The Lean Solutions Podcast

This week, I’m talking to lean expert Tim Schipper about his book Innovative Lean Development and The Highly Effective Office and how you can incorporate lean into your office. In this episode we talk about how to use lean techniques in the office and admin side of business to eliminate excess waste so your business and team can be at their optimal performance. What You’ll Learn This Episode: Using lean in your office and the administrative side of business Eliminating motion waste and excess processing Lean focus for optimizing flow in the office Value stream maps in the office How to engage team members from the beginning The value of exposing waste Visuals for daily management About the Guest: Tim Schipper is the author of Innovative Lean Development and The Highly Effective Office. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Lean Product and Process Development Exchange, an organization promoting the exchange of information between companies in the areas of lean product and lean process development. Tim is an agile and lean expert, teacher, and coach. Important Links: https://www.amazon.com/Timothy-Schipper/e/B0026GSQTI?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1621458548&sr=1-1 https://www.linkedin.com/in/timschipper/

This week, I’m speaking with the founder and CEO of Impruver, Inc. Calvin Williams. Calvin founded Impruver Technologies after working for 20 years as an Operations Leader and Engineer with some of America’s premier manufacturing companies, generating Billions in growth opportunities and cost savings for those he has served. In this episode we talk about daily improvement and self discipline to leverage your continuous improvement journey. What You’ll Learn This Episode: Impruver and the benefits of using software in lean The connection between lean and fitness Daily habits for daily improvement The importance of self-discipline Time management and making time to improve About the Guest: Calvin Williams is the Founder and CEO of Impruver, Inc. and has also worked as a continuous improvement coach and consultant after spending many years as an industrial engineer and CI practitioner. Calvin built Impruver to address the challenges all companies seemed to face in their efforts to get better. These challenges include: lack of CI skills development throughout the enterprise, lack of leadership support and engagement, and lack of sufficient tools and information. Important Links: https://impruver.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvin-l-williams/

This week, I’m speaking with certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Project Management Professional and CI Instructor Katie Labedz, about her new book “How to Improve Absolutely Anything.” In this episode we talk about Katie’s recent book and the importance of continuous improvement including how to integrate it into your everyday life even outside of the office. What You’ll Learn This Episode: Visual leadership and how to use it How you can use continuous improvement in your everyday life including at home How Katie got her start in Lean and Six Sigma Katie’s favorite lean tools from her book What inspired Katie to write her book About the Guest: Katie Labedz is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt with over 20 years of experience implementing continuous improvement solutions within non-manufacturing and manufacturing environments. Her company is Learning to Lean. Katie also has her Master's certification in instructional design, her Project Management Professional (PMP) certification through PMI and is a certified instructor/facilitator through Langevin. Important Links: https://www.learningtolean.training/ https://www.amazon.com/How-Improve-Absolutely-Anything-Improvement/dp/B08ZDV42RF/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=katie+labedz&qid=1618940328&sr=8-1

This week, I’m speaking with Karyn Ross, the author of How to Coach for Creativity and Service Excellence: A Lean Coaching Workbook, and coauthor of the Shingo Award-winning, The Toyota Way to Service Excellence: Lean Transformation in Service Organizations. Karyn is an internationally acclaimed consultant, coach and lean practitioner, and focuses on teaching organizations of all sizes and sectors how to use creativity combined with Toyota Way principles, practices and tools. This powerful combination enables organizations to create better, more effective and efficient ways to work. While many other Lean consultants focus on implementing tools, Karyn teaches teams how to use Practical Creativity™ to continuously strive towards service excellence. Karyn is on a mission to 'Help People Improve the World'. In this episode we talk about the important link between leadership and kindness, how to practice kindness in community and the impact listening can have when you’re in a leadership role. Important Links: https://karynrossconsulting.com/ https://loveandkindnessproject.org/ http://bit.ly/2R2qvo9 https://karynrossconsulting.com/announcing-the-new-school-for-kind-leaders-2/ https://womeninlean.org/

This week, I’m talking with Bob Emiliani, engineer, researcher, author, historian of progressive management, educational reformer, and executive coach. Bob is also a long-time TPS/Lean practitioner and was the first to focus on so-called "Lean leadership" as an area of scholarly study. Dr. 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. In this episode we talk about the teachings in Bob’s books, loosening the grip of classical management, how to be successful with Lean and why leaders resist or reject Lean. Important Links: BobEmiliani.com Link to register for Summer Learning Festival https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkcOyrrTkoEtRaHkGa0F2FPMb3cZru5xPA https://bobemiliani.com/book/triumph-classical-management/ https://bobemiliani.com/book/irrational-institutions/ https://bobemiliani.com/book/management-mysterium/

This week, I’m talking with Karen Martin, President of the global consulting firm TKMG, Inc. and President and Founder of TKMG Academy, Inc. Karen is a leading authority on business performance improvement, problem solving, and Lean management systems. Known for her keen diagnostic skills and rapid-results approach, Karen and her team have worked with clients—such as Adventist Health, AT&T, Chevron, Epson, GlaxoSmithKline, Goodwill Industries, International Monetary Fund, Lenovo, Mayo Clinic, Prudential Insurance, Qualcomm, and the United States Department of Homeland Security—to develop more efficient work systems, grow market share, solve business problems, and accelerate performance. Karen Martin is also an established author and her latest book, Clarity First, reveals how to use clarity to unleash potential, innovate at higher levels, and solve problems more effectively. In this episode we talk about clarity and how to address fear so you can break through any barriers blocking clarity. Important Links: vwww.tkmg.com www.tkmgacademy.com https://twitter.com/karenmartinopex https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenmartinopex/

This week, I’m talking with Deondra Wardelle, a corporate trainer, licensed health coach, problem solver, motivational speaker and continuous improvement professional. Deondra is an inspirational leader who serves as a strategic business partner, cultural change steward and operational expert. She has effectively led change management process strategies that facilitate organizational transformation and increase overall capabilities. While her inclusive management style encourages idea sharing and inspires exceptionalism in others, her proven ability to design and deliver a comprehensive range of learning solutions has produced measurable results for her clients. In this episode, we talk about Deondra’s strategic vision boarding, her work with Kata, and her leadership role with #rootcauseracism. Important Links: https://www.deondrawardelle.com/ https://twitter.com/DeondraWardelle https://www.linkedin.com/in/deondrarwardelle/

In this episode, I talk with Ron Pereira, the co-founder of Gemba Academy and the host of the Gemba Academy Podcast. Ron also has more than 20 years experience working in operations, engineering, supply chain, and continuous improvement. We talk about Ron’s start with Lean and Six Sigma, how the Gemba Academy was born, the importance of scientific thinking and his advice to anyone on the continuous improvement journey. Important Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leansixsigmaacademy/ https://www.gembaacademy.com/ https://blog.gembaacademy.com/podcasts/

In this episode, I introduce you to Question 2 out of my book, Avoiding the Continuous Appearance Trap: Where Are Your Leaders Spending Their Time? I talk about leader standard work, Dr. Jeff Liker's Leadership Development Model, and the 6 key traits of a lean leader.

In this episode, I talk with Charlie Protzman about how to leverage lean in the healthcare industry. Charlie gives us some great history around PDCA as well as a deep dive into a few case studies where he applied the BASICS Lean Implementation Model in hospitals.

In this episode, I play back a recording of a workshop presentation I gave at the Lean Six Sigma World Conference where I discussed the famous Marshmallow Challenge. I introduced some facilitation techniques and discussion questions for exercise reflection time.

In this episode, I interview Dr. Jeff Liker about The Toyota Way 2nd Edition which was recently published. We 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 in 2021.

In this episode, I talk with my guest, John Dennis, about the International Lean Six Sigma Institute. We talk about the differences between Lean and Six Sigma and dive into the challenges organizations face when adopting these into their organizations.

In this episode, I discuss the new management system needed to support and sustain continuous improvement initiatives. I give listeners an overview of the leadership traits and behaviors necessary to support lean initiatives. This is a great episode to share with your leadership team!

In this episode, listeners will hear an introduction to my new book, Avoiding The Continuous Appearance Trap. I discuss the book dedication, introduction, and dive into the first of the twelve questions: Are you Content. Get your copy at www.avoidcontinuousappearance.com.

In this episode, listeners will hear a piece from our Lean Leadership Certification as the Lean Solutions Academy. I explain the difference between leadership and management, identify the five leadership actions, and define servant leadership.

In this short episode, I give an introduction to value stream mapping along with six steps to create a value stream map. I also list the eight point future state criteria.

This episode was recorded as a webinar with Dorsey Sherman, Executive Leadership & Kata Coach. We define and explore Improvement Kata in detail.

In this episode, I talk with Steve Kane, the Director of Customer Success at the Gemba Academy. This was a recorded webinar from a few months back but is still very relevant today as we begin looking forward into 2021. Enjoy!

In this episode, Jack Kahler and I discuss why "cashing the check" and bottom-line impact is so important for lean initiatives. We also discuss how to "speak the same language" as executive decision-makers when it comes to improvements and cost savings. Jack can be contacted by emailing him at [email protected].

In this episode I talk with Dagmar Vlahos, Lean Professional at the University of New Hampshire about Lean in Higher Education. We discuss their model for business improvements as well as the impact of covid 19 on her work at the university.

In episode 13, I discussed the importance of keeping things simple. Then in episode 15, I gave a deep dive into keeping things visual. In this episode, I talk about the final aspect of great lean cultures which is continuous improvement. I give you three points to remember when developing a continuous improvement culture.

In this episode, I discuss the second area important in supporting a culture of continuous improvement; keep it visual! I talk about three points that are important to remember when it comes to keeping things visual. Enjoy!

In this episode, we travel back to May of 2020 when Panos Efsta presented some great insights around the importance of curiosity and system thinking. We also talk about TWI, Job Methods, and even Toyota Kata!

One of the biggest reasons people fail to maintain a robust lean system is their desire for complexity. This desire seems to be human nature. We begin simply enough, but then we add more and more levels of complexity until eventually, we have a system that takes far too long to maintain.When we are working with human beings, we must keep things as simple as possible or things will begin to fall apart. In this episode, I give you three points to remember to help keep things simple.

In this episode, Robert Heath and I discuss his newest book, Thriving in Chaos, with a deep dive into two of the five steps to mastering your time and improving your personal productivity.

In this episode I talk with Ken Kooistra, a Professional EOS Implementer at Georgetown Innovations, about the 5 Leadership Abilities taught through the EOS system.

In this episode, I address the topic of failure. One of my favorite books was written by Michael Abrashoff, a former Navy Commander. He wrote the book, It’s Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy, a story of organizational transformation and innovative leadership. In this episode I talk about decision making and risk necessary to create a culture of continuous improvement. Enjoy!

In this episode, Mark and I discuss his new book, Measures of Success. During the conversation, we talk about the ups and downs of business and how to properly measure and manage for success. Mark gives us an understanding of process behavior charts, vanity metrics, and we even get into the red bead experiment! Don't forget to check out Mark's new podcast, "My Favorite Mistake." You can also find it at www.MyFavoriteMistakePodcast.com

In this episode I talk with Edward Blackman, global consultant and founder of Kelda Consulting, about behavior and how it affects business. We discuss topics like feedback, performance reviews, the red bead experiment, and company strategy. Enjoy!

In this episode, I introduce an empowerment coninuum we use to help determine the level of empowerment in an organization and whether or not teams are ready to move toward shared accountability.

In this episode, I spoke with Katie Anderson just before her book launch and gained an insider's view of how the book was written and why. Listen in as Katie talks about her and Mr. Yoshino's intentions behind the book, their journey together, and the many learnings along the way for Mr. Yoshino and Katie herself.

In this episode, I give three ways to sustain lean initiatives as learned in recruit training at the US Marine Corps.

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

In this episode, I talk about the ingredients necessary to spark and maintain a fire of continuous improvement in your organization.

In this episode, I'll be talking specifically about the leadership behaviors necessary to support a continuous improvement journey.

In this introduction episode, Patrick Adams introduces listeners to The Lean Solutions Podcast. He discussed the background, motivation, and metric impact from this past year.