and the construction industry. He’s worked hands-on across all areas, from foreman to the c-suite, and witnessed the difference that technology can make to help working teams get better every day. Skilled in managing complicated processes that involve many stakeholders, Kevin’s global team is dedicated to sharing their hands-on experience to drive success in digital transformation and ultimately raise the bar for frontline teams. What You'll Learn: How do you apply lean principles in construction? Best practices and tips and tricks for lean process improvement in operations The role of technology and digitization in lean process improvement. The impact of technology on process effectiveness. Links: https://safetyculture.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevingausch/

In this episode, I am playing a recording of my speaking event last week at Lean Leadership Week for Lean Frontiers. Lean Leadership Week is an annual gathering of those seeking to learn, implement, and sustain successful lean transformations in order to address some of the most common challenges in lean organizations. The Summit highlights companies who are addressing these challenges through Lean Accounting, Lean HR, Lean Management, and Lean People Development. My presentation was titled: Developing a Lean Culture. During the presentation, I discuss the three simple areas that need attention in order to achieve a true culture of continuous improvement. I also present a model to adopt understanding in change management. Finally, I challenged the listeners with three questions: 1. Do you have a long-term vision? 2. Have you developed expectations for behaviors? 3. Is it safe for your employees to fail? Links: https://leanfrontiers.com/2022-virtual-lean-leadership-week/ https://leanfrontiers.com/

In this episode I was able to have Bob Emiliani back for a second time to discuss many topics to include his views on 'Fake Lean.' What You'll Learn: What is Fake Lean? Findings of an Ongoing Root Cause Analysis on Lean Transformation Failures Research studies Bob is currently working on What is Bob's favorite topic to discuss? About the Guest: Dr. Bob Emiliani is an accomplished author whose work spans three disciplines: engineering, social sciences, and humanities. He has authored or co-authored 45 peer-reviewed papers in six different subject areas (leadership, management, management history, supply chain management, higher education, and materials engineering) and is the author or co-author of 22 books. Important Links: BobEmiliani.com https://bobemiliani.com/book/triumph-classical-management/ https://bobemiliani.com/book/irrational-institutions/ https://bobemiliani.com/book/management-mysterium/

In this episode, Paul Deane and I discuss his three core pillars to an operational excellence journey. What You'll Learn: Three Core Pillars of an operational excellence journey. The biggest drivers for an organization to adopt Lean. The biggest challenges organizations face when embarking on a Lean journey. Paul's biggest 'win' he has seen organizations achieve having implemented effective Lean. How do you get buy-in for Lean? About The Guest: Paul Deane has over 25 years working with large global organizations all over the world leading manufacturing and service operations, and successfully deploying business improvement methodologies. An innovative continuous Improvement practitioner, with strengths in operationalizing LEAN systems, ISO9001, manufacturing best practice and DMAIC projects. CSSC/ISSP certified 6 Sigma Black and Green Belts. Over 15+ years implementing OPEX systems from zero base within global organizations with strong insight into engaging front line staff. His operational, service and manufacturing experience has covered chemical, industrial and food industries. Paul also spoke at the Virtual Lean Summit 2022. Important Links: Paul Deane | LinkedIn YouTube

Today is a replay of a conversation I had with Nigel Thurlow, a leading expert on Lean and Agile approaches. Nigel advises companies on successful transformation strategies and how to achieve effective and lasting change. As the chief agile at Toyota connected, he established the Toyota agile Academy and is also the co-author of The Flow System. In this episode, Nigel and I talk about Agile, how it relates to Lean and the flow from scientific thinking to Agile into the flow system. What You’ll Learn This Episode: Nigel’s background in Lean and Agile The challenges with bringing Agile into Toyota The differences between Japan and the western world with executive leadership The scientific method and why it’s so important The challenges when only dealing with deductive reasoning PDCA and Scrum Agile, what it is and how it differs and relates to Lean How Agile and Lean flow into the flow system About the Guest: Nigel Thurlow is the former Chief of Agile at Toyota, creator of the World Agility Forum award-winning ‘Scrum the Toyota Way’ approach, and the co-creator of The Flow System™. He is also a Forbes top 10 noted author for his work as co-author of the book on The Flow System and is a well-known Keynote Speaker. He also co-authors The Flow Guide. Nigel is an internationally recognized expert in the Toyota Production System and The Toyota Way as well as Lean Thinking, Agile, Scrum, and Complexity concepts. In addition to his work at Toyota in recent years he has also taught and coached at Vodafone, Banco Popular, GE, Bose, 3M, Microsoft, University of North Texas, and to the faculty at MIT. Nigel also presents regularly for The Lean Institute at their events and is considered a leading expert in bridging the Lean and Agile worlds following his pioneering work at Toyota. As a Professional Scrum Trainer, the first one ever in Toyota, and the first to have been certified by both the creators of Scrum, he has trained over 8000 people worldwide as of 2021. Nigel is extensively published online and has co-authored several peer reviewed white papers and journal publications on team science. He acts as an advisor on several boards at the University of North Texas as well as contributing to Chief Executive Magazine. Nigel currently serves as the CEO of The Flow Consortium, and as an interim executive with several high-profile brands advising executive leadership teams on lean and agile strategies in complex business and organizational design environments. Important Links: https://flowguides.org/ https://www.getflowtrained.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Flow-System-Evolution-Thinking-Complexity/dp/1680400584 https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelthurlow/ The Flow System read online for free via UNT - https://library.unt.edu/aquiline-books/flow-058-8/ The Slack community - https://join.slack.com/t/the-flow-system/shared_invite/zt-o6zfwlwx-HkoqExXlmEWSwDaAFXAejA

In this episode, Paul Dunlop and I discuss the importance of daily management systems and structures as well as the digitalization in and of lean management systems. This is Paul's third time on the show. What You'll Learn: The importance of Daily management systems and structures Digitization in / of Lean The importance of leader standard work About The Guest: Paul brings with him over 20 years of management and manufacturing experience in a broad range of industries. In his operational management and consultancy roles Paul has led successful Lean implementation and transformations using the principles of the Toyota Production System. Paul’s passion for operational excellence using Lean tools and methodology has helped drive sustained continuous improvement and financial performance at many companies. Paul’s “people centered” approach is to engage the ongoing support and commitment of both shop floor staff and senior management through effective Lean leadership and to facilitate inclusive problem solving cultures. Paul is a team player with an understanding of business priorities and committed to managing high performing teams and delivering projects to meet targets. Demonstrated ability to influence and change workplace cultures and develop capability in employees to implement and sustain continuous improvement methodologies long term. Effective implementation of Lean cultures in both greenfield and established organizations, with a passion for engaging, coaching and developing people at all levels of the organization by utilizing Lean tools and Lean thinking. Paul specializes in: * Lean Enterprise and Strategic Planning * Change management * Grass roots "bottom up" engagement * Coaching and mentoring leaders, enhancing fundamental management skills and lean leadership * Implementation of lean tools and techniques Important Links: https://www.dunlopconsultants.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dunlopconsultants/ Empower & Align Your Teams | TeamAssurance

In this episode, Dr. William Harvey and I discuss the most important skills he was able to transfer from his time in the United States Marine Corps to his corporate career in lean management. We discussed everything from goal setting to leadership skills and kaizen. What You'll Learn: As it relates to goal setting, what influenced Dr. Harvey at an early age to set challenging personal goals? An important tactic in creating an environment for increased teamwork. Key benefits recognized by observing gemba. Defining Kaizen. The leadership lessons that comes with practicing Kaizen. How to help create an environment of collaboration and the benefits. About the Guest: Dr. William Harvey's leadership journey started in the U.S. Marine Corps. Following military service, William discovered a passion for manufacturing and continuous improvement over the last 14 years. William’s fascination with people development and a chance encounter with Toyota Kata prompted his doctoral dissertation on Toyota Kata’s best practices. William currently works in manufacturing as Plant Manager at Michelman and started his sixth year of teaching business, finance, and marketing at the University of Cincinnati in August 2022. LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwilliamharvey/

In this episode, I was able to catch up with the attendees and speakers of the Michigan Lean Consortium Annual Conference that took place last week in Traverse City, Michigan. This was an in–person event and the engagement was AMAZING. Some of the highlights include discussions with keynote speakers Richard Sheridan and Mark Graban, among many other attendees. Michigan Lean Consortium: http://michiganlean.org/ Richard Sheridan Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menloprez/ https://menloinnovations.com/ Mark Graban Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgraban/ https://www.markgraban.com/ https://www.markgraban.com/podcasts/ Chad Bareither: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-bareither-32712222/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/bareither-group-consulting-llc/ Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center: https://www.the-center.org/

In this episode, Patrick's guest is George Trachilis, P.Eng. Patrick and George discuss the Harada Method and how it can benefit individuals and organizations. About the Guest: George Trachilis lives in Canada and consults remotely and throughout the world. He started his career at Motor Coach Industries in 1994 where he received Lean coaching in Just-in-Time manufacturing, and Total Quality Management. Having lead change for over 10 years, he decided to start his own consulting firm in 2003. It grew to become one of Canada’s Fastest Growth Companies by 2006. The government of Canada asked George to create an online course to teach Lean. This course educated over 300 companies. It also became a book OEM Principles of Lean Thinking. By 2011, the course was offered globally and educated 100,000 students from 60 different countries. In 2012, relationships were forged with some of the most recognized names in Lean including Dr. Jeffrey K. Liker, best-selling author of the Toyota Way, and Norman Bodek, known as the Godfather of Lean. He was encouraged by both Jeff and Norm to adopt a much deeper understanding of Lean which stretches back to Japan and the origins of Toyota. George decided to video document his many webinars, two (2) Japan Study Missions, live Harada Method workshops, and many other teachings on the topics. George is now one of the most knowledgeable people on the topic of Lean and more importantly, a practitioner. George’s standard coaching is based on the key books and online courses which he has published. One book and online course, Developing Lean Leaders at All Levels, received the Shingo Research Award in 2016. The second is on self-reliance, Norman Bodek’s Harada Method. He has, as of this year, published as an online course and book, Lean Construction Leaders: A Trade Partner’s Guide to Lean. What You'll Learn: Harada Method background and how George discovered it. How Shohei Ohtani, the best baseball player in the world, used the Harada Method. George's lessons that will stay with him for the rest of his life. How someone can learn the Harada Method for free. What is next for the Harada Method? What is the vision? https://georgetrachilis.com https://theharadamethod.com/

Katie Anderson is back for another episode where we talk about her chain of learning and the importance of leaders doing the little things. Katie is an internationally recognized leadership coach, consultant, author and professional speaker. Katie is best known for her focus on helping individuals and organizations lead with intention. Katie is also the author of “Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn” and wrote the forward for my book. In this episode we talk about being an intentional leader, and creating a structure for your learning and practice. What You’ll Learn This Episode: The importance of going out of your way to help others. Going beyond your job description. Chain of Learning Katie's 2-year anniversary celebration of her book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn Katie's learnings and discoveries since writing her book. New things coming in 2023 for Katie. About the Guest: Katie Anderson is an internationally recognized leadership coach, consultant, author and professional speaker. She has over 20 years of experience in supporting change and improvement in organizations across a range of industries, though her primary focus has been on leading transformational change in healthcare organizations. Katie launched KBJ Anderson Consulting in 2013, to help individuals and organizations gain clarity on their goals, deepen their problem solving skills, and develop more effective leadership habits. Important Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbjanderson/ https://kbjanderson.com/

In this episode, Jonathon Andell and I discuss his involvement with Motorola when Six Sigma was first introduced. Jonathon was a young engineer at Motorola at that time and shares some great memories about his learnings early on. We also discuss how Lean and Six Sigma has shaped his problem solving approach over the years and he shares his biggest factors impacting effectiveness of lean transformations. What You'll Learn: Jonathon's experience with Six Sigma at Motorola early on. Lean and Six Sigma's impact on his approach to solving problems. If you could counsel your earlier self in LSS, what advice would you give? What do you consider the biggest factors impacting the effectiveness of Lean transformations? About the Guest: Jonathon Andell is an accomplished operational excellence leader and an exceptional instructor, coach, and mentor in all aspects of lean-six sigma and continuous improvement. Jonathan is a master black belt with a track record of millions of dollars of bottom-line impact across many organizations in multiple industries. He has served as an operational excellence practitioner across many organizations such as Motorola, Boeing, Verizon, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Bristol Myers Squibb, and now Vistra. Connect with Jonathon Here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathon-andell/

Dawn Holly Johnson is a returning guest on The Lean Solutions Podcast. Back in episode 46, we discussed operational excellence and, at that time, Dawn was getting ready to release her book, What CEOs Need to Know: The #1 Reason Startups Fail and All Organizations Underperform. Well, now that Dawn has released her book, I am excited to catch up and learn how things have been going. What You'll Learn: 1. The reasons that companies struggle with OpEx. 2. What should OpEx leaders do instead? 3. Learn about Dawn's new book, What CEOs Need to Know: The #1 Reason Startups Fail and All Organizations Underperform. And why she wrote it. 4. How can OpEx leaders bring enterprise-wide change? About the Guest: As an Organizational Engineer with transformational experience in every major industry and in every size company, Dawn has been the catalyst for businesses to realize over $6B in cash flow improvements. She is the CEO of 3D value group and the author of the book, What CEOs Need to Know: The #1 Reason Startups Fail and All Organizations Underperform. Website: DawnHollyJohnson.com Book: Click Here for Amazon

Due to my travel schedule this week, I wanted to share a throwback to a conversation I had with Paul Akers this past year. Paul is an author, entrepreneur and the founder and president of FastCap, a product development company specializing in woodworking tools and hardware for the professional builder. In this episode, Paul and I go over how Lean can be applied to improve your work environment and why you need to focus on small consistent changes when trying to make improvements. What You’ll Learn This Episode: How Lean helped Paul in Ironman FastCap and the inspiration behind the company The importance of listening to customers Making time to fix what’s bothering you 2 second improvement and why it’s simple The inspiration behind Paul’s videos What it takes to be a good leader in an organization with Lean culture Paul’s advice for someone just starting on their Lean journey About the Guest: Paul Akers is the founder and president of FastCap, a product development company specializing in woodworking tools and hardware for the professional builder. FastCap was started in Paul’s garage in 1997 when he simply “fixed what bugged him” and developed his first product: the Fastcap Cover Cap. From humble beginnings, and no MBA, FastCap has thousands of distributors worldwide in over 40 countries. Paul’s intense curiosity on how things could be improved paved the way for him to become a prolific innovator and today he holds many US and International patents. FastCap launches approximately 20-30 innovative products per year and has won business of the year in 1999 and 2010. In June 2011 Paul won Seattle Business Magazine’s prestigious Business Executive of the Year award. He wrote his first book, 2 Second Lean, about creating a fun, Lean culture, that is now available in 15 languages. In 2015, he wrote his 2nd book, Lean Health, in 2016, he wrote Lean Travel and in 2019, he wrote Lean Life and Banish Sloppiness. In 2016, Paul’s book, 2 Second Lean, was recognized by the Shingo Institute and won the Research and Professional Publication Award. Important Links: https://paulakers.net/books/2-second-lean https://paulakers.net/ https://apps.apple.com/us/app/2-second-lean-play/id1503694993 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.leanplay

In this episode, I talked with Jim Huntzinger about the importance of Lean Accounting Management within any organization. Jim helps listeners dig into their own accounting systems to ensure they are making decisions based on correct costing data. What You'll Learn: How did you get involved with lean accounting? How did the Lean Accounting Summit come into being? How do lean accounting and process development connect? What work still needs to be accomplished in these areas? What else can process development impact? About the Guest: Jim Huntzinger began his career as a manufacturing engineer with Toyota and then was transplanted to North America to support Toyota. In 2005, Jim founded Lean Frontiers. He developed and operates the immersive Skillpoint Workshops for Job Instruction and Toyota Kata. He has also authored many books to include, Lean Cost Management and Roots of Lean. Lean Accounting Summit: https://leanfrontiers.com/2022leanleadershipweek/ Other Lean Frontiers Summits: https://leanfrontiers.com/summits/ Jim's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-huntzinger-7001581/

In this episode, Dan Davis and I discuss what its like to manage a continuous improvement culture in a large global company. We talk about both successes and challenges of being in this role. Dan also provides the listeners with some tips and tricks to help other leaders develop their own CI culture. What You'll Learn: What it's like to manage The Center of Excellence for Continuous Improvement for a large publicly traded company? What is the key in opening the door to CI culture? How are you generating small improvements? What's Dan's favorite topic to train people on in CI? What's Dan's favorite quote and why? About the Guest: Dan Davis has dedicated over 25 years of his career to supporting lean initiatives and developing CI culture at various companies. He is extremely passionate in teaching and simplifying concepts to help companies shift their culture to make it a place that it is everyone’s responsibility to improve. Mr. Davis rejoined Xylem in 2021 and leads up the Continuous Improvement, Center of Excellence and is responsible for driving CI utilizing the Xylem Production System. His key focus areas include driving the vision and roadmap for the Company’s CI culture while overseeing initiatives, implementing robust tools and measurement methodologies such as Lean and Six Sigma, and leading Xylem toward best-in-class status in operations, commercial and transactional activities. Prior to his current role Mr. Davis was responsible for the CI program at Watts Water Technology. He held several leadership roles at FMC Technologies, including CI Leader & Plant Manager. Prior to that, he served in a series of increasingly responsible leadership roles in the industrial businesses for the Stanley Black & Decker, Global CI Leader and Plant Manager Responsibility. At Tractor Supply Company, Mr. Davis was responsible for launching their CI Program (Tractor Value System). Mr. Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineer from Milwaukee School of Engineering. Email: [email protected]

In this episode, I talk with Muhammad Khurram from Pakistan about Lean Daily Management Systems. Muhammad and I discuss the importance of daily management to support sustainment of improvement initiatives for any lean journey What You'll Learn: Lean Daily Management – LDM System is the key to sustain a Lean Culture What are the objectives of a good Lean Daily Management System? Key Elements for a Lean Daily Management System Who should have Leader Standard Work – LSW System How to handle the Daily accountability huddles? Why should Leadership conduct audits? About the Guest: Muhammad Khurram has a vast amount of experience as an agile Industrial Engineer in a diverse range of industries; within these different industries, he has worked on Production Planning & Control, Cost reduction, effective resource capacity utilization, and has experience with the Toyota Production System. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and has a strong expertise in Lean Manufacturing and process accuracy. He is a highly resourceful and strategically agile Industrial Engineer with over 15 years’ experience in diverse range of industries like FMCG, Automotive & Textile. He has in-depth knowledge and experience working in Production Planning & Control, Cost reduction, effective resource utilization, Toyota Production System and Capacity enhancement. As a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Muhammad has strong expertise on Lean Manufacturing and process accuracy. He has proven ability to establish engineering systems to achieve efficient operations with an emphasis on manufacturing processes. Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/engineermuhammadkhurram/

This episode is a recording of a conversation I had with a global team about my best selling book, "Avoiding the Continuous Appearance Trap." A team from Xylem Inc. spent the past few months studying the questions in the book and discussing their answers and learnings for application across the enterprise. The team had some great questions for discussion. Xylem Inc. is a leading global water technology company dedicated to solving the world's most challenging water issues. They are an international team unified in a common purpose: creating advanced technology and other trusted solutions to solve the world's water challenges. To learn more about Xylem Inc. you can visit www.xylem.com In this episode, you will learn: The background on my book, "Avoiding the Continuous Appearance Trap." CI Culture and Assessments at Xylem Is it possible to measure organizational culture? Have any companies "arrived" at becoming a company of continuous improvement as defined in the book? How do we best support lean in the future with all the recent changes in work environments? Why is it important to make things visual? How to develop stability with standards and why its so important. If I could write an additional chapter, what would it be? What's Patrick's next book? Some tips to drive CI virtually.

This is a "Throwback" to one year ago when I interviewed Dr. Jeff Liker about The Toyota Way 2nd Edition. This episode is in the top 5 of most listened to episodes since we launched this podcast. What You Will Learn: We discuss his newly published second edition of The Toyota Way. Dr. Liker and I talk about sustainment of continuous improvement initiatives, specifically, CONTROL vs. LEARNING environments. We also discuss how Dr. Liker is using virtual reality to teach The Toyota Way. About the Guest: Dr. Jeffrey K. Liker is Professor Emeritus of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan and a professional speaker and advisor through his company Liker Lean Advisors, LLC, a network of associates to teach and consult in the Toyota Way. He is author of the new second edition of the international best-seller, The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer, McGraw Hill, 2004 and the companion (with David Meier) Toyota Way Fieldbook, Mcgraw Hill, 2005. His book with Jim Morgan, The Toyota Product Development System, Productivity Press, 2006, was the first that details the product development side of Toyota. In 2018, Morgan and Liker published Designing the Future: How Ford, Toyota, and Other World-Class Organizations Use Lean Product Development to Drive Innovation and Transform Their Business. Authored 3 books focused on the people side of lean: (with David Meier), Toyota Talent: Developing exceptional people the Toyota Way (May, 2007) (with Michael Hoseus) Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way (January, 2008) and The Toyota Way to Lean Leadership (with former Toyota managing officer Gary Convis). 2 additional books in 2011 are The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement (with Jim Franz) and the first inside account of the recall crisis--Toyota under Fire (with Tim Ogden). And in 2016 (with Karyn Ross): The Toyota Way to Service Excellence. Articles and books have won thirteen Shingo Prizes for Research Excellence and The Toyota Way also won the 2005 Institute of Industrial Engineers Book of the Year Award and 2007 Sloan Industry Studies Book of the Year. In 2012, Dr. Liker was inducted into the Association of Manufacturing Excellence Hall of Fame and in 2016 inducted into the Shingo Academy.

In this episode, Rick Foreman and I discuss Rick's Lean Leadership journey to include his learnings as the V.P. of Lean Development for Federal Heath. Rick truly exemplifies the qualities of a servant leader and has been successful in his many roles throughout multiple industries. What you will learn in this episode: What's the purpose behind your Lean Leadership journey "Behavior is the echo of belief. Do our beliefs as a Lean Leader match up with what we model daily? If not, why not, and how do we adjust?" What do you believe to at the core of successful lean transformations? How do you work to keep Lean engaged in the culture at Federal Heath? What's your biggest struggle in deploying lean at Federal Heath? About the guest: Rick Foreman is the V.P. of Lean Development for Federal Heath Sign Company and a John Maxwell Team certified speaker, coach, and trainer. Rick has over 32 years of lean leadership development experience within aerospace, telecom, sign, medical manufacturing, service industries, supply chains, and community engagement. This in-depth practice of utilizing coaching techniques and mastermind studies to develop people-centric leaders and engagement across multiple locations has led to cultural transformations, with team member, profit and organizational growth. During this period, two of the Texas facilities received recognition for “Lean Enterprise Excellence” from TMAC, while realizing significant, positive business results. Rick has a BA in Management Ethics, a MAM in Business Management, and over 30 years of serving others through coaching, mentoring and helping them reach their full potential and purpose. Contact Rick by email at [email protected]. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-foreman-24a4a3a/

In this episode, Deb Coviello and I discuss Leader Standard Work and how best leverage this tool as an Executive Leader: even the creative & innovative process needs Leader Standard work; not to thwart the creative process but to ensure you have enough time for it without burnout. Deb is the founder of Illumination Partners, Author of the book CEO’s Compass - Your Guide to Getting Back on Track and the host of The Drop In CEO Podcast. In this episode, you will learn: How should Leader Standard Work be used by executive leaders? Where should executive leaders spend their time? The 70/20/10 rule of standard work What should you do when you get busy and cannot stick to your standard work? How should leaders prioritize their decisions? Eisenhower matrix Shiny penny funnel: We see the shiny penny and see possibilities in everything. However, we need to run it through our decision logic funnel to prioritize Accountability partners About the Guest: Deb Coviello is the Founder of Illumination Partners and the host of The Drop In CEO podcast. For more than twenty years, she has been transforming businesses from within, elevating the talents of their organizations to new performance levels. Her experience has taught her to put tremendous value on people, whom she considers as the heart of every business. As The Drop In CEO Deb provides her clients with 25+ years worth of experience and strategy in Quality and Operational Excellence roles combined with her 20 years in the Flavors and Fragrance industry, to identify, assess, and solve the issues that are preventing their business growth. Certified as Lean and Six Sigma Blackbelt in Process Improvement, she has also developed significant leadership insight that “People’’ are your greatest tool in your toolbox. In order to deliver on her promise of offering “peace of mind,” she focuses on utilizing the talents of her client’s team and elevating them to new levels of performance, setting them up to better serve their organization. When she isn’t transforming businesses from within, Deb is a board member of Women in Flavor & Fragrance Commerce, (WFFC), an avid Curler with the Cincinnati Curling Club, a mother of 3 and resides in Cincinnati Ohio with her Husband Dan of 32 years. Important Links: Email: [email protected] Website: https://dropinceo.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahacoviello/ Drop in CEO Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-drop-in-ceo/id1498953914?ls=1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IlluminationPartnersLLC/ Twitter: @DropinCEO Instagram: @dropinceo

In this episode, Adam Lawrence and I discuss the power of proper chartering prior to launching into a project or kaizen event of any sort. This is Adam's second time on The Lean Solutions Podcast; the first time was back in episode 50 where we talked about his book, The Wheel of Sustainability. In this episode, you will learn about: What is chartering and why does it mean so much to you? What are the 4 key components of chartering? How does chartering lock in leadership commitment? How does chartering fit with the Wheel of Sustainability? What are some examples of success and/or failures when chartering? About the guest: Adam Lawrence is the Managing Partner of Process Improvement Partners, LLC. He has 30+ years of experience in process improvement activities, targeted at manufacturing and business processes. Having facilitated 300+ Kaizen events in multiple industries around the world, Adam aligns with leadership, engages teams, and creates sustainable results. Adam is also the author of The Wheel of Sustainability. Important Links: https://pi-partners.com/about https://www.amazon.com/Wheel-Sustainability-Engaging-Empowering-Produce-ebook/dp/B08VVX8F6Q

In this episode, John Rooney and I discuss Nummi and its impact on European workers during his time as an executive at General Motors. What you'll learn during today's episode: What is Nummi? The impact of Nummi on the GM European plants True Lean vs. the appearance of lean Has manufacturing changed? What one bit of advice would you give to a company starting out on its lean journey? What do you most enjoy about helping companies improve? About the guest: John Rooney had 40 years Automotive Experience (Opel-Vauxhall-General Motors). John started as an apprentice and made it to executive level by the time he was thirty. He had the opportunity to see and work in many manufacturing plants across the globe (Europe, Brazil, USA, China, and South Korea). He is also a Six Sigma Black Belt. Since retiring from the Automotive Industry in 2018 felt he needed to share his learnings over the many years. Has collaborated with several companies (including the ILSSI) working on Lean, Lean Six Sigma, Leadership training and CIP workshops to name a few. More recently decided to start his own company (JRC Learn to be Lean) with his partner Roddy Craig who again spent 41 years in the Automotive Industry. Roddy and John now work with companies to help create that culture that is needed for Lean creating bespoke training packages to suit the companies’ individual needs. Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rooney-b017a74a/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/roddy-craig-01585816b/

In this episode, I talk with Lee Campe about some of his favorite problem solving examples. This is Lee's second time on the show. Previously, in episode 56, we discussed how to maintain a high standards in Lean and Six Sigma. Today, we talked about his experiences in problem solving with many different industries. What you'll learn in this episode: Are PDCA and A3 the same as 6 Sigma? What’s the best way to identify the 8th form of waste? Do we still need a team of people to do a project? Why does continuous improvement deployment often fail? What then are the tips for a successful roll out? About the Guest: Lee Campe, is the President of Performance Excellence Inc. He is a Certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Lee is a proven Lean Six Sigma deployment leader with a wide array of expertise in all facets of business and Continuous Improvement. He also is one of the few instructors with extensive experience in Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) and Innovation through design thinking. Lee also served as a US Army Ranger. Prior to starting Performance Excellence, Lee was a Master Black Belt (MBB) for the Home Depot, where he was responsible for coaching employees and mentoring projects across the US. Projects Lee mentored provided the company with over $200 million in savings. Prior to the Home Depot, Lee was the Vice President and Master Black Belt for JP Morgan Chase in New York. His responsibilities included coaching and training Champions, Black Belts, Green Belts, and management in the DMAIC and DFSS methodologies. During his tenure, Lee trained over 100 Champions and mentored three enterprise-wide projects that identified over $20 Million in potential savings. As an MBB and Director at Cordis Corporation, a $1.3 billion Johnson and Johnson company, Lee was responsible for driving the implementation of Six sigma companywide. Charged with the goal of making Six Sigma part of the corporate culture, Lee was ultimately responsible for saving the company over $6 million annually. He also built the company’s transactional Six Sigma curriculum; developed the Six Sigma project database using DFSS for all of Johnson and Johnson; and trained and certified a J&J acquisition in Haifa, Israel. Important Links: http://leecampe.com/ http://www.linkedin.com/in/leecampe

This week I’m chatting with Michael Parent, a Master Lean Six Sigma Black belt and managing director of Michael Parent Consulting Services in Michigan. In this episode we talk about Lean and Human Centered Design and the value it offers Continuous Improvement in your business. What You’ll Learn This Episode: Operational Definition: What Human Centered Design Is Exploring Human Centered Design The value Human Centered Design offers for Lean, Six Sigma, and Continuous Improvement What Human Centered Design offers Lean and Six Sigma from a People perspective Innovation and organizational strategy, what are some key learning points to know About the Guest: Michael Parent is a Master Lean Six Sigma Black belt and managing director of Michael Parent Consulting Services in Michigan. He is also the author of “The Lean Innovation Cycle: A Multi-Disciplinary Framework for Designing Value with Lean and Human-Centered Design”. He was named an ASQ Rising Star in 2021. Parent received a Bachelor of Science, engineering degree in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and an MBA from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. Parent serves on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers Operational Excellence Division. Important Links: https://stats.stackexchange.com/users/205150/michael-parent?tab=profile linkedin.com/in/parent-michael