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 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. 

This episode will be available only to Apple Podcasts subscribers through January 3rd, 2024. My guests today are Catherine Chabiron and Fabrice Bernhard, discussing her new book "Learning to Scale at Theodo Group.” Today, we delve into the broadened application of lean principles in our discussion with Fabrice Bernhard and Catherine Chabiron. They both share how Theodo 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, Theodo 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.

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 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 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 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.

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 (mark@leanblog.org) 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. 

Here's a musical holiday treat for my regular Lean Blog readers and podcast listeners, a song parody, originally released in 2009... remastered a bit here in 2022. https://www.leanblog.org/2022/12/gemba-claus-comin-town-song/  Gemba Claus is Comin' to Town Lyrics by Mark Graban Performance by Steve Sholtes Oh, you'd better watch out You'd better kaizen You'd better not pout, I'm tellin' ya then Gemba Claus is comin' to town He's making a list Just checking it once Doin' it twice would waste a whole bunch Gemba Clause is comin' to town He sees you when you're waitin' He knows when your work flows He knows if changeovers are too long So do SMED  for goodness sake Oh, you'd watch out You'd better not pause You'd better not pout Find the real root cause Gemba Claus is comin' to Town! For voiceover work, music, or more, you can contact Steve via his website, www.stevesholtes.com. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Episode page with transcript, video, and more My guest for Episode #465 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is the legendary (my word, not his) author, consultant, and speaker — Tom Peters. His new book is Tom Peters's Compact Guide to Excellence. Click here to enter to win a paperback copy (through December 20). He was previously a guest in Episode 382 of this podcast and My Favorite Mistake Episode 58. See previous blog posts about Tom and his ideas. Today, Tom and I talk about some core concepts from his book, but we also weave through many topics including leadership that demonstrates “extreme humanism” (and leaders who do not, such as Elon Musk). As always, it's a fun, free-wheeling, and thought-provoking conversation when Tom is involved. Note: Tom says he swears like a sailor… there are a few occasional mild curse words, so please be warned about that. Questions, Notes, and highlights: The moral bankruptcy of “maximizing shareholder value” — are we really moving away from that? Getting lip service from the Conference Board and others? “People got ‘the brand called you' all wrong — it's not about self-marketing” “Being good is good business. When you take the high moral ground it is difficult for anyone to object without sounding like a complete fool.” Caring about people… Reminds me of Paul O'Neill saying nobody should ever get hurt at work (Alcoa) — “habitual excellence“ The HP Way – Management By Wandering Around (MBWA) is an “intimate act” Following up on our Aug 2020 discussion about leading during Covid… how is MBZA (management by zooming around) working out? You've been very active on Twitter — still there? Should we still be using Twitter, even the free service? 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.   

Katie Anderson, her 6th appearance Episode page with video, photos, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #464 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Katie Anderson, who is, among other things, the author of the book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn. She has previously been a guest here in Episodes 233, 275, 302, 326, and 425. Katie has also been a guest twice on “My Favorite Mistake” — once with Isao Yoshino and once on her own. Today, Katie and I talk about the recent AME annual conference that was held in Dallas. We both heard Larry Culp, CEO of General Electric (and GE Aviation) speak for 15 minutes, and we discuss that here today. We also recap highlights from (and our reflections about) the fireside chat that Katie had with Larry on stage. Notes and highlights: Listen to Katie on the internal GE podcast (named “Andon That Note”) she mentions in this episode Discussing the panel discussion that I moderated with Deondra Wardelle and Amy Gowder Gary Michel, another great CEO speaker at the event Larry: “This is how we manage” (Lean) Going to the gemba? Why? Process and people Top down and bottom up – operationalizing Hoshin Kanri Learning from mistakes, how a leader reacts to bad news From telling to asking questions – breaking the telling habit Having a coach as CEO… why Larry thinks that's so important Larry: “You don't go to HBS to learn how to ask questions” 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 transcript, video, and more My guest for Episode #463 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Jim Benson, the CEO of Modus Cooperandi, and co-founder of Modus Institute. He was previously a guest on Episodes 155 and 401. He was also a guest on Lean Whiskey #25 with me and Jamie Flinchbaugh (and #31), and was guest #4 on My Favorite Mistake. A pioneer in applying Lean and Kanban to knowledge work, Jim is the creator of Personal Kanban and is co-author of Personal Kanban: Mapping Work, Navigating Life, winner of the Shingo Research and Publication Award. His other books include Why Plans Fail, Why Limit WIP, and Beyond Agile. His latest book is The Collaboration Equation: Strong Professionals, Strong Teams, Strong Delivery. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: How do you define collaboration?  As an angry punk rocker? Parallels to startup software companies?? The balance between “every building/patient is unique “vs. having knowledge/structure/process?? Standard work for encountering complexity When a major problem gets solved and nobody ends up in tears – From lawsuits, yelling, and strife — to collaborative problem solving? How? Culture as it exists… culture as we are creating…?? Team deciding the culture vs. the CEO or leader having a vision of what the culture should be? What the CEO says vs. what is the reality? Value Stream Mapping as a “ruse”… a way to uncover team breakdown problems Flapping our mouths vs. information about what's really happening?? Get comfortable with change happening every day Be hard on the process, not the people? But the system is made of people… The FEELING of being respected Fear as a cause of problems — “Every real collaboration has psychological safety” What have you learned about PS, how to gauge it, and how to create it? “You can't go buy a box of psychological safety” An NBA superteam… how would YOU lead them? Getting over your damn self The power of team members who are more likely to talk about others than themselves “Do you feel heard…” — or are you actually heard? What readers would get the most out of this book? 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. 

Expert on mistakes and mistake proofing, professor and former business school dean Episode page with video, transcript, and more: https://leanblog.org/462  My guest for Episode #462 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Professor John Grout the former dean of the Campbell School of Business at Berry College in Rome, Georgia.  He was recently a guest on “My Favorite Mistake” — Episode 186, so I encourage you to check that out. He's the current Chair of the Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Data Analytics Department and the David C. Garrett Jr. Professor of Business Administration. John has overseen the development, approval and implementation of Berry College's Creative Technologies program and Berry's makerspace, HackBerry Lab.  Dr. Grout has researched mistake-proofing extensively and published numerous articles on mistake-proofing. In 2004, John received the Shingo Prize for his paper, “The Human Side of Mistake-Proofing” with Douglas Stewart. John has also consulted with a large variety of firms to mistake-proof their processes. He's also published “Mistake-Proofing the Design of Health Care Processes” a book that's freely available online. His Website: https://mistakeproofing.com/ Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Your origin story – how did you first get introduced to TPS, Lean, etc? Context of discovering mistake proofing? Shingo's book on Poka Yoke “Shingo was not kind to Statistical Quality Control”… use SQC and/or mistake proofing? Acceptance sampling… keeps bad product out… maybe? Field goals — Conformity to specs vs. closer to center? Successive checks and self checks Source inspections – Shingo's gold standard Why should you react when a part's out of control but still in spec?? Do you HAVE to stop the line? Don't be dogmatic?? Statistics don't do well with rare events Do we have data on how universal the “universal protocol” is? Doctor signing vs. you signing the surgical site? ZERO – “the only way to go” in terms of goals The goal of “zero defects” can be controversial.. is it possible? Motivating? Demoralizing? Possible research – optimal time to stop doing final inspection?? Why is it easier to error proof now? Technology “People don't like to own up to mistakes” Naida Grunden episode on aviation safety Can't error proof everything?? Preventing execution errors is easier than preventing decision errors The balance and benefits of examples to copy vs. developing thinking?? “Catalog or catalyst”?? BOTH 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. 

Video, transcript, and more: https://leanblog.org/461  My guest for Episode #461 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Gauthier Duval, the Director of the Lean Center of Excellence at Veryable. He's applied and taught Lean for over 18 years, including time with Freudenberg-NOK (an auto supplier featured in the book Lean Thinking), Simpler Consulting, and other manufacturing companies in the U.S. and Europe. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Your Lean origin story? The next steps in your career and learning?? Freudenberg-NOK — 2004 — Growtth Consulting spinoff Working with Lean – Europe vs. US? Simpler – worked with Chris Cooper – Episode #129 Your view on the role of what's often called “kaizens” (kaizen events) vs. ongoing daily kaizen improvement? Multi-day events vs. small discontinuous improvements? How should people be participating? The role of the senior leader? Kicking a company president out of a Kaizen Event?? Lessons you've learned on the psychology of change? Organizational behavior and organizational development? — how do you define that?  What makes an organization a “learning organization?” Chris Argyris — why should more Lean people be reading his work? Tell us about Veryable – the company, the problems you solve and how it works… How to expand “JIT” beyond just materials? Variable labor in a “lean mindset” way — including “respect for people”?? 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 #460 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Philip Holt. He is currently Senior Vice President, Operational Excellence at GKN Aerospace, the world's leading multi-technology Tier 1 Aerospace supplier, and has over 30 years of business experience in leadership roles spanning the customer value chain, in industry-leading Companies also including Philips, Gillette, and Travelport. He is the author of three Lean Leadership books:  Leading with Lean: An Experience-based guide to Leading a Lean Transformation The Simplicity of Lean: Defeating Complexity; Delivering Excellence Leading Lean by Living Lean: Changing how you Lead, not who you are You can learn more at Philip's website. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Your “Lean origin story?” “Thought I knew what Lean was” How did visiting Japan help? Kaikaku — breakthrough improvement vs. continuous improvement Systemic view of Lean / TPS – can't grab just pieces True North?? How to define that? What are some of the ways in which people overcomplicate Lean? Overcomplicating problem solving? Six Sigma… A3? Start at the most simple form of problem solving  How do you describe Lean simply? How do you define “transformation”? When it's fully aligned with the strategy of the company… What “transformational results” would you expect to see? Zero Accidents goal – the Heinrich Triangle Unlearning the old way so we can lead in a Lean way? The personal benefits of Lean at work and life?? What is a “life in balance”?? What does that mean to you? Using lean tools at home? Push vs. pull for information?? 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. 

VP of Advisory Services, Value Capture Episode page with video, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #459 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is my colleague, Gerald Harris, a Vice President of Advisory Services at the firm Value Capture. Disclosure – I often work as a senior advisor with Value Capture clients and I have a marketing role with the firm. Gerald has over 25 years of leadership experience in the delivery of successful large-scale lean transformations across a broad range of industries and companies. His industry experience includes various automotive manufacturing settings and products and, for the past 14 years, healthcare. While at Tenneco Automotive, a $1.5 billion manufacturer of exhaust and ride control systems, Gerald implemented lean manufacturing and lean enterprise improvement principles throughout the organization. For the 14 years before joining Value Capture, Gerald served as Executive Director for Simpler North America, where he was instrumental in client launches and Executive Coaching for most of Simpler's largest clients. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: How — when and where — did you first get introduced to Lean? Motivations for Lean in those early settings? Early activities — what went well? Lessons learned from challenges?  PULL – “flow if you can, pull if you must, but never push” Did people there even think that improvement was possible? Any improvement was possible? Short-term vs. longer-term countermeasures, adding inventory to be able to improve — or adding labor? “Step change” – response to medication errors? Adding inspection step? Interesting that Toyota still has final inspection?? Systems vs. processes? Work, management, improvement systems From nursing tasks to the healthcare value stream Seeing vs. purposeful observation? Value Capture's “guided self-assessment” Leaders being too far removed from the work in healthcare How did you find the right balance as a plant manager? You've gotten more than comfortable with both… Bigger adjustment — becoming a consultant or shifting into healthcare? The pitch for Value Capture? Envisioning the IDEAL – how do we get to zero? 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.   

Partner with Coltala Holdings Episode page with video, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #458 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Damon Baker. He was recently my guest in Episode #454. He is the founder and CEO of the firm Lean Focus. He's also a Private Equity Partner at Coltala Holdings.  Today, we're taking a deeper dive into the world of private equity, how Lean can support a particular P.E. model, and the “Ownership Works” Initiative. Damon Baker has been implementing Lean practices in various GM & VP-level capacities for more than 25 years, but it was at Danaher, where he worked for nine years, that his passion for true business transformation was born. He was instrumental in developing Danaher's company-wide Problem-Solving Process, and was inspired to create a new, comprehensive business system that enables organizations to improve on all fronts. He has worked in a Shingo Prize-winning facility and is a Shingo Prize Examiner.  Over his career, Damon has demonstrated hands-on leadership and facilitation of 500+ kaizen events in close to 100 major corporations in 16 different countries. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Private Equity 101? Public vs. private vs. private equity? Two types of P.E. firms Time is up and the fund exits? Means they have to sell the companies? Has there been a shift in the PE philosophy on extracting value vs. creating value, or do some just do it differently / better? Mission over margin? Conscious Capitalism? Lean in private equity — What does PE care about?? Vs. Public Equity How did you get first get involved with PE? Coltala Enterprise System? Which tools to apply in which business? Priorities and problem solving? A lean practitioner working for a PE-owned company? What to ask or look for? Humility and confidence – Larry Culp talked about this Tell us about the “Ownership Works Initiative” — KKR and other firms (TPG) – it's not ESOP model 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.   

Kata geek and coach Episode page with video, transcript, and more Joining me for Episode #457 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Sam Morgan. Sam is a self-proclaimed “confident learner” and earlier this year after 5 years of practice in the continuous improvement space he landed at KataCon, a conference for continuous improvement professionals who practice the Toyota Kata.   At KataCon, he had a powerful moment realizing where his true passion lies: transforming people through coaching. I'll ask Sam more about that. Sam finds joy in seeing his clients move from fearful to fearless; from insecure to confident.  I know Sam as the host of the YouTube series “C.I. in 5” and he's been part of a learning and collaboration group called “The Lean Communicators.“ His newly launched coaching website is www.illuminatecoach.com. You can also find him on LinkedIn. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: How, when, and where did you first get introduced to continuous improvement concepts and methods? How did you get introduced to Toyota Kata? What does it mean to be a “confident learner”? Adam Grant's book Think Again Why “Sam Loves Lean” as an email account and account name? We turn the tables on Sam to ask him his “C.I. in 5” What is your C.I. in 5? – “confident learning for all” Tell me about your t-shirt… and for those who are listening via podcast instead of watching via YouTube Respect for people Intentionally focusing on inviting guests who are women of color? And people of color more broadly… “There's not that many Black faces in attendance at Lean conferences, yet alone up on stage,… in what way does systemic racism cause that? What can we, what should we do about that?” Being welcoming vs. expanding the pool? Company representation in CI roles? What is your “Illuminate U” program? 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.   

CEO of Stiles Associates Episode page with video, transcript, and more Joining me for Episode #456 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Jake Stiles, CEO of Stiles Associates. For nearly three decades, Jake has played an instrumental role in growing Stiles Associates from a niche recruiting agency to the premier Lean executive search firm in the country.  He's helped transform client organizations by placing top talent across a wide spectrum of industrial segments including manufacturing, consulting, healthcare and professional services.  As Lean and continuous improvement have spread from factory floors to hospitals, financial institutions and beyond, Jake has continued to build ties to thought leaders and increase Lean's scope at the most innovative institutions.  As a result, he's served as a member of numerous industry associations and boards – including the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) and the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (GBMP). Disclosure: Stiles Associates has been a sponsor of the podcast since the start of 2021. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: How did you first get introduced to Lean? Brought Art Byrne into Wiremold as CEO Looking for 80% personality / 20% technical?? “Not settling… always pushing, but bringing the team along” — emotional intelligence  Tips for being successful in a new environment? Transformational executives? Does their experience translate?  Operating vs. transforming – how to evaluate beyond a willingness to lead it?? Search process similar to the transformation process — understanding the current state and the issues… what problem are you trying to solve? Iteration with the client Jumping across industries — in particular Manufacturing to Healthcare? Key success factors? How are you counseling hiring companies in a very competitive market?? Candidate-driven market? Advice for how to work with a recruiter (as a candidate) vs. applying directly for a job? Compensation “correction” is coming?? Is accepting a counteroffer always a bad idea?  Differences in working for a public company vs a PE company? 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. 

Former Toyota employee and author Episode page with transcript and more My guest for Episode #455 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Ken Pilone. He is the author of Lean Leadership on a Napkin: An Executive's Guide to Lean Transformation in Three Proven Steps. Ken has more than 30 years of experience in Organization Development in Government, Retail, Automotive, Distribution, and Aerospace. He is currently the Senior Manager of Business Process Engineering at Providence Health & Services — a role that encompasses internal Lean consulting, including executive coaching, lean training, leadership development, and all functions typical of a lean promotion or PI/CI function. He spent nearly 20 years with Toyota as Lean consultant within 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 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. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Your Lean/TPS origin story? How did you end up at Toyota? How did they train and develop you? What did you have to unlearn? The University of Toyota – purpose for that? Bigger challenge: Translating TPS and Japanese where it's not manufacturing or where it's not Japan? The “Center for Lean Thinking” at Toyota — No heartburn over the word Lean? Why call it that? Was there debate about that? “The Toyota salute” = a shrug (I dunno) TPS = Lean? It depends?? Hard to get Toyota to define TPS — always changing How was Toyota distinguishing between TPS and Lean internally? Copying practices vs. principles? “Single biggest failure mode” = practices & tools and why aren't I getting the same result… “Toyota Traditions” curriculum What inspired you to write the book? 3 step approach — introduction, integration, and internalization? Vs. implementation? The most common or most harmful misinformation out there about Lean and Lean leadership? 5 Whys — why 5 isn't a “rigid rule”? Why could it be seen as “offensive” if somebody describes themselves as a “sensei”? 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. 

CEO of "Lean Focus" Episode page with video, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #454 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Damon Baker. He is the founder and CEO of the firm Lean Focus. He's also a Private Equity Partner at Coltala Holdings.  Damon Baker has been implementing Lean practices in various GM & VP-level capacities for more than 25 years, but it was at Danaher, where he worked for nine years, that his passion for true business transformation was born. He was instrumental in developing Danaher's company-wide Problem-Solving Process, and was inspired to create a new, comprehensive business system that enables organizations to improve on all fronts. He has worked in a Shingo Prize-winning facility and is a Shingo Prize Examiner.  Over his career, Damon have demonstrated hands-on leadership and facilitation of 500+ kaizen events in close to 100 major corporations in 16 different countries. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: How did you first get introduced to Lean or TPS — what was the context and the circumstances? Want people to have a positive experience with Lean… Evaluating someone's lineage?? Company, influences, who they learned from?? What were the key components of the Danaher Business System — and why a “business system” instead of a “production system”? You say “The Lean community has a marketing problem” — why is that and how do you define that problem? Our language vs. the language CEOs speak CEOs care about value creation, making the quarter, how Lean is going to help them Conferences as echo chambers — where are CEOs and CHROs going to? “Our CEO isn't buying in…” — what do you suggest? How many CEOs are “Lean Zealots” like Art Byrne?? Tell us more about your firm Lean Focus –what types of clients do you serve? Lean in private equity — What does PE care about?? Vs. Public Equity Has there been a shift in the PE philosophy on extracting value vs. creating value, or do some just do it differently / better? Tell us about the “Ownership Works Initiative” — KKR and other firms (TPG) 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. 

My guest for Episode #453 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Sarah Boisvert. She is the founder of New Collar Network and Fab Lab Hub.  Episode page Her career spans advanced “smart” manufacturing, art and music, and innovative workforce training.  Her mission as part of the Fab Lab Network is to create pathways that often do not require college degrees to well-paying, engaging “New Collar” careers, utilizing disruptive technologies like 3D printing, laser machining, robotics, VR and AI/machine learning. She's joining us on the podcast from Albuquerque. She is the author of the books The New Collar Workforce and People of the New Collar Workforce. In collaboration with Santa Fe Community College, Boisvert also founded the New Collar Innovation Center at the Santa Fe Higher Education Center in 2021 to foster innovation in lifelong learning, New Collar workforce training, and the creation of 21st-century startups.  Sarah is going to be part of a main stage keynote panel at the AME annual conference, being held in Dallas, October 17 to 20. Joining Sarah on the panel are Deondra Wardelle, who was my guest in Episode 405, and also Amy Gowder, President and CEO of GE Aviation Military Systems Operations. I'm going to be moderating the panel. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: You've done many fascinating things in your career… but to ground the conversation, for this podcast, what was your first exposure to Lean manufacturing? Deming? Lean in your kitchen?– her choice, reducing frustration “Lean is people centric” You said in 2018: “U.S. manufacturing companies are expected to face a shortage of 2 million skilled workers by the year 2020.” — assume this came true? Made worse by the pandemic? It's worse, much worse than predicted? A problem beyond manufacturing For these new technologies…Which of those skills are most in short supply?  What are the skills that “new collar” employees need to have… coming out of high school? Problem solving — it CAN be taught As you shared on LinkedIn… “General Motors is expanding hiring requirements to skills, not just degrees!   Give an example of how “degree creep” causes problems? Working with Los Alamos National Laboratories to also change hiring policies? As an expert in 3D printing, how do you help companies decide when 3D printing isn't just “cool” but is actually more effective and the preferred choice? Are your earrings 3d printed? YES What are the benefits of 3D printing?? There are people in Dallas working on a 3D-printed house? Concrete? 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.     

Founder of “Launch Tomorrow.” Episode page with transcript, video, and more My guest for Episode #452 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Luke Szyrmer. He's the founder of “Launch Tomorrow.” He helps new technology products get to market faster (even remotely). Luke is the author of the books Align Remotely: How to achieve together, when everyone is working from home and Launch Tomorrow: Take Your Product, Startup, or Business From Idea to Launch in One Day. He's the host of the highly rated “Managing Remote Teams” podcast. He comes from a product management background and has a BA in Economics and English from the University of Pennsylvania. He's joining us on the podcast from Poland. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Background question — How did you get introduced to Agile, Lean Startup, things like that? “Fuzzy side of innovation”?? — time wasted 20-30 years ago? Doing the wrong things righter? Tampering – and increasing variation Processes for creating software? When you were reading about “Lean Manufacturing”? How does that resonate with? How does that relate to you and your work? How easy is it to estimate “story points”? Lean Thinking – batch vs flow… physical flow vs. work flow — Adaptations to the flow of software? Takt time – how to translate this in terms of required software, requirements, points How did you learn about Process Behavior Charts? Why did that resonate with you? How do you incorporate PBCs into your work? Counting physical products vs. story points (something more esoteric)? Landing pages – product or service that doesn't exist yet What to test BEFORE a landing page? How to make a good decision with limited data points? What's so powerful about testing an idea as a hypothesis? 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: https://leanblog.org/451 My guest for Episode #451 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Dr. Alan G. Robinson. He specializes in managing ideas, building high-performance organizations, creativity, innovation, quality, and lean production. He is the co-author of 13 books, many of which have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. Dr. Robinson is on the faculty of the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts. He received his Ph.D. in applied mathematics from the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. and M.A. in mathematics from the University of Cambridge. He has served on the Board of Examiners of the United States' Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and on the Board of Examiners for the Shingo Prizes for Excellence in Manufacturing. He's a returning guest (Episode 217) – talked about one of his previous books (co-authored with Dean Schroeder) — The Idea-Driven Organization. His bestselling book, Ideas Are Free, co-authored with Schroeder, was based on a global study of more than 150 organizations in 17 countries. It describes how the best companies go about getting large numbers of ideas from their front-line employees, and the competitive advantages they gain from this. His new book, available now, also co-authored with Schroeder is Practical Innovation in Government: How Front-Line Leaders Are Transforming Public-Sector Organizations. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: As we've learned from you previously… “Roughly 80 percent of any organization's improvement potential lies in front-line ideas.” — Potential? Continuous Improvement vs Innovation? Used to draw a distinction The Tesla factory doesn't have the continuous improvement culture of NUMMI? How much progress have you seen in terms of executives understanding the power of engaging everybody in bring forward and implementing ideas? Alan's first book was with Shingo — “mass creativity” UMass Memorial Health — 100,000 ideas and your role helping them? Tell us about the new book — what prompted you and Dean to write this for this audience? What prompted the research? Educating / influencing elected leaders vs. career government employees The role of front-line leaders vs. senior leaders vs. elected officials? Non-partisan – almost 50/50 from their research party wise The phrase “practical innovation”? Does adopting these practices mean we are “running government like a business”??  Adoption at local (including schools), state, or federal levels? Does “practical innovation” get past pointing simply to budgets as a barrier? Demanding cost savings or ROI is a kiss of death for improvement? 1841 — Original article that invented cost/benefit analysis… “only useful for the simplest…” “Why cost/benefit analysis is stupid“ Would we expect government in Japan to be a leader in Kaizen?

Episode page: https://leanblog.org/450 My guest for Episode #450 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Professor Torbjorn Netland, Ph.D. Tor is the chair of production and operations management in the department of management, technology and economics at ETH Zurich in Switzerland.  He is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Advanced Manufacturing and Value Chains and a Fellow of the European Academy for Industrial Management.  His award-winning research on managing performance improvement appears in leading scientific journals such as Management Science, MIT Sloan Management Review, Journal of Operations Management,  and more. Tor is a recognized thought-leader in operational excellence (including lean) and is the recipient of two Shingo Research Awards and numerous teaching awards.  His blogs at www.better-operations.com. Like my recent guest, Dr. Lisa Yerian (ep 449), Tor is going to be one of the keynote speakers at the 2022 AME Conference, being held in Dallas — Oct 17 to 20. I'll be there and I hope you will be too. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Tor, what is the topic of your keynote talk on the AME theme of “Embrace Disruption”? Tell us your thoughts on the role of new technologies in Lean? Not just emulating Toyota of the 1960s Lessons learned about bringing new ideas to people? The dream of the lights-out factory has been haunting us for a while now – GM CEO Roger Smith in the 1980s and in more recent years Elon Musk at Tesla… is that still a dream? Is it a dystopian nightmare? Or something in between? How did you first get interested in Lean and Operational Excellence? Dogma vs practical realities – Buffers? Inspection? Last year, you blogged about the confusion around “what is Lean?” How do you define Lean and what's the most common confusion? Different views of researchers?  How do you describe the role of company-specific production systems? Difference in having YOUR production system vs. just a name? “If you like heated debates, start a discussion thread on the definition of lean on LinkedIn.” Another heated debate — Lean is not TPS? Goes beyond TPS? Tell us why it's wrong to blame JIT for pandemic-era supply chain problems… You have a textbook, written with Michel Baudin, coming out — tell us about that? 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. 

Chief Improvement Officer at the Cleveland Clinic Episode page My guest for Episode #449 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Lisa Yerian, MD. She joined Cleveland Clinic in anatomic pathology in 2004, and has held several pathology and enterprise leadership positions. After 10 years serving as Medical Director of Continuous Improvement, Dr. Yerian was named Cleveland Clinic's first Chief Improvement Officer of Continuous Improvement in December 2019. She's going to be one of the keynote speakers at the 2022 AME Conference, being held in Dallas — Oct 17 to 20. I'll be there and I hope you will be too. Lisa was previously a guest here in Episode 282 back in 2017. Also joining that for that episode was our friend and her colleague, Nate Hurle. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Remembering Nate Hurle (my blog post) My last podcast with him (episode 404), Nate talked about how the CCIM and your continuous improvement work was helping with Covid testing, treatment, and vaccination… new processes. As you shared recently at the Catalysis Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit, how did your Lean management system get you through Covid?  Daily management system Tiered daily huddles Problem solving systems “Covid put that system to the test” Adaptations were required — learned how to make changes to the standard work in hours, not weeks Urgency – had to work past the old expectation that it takes 3 months to solve problems The Cleveland Clinic journey 2006: project-based work and some basic tools 2012: deliberately focused on building culture Started a “culture of improvement” A3 Defined current state, future state — and the gap Challenge: perception that we're already doing well enough Little Red Book of Selling (a book Nate loved) Culture of excellence – “Not getting better fast enough” A3 problem solving “Having a piece of paper is a way to de-escalate…” Building on a culture of patients first Lisa's appearance with me on the Habitual Excellence podcast Good enough, world class, vs. aiming for zero harm?  

Episode page, video, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #448 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Rich Sheridan, co-founder, CEO and “Chief Storyteller” of Menlo Innovations, a software and IT consulting firm that has earned numerous awards and press coverage for its innovative and positive workplace culture. He's a returning guest from Episode 189 back in 2014 — the same year that I had a chance to visit the Menlo Innovations office. We talked then about his first book Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love. His latest book, published in 2019, is Chief Joy Officer: How Great Leaders Elevate Human Energy and Eliminate Fear. Rich is giving a keynote talk, “Lead With Joy and Watch Your Team Fly!”, at the Michigan Lean Consortium annual conference, being held August 10-11 in Traverse City. I'll be there and I hope you'll join us. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: For those who didn't hear the first episode, how would you summarize “The Menlo Way”? And how has “the Menlo Way” evolved over the past 8 years? Why is “eliminating fear” so important and what drains joy from the workplace? “Tired programmers make bad software” Sustainable work pace Paired work – Erika and Lisa Individual performance reviews? “We've eliminated bosses” — nobody to review you, the team gives feedback, develops growth plan “Let's run the experiment” Toyota talks about the need for humble leaders — why is humility such an important trait? Do you hire for humility or try to screen out those without much humility? No longer say “we hire for culture fit” “Not an interview, an audition” Leadership lessons from the pandemic– 4 blog posts In “Chief Joy Officer” you write about the proverbial “mask” that leaders feel pressured to wear… masking how we really feel. Were you able to be your authentic whole self at work, fears and all, during the early stages of the pandemic? “Scared and panicked” – was it OK to share that with the team? “They're all adapting” – as a result of everything we've been doing for 19 years 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. 

As I did two weeks ago, when Jamie Flinchbaugh and I talked about “Lean 101” training (and should you skip it), I'm sharing another episode (as a “bonus” episode in the “Lean Blog Interviews” podcast series), a “just the Lean talk” discussion. This comes from Episode #27 where we started the episode by taking a deep dive into coffee (making it and drinking it at home) instead of talking whiskey. We were recording in the morning, so whiskey wasn't appropriate. The weather was nice, so Jamie was sitting outside, so we get to hear some birds in his background. Again, we know many of you don't care about the whiskey talk (or coffee talk), but Jamie suggested sharing this segment where we talked about Lean in relation to inventory and supply chains. This is from May of 2021, but we think it's still relevant. If you want to hear coffee talk, listen to or watch the whole version here. Our inventory talk includes a news story about 10 million bourbon barrels that are “resting” in inventory. But it's barely whiskey talk. We talk more about the supposed “death of Just In Time.” Ugh. As I said last time, Jamie Flinchbaugh and I started a podcast series just over three years ago called “Lean Whiskey.” It's a very conversational format and we've enjoyed doing it (and if anybody likes listening, then even better!). Links From the Show (about Lean): 10 Million bourbon barrels resting – too much or not enough?  The Wall Street Journey's misinformed piece on JIT, Jeff Liker on JIT, Dr. Jonathan Byrnes on supply chain shockwaves, and Dr. Byrnes as a guest Mark's LeanBlog podcast MIT's The Beer Game, system dynamics and accumulators and delays, and supply and demand

This is a "bonus" episode where Mark and Jamie talk about "Lean 101" training -- experiences, lessons learned, tips, and more. This is the "just the Lean" part of Episode #33 of our "Lean Whiskey" podcast. We realize some of you might not care about the whiskey talk or you just don't want to hear that at all. But, the Lean discussion is pretty good, so here it is. If you're interested in Lean Whiskey, it's quite likely that you can subscribe anywhere you are listening to this post.

Episode page: https://leanblog.org/447 My guest for Episode #447 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Lauren Hisey. Lauren is a Continuous Business Process Improvement consultant, coach, trainer, and speaker. She specializes in helping business owners and leaders from mid-size organizations uncover and solve their business problems with Continuous Business Process Improvement (Lean, Six Sigma, etc.). She helps your business and organization become simpler… faster… BETTER. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Why is it important not to jump to solutions with technology (Robotic Process Automation, AI, Machine Learning, or the new Hyper automation)? What is RPA? What do you mean by “digital transformation”? Bridging the gap – people, process, and technology Don't automate a bad process Why should you start with Value Stream mapping and then process mapping the current state and future state? VSM vs. process maps? Differences? Current state observation vs. future state creation? Virtual suggestion box situation – technology adoption? Virtual Gemba walks? Why are Gemba walks so important with understanding the current state and then the future state? Putting two things together — Lean transformation and digital transformation? 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. 

Partner with Svakarma Advisory, LLP, based in Mumbai India.  Episode page: https://leanblog.org/446  My guest for Episode #446 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Sumitra Vig. She is a partner with her advisory firm Svakarma Advisory, LLP, based in Mumbai India.  She is a customer experience specialist, an ASQ (American Society for Quality) Certified Manager of Quality & Organizational Excellence, and a master trainer & retail banker with years of hands-on international experience in Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Africa.  Sumitra has designed & conducted successful training programs, mentored employees & created an impact across continents Today, we discuss topics and questions including: How did you get introduced to Quality? First time right / first time quality from a customer lens — What is this? Does this mean “no mistakes”? What do we learn from mistakes? Does “first time right” put too much pressure on people? How can we design the product or service in a way that ALLOWS first time right? Design thinking — what does the customer really want? Measures — Problems vs reported problems — how to handle unreported problems? Customer is king? The employee is really king to then deliver a transformational experience?? The 5 Toyota Precepts The book Atomic Habits Women in Lean – Our Table group on LinkedIn Has a master class available online on First Time Right Working with a foundation – mobile hospital for villages, remote Himalaya 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. 

Consultant and author of "The Lean Innovation Cycle" Episode page: https://leanblog.org/445 My guest for Episode #445 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Michael Parent. He is the Managing Director of Michael Parent Consulting Services and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with AAA Auto Club Group in Michigan. He has written a new book titled The Lean Innovation Cycle: A Multi-Disciplinary Framework for Designing Value with Lean and Human-Centered Design.  Today, we're going to take a dive deep into topics that augment both the Lean and Human Centered Design frameworks. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: How about an Operational Definition: What is Human Centered Design? Tools — but more than the tools Design something… empathize with the end user “Transparency is a good thing” Design thinking (prototyping?) vs. human-centered design?? Observing people vs. asking them about needs as customers? Converging toward a design? What made you interested in exploring Human Centered Design?  What value does Human Centered Design offer for Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement? Methodology, being an experimentalist Customer journey vs. VSM? Or Customer Journey VSM hybrid? What is the Kano model? 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: https://www.leanblog.org/444 My guest for Episode #444 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Michele Smith. She is CEO and an Executive Coach with her firm Better Possibilities, LLC. Michele is the former director for the Sutter Improvement System at Sutter Health. She is a Catalysis faculty member and she is is leading a workshop June 7th at the Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit called Winning the People Side of Transformation in Salt Lake City. The Summit is being held June 6 to 9 (with the main days being the 8th and 9th). I hope to see you at the Summit. Michele is a dedicated Executive/Leadership Coach with extensive experience coaching individuals across all levels of the organization. She has broad experience as a designated leader and change management consultant, with expertise in team building, leadership development, and facilitation/coaching of leadership to arrive at an organizational strategy with aligned goals, solutions, and ultimately culture change. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Tell us a bit about Lean at Sutter — the Sutter Improvement System A management system? A roadmap vs. GPS? Wanting an “organization of problem solvers” – how do we define problem solving? How to help shift from fire fighting and workarounds to problem solving to root? Short-term countermeasures vs long-term countermeasures  Management behaviors that lead to the continuous improvement culture? “Leaders to let go of control” Helping leaders through this via change management methods? Motivations to change?   What is ADKAR? Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, Reinforcement Ah-has — Change management vs. “just change”  Shoehorning change (communication to the masses) in at the end of an improvement event? Bringing the broader team along — keeping them informed, getting their input before and during the event, not just after? Leaders going through their ADKAR process and then how do you help others go through it??? The important of joy / happiness in accepting change?? Secret sauce – “The Happiness Advantage”

My guest for Episode #443 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Dr. Nicole Tschierske, a scientist and positive psychology coach who helps experts and teams in STEM do better work. Nicole works with her clients to improve their collaboration and communication skills so their work gets the momentum and recognition it deserves. She also helps construct ways of working that reduce stress, increase motivation and engagement, and deliver results. Nicole lives in Hamburg, Germany, holds a PhD in chemistry and is trained in coaching, positive psychology, change management, and advanced problem-solving. When she's not buried in research papers and books you can find her taking long hikes in the German countryside or mesmerised by Mary Poppins on the screen. Her new podcast is called “Better Work” and I had the honor of being her first guest! Today, we discuss topics and questions including: How and where were you first introduced to Lean? Why she was burned out in a product research team Moved from science to supply chain — they were starting with Lean  Why was this important to you? Was was energizing about this? The collaborative, engaging approach of Lean Workshops? Kaizen events (and then into science areas, finance) As a scientist likes an approach that's “rigorous not rigid” Avoid moving too fast, avoid jumping to solutions, not jumping to causes “When ‘is' deviates from the ‘should' What does Lean have to do with stress and burnout prevention? Physical, cognitive, emotional demands on people Getting to the root causes of stress vs countermeasures? Supply chain impact and social support with war going on? Tell us about some Deep-dive process improvements How does Lean apply to Roles & Responsibilities and partnerships? 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: https://www.leanblog.org/442 My guest for Episode #442 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Crystal Davis, the Founder, CEO & Principal Lean Practitioner at her firm, The Lean Coach, Inc. She was previously a guest in Episode 363 of the series, at the start of the pandemic. Crystal Davis is an experienced business management consultant with twenty years of experience in the design, development, and implementation of Lean Business System solutions. She has extensive domestic and international expertise in the design and implementation of solutions for automotive and healthcare manufacturing, and consumer packaged industries.  Her podcast is “Lead Lean with Crystal Y. Davis“ Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Reflections back on Covid times, in general? How do we move from crisis mode, to survival mode, to recovery mode? How long was the crisis mode? CPG supply chains — hoarding Why do we need courageous leadership during these challenging times? Courageous to do something everyone else isn't doing  Eric Dickson – UMass Memorial Health, link to latest episode Principles — Toyota vs GM during this current shutdown Principles and values are scaleable Principles vs. biz decisions Focused on honing in on what it takes for Leaders to make a shift with all of these supply chain challenges? What leadership characteristics are needed? How do you define a “Lean Business System”? People, process, and infrastructure and how that works together Using the Socratic method? People sometimes get annoyed by this? 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. 

This bonus episode is a cross posting of Episode 137 of "My Favorite Mistake" with author Daniel H. Pink. Show notes and more: https://www.markgraban.com/author-dan-pink-on-the-mistake-of-not-having-a-mentor-and-the-power-of-regret/ 

Episode page: https://www.leanblog.org/441  My guest for Episode #441 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is John Dues, an accomplished education systems leader and improvement science scholar-practitioner with more than two decades of experience in the sector.  He is the Chief Learning Officer of the United Schools Network (USN) where he directs the network's Continual Improvement Fellowship and serves as an improvement advisor.  He draws heavily on the work of W. Edwards Deming and his System of Profound Knowledge (SoPK) to equip him with the theory and statistical tools by which to perform this role.  Under John's leadership, USN schools have regularly been among the state and nation's highest performing urban schools. In 2013, John was recognized as the Ohio School Leader of the Year by the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools.  John graduated with Honors from Miami (OH) University, holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Cincinnati, and is an alumnus of Teach For America He is currently continuing his education through the Improvement Advisor program at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston, Massachusetts.  John is the author of a free eBook, Rethinking Improvement. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: “System” – design and then improvement? Voice of the Customer – who is the “customer” for education? Or customers? Where did you first learn about continuous / continual improvement practices and principles? Book Learning to Improve Carnegie Foundation — “improvement science“ Factors out of your control including poverty, home life instability? Focusing on what you can control? Learning from IHI? Deming? Initially turned off by Deming? – hard to understand? What changed in March 2020? Applicability into education? Things Deming said specifically about education? Alfie Kohn, episode #57 Don Wheeler, also using my book Measures of Success Use of Process Behavior Charts What is “engagement” for remote learning? in education? Signal vs. noise The trouble with arbitrary targets? The role of “the system” on performance? Under appreciation of systems thinking? What's the impact of spending on individual “professional development”? Theory of knowledge – why do we do the things we do? So engrained we don't question them?  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: https://www.leanblog.org/440 My guest for Episode #440 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Bella Englebach, the Lead Consultant at her firm “Lean for Humans.” She is also the host of the podcast “The Edges of Lean,” which is part of the Lean Communicators group. Bella is also the author of the book Creatively Lean: How to Get Out of Your Own Way and Drive Innovation Throughout Your Organization. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Finding the balance between listening to a sensei vs. trying things and experimenting yourself? Managing to Learn book – pulling back from telling Working with middle managers caught in the middle What's your Lean origin story?? Getting out of the “way we've always done it” habit Six Sigma – didn't work well in R&D — why? Creative problem solving methodology? Creative solution generation? “Don't be so sure!” Lean – at a company via the phrase “process excellence” Are we solving the right / biggest problem?? The people side… Meaning behind the name of your company? “Lean for Humans” Episode 32 of “Lean Whiskey” Host of “The Edges of Lean” — podcast Episode 437 Peter Docker 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. 

Prof. Emeritus - Darden / University of Virginia Episode Page: https://www.leanblog.org/439 My guest for Episode #439 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Elliott Weiss, the Oliver Wight Professor Emeritus of Business Administration, having taught in the Technology and Operations Management area at Darden.  He is the author of numerous articles in the areas of production and operations management and has extensive consulting experience for both manufacturing and service companies in the areas of production scheduling, workflow management, logistics, lean conversions and total productive maintenance. He's also a co-author of the book The Lean Anthology: A Practical Primer in Continual Improvement. Before coming to Darden in 1987, Weiss was on the faculty of the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. He has held visiting appointments at the Graduate School of Management and the University of Melbourne, Australia, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Elliott's degrees are all from the University of Pennsylvania: B.S., B.A., Math & Economics MS Operations Research MBA Ph.D., Operations Research I reached out to Elliott to discuss his recent writing: ON THE (BASKET)BALL: WHAT BUSINESS CAN LEARN FROM STEPH CURRY He was writing about this excellent WSJ article: Stephen Curry's Scientific Quest for the Perfect Shot Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Lean & operations origin story — what sparked your interest in this as a field? The vanity plate? 0 MUDA — also had one NOMUDA Elimination of variation, enhancement of the wait, expectations management  Lean applied to teaching? Research? Taguchi loss function? Is Curry reacting to noise? Hoshin Kanri — Application to retirement – mind/body/soul Book — “The Lean Anthology” case studies Chapter on using SPC charts to monitor blood sugar & diabetes 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: https://www.leanblog.org/438 My guests for Episode #438 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Shannon Karels and Kathy Miller, the authors of the recently-released book Steel Toes and Stilettos: A True Story of Women Manufacturing Leaders and Lean Transformation Success. Their website is opsisters.com. Kathy Miller is a Senior Operations Executive who has held numerous global vice president and director roles both in manufacturing and lean enterprise leadership.  Kathy is a Shingo Prize Recipient for Large Businesses as a Plant Manager.   She started her career in Operations as a 17-year-old co-op student at a vehicle assembly plant, and progressed through engineering, marketing, lean, and operations leadership roles, working for four large publicly traded corporations in executive roles.   Shannon Karels is a Senior Operations Manager who has led multiple lean transformations and run operations for two large publicly traded corporations across various industries and business models.  She started her career in supply chain management and progressed through lean and operations leadership roles.  Today, we discuss topics and questions including: What are your Lean origin stories? Kathy – what was the motivation for Lean– catching up to Toyota? Main goals?  Shannon – starting point, the business was losing money? The “right way to run a business” – what appealed most to you? Kathy: how to help break old habits and truly embrace what's being taught? Other coaches and influences? Including Chris Harris, John Shook, Jim Womack How did auto experience translate to first job outside of GM/Delphi? Story behind the book? How much of the book is about issues faced by women in manufacturing? The lean facilitator and the General Manager – how do the roles and responsibilities break down in a lean transformation? Your passion for safety? Where did that develop in each of you? Lean in the office? Carpet land? 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: https://www.leanblog.org/437 My guest for Episode #437 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Peter Docker. He is the author of the book Leading From the Jumpseat: How to Create Extraordinary Opportunities by Handing Over Control. He was the co-author of the book Find Your Why and formerly a founding Igniter at Simon Sinek Inc. Peter draws on his 25-year career in the Royal Air Force, and over 14 years spent partnering with businesses around the world, to inspire others to “Lead from the Jumpseat.” There are opportunities today to connect the dots to Lean, as we focus on styles of leadership that are very compatible with Lean. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Mutual respect… “respect for people” connection What is jumpseat leadership? Humility / courage to ask for help — a culture that invites that? Doing nothing vs. choosing to not intervene React vs. response Planning for likely events – checklists  Standardized Work parallel — Mental capacity to deal with the unexpected Hospitals – sense of belonging – love for others Eric Dickson example – link to his episode of “Habitual Excellence“ Driven by love or driven by fear? — Fear is not sustainable “Humble Confidence” — can somebody become more humble? Or do the humble become more confident? Leadership under pressure? PROGRESSION AS A LEADER: Learning to fly Flying Teaching others to fly Leading from the Jumpseat Belonging – how can leaders create a sense of belonging? This goes beyond the word “engagement”? “Learning is a large part of military culture” — what creates that? 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.   

Founder/CEO of CJ Young Consulting, LLC Episode page: https://www.leanblog.org/436 My guest for Episode #436 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Dr. Cynthia J. Young, PMP, LSS MBB, CMQ-OE, the Founder/CEO of CJ Young Consulting, LLC. Cindy helps organizations optimize human-centric knowledge to increase trust and support collaboration and inclusion. She is a TEDx Speaker, an HBR Contributor, and a Veteran (23 years in the U.S. Navy) She is also a Curriculum Developer and Instructor with Leidos, an engineering and defense contractor. Cindy is also presenting a webinar on February 10th, part of the KaiNexus CI Webinar series… learn more and register here: Impactful Methods to Benefit Organizational Knowledge Management and Continuous Improvement Efforts She is also leading an upcoming “Knowledge Management Bootcamp.” Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Origin story as a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt? –> In the Navy Combining LSS, PMP, CMQ-OE certifications? What is “knowledge management” in the context of organizations? Leadership & technology?? Five Ways to Protect Yourself from a Layoff Using Knowledge Management We should “Resist hoarding knowledge” — is that counterintuitive? This sharing had big benefits to you and your career? Breaking down silos? Applying KM to Lean and applying Lean to KM? Waste of capturing knowledge that doesn't get used? Examples of good practices?  Mistakes people make with knowledge? 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. 

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/435  My guests for Episode #435 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Sunil Khushalani, MD, a psychiatrist who specializes in Addiction Psychiatry and Antonio DePaolo, PhD, a transformation executive and a Baldrige Fellow with over 22 years of experience in improvement science. My guests today are the co-authors of the new book, released in December, titled Transforming Mental Healthcare: Applying Performance Improvement Methods to Mental Healthcare. You can order the book through the publisher at a 20% discount, using code ESBAC. They are a physician (psychiatrist more specifically) and an industrial engineer: Sunil Khushalani, MD, a psychiatrist who specializes in Addiction Psychiatry Antonio DePaolo, PhD, a transformation executive and a Baldrige Fellow with over 22 years of experience in improvement science. Today, we discuss topics and questions including:  I'm always fascinated to hear your ‘lean origin stories” if you will Antonio? 16 years in manufacturing, Lean and Six Sigma, GM/Delphi, Sensei Nakao from Shingujitsu Suni? At Shepard Pratt – Chip Davis, patient safety course, Steve Spear “Fixing Healthcare“, the “Pittsburgh Way” book, “Perfecting Patient Care” with Spear and Paul O'Neill Antonio coming into healthcare? Via Stiles Associates (our sponsor) Experts in behavior — lessons in behavioral health? Ron Oslin webinar on Motivational Interviewing (still trying to find the new location on lean.org) “Addicted to the status quo” — How does this idea apply to leaders? “A conservative 30-50% of every step in the mental healthcare process does not help patients feel better or stay better”?? Motivations for Lean then and there? Sunil: hearing about quality & safety problems? How did you approach transformation / Lean in the Mental Healthcare setting? 1 in 5 Americans experience a “mental illness” each year — which is most common? How many people don't get access to the right treatment? When should people reach out for mental health care? How do you define Lean Daily Management? Burnout amongst healthcare workers? Sunil – tell us more about the natural reaction to being told? Don't blame people for being resistant to change Pitfalls / lessons learned??  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. 

Professor at INSEAD, author of "Built to Innovate" Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/434 My guest for Episode #434 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Ben Bensaou. He is an INSEAD professor and author of Built to Innovate: Essential Practices to Wire Innovation into Your Company's DNA. Ben earned his PhD at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where I was an MBA student. He was part of Jim Womack‘s research team that studied the auto industry and that group coined the term “Lean.” He's joining us from Kobe, Japan, where he is on sabbatical. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: I'm curious to hear your memories and reflections of the Womack research era “Japanese management model”? – how would you describe that?  Jim Womack episode on “Machine Revisited” Labor / talent shortages — similar challenge in Europe or Japan now? Was there anything from that research that wasn't widely understood by readers and business leaders? “It's a mindset” not tools, techniques, and gimmicks  Parallels to innovation? How much is a mindset? The importance of building trust with suppliers “Innovation is everybody's job” “The fundamental is trust in people” “… permission to innovate” – culture and environment Is there a spectrum between C.I. and innovation? Can innovation be taught? Can innovation be a process? Innovation as a noun vs. innovating as a verb Why are middle managers so important for innovation and is this surprising to people? Not just the “genius leaders” “Innovation ambassadors” – coaches working with the middle managers If people think that Lean (and concepts like standardized work) stifle innovation, what's your response to that? “The power of process” doesn't stifle innovation… leads to innovation? 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. 

My guest for Episode #433 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Gerard Ibarra, an author, business consultant, speaker, and entrepreneur. Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/433 Gerard is the author of the book Good Decisions, Better Outcomes: A Simple, Five-Step Process to Help You Make Important and Difficult Decisions with Confidence and Clarity, available now. Gerard received his PhD from Southern Methodist University's (SMU) Lyle School of Engineering with emphasis in Logistics Systems Engineering and Operations Research. He has taught graduate courses in logistics systems engineering at SMU, as well as logistics, supply chain management and e-business courses at the University of Dallas' Graduate School of Management. He's had executive roles in logistics companies, has had his own consulting firm, and was President and CEO of a company from 2008 to 2010. He was also the CEO of Jaguar Logistics, the largest medical on-demand transport company in Texas until acquired by Dropoff in 2018. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: What's your origin story related to continuous improvement? Where and when and why? The story behind the book — why a book on decision making? Efficient and effective decision making? Decision making is not strictly rational, is it? How do emotions influence us and how should we take that info consideration? What is the P2MODE methodology, in a nutshell? How much of good decision making is process vs. having the right info? Evaluating needs vs. wants? How does that enter into decision making? Group decision making and this framework?? Types of consulting you do — general training? Help with a specific big decision? My Favorite Mistake guests — often the decision seems like a good one at the time… but later reveals itself to be a “mistake.” How often would you expect this to be the result of a bad decision making process vs. a good process with bad information? 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. 

Show page: https://www.leanblog.org/432  My guest for Episode #432 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Jamie Flinchbaugh, an old friend of mine and a frequent guest (Episodes 5, 6, 10, 64, and 261, plus the two times he's interviewed me, Episodes 50 and 316). He's also the co-creator and frequent co-host with me on the Lean Whiskey podcast series. Today, the talk is all Lean, no whiskey. We talk about leadership, problem solving, more today — talking about his new book, People Solve Problems: The Power of Every Person, Every Day, Every Problem. I put Jamie on the spot to coach me through some problem solving I'm doing related to podcast growth, and he makes a lot of great points. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: So, we don't need to worry about AI problem solving? The role of software, like KaiNexus The story behind the book – after The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean in '06 Why this book? Why now? Behaviors drive action — what are some of the key behaviors that drive problem solving? Testing to learn… testing throughout? Open to the idea you might be WRONG – humility Entrepreneur — book is a product that scales – thinking about it like a startup? Book isn't A3 or PDSA or Kata centered… agnostic about the specific method?? A3 — The importance of a good problem statement? How do we better understand cause and effect in problem solving? You can coach without being an expert The role of intuition vs data? 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. 

Show notes and links: https://leanblog.org/431 My guests for Episode #431 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Sonia Singh, a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, executive coach, and professor with 19 years of experience in healthcare operations, management consulting, leadership development, and culture transformation. She's worked with dozens of companies in improving their performance, resulting in a collective financial impact of $30M. She's trained and coached over 2000 emerging and experienced leaders.  Sonia is the founder of Sonia Singh International, and one of her offerings is the Influential Leadership Academy, where she helps leaders build emotional intelligence and master their influence.  She was previously an employee at some healthcare systems and Cardinal Health. Sonia holds a degree in Psychology from Northern Illinois University, a Master's degree in Health Administration from Tulane University, and completed her professional coaching training at the University of California, Davis. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: How did you first get introduced to Lean or continuous improvement concepts? What were some of your best experiences working in healthcare improvement? What was a “school of hard knocks” lesson you gained working in healthcare? How did you decide to start working independently? Why go through professional coaching school and how did that change how you coach? It's hard to just ask questions To you, what are the differences between the words “coach” vs “consultant?” What has it been like shifting from lean coach to leadership coach? Getting to root causes of behaviors or reactions? How to help people shift from telling to asking questions? Influential Leadership Academy – who is this targeted to? “It's a strength when you can share your power.” 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. 

Show notes and links: https://www.leanblog.org/430 My guests for Episode #430 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Eric Ethington and Matt Zayko, the authors of the new book The Power of Process: The Story of of Innovative Lean Process Development. They are both faculty for the Lean Enterprise Institute, among other roles. Eric has a firm called Lean Shift Consulting and Matt has a new role as Lean Leader at GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy. The book is available now through the publisher, or from Amazon in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle formats. Today, we discuss their book, with topics and questions including: I like to ask guests about their “Lean origin stories” — When did you first learn about Lean and what was the context? Deming's book Out of the Crisis The way it's always been? – how to get past this? LEAN PROCESS DESIGN –> There's a lot emphasis on “process improvement” in organizations, often in the context of Lean. How do you define “process development” and why is this so important? How do we avoid disconnects between process design intent and those running the process? GO SLOW TO GO FAST? Iterative design and being more ready to launch and go fast in ramp? Doing something new — A new mass vaccination clinic? How do you strike the balance between “we've got to design it well” vs. “it's never perfect, but we can improve it”?  If you have flexibility, you don't have to be as perfect BACK TO SLOGANS — In your book, you talk about process design with “no slogans, no absolutes” — what do you mean by that? What are some slogans or absolutes that have gotten people in trouble? “Small lot flow” vs. single piece flow (Yamada), as small as possible is what he taught Who do you expect to be the typical readers of this book? What roles, levels, or industries? 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.   

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/429 My guest for Episode #429 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is John Chacon, the Director of Construction Excellence at Black & Veatch. We've been connected on social media for a while and John's reply to a tweet led to this podcast conversation, where he said: “If you have read this blog post and are still thinking about incentivizing folks for ideas…stop…give me a call and I will tell you some stories about paying your folks to think.” Today, we discuss topics and questions including: John's Lean origin story? In the Marine Corps. Deployed to Japan – painted a different picture – in what way? Cultural differences? A different level of respect? Why didn't you like it at first? How do you define Kaizen? Not just the process, it's the people Continuously improving the people Later company — “The work was to improve the work” How do you foster that culture? Curiosity and genuine wonderment What does Kaizen (what does John) suggest about how to incentivize people to submit ideas? DO we need to incentivize? What happens when you run out of rewards funding? Improvement stops How do you tap into in intrinsic motivation? Kaizen and Kata? Putting things into plain English? Working in other countries – Thailand, India, China — how does the Lean/Kaizen message get delivered differently? Marine Corps like Kaizen — the way you are vs something you do 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.   

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/428 My guests for Episode #428 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Nick Katko and Mike De Luca. Nick is president and owner of the firm BMA and Mike is a Lean coach, serving as principal and owner of Torre Consulting. Nick and Mike have a new book out called Practicing Lean Accounting. And I'm thrilled that the title is inspired by the book I edited called Practicing Lean. Their book is available now in paperback and Amazon Kindle formats. Nick has been practicing lean accounting for over 25 years, both as a CFO and as a lean accounting trainer and coach. Nick is also the author of the book The Lean CFO (2013) and is co-author of The Lean Business Management System (2007). Mike's lean journey began with implementing lean accounting as a finance leader in the early 2000's – evolving the finance department's role to meet the changing needs of a lean organization. Today, we talk about the book and more, with topics and questions including: Nick and then Mike, how did you first get introduced to Lean and what was the context? Manufacturing and healthcare How did you come to collaborate on this book? Budgets – from quarterly batches to daily practice The “tyranny of budgets” leads to blame? What is “Lean Accounting” in relation to the accounting function, payroll, paying suppliers, etc. “Becoming immune to waste” Why is it important for others to understand “how accounting thinks”?? What does “respect for people” mean to you? “It's not about the numbers, it's about the people using the numbers” Lean accounting applications in healthcare? What's uniquely healthcare? Final tips — How to best engage CFOs? Is there a clear message about what Lean means to the org? 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. 

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/427  My guest for Episode #427 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is a returning guest, Karyn Ross. She was previously a guest in Episodes 266 and 411. She was also my guest for Episode #3 of My Favorite Mistake. Karyn has a new book called The Kind Leader: A Practical Guide to Eliminating Fear, Creating Trust, and Leading with Kindness. Scroll down for a 20% coupon you can use if you buy through the publisher. You can also enter to win a copy. Today, we talk the book and more, with topics and questions including: How do you define kindness? NPR story on the kindest family How do we help people understand that kindness is not a sign of weakness?  My Favorite Mistake (out Thursday) Moses Harris interview Episode #110 How much unkind behavior is driven by people being scared? "Vicious circle of fear" "Collaboration, cooperation and kindness" chapter heading -- reminds me of how Dr. Deming used to rail against competition -- and I think that's especially true when talking about internal competition Systemic root causes of fear and unkind behavior -- Kind leaders can affect the system... Kindness and respect? Connections to Lean in the book A time when someone was kind to you at work? Recent KaiNexus webinar on psychological safety... also proven to drive results Workshop with Jessica House on the topic Blaming instinct...What do you mean by "always assume positive intent"? - examples? Negativity bias "Prefectionism isn't Kind" online workshop with Amy Mervak Morning session Afternoon session Little Kind Words Talk Show -- lessons learned from that? Doing live streaming -- "practice accepting what is" We're always learning... what have you learned about kindness since the book was published? "Pop up kindness stand"? -- WSJ article 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.     

CEO of Growing Champions, LLC Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/426 My guest for Episode #426 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is John Gallagher, Founder and CEO of Growing Champions, LLC, an Executive Coach, Mentor, and Consultant. John was with Simpler Consulting for over a decade after being an operations manager and a division president for two different companies. He's also the host of a new podcast called The Uncommon Leader. I'll be John's guest in an episode to be released on October 19th. Today, we talk about topics and questions including: Where did you first get exposed to Lean? Why were you skeptical about Lean at first? Came from MRP batch & queue world Rapid Improvement Event or Rapid Planning Event? His first sensei, the late Bill Moffitt “Comfort the afflicted or afflict the comforted?” Who were some of your key mentors? Lean Thinking was a key book, the first book he read on Lean Being an operations manager vs. a division president… what did you learn from those roles? Applying Lean to residential real estate sales Healthcare? Patients aren't cars?? Addressing that? Cookbook medicine? “Unique care delivered in a standard way” Tell us about the podcast…  inspired by Tony Dungy's book Who have been some of your guests? — Including Paul De Chant Who are some of the “uncommon leaders” you have worked for, worked with, or coached? What made them uncommon? Posts I was reminded of Lenny Walls, my trainer Central Intelligence post Sushi incrementalism post Coaching work? Lean coach to exec coach? 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. 

Show notes, links, and video: https://www.markgraban.com/425 My guest for Episode #425 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Katie Anderson, who is joining us for the seventh time as a guest. Katie is, of course, the author of the book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning. It has now been out over a year as eBook and paperback, and the audiobook is now available. Today, we sketched out a few topics for a fun conversation. First, we talk about “breaking the telling habit” (get Katie's free guide). When do leaders have to “tell”? Does it get annoying when you only ask questions? You'll also hear about how Katie “pulled the andon cord” (virtually) when she had a concern about the sound of me typing some notes. So, we'll talk about countermeasures and such related to that, and you'll hear our problem solving minds at work. Katie then shares a story about the use of “Process Behavior Charts” at a non-profit organization. I share a story about seeing what appeared to be a “signal” in the listener metrics for the My Favorite Mistake podcast, so we again chat about problem solving and causal analysis. We also talk the “Leading to Learn Accelerator” program that she's running soon. And I tell an awful joke about asking questions. I'm sorry. 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. 

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/424 My guest for Episode #424 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Balaji Reddie, the founder of The Deming Forum of India. An engineer by trade, Balaji was exposed to W. Edwards Deming's ideas through his father, then became highly interested in the Deming Philosophy after a chance introduction to the founder of the British Deming Association, Dr. Henry R. Neave, who became Balaji's mentor. As it says in his bio: “Balaji's contributions have been featured in textbooks and coursework on Quality and the Deming Philosophy. He holds a Degree in Electrical Engineering from COEP (the Government College of Engineering in Pune), and a Master of Science in Quality Management from BITS (Birla Institute of Technology & Science).” Topics and questions: Tell us more about your professional background In his factory, had a “quality section” but not department – what's the difference? 1991 was a key year for India – opened up outside investment and foreign products Xerox 5-day Leadership for Quality course Wanted to know where this all began, learned of Deming & Juran What was your first exposure to Dr. Deming and/or his work? His father went to Japan in 1964 “Juran had answers, Deming asked questions” Recommends Managerial Breakthrough from 1964 14 points were for an American audience, the Japanese didn't have them Red Bead Experiment – Deming used in 1940s to teach sampling “Respect for people” – Deming was talking about this a long time back Tutored under Henry Neave – tell us about him — The Deming Dimension book “The guru is the person who shows us the way… asks questions but maybe doesn't give the answers”  The Deming Forum of India – 1999 founding Unique properties or qualities of Indian companies? I hope you enjoy the conversation. We managed to have a lot of laughs, even though we're talking about serious topics. 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. 

My guest for Episode #423 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Laura Kriska, a Cross-Cultural Consultant and the author of the book The Business of We: The Proven Three-Step Process for Closing the Gap Between Us and Them in Your Workplace. Notes: https://www.leanblog.org/423 She was previously my guest on Episode 61 of the “My Favorite Mistake” podcast. Laura was previously the author of the book The Accidental Office Lady: An American Woman in Corporate Japan, a book about her time as the first American woman to work for Honda in Tokyo, Japan. We talk about those experiences and so much more today. Topics and questions: How did you get to become the first American woman to work at Honda HQ in Japan?  What was it like working in the Ohio factory?  Quality Circles Kaizen — We can always do things better What was an “office lady”? Adjustments to the Japanese working culture? You initiated a Quality Circle around the uniform for office ladies, tell us about that… “Let's Abolish Women's Uniforms” Use of data? Being careful with assumptions Studied it for a year What was the outcome? You describe Cultural laziness (now, “corporate carelessness”) – what do you mean by that? Can this apply to somebody who is new to a company culture, too?? I hope you enjoy the conversation. 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. 

Author of Disruption Proof and The Lean Entrepreneur My guest for Episode #422 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Brant Cooper, appearing for the third time and the first time solo. Brant previously appeared, alongside Patrick Vlaskovits, in Episodes 99 and 162. Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/422 Brant is the author of the upcoming book, Disruption Proof: Empower People, Create Value, Drive Change, due out in late October, but is available for pre-order now. Brant is The New York Times bestselling author of the book The Lean Entrepreneur (now in a 2nd Edition) and he's CEO and founder of the firm Moves the Needle. He is also organizing a virtual summit — the Endless Disruption Summit — on Sept 30. Topics and questions: “One thing in life is certain: Disruption is the new norm.” — Why is that increasingly so? How can a company become disruption proof? What's a good example of an Industrial Age company that has transformed to thrive in the Digital Age? Lessons from the pandemic? Working from home and now what? Empathy and restaurant signs The entire world is understaffed? The hospital sign about your energy and the workplace The 5Es: Empathy, Exploration, Evidence, Equillibrium, and Ethics His experiences in healthcare — cancer The people are amazing Ransomware attack affected his radiation care I hope you enjoy the conversation. 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. 

We've been on hiatus over the summer here, so I've taken a look back at some of the older episodes from the podcast archives, while being on a bit of a hiatus from recording new episodes. New episodes will be coming again in September Today we're looking back at the episode that I did with John Shook. It was Episode #56, released in January 2009. I hope you enjoy our discussion -- I think it's just as relevant today as it was then even though his book Managing to Learn has been available for more than a decade (it was new when we did this episode). I had a chance to talk with John a few months back and I'm hoping to do a new episode with him sometime soon. 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.   

I don't always share new episodes of the "My Favorite Mistake" podcast with you here, but when I do... it's a Lean practitioner. Today, that guest is David Meier, a former Toyota team member and leader, author of two https://amzn.to/3xPHcre with Jeffrey Liker, and a TPS/Lean consultant. Oh, and he has a great distillery in Kentucky now called Glenn's Creek Distillery. Toyota / Lean topics include: More background about what you learned at Toyota Hard for people to talk about mistakes, admitting they're human Blame vs. responsibility?  Toyota teaches that leaders have responsibility  Blame with punishment = "accountability"? Punishment replaced with learning and improvement? Hard on the process, not on the people Mr. Yoshino's mix up with the paint area (Episode #30) My episode about the nearly lost episodes (Episode #16) Mistakes made in the distillery Mistakes about mistakes?

Author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean We've been on hiatus over the summer here, so I've taken a look back at some of the older episodes from the podcast archives, while being on a bit of a hiatus from recording new episodes. Today we're looking back at my first episodes with my good friend, Jamie Flinchbaugh. Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/2021/08/podcast-bonus-episode-jamie-flinchbaugh-revisited-from-2006/ My voice has gone on hiatus this week… since he can’t talk, he asked me to record this intro for a podcast where we look back at some episodes I’ve been involved in. Jamie was my guest for Episodes 5 and 6 back in 2006, then again for Episode 10 that year. In 2008, he turned the tables and interviewed me in Episode 50. Then, I interviewed Jamie in Episodes 64 and 261, and Jamie turned the tables once again to interview me, in Episode 316, about my book “Measures of Success.” In April 2019, Jamie and I started the “Lean Whiskey” podcast and we plan on recording episode #29 of that series on Sunday… if my voice is back to normal. Today, we’re sharing Episodes 5 and 6 together. The episodes were shorter back then, so combined it’s just under 30 minutes of audio, talking about Waste and the Role of Leadership. I hope you enjoy our discussion from 2006, lmost exactly 15 years ago. As always, thanks for listening, and please do check out “Lean Whiskey.” 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.   

Links and show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/421 We've been on hiatus over the summer here, but I did a live streaming video the other day with my friend Ryan McCormack, who regular readers of this blog will recognize as the creator of the bi-weekly "Operational Excellence Mixtape" emails that he allows me to publish here on the Lean Blog. He was also my guest for Episode 12 of the "Lean Whiskey" podcast. In this 30-minute discussion, Ryan and I chat about: Why did you start the "mixtapes"? What are some favorite books and podcasts that you have highlighted recently? What have been the transferrable Lean lessons going into healthcare and now back out into other settings? Best Thing / Worst Thing -- What's the best thing about doing OpEx work? The worst thing? I hope you enjoy the conversation. 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.   

During our summer hiatus from releasing new podcast episodes, we're looking back at previous episodes of the podcast. Today, sadly, we're taking a look back at guests from the past 15 years who have since passed away. May their wisdom and legacy live on through these episodes, as we think about them today. Links to the episodes and more can be found at https://www.leanblog.org/inmemoriam

Author, speaker, coach, publisher, and more Show notes and links: https://www.leanblog.org/420  My guest for Episode #420 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Katie Anderson, appearing for the sixth time and the first time as a live-streaming guest! Katie is a leadership & learning coach, consultant, speaker, author | Japan Study Trip Leader. She's the founder and principal consultant at her own firm. You can find previous episodes here. She's the author of the book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning. Tomorrow is the first anniversary (or birthday) of the book! To celebrate, there's a short-term Kindle book sale (99 cents or 99 pence in the UK) from Wednesday to Friday this week July 14, 15, 16. We're also celebrating that tomorrow is the official release date for the audiobook! It's available through Amazon or Audible. Topics, questions, and links related to today's episode include: You asked yesterday, in your email newsletter, “What does leadership mean to you?” — how do you answer that question? How has your answer changed thanks to the influence of Mr. Yoshino? What have you learned in the past year since the publication of your book? Or I should ask, what stands out most in terms of what you have learned? Did the audiobook process yield any further content to the print edition? What was the process for creating and recording the audio book? Is there something new, work related or otherwise, that you've started learning recently? Has helped you think about learning, coaching, and practicing differently? You and Mr. Yoshino were guests together on “My Favorite Mistake” — if I had a podcast called “My Most Recent Mistake” — what is one that comes to mind? Best Thing / Worst Thing — What's the best thing and the worst thing about… Writing and publishing a book? Working in healthcare improvement? Being active on LinkedIn? Living in Japan full time as an American? The gelato post that Katie wrote Tell us about some of the coaching you've been doing, including the K2C2 Coaching Communities… Leading to Learn Accelerator 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. 

Former CEO of Alcoa, U.S. Treasury Secretary Originally released as Episode #124 in July, 2011 Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/124 Today’s episode is a bit different than our usual interviews and conversations. Today, I am republishing an interview that Mark Graban did in 2011 with the late Paul O’Neill Sr., the former non-executive chair for the firm Value Capture. He was, of course, so much more than that, (CEO of Alcoa, United States Treasury Secretary, and more), as you’ll hear in this interview that originally appeared as Episode 124. In summary, Mr. O'Neill talked about: Leadership mindsets required for dramatic workplace safety and patient safety improvement, including a near 100% reduction in hospital-acquired infections at Pittsburgh's Allegheny General Hospital Why the United States has accomplished “practically nothing” nationally since the famed 1999 Institute of Medicine report “To Err Is Human” Why society's most lacking skill is “leadership” Alternative ways of compensating patients who are harmed by the healthcare system while ensuring real improvements are made by learning from each problem Why leaders in Washington D.C., at the time, should have shifted from “financial engineering” to visiting ThedaCare to learn about “the real way” we should improve health care. 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. 

Founder of Continuous Improvement International Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/419  My guest for Episode #419 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Allison Greco, an industrial engineer, a Six Sigma Black Belt, and the founder of Continuous Improvement International, a professional society that you can join today. In this episode, we'll hear about her Lean Six Sigma origin story (which was in the railroad industry). We'll also hear, at the end, how she applied continuous improvement thinking to her participation in pageants (winning Mrs. Oklahoma). Topics, questions, and links related to today's episode include: How to navigate C.I. in this hybrid work world Why start Continuous Improvement International (CII) What's the best thing / worst thing about continuous improvement and entrepreneurship? Her upcoming conferences in Tulsa and Omaha Her articles about C.I. and pageants Continuous Improvement & Beauty Pageants: Making it Stick Continuous Improvement & Beauty Pageants: Finding the Why CI & Beauty Pageants: Post-Mortem – Don’t Steal the Crown 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.   

C.I. manager and pharmacy system director, Munson Healthcare Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/418 My guests for Episode #418 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast both work for Munson Healthcare in northern Michigan. They are Kaleb Foss, Continuous Improvement department manager, and Butch Bowlby, the system director of Pharmacy. In this episode, we'll hear about their “Lean origin stories” and we'll hear about the approach to Lean and continuous improvement at Munson. We'll also take a fairly deep dive into the setup of their mass vaccination site (which they set up for employees with just six days' notice!). Topics, questions, and links related to today's episode include: Tell us a little about Munson Healthcare What are your Lean origin stories? How did you get exposed to Lean and why is it important to you? How would describe the approach to Lean or CI at Munson? What does that idea of transformation and a management / operating system mean to you, Butch? How would you describe some of the benefits or results that you've seen at Munson Healthcare? Cultural indicators & language, root cause Patient safety Staff safety, psychological safety Tell us about the challenge of setting up mass vaccination clinics Looking at Zero Waste vs. Zero Harm goals Why was standard work and evolving that SW so important? Why and how has that focus shifted away from mass sites? What have you done to design a process for that? Why and how has the focus shifted away from mass sites? What have you done to design a process for that? What comes next for you and Munson?? 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. 

MD, author, Kenagy & Associates This file has cleaned up audio compared to the initial release. Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/417 My guest for Episode #417 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is John W. Kenagy, MD, MPA, ScD, FACS, of his firm Kenagy & Associates based in Washington state. John is the author of the book Designed to Adapt: Leading Healthcare in Challenging Times.   Dr. John Kenagy knows healthcare as a physician, executive, academic researcher and advisor.  In addition to his clinical experience as a vascular surgeon, he has been Chief of Surgery, Chief of Staff and Regional Vice President for Business Development in a not-for-profit healthcare system.  But, his most meaningful experience was becoming a patient, as we'll hear about today. Searching for new answers, he became a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Business School.  His research included developing disruptive innovation healthcare strategy with Harvard Professor Clayton Christensen and translating to healthcare the drivers of success in resilient, highly adaptive companies like Toyota, Intel and Apple. Dr. Kenagy is hosting a webinar in the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement webinar series on June 15th. Please join us for that by registering here. Topics, questions, and links related to today's episode include: What's your Lean / Toyota Production System “origin story”? What he learned after falling out of a tree in 1982 What he learned from Clayton Christensen, Kent Bowen & Steve Spear at HBS “Toyota enables people to succeed & makes learning part of that success” 4 Rules in Use – the essence of TPS Spear: Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System The rules applied in HC? What did you learn? Learned also from Amy Edmondson at HBS Learned from Toyota's Mr. Oba “Education can get in the way of learning” Learned at a smaller TMMK supplier, not at Georgetown, only 120 employees What is “adaptive design”? Origins of that phrase? Why avoid the word “Lean”? Being adaptive in dealing with pandemic challenges — what are the characteristics of their success?  Leadership Kata — 5 principles 1) Clear, meaningful objective (hearts & minds) 2) always start small, simple, safe, and fast 3) use relevant (timely, role specific, actionable) info and simple rules, rapid feedback on effects on your action 4) improvements made by teams involving people doing the work 5) replicate and scale, success trust and optimism … never stop  What do you mean by “virtuoso leadership”? 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. 

Apologies for the initial editing error... re-releasing this episode.  Author of Agile Sales: Delivering Customer Journeys of Value and Delight Show notes and links: https://www.leanblog.org/416 My guest for Episode #416, joining us from Brisbane, Australia, is Brad Jeavons, a principal consultant with SA Partners. His colleague Peter Hines was a guest in Episode #373. Brad is the author of the book Agile Sales: Delivering Customer Journeys of Value and Delight. Brad is also the host of The Enterprise Excellence podcast and I was his guest on Episode #20 of that series. You can also find the episode (and more) on YouTube. Topics, questions, and links related to today's episode include: How did you get introduced to Lean? And to Agile? What does growing up on a small farm have to do with it? Connections between Toyota and farming What do you mean by the McDonalds-ization of Lean and what problems does that cause? What's the story behind your book? Key lessons about improvement work for remote workplaces? Lessons from the last year? Why is it so important to focus on purpose? To start with why? What are some of your key lessons related to People? Agile?  What are some of your lessons about focusing on Process?  Your perspective on Lean as a GM as opposed to being a “staff lean guy”? 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. 

Co-founder of the Just-in-Time Cafe Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/415 My guest for Episode #415 of the Lean Blog Interviews podcast is Tracy O'Rourke. She is the co-author of The Problem-Solver's Toolkit: A Surprisingly Simple Guide to Your Lean Six Sigma Journey. She is co-founder of the Just-in-Time Cafe (which producers podcasts, webinars, and more). She is also a self-described “process improvement ZEALOT!” We had the chance to meet up to visit two vaccination sites in San Diego in March, and the two photos in the post are from that time together (as I blogged about here). That's one of the topics in this episode. Topics, questions, and links related to today's episode include: How did you get introduced to C.I. and what flavor(s)? How did you become a Zealot? She is the Lead Instructor at UC San Diego for the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (public offering) Visiting the UCSD vaccination sites  – University and health system What we saw Walking the process Jerry Wright handed her the torch to be the SoCal Lean Network Chair 20 years in consulting, from industry to government, non-profit and education Can you tell us about a specific example of some of the work you've done in government?  How do you know that it worked?  She's also part of the Lean Communicators Network

President of Effective Performance Solutions Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/414 My guest for Episode #414 of the Lean Blog Interviews podcast is Ryan Weiss. He is president of his firm Effective Performance Strategies, based out of the Chicago area. Topics, questions, and links related to today's episode include: How did you get introduced to Lean? Becoming a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt How do you engage people? What was your epiphany on people? Purpose + People + Process = Performance Taxation without representation :: kaizen without participation What is TWI?? How were you exposed to Training Within Industry? Other podcasts on TWI from this series Modernizing TWI — some sexist language /scenarios in the original What happens when you're promoted as a leader? Explaining WHY It's not just about manufacturing?  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. 

NHS England, Author of "Making Data Count" Notes and links: https://www.leanblog.org/413 My guest for Episode #413 of the Lean Blog Interviews podcast is Samantha Riley, the Deputy Director of Intensive Support for NHS England and Improvement. Sam is the author of an amazing publication called “Making Data Count,” which you can read and experience freely online. Sam and I are “Twitter buddies,” as she said and I follow and enjoy her tweets, especially those using the hashtag #PlotTheDots. We are both users and teachers of (and advocates for) the use of Statistical Process Control charts (aka XmR Charts or Process Behavior Charts) as taught by the statistician Don Wheeler. Topics, questions, and links related to today's episode include: What's Sam's professional background and why it's OK that she's not a statistician Why are RAG (Red Amber Green) charts or tables insufficient? How do you have the conversation with boards, executives, and managers about RAG being insufficient? How to bring people to the table for this learning? Why are up/down comparisons and color coding leading to “knee jerk reactions”? What is “spuddling“? Why is that a problem? Spuddling: To make a lot of fuss about trivial things, as if it were important. 50% of boards have changed their approach — how has that come to be? What language do you use about improving a predictable system? How did you get exposed to Statistical Process Control? What led to “Making Data Count“? What was “the ham sandwich incident”? How can we use these charts to look at our weight and health? How to articulate the benefits of SPC? Her article in BMJ Leader: National Health Service (NHS) trust boards adopt statistical process control reporting: the impact of the Making Data Count Training Programme 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. 

Senior Lecturer at MIT, author, entrepreneur Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/412 My guest for Episode #412 of the Lean Blog Interviews podcast is Dr. Jonathan Byrnes, the co-author of the new book Choose Your Customer: How to Compete Against the Digital Giants and Thrive. He is is a Senior Lecturer at MIT, where he has taught about supply chain management and other topics at the graduate level and in executive programs for over 30 years.  He is Chairman and Founder of Profit Isle, an innovative profit analytics and profit acceleration SaaS software company — AND is President of Jonathan Byrnes & Co., a focused consulting company that he founded in 1976. Dr. Byrnes earned a DBA from Harvard University in 1980, and an MBA from Columbia University in 1974.  Topics, questions, and links related to today's episode include: Article: “How to Manage your Supply Chain Shock Waves“ May 2020 — what did you predict in that article and how did it play out? The bullwhip effect The MIT “Beer Game” or “Root Beer Game“ What can you do when there is variance in supply and variance in demand? Lean as a system, including level loading and local suppliers, not just low inventory Lean as “cycle time compression” that makes lower inventory possible Today's glut of hand sanitizer NY Times: Widespread Commodity Shortages Raise Inflation Fears WSJ: Auto Makers Retreat From 50 Years of ‘Just in Time' Manufacturing Mark's blog post about that 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. 

Crystal Y. Davis, Karyn Ross, Dorsey Sherman Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/411 My guests for Episode #411 are the co-founders or "founding mothers" of the group called "Women In Lean: Our Table." They are Crystal Davis, Karyn Ross, and Dorsey Sherman. Crystal was my guest back in episode 363 and Karyn was my guest in episode 266. Dorsey, welcome as a first-time guest! All three of them were part of this panel discussion webinar that I moderated last year. Crystal's company is The Lean Coach, Inc., Karyn's is Karyn Ross Consulting, and Dorsey's is Modele Consulting. Topics and questions in today's episode (and related links): How did the Women in Lean group get started, and why? Why do they (and many women) feel like they don't have "a seat at the table"? Why can "creating your own table" be helpful? How can women get involved? What can we do about the lack of equal representation on stage at Lean conferences? How can men be better allies for women in the Lean community? 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. 

Senior Manager, Lucid - Formerly Toyota & Tesla Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/410 My guest for Episode #410 of the Lean Blog Interviews podcast is Keith Champion, Senior Manager ofOperational Excellence at Lucid Motors, a new entrant in the electric vehicle marketplace, with their Lucid Air luxury sedan hitting the market very soon. Keith worked for Toyota for more than 17 years (thanks to fellow Toyota alum and previous podcast guest Tim Turner for making the connection). As Keith talks about in the episode, he started as a Team Member at Toyota Georgetown, progressing his career to Team Leader, Group Leader, and other roles. He then spent nine years working for Tesla Motors. Keith then joined Lucid in 2019 -- BTW, the CEO of Lucid, Peter Rawlinson, was previously Vice President of Vehicle Engineering at Tesla and Chief Engineer of the Model S. Topics and questions in today's episode (and related links): What's your Lean / TPS origin story? It sort of starts before Toyota What happens when you "pull the andon cord" at Toyota? How is Lucid trying to build the culture right the first time? What is the leadership team like at Lucid? Is there a management "philosophy" as Toyota might talk about? What are the core values of Lucid Motors? What's the biggest operations (and supply chain) challenge related to starting a new factory in Arizona? How do you build for scalability? How important is it to have "built in quality" for a luxury vehicle (or any car)? What is an empowering continuous improvement program? Not just suggestions, but implement... What are the five key goals and metrics that are used throughout the factory? Lucid article (and video) about General Assembly A look at the paint shop 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.   

40 years with Toyota, founder and the first president of Toyota China. Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/409 My guest for Episode #409 of the Lean Blog Interviews podcast is Ritsuo Shingo. I first met Mr. Shingo at the Shingo Institute Annual Conference in 2009 when my book Lean Hospitals received the publication prize that's named after his father, Shigeo Shingo. I was also blessed to have time to speak 1x1 with Mr. Shingo, thanks to our mutual friend, the late Norman Bodek, which included discussions about the need for mistake proofing in healthcare -- very vivid memories for me. Ritsuo Shingo is an expert in leadership with more than 40 years of experience serving at top management positions at Toyota.  He was the founder and the first president of Toyota China. Under his leadership, Toyota China became one of the most successful ventures of Toyota worldwide. Following this success, he was appointed as the president of Hino Motors and then served as the president of GAC-Hino until 2009. Shingo was the translator of the first book on Toyota Production System in English written by his father, TPS pioneer, Shigeo Shingo in 1976.  He applied his father's and other TPS pioneers' teachings into his management practices. Today he dedicates his time to coaching high-level executives as well as teaching the next generation of leaders his learnings from the practice of Toyota style management. He is teaching a virtual master class in leadership and management, which starts this Thursday: Practical Leadership Skills – Microcertification program in Management There will be a discount available for listeners of this podcast - use code 8QQV4AWY0VDF and tell them you heard about it via the Lean Blog Podcast. Disclosure: the NK Institute for Human Advancement offered me a free virtual seat in the workshop. Topics and questions in today's episode include: What was the most important thing you learn from your father? What do you remember about translating the green book? Big misunderstanding… in the West, they thought suppliers should keep big inventory even though Toyota had none Just in time requires local suppliers, frequent deliveries, and high quality You need close relationships with suppliers, win/win collaboration How do you explain TPS? “An accumulation of small improvements” “Wherever you go, workers are not the problem” “It's a management problem, but sometimes they blame workers” He told a plant manager he was “escaping from his responsibility” What is the origin of the term SMED – Single Minute Exchange of Die? What are the golf origins? Should it have been called SDED – Single Digit Exchange of Die, since it means “single digit minutes” not “one minute”? “It's too late” You define TPS as “organisational fitness to adapt” rather than a set of methodologies — what do you mean by that? Please tell us more… “Nobody ever told me what Toyota culture was” — the culture is the people Is a fully automated plant the best plant? No How has Toyota fared so well during the pandemic? Helping the supplier reduce costs together, versus just demanding a lower price (Nissan, Tesla, etc.) Favorite memories of our friend Norman Bodek? Tell us more about the workshop 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. 

Author of new book, trainer, consultant My guest for Episode #408 of the Lean Blog Interviews podcast is Katie Labedz, the author of the new book How to Improve Absolutely Anything: Continuous Improvement in Your Home, Office and Family Life. 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. Topics and questions in today's episode include: What's your Lean origin story? What did you learn moving from IT to manufacturing to working with Lean in office settings? How is Lean different with “carpet walkers”? How do you define “continuous improvement”? When do you need to take a break from improvement to stabilize things? Lessons from working on virtual improvement this year? Why write the book? Favorite practical tips and tricks (Lean methods at home) from the book? Lessons about motivations and “resistance to change”? 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. 

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/407 My guest for Episode #407 is Joy Mason, a Strategist, Author, Speaker, and Entrepreneur based in Indianapolis. He is President and Senior Business Strategist at her company, Optimist Business Solutions, that she started after 18 years at Eli Lilly. She is the author of the book The Optimist Workbook: 5 Steps to Sustainable Solutions for Women In Business and also Purpose: A Shift from Driving It to Embracing It. Topics and questions in today's episode include: How Joy got started with continuous improvement Being introduced to Six Sigma first… then Lean tools… then looking beyond the tools How did “scientific problem solving” resonate with scientists (and others) at Eli Lilly? How can you “break down silos” (or is it better to “work across silos”)? “Lean before layoffs” or “Lean instead of layoffs”? What does being an optimist mean to Joy and why is that important? Joy talks about the work she does now, in particular with non-profits 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.     

Veterinarian & Entrepreneur, Ivan Zakharenkov, DVM My guest for Episode #406 is Dr. Ivan Zakharenkov, he's a doctor of veterinary medicine and he's Chief Executive Officer at the company Veterinary Integration Solutions. He goes by Dr. Zak for short and he's based in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. I'm joined, as my co-host, by Chip Ponsford, DVM — he was also co-host of Episode #254 with a veterinarian as our guest then, as well. Chip also has a blog called Lean Vets and a book titled Lean Veterinary Practice Management. Today, we all talk about the important issue of burnout — Ivan wrote a whitepaper on the subject and you can download that as a PDF: “Lean Thinking in Veterinary Organizations to Improve Employee Experience.” He also wrote an MBA dissertation of the same name. In that research, he considered a correlation between human and animal healthcare and proposed that lean thinking can help reduce burnout. This is a topic that we've explored twice on the podcast with Dr. Paul DeChant, looking at it in the realm of “human healthcare.” I agree that Lean can be part of the solution, in these settings and elsewhere!! Topics and questions include: Tell us about your background as a veterinarian and entrepreneur How did you get introduced to Lean? The Goal by Eli Goldratt John Toussaint, MD and the Catalysis Summit How bad is the burnout problem? Is it worse for women? Female vets 3.5x rate in society, male vets it's 2.5x Spectrum of burnout? What is compassion fatigue vs. burnout? “Compassion fatigue goes away on vacation, burnout is deeper” What other conclusions did you draw from your dissertation? What are the six triggers of burnout? How does Lean address burnout? Lean as a technical and social system?

I interviewed Adam a year ago... and his concept (The Wheel of Sustainability) is now a book! Check out the original episode and enter to win here: https://www.leanblog.org/2020/03/podcast-362-adam-lawrence-on-kaizen-events-the-wheel-of-sustainability/

CEO at DeondraWardelle.com, Co-host of "KataCon7" For show notes and discount codes for KataCon7 and for Deondra's workshop, go to http://leanblog.org/405 or scroll down. My guest for Episode #405 is Deondra Wardelle, CEO of her own company and one of the hosts of next week's virtual KataCon7 event. She is, among other things, a Visionary, Coach, Strategist, Speaker, Consultant, Kata Geek, Leader of the #RootCauseRacism Movement. Her mission is developing a world of problem-solvers. You can register for 10% off of KataCon7 by using code LF10 (thanks to Lean Frontiers for that code). Deondra is also doing a Strategic Vision Board Workshop on Saturday and you can register with a 20% discount by using code LEANBLOG. In today's episode, Deondra shares how and why she became a “Kata Geek” and how that built upon her continuous improvement foundations from her time in manufacturing. We'll talk about the similarities with Lean across industries (“it's always going back to the people”) and what “Respect for People” means to her. Deondra shares stories about how Kata helped her become a better manager — less of a micromanager. We also discuss communities including Lean Communicators and Women in Lean. All of that — and more — in this episode… released early because of the timing with these two events — KataCon7 and Deondra's workshop. 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.  

Senior Director, Enterprise Continuous Improvement at Cleveland Clinic Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/404 My guest for Episode #404 is Nate Hurle, a Senior Director of Enterprise Continuous Improvement at Cleveland Clinic. He was previously a guest on Episode 282. He was also recently a virtual keynote speaker for the Society for Health Systems annual conference. Today, Nate shares stories and reflections from the past year — the pandemic year — and how Cleveland Clinic quickly stood up drive-thru testing, how they built a 1000-bed hospital (that thankfully wasn't needed), and how they've been ramping up Covid vaccination. What happened when Nate got a surprise phone call about the need for testing to be up and running “in a few days.” Why was the approach of “get it up and running… then make it better” a useful one and how were mockups and other methods used to put safety first, given the cars and people on foot. How did they utilize effective standardized work and training methods, huddles, and continuous improvement methods? Why was the question of “What's the most important problem to solve?” such a useful one? How are they balancing the need for higher throughput with having a patient experience that's not too rushed? How did Cleveland Clinic get so much done in such a short period of time, and what were the lessons learned that could be applied in more normal times? Why is Cleveland Clinic now looking to continuously improve (again) their Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model? We also chat a bit about their adoption of “Process Behavior Charts” (as I have written about) and we'll talk about that more in a future episode. Thanks for listening! Please subscribe (or follow), rate, and review!

Show notes: https://leanblog.org/403 My guest for Episode #403 is Arnout Orelio, author of the book Lean Thinking for Emerging Healthcare Leaders: How to Develop Yourself and Implement Process Improvements. Arnout is from the Netherlands, but we have crossed paths a number of times when he and many of his Dutch colleagues have come to the U.S. for events like the Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit, produced by Catalysis. His book, written in English, has a lot of great lessons for leaders and Lean practitioners in American healthcare and beyond. He has also written two books in Dutch. Arnout and I have strikingly similar professional backgrounds and paths, which we discuss in the episode. We are both engineers who progressed from the automotive industry into healthcare. We talk about how he shifted into healthcare (in 2005, same year as me) and how this experience has reinforced that: “Leadership is not a person, it’s a process. Everyone can be a leader if you want to change something.” We talk about the differences in the Dutch healthcare system, at a high level, and the similarities in how Lean can be applied. We also discuss topics near and dear to my heart: Why Lean should keep employees (and patients) happy Process Behavior Charts Training Within Industry / Job Instruction Eliminating overburden for healthcare staff (see the first bullet point) The relevance of TWI to Covid vaccination Here are his website and his publisher's websites, so please take a look. 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. 

Founder & President, Jay Hodge & Associates Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/402 My guest for Episode #402 is Jay Hodge, the founder and CEO of Jay Hodge & Associates. He has over 25 years of operational leadership experience in companies such as Toyota, General Motors, Caterpillar, and Tenet Healthcare. Jay is also the author of The Lean Treasure Chest.   We talk about Jay's career — going from teaching the Toyota Production System at General Motors to then actually going and working at Toyota. What did Jay first learn about “efficient operations” and leadership in the United States Marine Corps? What did Jay learn about culture and servant leadership? What was the most difficult thing about leaving Toyota and going to other environments, including healthcare? How do we teach somebody to manage and to lead instead of just promoting them? 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. 

Co-author of the book Personal Kanban Show notes: http://www.leanblog.org/401 My guest for Episode #401 is my friend Jim Benson, who you might know as the co-author of the book Personal Kanban (and we talked about that in Episode 155, back in 2012). He was also a guest on Episode #4 of "My Favorite Mistake" with me. We recorded this using the LinkedIn Live platform. Jim and I have talked a lot (and collaborated) over the years, so we intentionally went into this conversation without much of a plan. The main theme is "humane management," a phrase of Jim's that I really like. We talk about workplaces, psychological safety (listen to my episode with Amy Edmondson on that), learned helplessness, respect, autonomy, systems thinking, and more. We also jokingly brainstorm titles for a hypothetical podcast that we would do together. He is going to join me and Jamie Flinchbaugh for the next episode of the "Lean Whiskey" podcast, by the way. Is "Mark and Jim's Vomitorium of Management Ideas" a good name? Probably not. Jim's company, Modus Institute, has a new "Lean Agile Visual Management Certification and Accreditation Series," so please check it out. 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.   

Author of the newly-updated book, available now.  Show notes and more: http://www.leanblog.org/400 Wow, 400 Episodes!! 400 episodes in roughly 15.5 years… that's about 800 weeks, or one episode every two weeks, on average, over that time. Thanks again to the late Norm Bodek for the idea to get this podcast started, as I talk about in this memorial video. Thanks to everybody who has listened or participated as a guest!! My guest for Episode #400 is Jeffrey Liker, the retired University of Michigan professor who has recently released the second updated and revised version of his seminal book The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World's Greatest Manufacturer. The new edition has more examples from the service sector, including healthcare, and it incorporates “Toyota Kata” approaches (and he credits his former student Mike Rother). Today, we talk about why he wrote a new edition and what he's learned since the publication of the original back in 2004. We talk about combining the perspectives of industrial engineering and sociology — the mechanistic vs. the organic views of a system like Lean/TPS. What is “coercive bureaucracy” vs. “enabling bureaucracy”? What's the difference between “being Toyota” and “emulating Toyota”? We also learn a little bit about the musical instrument that Jeff has started playing again. We need to form a Lean band! Maybe not. 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.  Jeff was previously a guest on episodes 3, 4, 37, 39, 41, and 111

Lesa is the founder of Lesa Nichols Consulting. Show notes: http://www.leanblog.org/399 My guest for Episode #399 of the Lean Blog Interviews podcast is Lesa Nichols, a former Toyota and TSSC employer who now works with organizations through her company, Lesa Nichols Consulting. Today, Lesa shares reflections on working closely with the late Hajime Oba. This is the third podcast in a mini series, following my conversations with Steve Spear and with Hide Oba. In the episode, we talk about topics including: Lisa's non-traditional path to TPS: From public relations to the shop floor Working with plant president (and future company chairman) Fujio Cho Choosing between being a "technical scientist" or a "social scientist" of TPS Meeting Mr. Oba and working with TSSC Helping find American expertise to learn from Becoming a powertrain production manager Key lessons from working with Mr. Oba: "Managers must fight to have floor time" "Safety is an assumed thing?" -- what does this mean? Don't look for waste, look for overburden (both physical and mental) Why is openly admitting mistakes such an important thing at Toyota Why Toyota's "soul is around manufacturing" Lesa was also a contributor of a chapter to the anthology book Practicing Lean. 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.

Co-founders of the firm Integris Performance Advisors Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/398 My guest for Episode #398 of the Lean Blog Interviews podcast are Brett M. Cooper and Evans Kerrigan, both co-founders of the firm Integris Performance Advisors. Brett is the President and Evans is the CEO. They are co-authors of a book with a provocative title: Solving the People Problem: Essential Skills You Need to Lead and Succeed in Today's Workplace. When I first heard about the book, I challenged them a bit on the title — is this really a “people problem” or a “systemic problem”? We have a really good conversation about all of that today and they ask a question that resonated with me: “The problem begins with you?” meaning that leaders have to go first… You can learn more via the book's website or Amazon. In the episode, we talk about the DISC-EQ model of emotional intelligence and you can take a free personal assessment via their website, use code LEANBLOG. They also answer questions including: Why do you say “leadership is a relationship?” What are the “essential skills” that leaders need, at a high level? What's “the right kind of disagreement” in a workplace? 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.

TPS / Lean Consultant based in NYC https://www.leanblog.org/397 Joining me for Episode #397 is Hide Oba. His father was the late Hajime Oba, famous for his work at Toyota and the TSSC, as Steve Spear and I discussed back in Episode #386. Hide worked with his father at TSSC and also worked with him through the company H&M Operations Management, LLC. He is based in New York City. He says that his mission is to continue spreading his father's wisdom and I appreciate him doing so here with me on the podcast. I asked Hide to summarize his father's life and work and he then talks about some of the unique aspects of his approach. “Going to the shop floor was fun… his hobby.” Hide tells a story about his father telling Bruce Hamilton, “You should do Kaizen, too,” and you can read Bruce's side of the story here. We discuss the balance between asking questions versus pointing people in a direction. Hide says Hajime “never asked people what they should do,” but he asked questions based on his vision. Hajime saw TPS as “management engineering” — being very scientific about creating the right structure that allows you to create a kaizen culture. Hajime was also “careful” about the word “scientific” as it is meant to mean “continuous discovery and learning… understanding why.” Hide says his father was “addicted to learning.” Hajime aimed to always learn from the client. From the new 2nd edition of The Toyota Way (an interview with Jeff Liker about that is coming soon, by the way): “Oba said “TPS is built on the scientific way of thinking… How do I respond to this problem? Not a toolbox. You have to be willing to start small, learn through trial and error.” Hide also talks about how his father visited hospitals in Pittsburgh via Kent Bowen and Paul O'Neill. We also talk about why others have struggled to copy or emulate Toyota. “Stick to Ohno,” says Hide. Solve problems one at at instead of having a big program. He “never asked a company to start by creating a Lean / CI office, sitting and making presentations.” Hajime said the plant manager is the key person, and he would say, “Come with me and let's go through the process together.” Why does the idea of “challenge” not mean “asking people to do things that are impossible?” Why did he “hate giving a format for problem solving?” We discuss all of that and the idea of “respect for people.” Hide says he father taught that we should “respect humanity” — human life is limited and we shouldn't waste it… that's why we do kaizen. He also “saw a lot of waste in his final days” in the hospital. I'm very thankful that Hide can keep his father's work and legacy alive for all of us. 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.    

Consultant, author of a newly-released Lean book Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/396 My guest for Episode #396 is Patrick Adams, the author of the new book (released as a paperback today!), titled Avoiding the Continuous Appearance Trap: 12 Questions to Understand What's Truly Underneath Your Culture. You can learn more about the book at avoidcontinuousappearance.com.   Patrick is CEO / Executive Lean Coach with his firm Patrick Adams Consulting Services and host of the Lean Solutions Podcast (and he had me as his guest last year). Patrick served in the United States Marine Corps for 8 years before he was injured and medically retired. He received his Bachelor of Science from Eastern Michigan University and also holds a Master of Business Administration. He's also a Six Sigma Black Belt. In today's episode, Patrick talks about how he got introduced to Lean and connections to McDonald's (and the movie “The Founder“). He then talks about his early experiences as a production supervisor in a plastics plant and an auto supplier. We talk about leadership concepts (including servant leadership) that he learned in the military and we learn the story behind the book and why he wrote it.  

Norman passed away on December 10, 2020 http://www.leanblog.org/rememberingnorman I'm republishing a "remastered" and commemorative version of Episode 1 of this podcast series from 2006. I was incredibly saddened yesterday to hear that Norman Bodek passed away this week. Norman was 88. This was announced through an email from Norman's company, PCS Press. Norman Bodek, famed as “the Godfather of Lean”, inducted into Industry Week's and American Manufacturing's Hall of Fame, published over 250 management books, taught at Portland State University, and created the Shingo Prize at Utah State University. He recently wrote “Leader's guide for social responsibility” and this week published CEO Coaching by Kazuyoshi Hisano. We should all be so fortunate as to be as energetic as Norman was in his 80s. He was an enthusiastic teacher and mentor, but he also had a hunger for learning that was impressive and inspiring. He suggested that we do an “audio interview” series… that became this podcast and he was the first guest. He was the second guest… in fact, he appeared 14 times. I’ve written some additional reflections — you can find those, share your own, and find links to all of his past episodes by going to leanblog.org/rememberingnorman Republishing episode 1… remastered a bit. Boy, the audio quality wasn’t as good back in 2006… I enjoyed re-listening to this the other day. I hope you will too.  

Lean practitioner, industrial engineer, and consultant https://www.leanblog.org/395 My guest for Episode #395 is Michael Parent. He is Managing Director of his firm Right Brain Consulting and he is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with the AAA Auto Club Group. Michael has a BS in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from William & Mary. Michael and I are both from the same home town, by the way -- Livonia, Michigan. In today's episode, Michael first shares what he learned working for Bridgestone, a "typical Japanese company, " as he puts it. He learned, among other things, that "culture is everything." We then talk about the LSS project that he led in HR and Talent Acquisition for the AAA Auto Club Group. What was the problem statement? "Time to fill" a position. What was the approach for the project? Who was involved and how? What was Michael's role as a facilitator? What was learned about the current state and variation in the work? How were the results and benefits determined? And, what were his lessons learned from this work?   His case study is available to read through iSixSigma.com.   https://www.isixsigma.com/implementation/case-studies/case-study-streamlining-a-hiring-process/   

Nine short discussions with other podcasters https://www.leanblog.org/394 Today's episode, #394, is a little different. I have nine different guests today... not all at once, but sequentially in today's episode. Many people have started podcasts (or similar projects) during the pandemic. I've started two (Habitual Excellence and My Favorite Mistake) in addition to this series that's about to hit its 15th birthday). Some of my guests today started a podcast during the pandemic... some of them were already going. Most of them are doing podcasts related to Lean (and one is a college buddy who has an HR podcast). We've all been part of a formal networking group recently that we call "Lean Communicators." I have experiences to share with them, but I'm also looking to learn from what they're learning as they get started -- what new ideas or best practices was I missing? I talk with each guest about why they started their podcast or video series, what they've learned, and more. My guests and their projects are (in order of appearance):   Guest Podcast or Project Bella Englebach The Edges of Lean Jon Thurmond  The #HRSocialHour Half Hour Brian Buck People, Purpose and Profits Business Coaching Podcast (and YouTube) Jamie V. Parker Lean Leadership For Ops Managers Brion Hurley Lean Six Sigma Bursts and Lean Six Sigma for Good Deondra Wardelle High Five Fridays (and more to come) Paul Critchley The New England Lean Podcast Sam Morgan 90 Second Purpose and C.I. in 5 (YouTube) Patrick Adams The Lean Solutions Podcast  

Speaker, consultant, and coach in the world of software https://www.leanblog.org/393 Joining me for Episode #393 of the podcast is Woody Zuill, who does "Mob Programming workshops, talks and presentations on agile topics," and "coaches and guides folks interested in creating a wonderful workplace where people can excel in their work, and in their life." I had a chance to meet Woody last year when I saw him speak at an Agile conference and I really enjoyed his perspectives. Woody has also participated quite a bit in a "Lean Consultants Stuck at Home" group that I had organized earlier in the pandemic times. Topics today include "flow" in software development, the difference between "mob programming" and "paired programming," and the "no estimates movement" and why that is important. I hope you'll find this interesting even if you don't work in software.  

Lean consultant and contributor to "Practicing Lean" http://www.leanblog.org/392 Joining me for Episode #392 is Mike Leigh, the President of his firm OpX Solutions, LLC. Mike was one of the contributors, writing a chapter for our anthology book Practicing Lean. Some highlights from Mike's career, from his bio: Began his career as an officer in the US Navy in the late ‘80s, specializing in nuclear propulsion and surface warfare Mike spent 13 years with General Electric and held various leadership and senior management positions at several different manufacturing sites During his last five years with GE, Mike was an internal lean consultant and helped over 25 GE factories/suppliers and hundreds of work teams become more productive, reduce costs, and improve their bottom line Had 45 weeks of training by mentors from Shingijutsu, considered by many as the best Lean consultants in the world Today, we have a wide-ranging conversation, starting off by talking about the need for leaders to "break down barriers" (and to understand what those barriers really are). What lessons did Mike learn about leadership from the Navy? What leadership behaviors are really problematic? And what are the root causes of those behaviors? We talk about all of this and more.   https://vurbl.com/station/5vxV3TPwDGW/ 

Authors and innovators in Lean Software development, Lean thinkers https://www.leanblog.org/391 My guests for Episode #391 are Mary Poppendieck and Tom Poppendieck, the authors of books including Lean Software Development: An Agile Toolkit, Implementing Lean Software Development, and The Lean Mindset: Ask the Right Questions. In the episode, we'll hear their thoughts on Lean as "a way of thinking that values people" and how teamwork, problem solving, and customer focus are integral to Lean -- in software or otherwise. How can we build capabilities for problem solving ("producing people") and how can we "learn how to learn"? Questions, Links, and More How did you first discover Lean? How did you come to see the potential applications to software development? You published Lean Software Development in 2003 -- how do you define that term “Lean” and what does it mean to you? How has your view of Lean evolved over those 17 years? What have you learned about Lean / TPS from visiting Japan? Your 2013 book is called "The Lean Mindset" -- as the subtitle says, asking the right questions is important... why so? How do we know what the right questions are? 2009 -- Leading Lean Software Development -- another provocative subtitle... "results are not the point" -- what do you mean? LeanEssays.com Their website: http://poppendieck.com/ Mary on Twitter

Manager at Raymond Corporation (part of Toyota) Show notes, with transcript and more: https://www.leanblog.org/390 My guest for Episode #390 is Keith Ingels, the TPS (Toyota Production System) Manager for Raymond Corporation -- Raymond is part of Toyota Material Handling North America, which is part of Toyota Industries. Wait, so a Toyota company needs a "TPS Manager?" Yes, when that company was acquired by Toyota, which creates a need to "become more like Toyota" instead of just "being Toyota." What are the differences between TPS and the Raymond Lean Management System, if any, and why does that terminology matter? What is the "adopt and adapt" strategy and why is that so important? I want to thank Raymond Corp. for making Keith available and for sharing the videos and resources that I've linked to below. Also, here is an article that Keith had published recently on shifting to a culture of continuous improvement.

Author, podcaster, and consultant https://www.leanblog.org/389 My guest for Episode #389 is Elisabeth Swan. She is the co-author of The Problem-Solver's Toolkit and co-host of the Just-in-Time Cafe Podcast. As her bio says, she's "been helping people successfully build their problem-solving muscles for over 30 years, and she loves what she does every single day." In the episode, we discuss brainstorming, using an article she wrote for GoLeanSixSigma.com as the starting point: "Green Belts: Group Brainstorming Is a Waste of Time." Why has classic brainstorming proven to be ineffective, especially in the context of Lean, Six Sigma, or process improvement? And how can it be better given the reality of remote teams? The conversation also veers into talking about Elisabeth's history in improv comedy and how lessons from the improv approach influence her to this day. Why does "structure set you free" in improv or Lean Six Sigma? We'll talk about that and more.

Healthcare leader, coach, and Kata Geek https://www.leanblog.org/388 My guest for Episode #388 is my friend Michael Lombard. I first met Michael when he lived in the DFW area and first got into healthcare. He has been a Lean facilitator / coach in numerous healthcare organizations and has been a hospital CEO in Louisiana before taking his current role, again focusing on process improvement, at Kaiser Permanente in California. Michael is doing a unique and, I think, groundbreaking keynote talk at the upcoming AME Virtual Conference. The session, which he invited me to moderate, is called "Striving together in a crisis: How improvement science can build resiliency in a crisis and perhaps even progress complex social issues." These crises include Covid-19, wildfires, and social injustice and unrest. He will be incorporating videos by two physicians, Dr. Rita Ng and Dr. Carla Wicks and they will both be participating in the Q&A for this "conversation-style" keynote. Our podcast today is a preview of this session. Michael and I also talk about how (and why) he got into healthcare and why the Toyota Kata methodology is so important to him.

Irish Lean healthcare leader and nurse Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/387 My guest for Episode #387 of the podcast is Sán Paul Teeling, who joins us from Dublin, Ireland. He is the Programme Director for the Professional Certificate and Graduate Diploma in Lean Healthcare at UCD Health Systems. Seán Paul is also an Assistant Professor in Health Systems/Mater Lean Academy. He was previously Lean Manager at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital Dublin. You can read his full bio here. Seán Paul and I have collaborated a few times — I was invited to give a virtual lecture last year and I had the opportunity to visit the hospital and the Lean Academy last November, leading a workshop for a group there about continuous improvement and the methods from Measures of Success (yes, I had my “red bead game” kit with me). Seán Paul also invited me to review articles and to contribute an editorial to a special supplement about Lean and Six Sigma in the journal International Journal for Quality in Health Care. In the episode, we discuss the Irish health system and his experience practicing and teaching Lean. We also have the unique opportunity to chat with somebody who designed a Covid-19 clinic and then got treatment in that same clinic (thankfully, he has now recovered). I hope you enjoy the conversation like I did.   

I'm crossposting Episode #5 of my new podcast series "My Favorite Mistake." My guest here is Billy Taylor, who was my guest on episodes #293 and 298 of this series, Lean Blog Interviews. Billy is a retired operations executive with Goodyear who now has his own consulting group. In this episode, Billy talks about how he learned from mistakes related to not respecting standards -- when he was a kid and when he was a rising operations leader at Goodyear. I know you'll enjoy this episode as a Lean practitioner and I think you'll like the whole "My Favorite Mistake" series on the theme of learning from mistakes.    

MIT professor, author, and consultant http://www.leanblog.org/386 Joining me again for Episode #386 is Steve Spear, who reached out to share recollections of one of his most influential teachers and mentors, Hajime Oba, who passed away earlier this month at 75. I never had the chance to learn directly from Mr. Oba, but he is legendary in Lean circles and I know many people who were deeply influenced by Mr. Oba. I hope to interview more of them in the near future. My deepest condolences go out to Mr. Oba's family, friends, and colleagues. Here is a classic 2001 WSJ article that features him:   "How Does Toyota Maintain Quality? Mr. Oba's Hair Dryer Offers a Clue"   In today's episode, Steve talks about meeting Mr. Oba and how he learned from him as a PhD student. One story that Steve shares was about sitting at his desk, thinking about a problem, and Mr. Oba told him:   "Don't think -- do!"  Hajime Oba   You'll hear more from Steve talking about the need to learn by doing and to test changes in an experimental fashion. It's not just "do" --- it's Plan Do Check Act (or Plan Do Study Adjust or even Plan Test Study Adjust).    

Coach and entrepreneur http://www.leanblog.org/385 My guest for Episode #385 of the podcast is Emily Elrod, the president of the firm Workzbe, based in Georgia. We have shared interests in Lean, ergonomics, healthcare and creating better workplaces. We met earlier this year and she was kind enough to interview me for her YouTube channel. As she describes in the episode, her career has evolved from designing equipment, to wellness and Lean in a health system, to her own firm. Her WISE framework means to work Well, Intelligent, Safe, and Empowered. We'll talk about the need to be “HOT” (Humble, Open, and Transparent), the psychology of change, and more. “I think the biggest threat to health promotion is doing things to people instead of with them.”  Emily Elrod I hope you enjoy the conversation like I did. 

http://www.leanblog.org/384 Joining me today for Episode #384 of the podcast is Craig Gygi, co-author of the book Six Sigma for Dummies. He also managing principal and owner of the firm Strategic Productivity. You can read his full bio there. He also has an online course called “Truth About Data” which covers statistical process control for business metrics, as I have written about. So, we have that shared interest in data, statistical methods, and problem solving even if he comes at it from a Six Sigma perspective (starting from his days at Motorola) and me from a Lean perspective. Craig's previous leadership roles include: COO, Purple Executive VP of Operations, MasterControl Director Operational Excellence, Fiji Water I hope you enjoy the conversation like I did. You can listen to the audio or watch the video, below.  

http://www.leanblog.org/383 Joining me today for Episode #383 of the podcast is Patrick Anderson, the CEO of the Rural Alaska Community Action Program, Inc. (or "RurAL CAP"). Patrick was previously a guest way back in Episodes #53 and #71. Today, we'll talk how ideas from Dr. W. Edwards Deming and Lean have influenced him as he has led different organizations. He shares thoughts about shifting an organization away from a "command and control" approach, what "respect for people" means to him, and he'll also talk about their "performance management system." I hope you enjoy the conversation.  

Learn more: http://leanblog.org/audio309 Subscribe: http://myfavoritemistakepodcast.com/ 

https://www.leanblog.org/382 for show notes and more I'm really excited to be speaking to my guest for Episode #382 of the podcast… he is the legendary Tom Peters — author, speaker, and consultant. His response to me calling him “legendary” at the start of the episode gives you a glimpse into the fun conversation we had on some very important topics. Today, we'll be talking about his “Excellence Manifesto 2020” and a theme he has tweeted about a lot, leading amongst the “madness of Covid-19.” He is the author of 18 books, including: In Search of Excellence (1982) — Dan Pink (my guest in Episode #107) said (here) that it launched the modern biz book genre Thriving on Chaos (1987) Liberation Management  The Pursuit of WOW! I've been a huge fan of Tom's since I first saw him give a speech around 1997 or so. The story about Motorola's “six sigma chocolate chip cookies” (read about it here) stuck with me and my recall of that story leads to Tom talking about the risk of any good program becoming codified and bureaucratic, as we discuss early in the podcast. Highlights of Tom's background and early career include: Civil Engineering, Cornell US Navy MBA and PhD at Stanford White House / OMB (Nixon) McKinsey Virtually all Tom's written and speech material covering the last 15+ years is available — free to download — at tompeters.com and excellencenow.com. Much of what Tom says will resonate with Lean practitioners — his focus on people, the need for leaders to really love leading people, and Management by Wandering Around (an approach that might be more like Lean “gemba visits” than you might think). As with his writing, Tom often speaks in ALL CAPS (which I love). With that does come some mild cursing — like a PG-13 movie, but I still need to give it the Apple Podcasts “explicit” rating I do warn you if you are listening in an open workplace with others (and if you are, wear a mask!). I hope you enjoy the conversation, whether you listen or watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7KEqp7vJl9w

http://www.leanblog.org/381 Joining me for the ninth time on the podcast, for Episode #381, is Dr. John Toussaint, chairman of Catalysis. John is author or co-author of three books -- well actually it's four books, as a new one is available for pre-order now with an expected September 1st release: Becoming the Change: Leadership Behavior Strategies for Continuous Improvement in Healthcare. Today, we'll talk about the new book a bit (but we'll save most of that conversation for an upcoming episode with both John and his co-author Kim Barnas). I ask John about healthcare organizations that have been doing really good work during the Covid-19 pandemic. One of those is UMass Memorial Health Care (check out my "Habitual Excellence" podcast with their CEO Dr. Eric Dickson). Another related podcast I've done on that topic is a conversation with Paul Pejsa, also with Catalysis. We also talk about the need to adapt with conferences, as the annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit is now a one-day online virtual event this year. We'll also hear some of John's thoughts on the future of healthcare. I also want to mention a free webinar that John and Kim will be presenting on Wednesday, as part of the KaiNexus webinar series. Click here to register. I hope you enjoy the conversation, whether you listen or watch.  

This is an excerpt from Episode #380 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast. Host Mark Graban interviews Dr. Randal Pinkett and Dr. Jeffrey Robinson and, in this clip, they reflect on Randal winning "The Apprentice" (the only person of color to do so) and how Donald Trump asked him if he would share the prize with the runner up, a white woman (Rebecca Jarvis). For a transcript and the entire episode, visit http://leanblog.org/380.

https://www.leanblog.org/380 Today's episode, #380, is very special to me for a number of reasons. For one, it's part of the #RootCauseRacism series that Deondra Wardelle has organized on my blog this week. Secondly, I'm joined by Dr. Randal Pinkett and Dr. Jeffrey Robinson to talk about important issues of race, diversity, and equity in organizations. Together, they are co-authors of the book Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness and the upcoming book (2021) Black Faces in High Places. Randal Pinkett, Ph.D. is an entrepreneur, speaker, author, and community servant. Randal is the co-founder, Chairman and CEO of his fifth venture, BCT Partners, a multimillion dollar management, technology and policy consulting firm in Newark, NJ, a partner in Blackwell-BCT, a joint venture with Blackwell Consulting Services, and spokesperson for the Minority Information Technology Consortium. He is a Rhodes Scholar and former college athlete who holds five academic degrees from Rutgers, Oxford and MIT (including the Leaders for Global Operations program). He was also famously the first and only black winner of “The Apprentice,” something we will talk about today. Jeffrey A. Robinson, Ph.D. is an award winning business school professor, international speaker and entrepreneur. Since 2008, he has been a leading faculty member at Rutgers Business School where he is an assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship and the founding Assistant Director of The Center for Urban Entrepreneurship & Economic Development. The Center is a unique interdisciplinary venue for innovative thinking and research on entrepreneurial activity and economic development in urban environments. He has an MS in Civil Engineering Management from Georgia Tech University and a Ph.D. in Management from Columbia University. In the episode, we talk about workplace issues related to diversity and inclusion. Should we aspire to a “color blind” world or do we need to recognize and celebrate color? What can we do to turn “white places” into more inclusive places for all? How can the “innovation economy” be made more inclusive, and why is that important? You'll also hear Randal talk about recently re-watching his season of The Apprentice online with his daughter. You can watch a separate 8-minute clip (an excerpt from the full interview) if you are particularly interested in his reflections about winning and being asked to share his win with the runner up. What did Randal learn while working in the Trump Organization? I hope you enjoy the conversation, whether you listen or watch (or read the transcript below).

https://www.leanblog.org/379   My guest for Episode #379, joining me for the fifth time, is Katie Anderson, author of the newly-released book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: Lessons from Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino on a Lifetime of Continuous Learning.   In today's episode, we talk about how the book came to be and we, of course, talk about the process — the process of writing and publishing.   You might also be interested in the webinar that Katie presented about some themes in the book, along with the separate extended Q&A session that we did. I hope you enjoy the conversation, whether you listen or watch.

This is a portion of a much longer interview (Lean Blog Interviews Episode #378):    I'm joined by Christopher D. Chapman, Senior Lean Transformation Coach at Chapman Lean Enterprise and Dr. Valeria Sinclair-Chapman,  a social scientist, Associate Professor, and Director of the Center for Research on Diversity and Inclusion at Purdue University.   I was first introduced to Chris through his article that was published on the Lean Enterprise Institute's “The Lean Post” section titled “Lean in Lean Thinkers to Root Out Racial Inequity.” He also has a follow up article called “Our Burning Platform and Using the 5 Whys to Think More Deeply about Corrective Action” with more to come.

https://www.leanblog.org/378    Joining me for Episode #378 are Christopher D. Chapman, Senior Lean Transformation Coach at Chapman Lean Enterprise and Dr. Valeria Sinclair-Chapman,  a social scientist, Associate Professor, and Director of the Center for Research on Diversity and Inclusion at Purdue University.   I was first introduced to Chris through his article that was published on the Lean Enterprise Institute's "The Lean Post" section titled "Lean in Lean Thinkers to Root Out Racial Inequity." He also has a follow up article called "Our Burning Platform and Using the 5 Whys to Think More Deeply about Corrective Action" with more to come.   As he wrote: "Lean leaders have a crucial role to play. We have long practiced and taught clients Respect for People as the moral core of lean thinking. As LEI states, leading respectfully not only improves business results but also the lives of workers, their families, their community, and, ultimately, society."  I reached out to Chris to see if he'd want to discuss his article in a podcast and he was quick to bring his wife, Val, into the conversation, given her academic credentials and her experience working with organizations on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).   In the episode, all three of us discuss the intersection and overlap between Lean transformation and DEI. Changing the culture of an organization is difficult and it requires a willingness to call out problems as a start.   This is a different topic than other podcast episodes. It's also a much longer episode than usual... because it's an important discussion, it was thought provoking, challenging (for me), but it was also friendly and spirited in a positive way. I hope you agree. I invite you to join us. This topic might be outside of your comfort zone... it was for me, but that made it all the more worth doing.  

http://www.leanblog.org/377   My guest for Episode #377 is Ritu Ward, an experienced healthcare executive who has had success delivering quality, growth, and strategy while leading high performing teams. We have known each other for a while through Lean healthcare circles and she presented a webinar in our KaiNexus series titled, “Leadership Behaviors to Guide Effective Change.” She was, until recently, the Regional Vice President for Mercy Labs in the West Region. Ritu also worked previously for Carolinas Healthcare, in a Performance Excellence role. She's currently looking for her next opportunity. Today, we'll talk about the leadership styles that help create a Lean culture. She also shares thoughts on how her leadership style had to change during the Covid-19 crisis, thoughts on leading change, and more.

http://www.leanblog.org/376  Joining me for Episode #376 of the podcast is Lauren Hisey, a continuous improvement coach and consultant at her firm, Lauren Hisey Consulting.  Before becoming a consultant, Lauren worked for AT&T and Nielsen in various technical and Lean Six Sigma roles. She has a BA in Political Science and Government and an MBA. Read more about Lauren via her bio. Today, we talk about the interface and overlap between concepts like Lean, Six Sigma, and Artificial Intelligence. Why do companies need to avoid jumping to solutions, including technology solutions like Robotic Process Automation? Why does the "respect for people" principle of Lean, from Toyota, mean that we shouldn't focus on replacing people with technology? I hope you enjoy the conversation, whether you listen or watch.  

http://www.leanblog.org/375   My guest for Episode #375 of the podcast is Mohamed Saleh, Ph.D.   Dr. Saleh has been a practitioner in Lean & Six Sigma transformations, in both manufacturing and service sectors. Mohamed was directly mentored by one of the country’s foremost experts on enterprise-wide Lean transformation and the Toyota Production System (TPS).   He has extensive experience in hands-on healthcare, manufacturing, supply chain, network optimization and enterprise information systems. Mohamed’s academic credentials include a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt from Kaplan University, a Masters in Technology Management & Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Central Connecticut State University and a PhD in Business Administration from Northcentral University.    Mohamed is:   Founder of Vizibility llc, a Lean consulting and training company  An M Plus Group Managing Partner, an advisory-coaching firm devoted to knowledge sharing, event planning and helping clients achieve organizational transformation. One of his partners, Crystal Y. Davis, was my guest in Episode #363.   Today, we talk about his background and education in Lean and we delve into what it was like to lead a Lean transformation at a large health system in Connecticut. Mohamed also shares a little bit about his Ph.D. research.   I hope you enjoy the conversation!  

http://www.leanblog.org/374   Joining me today for Episode #374 of the podcast are two colleagues, Brittany Wilson and Mark Valenti.   The topic, as Mark and I discussed in Episode #306, is "Motivational Interviewing." We will all be exploring this topic in the context of talking to people about wearing masks during the pandemic. But, there are many applications to workplace situations, as well.   Mark and Brittany do a series of very engaging webinars, which you can find on their YouTube channel.   I hope you enjoy the conversation!  

http://www.leanblog.org/373 Joining me today for Episode #373 of the podcast is Professor Peter Hines, author of many books including Staying Lean: Thriving, Not Just Surviving. Peter founded S A Partners in 1994 as a spin-out from his activities in running the Lean Enterprise Research Centre at Cardiff University. Before this, he worked in supply chain and distribution and manufacturing industries. Peter has a degree from Cambridge University and an MBA and PhD from Cardiff University. He is also an accredited Senior Shingo Facilitator and is a Visiting Professor at Waterford Institute of Technology. He is also founder of the Enterprise Excellence Network, which invited me to do a webinar recently. In the episode, we talk about the challenges involved in creating and sustaining a culture of continuous improvement. Who should be the "Lean Champion" for an organization? Are there different success factors in the UK vs other countries? Is humility an innate trait or can it be developed? We talk about that and more. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

http://www.leanblog.org/372 My guest for Episode #372 is Karen Gaudet, author of the excellent book Steady Work, which was published by the Lean Enterprise Institute. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a former employee of LEI and they provided a review copy of the book. In today's episode, we discuss her experience with Lean at Starbucks. It's a fascinating story that includes a transition from the old way (the Seattle HQ figuring out "best practices") to a new way (where store managers and baristas were taught how to design "playbooks" and to continuously improve the way the work is done in a particular store).

http://www.leanblog.org/371 For Episode #371, we bring the discussion back to Lean Manufacturing applications, as our guest is Marc Lushington-Murray. He currently lives in the Fort Worth, Texas area but, as you'll discover from his accent, he was originally born and raised in England. Marc is currently searching for a new opportunity, but he brings a great deal of experience from his time working for Nissan and then Parker Hannifan. He was originally self-taught but then had the opportunity to learn from the famed Shigijitsu consulting group and others. He has worked in internal Lean roles, but has always been pulled into plant management or other direct line management roles. I hope you'll enjoy the conversation as Marc shares his reflections on his career to date and his hopes for what is still yet to come.

http://www.leanblog.org/370   Joining me for Episode #370 is Edward Blackman, the founder and managing partner of Kelda Consulting. He has previously had Lean and process improvement-focused roles at organizations as varied as Whirlpool, Amway, and Spectrum Health.   Today, we are discussing behavioral science and the need to combine practices and lessons from that field with Lean and continuous improvement.   Edward earned a Masters degree in Behavioral Science, along with undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Mathematics. He is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt by the American Society for Quality; is certified in Labor Standards by HB Maynard; is a Lean (Toyota Production System) Instructor/Coach; a Kata Coach; a certified Scrum Master; and an Agile Coach. Read his full bio.  

http://www.leanblog.org/369   Joining me again for Episode #369 of the podcast is Dr. Rachel Mandel, a self-described "healthcare whisperer" and Washington D.C.-based consultant for healthcare organizations. She has her own practice and also works as a Senior Healthcare Advisor for Operational Performance Solutions, Inc.   She was a guest recently for Episode #367, but we had recorded that before the pandemic. So, we decided to do another episode, this time as a live YouTube stream, to talk about issues of the moment, and the future, related to Lean and Covid-19 -- leadership, respect, and safety among other themes.   Again, she is a physician (OB-GYN) and previously served as the Vice President of Medical Affairs for a health system in Maryland. Read her full bio here.  

http://leanblog.org/368   My guest for Episode #368 is somebody I've met fairly recently through his excellent posts on LinkedIn, Steve Feltovich.   He is the president of SJF Consulting, Inc. and he previously had a long career in the automotive industry, in particular collision and repair.   Steve learned about Dr. Deming's approach and also learned the Toyota Production System from Toyota and Toyota University, so he has an interesting perspective that I really appreciate.   I hope you enjoy the discussion!  

http://www.leanblog.org/367   Joining me for Episode #367 of the podcast is Dr. Rachel Mandel, a self-described "healthcare whisperer" and Washington D.C.-based consultant for healthcare organizations. She has her own practice and also works as a Senior Healthcare Advisor for Operational Performance Solutions, Inc.   She is, of course, a physician (OB-GYN) and previously served as the Vice President of Medical Affairs for a health system in Maryland. Read her full bio here.   We recorded this podcast in late February 2020, so much has changed since then. We'll be doing a follow up podcast next week where we'll discuss some of the leadership (and organizational) challenges that health systems face now during the Covid-19 pandemic.   Today, we'll talk about her experiences with Lean and how she is an advocate for this methodology, especially around the important issues of safety and quality.  

http://www.leanblog.org/366  My guest for Episode #366 is Harry Moser, founder of the Reshoring Initiative. We talk about “reshoring,” in general, and why that's such an important issue in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Harry definitely falls into the category of guests where I wonder, “Why haven't I had this person on the show before?” Harry and his work have been on my radar for a long time. I appreciate the mission and I wish more companies would consider the “Total Cost” (and old Dr. Deming concept) when making manufacturing site location and sourcing decisions instead of focusing only on “unit cost” or “landed cost” (which includes freight and taxes). “The mission of the Reshoring Initiative® is to bring good, well-paying manufacturing jobs back to the United States by assisting companies to more accurately assess their total cost of offshoring, and shift collective thinking from offshoring is cheaper to local reduces the total cost of ownership. “ Harry was inducted into the Industry Week Manufacturing Hall of Fame in 2010, based on his long career in manufacturing. He founded the Reshoring Initiative in 2010. Be sure to check out the TCO Estimator tool that he discusses in the episode. “Most companies make sourcing decisions based solely on price, oftentimes resulting in a 20 to 30 percent miscalculation of actual offshoring costs.” The Reshoring Initiative Website Harry's LinkedIn Profile @HarryMoser on Twitter @ReshoreNow on Twitter The Total Cost of Ownership Estimator Listeners have probably heard of “offshoring” but what is “reshoring”? Why “reshoring”? What is “nearshoring” and is that nearly as good? Tell us about the history of your organization, the Reshoring Initiative… Why should our current Covid-19 crisis be a “wake up call” about where goods are manufactured? Do you think it's fair when analysts or the media blame “just in time” for shortages of goods and equipment during this crisis (in healthcare or retail)? Why or why not? Can Lean take out enough waste to make a high-labor manufacturing site competitive with U.S. wages? Dan Markovitz question (paraphrasing): Is moving production back to the US easier said than done if we don't have the skills or the supply base here anymore? How can we help companies (and investors) realize that “lowest total cost” is the goal, not “lowest labor cost” or “lowest piece price cost”? Why have companies miscalculated when doing the math about moving production to China? How can companies use TCO to increase sales? Can you give some past examples of reshoring and the benefits? What can/should the government do to accelerate the reshoring trend?

Mark Graban interviews Dan Markovitz about his new book. http://www.leanblog.org/365 Joining me again for Episode #365 is Dan Markovitz, now a five-time guest (but he doesn't get a special jacket like SNL). The reason for getting together was to chat about his latest book, "The Conclusion Trap: Four Steps to Better Decisions," now available from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats. Why do people jump to conclusions (or solutions), often looking to “shiny new technology, reorganizations, or spending more money” as Dan asks? Why is it better to spend more time on a good problem statement? What's the difference between data and facts? When should we ask questions and when is it OK to make suggestions? When is it OK to “just do it” and when do we need to be more rigorous in setting up our experiments? Dan and I are good friends, so the conversation veers into a breakdown of the show “Bar Rescue” and the problem-solving and leadership methods illustrated there. This is almost an episode of “Lean Whiskey” but there was no whiskey involved. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

  Joining me for Episode #364 is a returning guest, Mitch Cahn, the president of Unionwear, a Newark-based company. Back in Episode #234, we talked about how Lean manufacturing has helped them be competitive in the labor-intensive apparel industry, sewing goods in a union shop.   Today (in an episode that is also a video podcast), Mitch tells us how, a month ago, orders for political campaign hats and items evaporated as the Democratic presidential field consolidated. So, Unionwear needed to pivot and they started calling hospitals to find out how they might be able to help by making personal protective equipment (PPE) to help in the Covid-19 crisis.   In the episode, you'll hear about the creation (and continued refinement) of face shields and gowns. These items were made using materials that they normally used for hats, backpacks, and plastic binders. Mitch also talks about how they've had to adapt their factory for social distancing and how some employees are sewing at home (and what they need to do to support the flow of materials and products). We'll also discuss how Lean methods have helped them in this new journey.  

http://www.leanblog.org/363 For Episode #363, I'm joined by Crystal Davis as we discuss: What are you seeing in terms of how Covid-19 is disrupting businesses? How do we move from crisis mode, to survival mode, to recovery mode? Why do we need courageous leadership during these challenging times? This is also the first video podcast that I've done in a while. See the show notes page for the video: HTTP://www.leanblog.org/363 We share a background as industrial engineers who started our Lean careers at General Motors, and we both moved on to do work with other types of businesses. Crystal has many roles today: The Lean Coach, Inc. - Founder, CEO, Principal Lean Practitioner; DisruptHER Coach; Managing Partner at MPlus Her website is http://theleancoachinc.com/.  I hope you enjoy the conversation!  

http://www.leanblog.org/362   My guest for Episode #362 is Adam Lawrence, managing partner with Process Improvement Partners LLC.   He's an industrial engineer who had a long career working with TQM, Six Sigma, and Lean at Thomasvile Furniture and other Armstrong World Industries companies.   Today, we'll talk about setting kaizen events up for success with effective charter documents and team selection. What's the role of leadership? Adam will also talk about the "wheel of sustainability" (scroll down for an image and a PDF that he provided).   Adam will also mention a free virtual workshop that he's doing on Monday, April 6th. It was supposed to be done in person at a conference... but given the current circumstances, he's trying to make lemons into lemonade and I appreciate that he's offering up that opportunity for folks.  

http://www.leanblog.org/361   Episode #361 of the podcast is admittedly not about Lean, but it's an important topic that I think needs to be shared in these times.   I'm sharing audio that came from a KaiNexus webinar yesterday that we called "Ask Docs Anything" and the topic was, of course, coronavirus and Covid-19. We put out a call for questions and got more than 100 questions for our customers and our community.   For the webinar, we focused the questions mainly on personal health and things you can (or must) do to protect your families and others in society. If you'd rather read synopsis answers to the questions, you can do so here. The video of the session is also embedded in that page, or it's also available through YouTube.   You can also find more links to resources, articles, and information through this page.  

 http://www.leanblog.org/360 Returning for Episode #360 of the podcast is Leah Binder, the president and CEO of Leapfrog Group. We last talked four years ago in Episode #240 about the patient safety crisis and efforts to improve.  Today, we'll talk about hospitals' preparation for the Covid-19 / Coronavirus threat. Read her statement on this topic and stay tuned for announcements about free webinars and resources that Leapfrog Group will be providing. We'll also discuss safety (and the lack of reporting and data) in the outpatient (ambulatory) surgery setting -- where 60% of procedures are done today in the U.S. We'll also talk about the progress that's been made in the last four years on the patient safety front, in general.  Please check out Leapfrog Group and their Hospital Safety Score website. How does your hospital measure up? How do the hospitals in your community compare? What can hospitals be doing to close their gaps so they get an "A"? How can large businesses who pay for healthcare and have their employees' interest in mind, like manufacturers, help put positive pressure on healthcare to improve?  

  My guest for Episode #359 of the podcast is Prof. Dr. Alfred Angerer, joining me from Switzerland to talk about Lean healthcare.   I had a chance to visit a hospital with Alfred, in Switzerland, late last year, as we discussed in this episode of his podcast (which we recorded together in his office).   In today's episode, he joins me via the internet and we'll talk about his path into studying, teaching, and consulting on Lean healthcare. We'll chat about what's different (and what's similar) in Swiss healthcare and we'll touch on his books and articles in the conversation.  

 http://www.leanblog.org/358   Returning to the podcast for Episode #358 is Steve Spear, a senior lecturer at MIT and author of the book The High-Velocity Edge: How Market Leaders Leverage Operational Excellence to Beat the Competition. He's also the founder and co-creator of a software company and product called See to Solve.   He's also the author of two outstanding Harvard Business Review articles: “Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System" and "Fixing Healthcare from the Inside, Today," both of which we'll discuss today. One of the themes for this episode is the evolution of knowledge. What does that mean for a company and what does that mean for an esteemed researcher and professor like Steve?   Steve has a BS in economics from Princeton University, an MA in management and an MS in mechanical engineering from MIT, and a PhD from Harvard Business School. He was previously a guest in episodes #58, 87, and 262. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did!  

http://leanblog.org/357 Joining me today for episode #357 is Michael Conroy, M.D., the Chief Medical Officer of Sutter Medical Group in northern California. Mike was previously the Medical Director of the Lean Promotion Office for the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and he was in that role when we first met about a decade ago. We collaborated on some Lean workshop training material for him to deliver to other physicians, through my role at Catalysis at the time. In today's episode, we'll talk about how he was first exposed to Lean, we'll take a few metaphorical elevator rides to talk about how Lean benefits patients and physicians, and shifting from Lean as tools or events to being a way of thinking and a common operating system for an organization. Mike is board certified in Internal Medicine and is a Fellow in the American College of Physicians. After medical school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, he did his residency at Virginia Mason Medical Center where he worked with Dr. Gary Kaplan, a well-known Lean leader who is now CEO of that system. Small world!

http://www.leanblog.org/356  My guest for episode #356 of the podcast is Amy C. Edmondson, PhD, the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School. She is the author of three books on teaming and her most recent book is the topic of conversation today: The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth.   In the episode, we explore the incredibly important concept of "psychological safety," which means, as Edmondson defines it:   "...a climate in which people are comfortable expressing and being themselves."   This is necessary for Kaizen (continuous improvement) and it's also a huge contributor to people being able to speak up about patient safety risks (or other problems in the workplace).   One thing I love about her book is that she doesn't just diagnose the problem (that fear of speaking up is bad), but she also lays out a plan for how leaders can create a more psychologically-safe environment and culture.   From her bio: "Edmondson received her PhD in organizational behavior, AM in psychology, and AB in engineering and design from Harvard University."  

Http://www.leanblog.org/355   So, an engineer, an architect, and a nurse walk into a hospital... no, that's not a setup for the punchline to a joke.   Today, in episode #355 of the podcast, I'm sharing three short conversations with three people who have very different backgrounds, but they still all ended up working to improve healthcare.   We have a Toyota-trained engineer (Isaac Mitchell), who transitioned (like me) from manufacturing to healthcare.   We are also joined by an architect (Laura Silvoy) who got a master's degree in health systems engineering and helps an architecture firm in the improvement and design of healthcare facilities.   And, we have a business student (Darrin Judkins) who then got a nursing degree and, after years of providing patient care at the bedside, also got into Lean and healthcare improvement.   We all know each other through our involvement in the Society for Health Systems (a part of the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers) and the annual Healthcare Systems Process Improvement Conference. The event is being held February 26 to 28 this year in Savannah, Georgia. I love this event -- the learning, the networking, the friends... and I highly recommend it. We'll chat about that a bit too.   This episode is a little different... but I think you'll like it.  

http://www.leanblog.org/354   Joining me for episode #354 of the podcast is Kim Hollon, the CEO and President of Signature Healthcare, based in Brockton, Massachusetts.   I first met Kim about a decade ago and, as we discover during the podcast discussion, one of my Lean healthcare clients in Dallas was later an important influence in Kim's discovery and embrace of Lean.   What prompted the podcast interview was Kim's recent article titled "The Health Care Leader's Role in Safety," which I blogged about not long ago. So, in this episode, we talk about the article, his personal history with Lean, and much more.   Please rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast!

Links and full transcript: http://www.leanblog.org/353 My guest for Episode #353 of the podcast is somebody whose work I've appreciated for a long time -- Quint Studer. I was first introduced to his book Hardwiring Excellence back in 2005 and I've been following his work (and reading his books) ever since. Today, we'll talk about "hardwiring" and other concepts from his first book. We will also explore his latest book, The Busy Leader's Handbook: How To Lead People and Places That Thrive, a book intended for leaders in all industries.  

http://www.leanblog.org/352   Joining me for Episode #352 of the podcast is Frederick Southwick, M.D. He is a Professor of Medicine and is also Director of Patient Care Quality and Safety in the Division of Hospitalist Medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville.   Fred is the author of many books including Critically Ill: A 5-Point Plan to Cure Healthcare Delivery. In the podcast, Fred will talk about why he shifted from infectious diseases to focusing on hospital medicine and healthcare improvement. This was driven partially by two very personal episodes with problems in the healthcare system that his then-wife and he both suffered from. Fred was appointed as a Harvard University Advanced Leadership fellow, where he studied business and public health.   Fred was exposed to Lean through MIT Prof. Steven Spear and they have published an article together, where they call for "all academic physicians caring for patients to focus on systems and quality improvement." In the episode, Fred reflects on how he personally shifted from blaming doctors to looking at systems as the primary driver of quality and safety problems.   He also teaches Lean to medical students and has two public classes on "Fixing Healthcare" (including one with a deeper focus on Lean) through Coursera.   I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.  

http://www.leanblog.org/351  Joining me for Episode #351 of the podcast are my friends Joel Tosi and Dion Stewart, co-founders of the company Dojo & Co. They're the authors of the new book (to be released on November 19) called Creating Your Dojo: Upskill Your Organization for Digital Evolution.  A "dojo" is a learning environment -- whether that's for the martial arts or if it's a "safety dojo" in a Toyota factory. Today, we talk about what it means to create an "immersive learning environment" in a workplace, such as a software company or a product development group within a larger company -- the goal is more effective learning, progress, and adoption of new methods or products. It's interesting to think about how one might use a "dojo" in the context of Lean design or improvement efforts in a hopsital or other settings.  Joel, Dion, and I have collaborated before on a few events, including our Learning Symposium where we visited Toyota and Garrison Brothers Distillery last year.  

http://www.leanblog.org/350  Our guest today is Tim Turner, who joined us previously in 2010 for episode #90. Tim was the lead author for a book called One Team on All Levels that was about the Toyota plant and its people in Kentucky. Tim was involved in the ramp up of Kentucky Lexus production and then left Toyota after 22 years. He was at another manufacturing company and now works as a consultant, so it's interesting to hear about all of those different experiences. 

  http://www.leanblog.org/349 My guest for episode #349 is John Dyer, president of his consulting firm, John Dyer & Associates, Inc., and author of the new book, The Façade of Excellence: Defining a New Normal of Leadership, which will be released on October 1, 2019.   John has been a guest previously in episodes #229 and #280, talking about Dr. W. Edwards Deming, "The Red Bead Experiment," and more.   Today, we talk about the book, how to find out of there is a "facade" of excellence, and why "fear makes good people do stupid things," as John says. What's a façade? "A false appearance that makes someone or something seem more pleasant or better than they really are."  

http://www.leanblog.org/348   Our guest today for Episode 348 is Cinnamon Dixon, Director Of Continuous Improvement at Cleveland Clinic. I interviewed her for the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Podcast series and I'm cross posting that interview here to give it more exposure.   Our KaiNexus team members who were at the Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit in June were really impressed with Cinnamon's presentation on their "tiered huddle" process that's part of their Lean methodology. So, we asked her to do the podcast.   You can a full transcript via the KaiNexus blog.   I recently had a chance to visit Cleveland Clinic and I spent the morning observing their tiered huddles, so I'll be writing a blog post about that soon. Thanks to Cinnamon and Cleveland Clinic for being so willing to share!  

http://www.leanblog.org/347   Our guest today for Episode 347 is Brad Parsons, the CEO of NEA Baptist, in Jonesboro, Arkansas. NEA Baptist is a 228-bed hospital and 140-provider medical group serving northeast Arkansas -- part of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation.   Brad is also the co-author of the new book Creating an Effective Management System: Integrating Policy Deployment, TWI, and Kata. His co-authors have been guests on the podcast before -- Patrick Graupp and Skip Steward.   In this episode, we'll talk about core themes from the book, including his role as the leader of their transformational efforts to implement and continue improving an effective management system -- something that's important for so many reasons. We'll also talk about "Process Behavior Charts" and his experience with Don Wheeler.  

  http://www.leanblog.org/346    Joining me for Episode 346 of the podcast is Mark Ryan, a Transformation Coach and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt at Franciscan Health.   Mark will be one of the hosts and facilitators at our upcoming "Kaizen Live!" site visit event at Franciscan St. Francis Health in Indianapolis. Only two spots remain, so register today if you'd like to join us.   As we talk about in the episode, Franciscan does much more than daily Kaizen. They've built upon that foundation of staff engagement to add other Lean practices -- under the banner of what they call "Managing for Daily Improvement," or MDI. They use "strategy deployment" and other methods to align the organization in their goals and improvement efforts.   I hope you enjoy the discussion, whether you are joining us in Indianapolis or not.  

 http://www.leanblog.org/345 

http://www.leanblog.org/344 Remastered audio June 2021 Joining me for Episode #344 is David Reid, a mechanical engineer whose career has taken him from improvement work at Michelin Tire, to being a pastor, to now helping the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain improve through Lean and Kaizen practices and mindsets. I was really excited to see the cover story that was in the May 2019 issue of ISE Magazine (Industrial & Systems Engineering). The headline inside reads, “From lean modules to a lean mindset — Chick-fil-A's success shows how leveraging your greatest asset speeds up cultural change.” In this episode, I get to ask David about some of the drivers for Lean at Chick-fil-A, which is already a high-growth company with many happy customers and employees. How do they influence the owner/operators of stores to embrace Lean and to engage every employee in continuous improvement? Why did they learn that a top-down engineering-driven model couldn't possibly drive enough improvement? How does a Facebook page enter the equation for employees (and note that using Facebook was an employee idea) instead of “building an app.” There are many great “nuggets” of wisdom here from David, pun absolutely intended. I hope you enjoy the episode!

My guest for Episode #343 of the podcast is Amanda Mewborn, an executive director of project management for Piedmont Health. I've known Amanda through the Society for Health Systems and she's one of the very small number of people I know with both engineering and nursing degrees. She has a B.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering and an M.S. in Health Systems from Georgia Tech and a B.S. in nursing from Georgia State University. So, in today's episode, we talk about that interesting combination of skill sets and why she got a nursing degree. We also chat about her career in healthcare, along with some of the facility design and construction work she has been involved with. We also hear her thoughts on why it's important to have the engagement and involvement of front-line staff (and patients) in the design process.

For links and more, go to http://www.leanblog.org/342 My guest for Episode #342 of the podcast is Adam Ward, the author of Lean Design in Healthcare: A Journey to Improve Quality and Process of Care. Adam is an innovation process expert and independent advisor. He spent the first 12 years of his career designing cars for Honda and the next 12 years working with Fortune 500 companies to turn around their product development process. A resident Buckeye, he coaches students at Ohio State's MBOE program. In this episode, we discuss his early days at Honda and how he made a career transition into healthcare. We'll talk about the story behind his book and some of his experiences and practices that are transferrable — going from “simultaneous engineering” to “Lean design.” What are some of the most common failures? How can we coach leaders so they aren't giving just lip service to these methodologies? We discuss all of that and more…

http://www.leanblog.org/341 My guest for Episode #341 of the podcast is Dr. Rob Hackett, an anaesthesiologist in Sydney, Australia. Rob has become known around the world for his role in what's now called the “Theatre Cap Challenge” — a method for improving communication and, thereby, improving patient safety and outcomes. As we talk about today, Rob had the idea of writing his name and role on his surgical cap with a sharpie. Eventually, he (and others) have gotten printed caps made as shown below in my LinkedIn post about our discussion (it has received 200,000 views and counting). As I wrote on LinkedIn, Rob has, unfortunately, been trolled, threatened, and bullied for this seemingly benign and obvious improvement idea — both in the workplace and online. It seems that outsiders to healthcare and those who are new to medicine find an idea like this to be obviously helpful, but those who have been in healthcare the longest struggle to accept it. I appreciate Rob's perspective that those who oppose this innovation, for whatever reason, probably aren't bad people — they just have a different view and, possibly, some old habits or cognitive biases that they are stuck in. The interview goes for over an hour. One thing I'd like to do is produce a shorter audio piece that's more like an NPR news story. See below for a full transcript and for links, videos, and more. His website is www.psnetwork.org.

Here is a special sample preview of a new podcast... the “Lean Whiskey” Podcast If you like it, please subscribe by searching your podcast directory for "Lean Whiskey" or go to www.LeanWhiskey.com. About the Podcast Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh are two guys with a lot in common: Lean, writing books, speaking, consulting... and a love of good whiskey. Like the Car Talk guys, they both went to MIT... but Lean isn't rocket science. Let's hope they can hold their liquor, because they're not holding back on sharing their opinions... it's time for Lean Whiskey... Lean talk with a fun spirit!

Joining me for Episode #340 of the podcast is Dr. Joy Furnival CEng MIET, an experienced senior NHS manager, improvement leader, and chartered engineer. I first crossed paths with Joy at a Lean healthcare event in England back in 2007. At the time, she was working for David Fillingham and the Bolton NHS Trust, which was an early adopter of Lean in the NHS. In this episode, we talk about how we are, in some ways, “Lean twins,” as we both started our careers as engineers in manufacturing. Our career paths then diverged when she joined the NHS whilst I've worked as an outside consultant. I very much appreciate her perspectives as we talk about her roles in a few different hospitals and as a “national improvement advisor” for the NHS. I hope you'll enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

Joining me for Episode #339 of the podcast is Charles Protzman, author of a great number of Lean healthcare books. Today, we are talking about a book that he wrote for a broader audience, The BASICS Lean Implementation Model: Lean Tools to Drive Daily Innovation and Increased Profitability. I first met Charlie over a decade ago when I worked for Johnson & Johnson's VauMetrix Services consulting group — and he was a big influence on our team and our methodology. I'm glad to finally have him here on the podcast to discuss how he navigates the differences between manufacturing and healthcare settings and why he “looks forward” to questions about patients not being cars. We'll also talk about his BASICS model of Baseline, Assess/Analyze, Suggest Solutions, Implementation, Check, and Sustain. We also discuss the power of direct workplace observation, something that I wrote about in Lean Hospitals and I discussed with a healthcare CEO, Vance Jackson, in Episode #337.

My guest for Episode #338 is Mr. Grey Dube, the Chief Executive Officer at Leratong Hospital. He has over 40 years' experience in the Public Service, including time as CEO since 2005. Leratong Hospital is an 855 bedded regional hospital with over 1700 staff members, located in Mogale City, Krugersdorp, South Africa (just east of Johannesburg). Grey is the third consecutive hospital CEO guest, including Gladys Bogoshi (also from South Africa) and Vance Jackson (from the U.S.). I think it's interesting to hear similar philosophies and mindsets from these leaders. Like Gladys, Grey is going to be a keynote speaker at this year's Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit, to be held in Washington, DC on June 13 & 14. I'll be there and I hope you can join us. I'll also be teaching a pre-Summit workshop on Measures of Success that I hope you can attend. In this episode, we talk about how he got introduced to Lean and how he leads the Lean transformation efforts, including assessing and modeling behaviors including humility and self-discipline. How is he working to change the culture to one where all people are trained to be scientific problem solvers? Grey shares that, some of their success stories, some of their challenges, and more in this conversation.

It's my second straight podcast with a healthcare CEO. This time, joining me for Episode #337 is Vance Jackson, FACHE, FACMPE, the President & CEO of Davis Health System, based in Elkins, West Virginia. Vance and I talk about how he was admittedly skeptical about Lean at a previous healthcare organization. But, over time, he realized the importance of Lean and the need for him to lead differently — getting input from everybody instead of the old autocratic way that we see in so many healthcare organizations. How does Vance lead by example as a CEO? Why is it so important for him to go to the “gemba” and observe the actual work and the workplace environment? We talk about all of that and more in this episode.

My guest for Episode #336 is Gladys Bogoshi, the Chief Executive Officer at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, one of the ten central hospitals in South Africa and the main teaching platform of the University of the Witwatersrand. The Hospital is situated in Johannesburg and has a bed capacity of 1189. Gladys is going to be a keynote speaker at this year's Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit, to be held in Washington, DC on June 13 & 14. I'll be there and I hope you can join us. I'll also be teaching a pre-Summit workshop on Measures of Success that I hope you can attend. In this episode, we talk about how she got introduced to Lean, some of the improvements that her hospital has driven in surgery, pharmacy, and other areas. What is her role as CEO in a Lean journey? What are some of the fundamental behaviors that are important and how you can coach people on those? We talk about all of that and more.

It's two Barrys in a row on the podcast, as my guest for Episode #335 is Barry O'Reilly and we're talking, in depth, about his latest book, Unlearn: Let Go of Past Success to Achieve Extraordinary Results. Barry is a business advisor, entrepreneur, and author who has pioneered the intersection of business model innovation, product development, organizational design, and culture transformation. See his full bio. Last week, I shared a shorter discussion with Barry that served as a preview of the webinar that he's presenting on Wednesday. You can find a link to register for the live webinar (or to view the recording) at leanblog.org/335. Barry and I chat about topics including 1) experimental approaches to entrepreneurship, 2) how leaders need to make it safe for people to try new things, and 3) why you have to unlearn before you can learn something new – that's the pathway that allows you to then achieve breakthrough results. These are good ideas in business and they also talk about the interesting case of tennis legend Serena Williams and how she reinvented her game to extend her greatness. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did and do hope you'll pick up the book.

Joining me for Episode #334, all the way from Australia, is Barry McCarthy. Barry spent more than 15 years in leadership roles with Toyota in Australia and now works as an Associate with consulting firm Honsha. We were able to spend a lot of time talking when I participated in Honsha’s Executive Development Mission trip to Japan late last year. One thing we talked about quite a bit was Barry’s experience with Toyota being “a development company,” as I blogged about here. In our discussion, Barry talks about why he was “skeptical” about Lean before he joined Toyota. But, he evolved as Toyota continues to evolve. Why is Barry afraid that Lean (outside of Toyota) might get stuck in the past? We’ll talk about all of that and more.

Episode 333 - Jean-Marc Legentil and Marc-Olivier Legentil, The Toyota Kata Memory Jogger My guests for Episode #333 are Jean-Marc Legentil and Marc-Olivier Legentil, father-and-son Lean consultants from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They work together in the firm Bell-Nordic Consulting. I've had the pleasure of meeting both of them on numerous trips to Montreal and was happy to hear they were part of the team that created the latest book in the excellent “Memory Jogger” series: The Toyota Kata Memory Jogger I hope you enjoy our conversation about Toyota Kata, improvement, leadership, and more.

Joining me today for Episode #332 is Jason Burt, owner of EHIP Consulting. Jason is a Lean consultant and business coach with an extensive and diverse background, including a manufacturing career where he has led and coached organizations to increased levels of efficiency and performance. Using the Toyota Production System (TPS) approach has allowed him to positively change cultures to achieve sustainable improvements. During his time at Herman Miller, Jason spent 18 months learning TPS directly from Toyota as a Toyota Lean Consultant. Toyota and Herman Miller were in a partnership during his time with the company, which allowed him to receive direct coaching from Toyota Senseis for the entire 16 years. I was interested in talking with Jason about what it was like learning from Toyota's TSSC organization (a group that has done great work with a UCLA eye clinic and a food bank, to name two that I've featured on the blog). We talk about a wide range of topics, including common misunderstandings about TPS and Lean, the Toyota goals of developing people and their clients (knowing results will follow), and how he sometimes has to adapt to work with clients and their expectations. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

My guest today for Episode #331 is Eric W. Dickson, MD, MHCM, FACEP, a Professor of Emergency Medicine at UMass Medical School and Chief Executive Officer of the UMass Memorial Health Care system. You might have heard Dr. Dickson speak in Episode #231 of the podcast, which was audio from the CEO panel at the 2015 Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit. By the way, I hope you can join me at this year's Summit. In that audio, Dr. Dickson talked about the beginning of what has been quite an impressive turnaround at UMass Memorial Health Care. I invited him to formally be a guest on the podcast to talk about their progress, and what it means for him to be creating a culture of “Everyday Innovators: Everywhere, Every Day,” which has led to over 65,000 ideas being implemented in five years. This is also a topic he blogs about quite a bit. In our conversation, we discuss how he found Lean originally “almost out of desperation.” How can we shift from “knowing the answer” to “continuous experiments?” Why is it important that he, as CEO, not be “throwing solutions out” when working with people? Does it help that he works a few shifts a month as an emergency medicine doc? We talk about that and more.

Joining me today for Episode #330 of the podcast is Christoph Roser, a professor of production management at the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences in Germany. He has decades of experience with Lean manufacturing including time with Toyota in Japan, as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, and as a Lean expert and manager at Robert Bosch GmbH. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts. He is author of the book Faster, Better, Cheaper in the History of Manufacturing: From the Stone Age to Lean Manufacturing and Beyond. You can read his full bio here, via his excellent blog AllAboutLean.com. Today's discussion was sparked by his series of blog posts about his “grand tour” of automotive factories in Japan. You can read those or check out his overview blog post here. We'll talk about the differences between some of these companies, a bit about Lean in healthcare, and we'll discuss Christoph's concerns about the way Toyota's culture might be changing under CEO Akio Toyoda.

Joining me today for Episode #329 of the podcast is Mike Eisenberg, the director, editor, and producer of the film “To Err is Human,” a documentary about the incredibly important issue of patient safety. The film shares a title with the groundbreaking 1999 report from the Institute of Medicine. The film is available on as a digital download (through iTunes and other platforms) and a Blu-ray or DVD (through Amazon) and there also screenings taking place around the country (and you can arrange one at your organization). In our conversation, Mike and I talk about the scale and breadth of patient safety problems, some of the systemic causes, and some of the solutions that are being tried and used in healthcare. The term “Lean” is not a part of the film, but Mike said he's become aware of the alignment between Lean and systemic patient safety improvement, but there are limitations to what could be put into a 77-minute film. But, there are common themes including not blaming “bad apples” and improving the way care is delivered in a systematic way. I had the opportunity to watch the film before the interview — it's very powerful and well produced. I hope you'll check out the film, whether you are a patient or a healthcare professional (or leader). It's important that we help the public understand that patient safety can't be taken for granted… and it's important that hospitals step up their efforts on this front.

My guests for Episode #328 are Bette Gardner and Jeff Heil, of the company Breakthrough Learning. Bette is the creator of a fantastic simulation called "Friday Night at the ER" -- which I've blogged about. When we recorded the webinar, Bette was CEO and Jeff was COO, but recently Jeff took over the CEO role. They are also, as they mention, mother and son... which will be followed by an upcoming podcast with a father and son team (two of the authors of this book). In this episode, we talk about Bette's inspiration for the simulation, systems thinking, and healthcare improvement. We'll also talk about how the simulation is used by organizations in many industries as a way of teaching systems thinking principles.

My guest for Episode #327 of the podcast is Marc Rouppe van der Voort, Ph.D., who is joining me from Utrecht in the Netherlands. We first met back in 2009 when he invited me to come speak at a Dutch Lean Healthcare conference (which I blogged about here). We've crossed paths many times, as Marc has frequently visited the U.S. for the annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit, coming with a large group of Dutch Lean healthcare practitioners from many organizations (they collaborate through an organization he chairs called Lidz, which has 60 organizations as members). I've also had the chance to go back to visit and teach at Marc's current employer, St. Antonius Hospital, where he is vice president of operations management and leads the application of Lean principles and several supporting teams. He has also written three practical books on the application of Lean in healthcare. Today, we'll be talking about his learning and his experience with Lean in Dutch healthcare organizations -- what are the differences in the Dutch system and what are the ways in which it's similar to the American system? We'll also discuss the connections between Value Based Healthcare and Lean, with the focus on patient outcomes and quality of life... and other topics related to Lean and leadership.

Joining me for the fourth time, here for Episode #326 of the podcast, is my friend and colleague Katie Anderson, a leadership coach, Lean consultant, speaker and writer from the San Francisco area. Hear our previous podcasts about visiting and living in Japan. Today, we're talking about a number of topics related to learning and collaboration: Her upcoming book with Isao Yoshino, the local San Francisco Bay area AME consortium that she is leading, her next trip to Japan (which you can join), and more. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as we did. For some other resources, and to enter to win a copy of my book Lean Hospitals (and a copy of Measures of Success) that Katie is giving away, visit kbjanderson.com/mark. Thanks, Katie!

Joining me for Episode #325 of the podcast is Andrea Hardaway, an operational leader and the executive director of the Association for Vocal Disorders. Andrea and I first crossed paths through LinkedIn, seeing what she shares there and vice versa. We also had a chance to visit a hospital together in Florida last year to learn about their Lean improvement work. We have enough professional interests in common, I thought it made sense to record a conversation and share it here with the listeners. Andrea has worked in manufacturing, healthcare, and other parts of the service sector and has seen common themes across industries. This includes the opportunity to better use metrics in a way that resonates with staff and is connected to improvement work, something I'm also very interested in. So, we talk about that and more in this episode.

My guest for Episode #324 of the podcast is Art Smalley. Art was one of the first Americans to work for Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan and, since then, has been helping other organizations with the Toyota Production System (a.k.a. “Lean”) methods and approaches. You can also visit his website to learn more, www.ArtOfLean.com. Art is a fellow faculty member at the Lean Enterprise Institute. He has written two Shingo Publication Award-winning books: Creating Level Pull and (co-authored with Durward Sobek) Understanding A3 Thinking. Art later wrote Toyota's Kaizen Methods: Six Steps to Improvement with Isao Kato. I own all of these books and have only met Art briefly in the past, so I'm happy to finally have him here as a guest. Today, we'll talk about Art's career and his most recent book, Four Types of Problems, published by the Lean Enterprise Institute (note: LEI provided me a free electronic copy of the book). I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

I first met Davis Balestracci at a conference a few years back, where I heard him give a very spirited and insightful presentation. That's why I'm happy to have him as my guest for Episode #323 of the podcast. We'll talk about a range of topics, including some of the key lessons that you'll find in his book (as a much deeper dive than we can get into here) Data Sanity: A Quantum Leap to Unprecedented Results (2nd edition). Davis has been a long-time columnist for Quality Digest, and you'll hear his thoughts on Process Behavior Charts, W. Edwards Deming, Lean Six Sigma, and more. From his bio: “Davis has a BS degree in chemical engineering and an MS degree in statistics, yet describes himself as a “right-brained” statistician:  his Myers-Briggs profile is INFP and he is a pipe organist who done graduate work in conducting.”

Today's podcast is a departure from the usual interview format. As I blogged about last week, the Lean community has lost a young, thoughtful, inquisitive, and reflective member -- Samuel Selay. I regret not having Sam on the podcast to talk about our learning and reflections. He was a guest of Ron Pereira's on the Gemba Academy podcast in 2016, talking about Lean in the Department of Defense. Today, I'm doing a reading of a blog post that Sam wrote for this site back in August. I'm also sharing the audiobook version of his chapter from the book Practicing Lean (which is read by our audiobook narrator). It's not his voice, but it's his words and thoughts. As the Marines say (Sam was an active duty Marine for 13 years), Semper Fi.  There is a GoFundMe page that was set up by Sam's sister-in-law to provide financial support to the family — his wife and four children under 18. I've donated and I hope you might consider doing the same. 

My guest for episode #321 of the podcast is Mark Hamel, He is a partner and COO with The Murli Group. Mark is a two-time recipient of the Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award for his books The Kaizen Event Fieldbook and his most recent book Lean Math, the main subject of this episode. I hope you enjoy the discussion, which is about people as much as it is about math.

Skip Steward, the Chief Improvement Officer at Baptist Memorial Health Care in Tennessee, was a guest on Episode #314 of the podcast talking about TWI and Toyota Kata in healthcare (he was joined by Brandon Brown). Today, I've asked Skip to come back and chat 1x1, in Episode #320, about his experience with Don Wheeler, learning from W. Edwards Deming, and more. I hope you enjoy his reflections, our discussions about healthcare, and connections to my book Measures of Success (Skip undoubtedly has a book in him too). 

My guest for Episode #319 is Karen Martin, whose most recent book is Clarity First: How Smart Leaders and Organizations Achieve Outstanding Performance. She was previously a guest on Episodes #151, #190, and #285. Karen is an author of many books on Lean, quality, and performance excellence. She is also a speaker and a consultant with a B.S. in Microbiology from Pennsylvania State University and an M.A. in Education from California State University, Bakersfield. Read her full bio. What is clarity? How can we work toward creating less fog and more clarity in organizations? We'll talk about that, along with a bit of discussion about clarity in metrics, as I write about in my book Measures of Success.

318 - Marcus Hammarberg, How Lean & Kanban Saved an Indonesian Hospital Joining me from Sweden for Episode 318 of the podcast is Marcus Hammarberg, author of the fascinating book Salvation: The Bungsu Story: How Lean and Kanban saved a small hospital in Indonesia. Twice. And can help you reshape work in your company. Marcus is a software developer, consultant, lean/agile coach, speaker, and author. He ended up with an opportunity to work with a hospital in Indonesia and he tells that compelling story in the book. How did a huge hole in the roof help trigger a change in culture and results? You'll hear about that and more in this episode. I hope you enjoy it and find it inspirational, as I did.

My guest for Episode #317 of the podcast is Patricia Morrill, a speaker, trainer, consultant, researcher, and author of the book The Perils of Un-Coordinated Healthcare: A Strategic Approach toward Eliminating Preventable Harm. With 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry, she has focused on blending operational efficiencies with healing environments. Patricia has successfully integrated Lean and Project Management methodologies with organizational strategic goals to build roadmaps for execution. Check out her website and her blog. In today's episode, we discuss her personal story about her mother's death that came as the result of a preventable medical error. What can be done to prevent medical errors, harm, and death?

@Flinchbaugh Interviews @MarkGraban About "Measures of Success" Today's episode is the second time that friend and podcast guest Jamie Flinchbaugh has turned the tables by playing host to interview me about my new book, Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More, which has recently been the #1 best selling book in Amazon's Total Quality Management category. Jamie is very knowledgeable on these topics, so he was a great person to interview me and to have more of a conversation about choosing the right metrics and then managing them the right way. I hope you enjoy the conversation and future podcasts will return to the usual format where I interview guests and try to let them do most of the talking.

Why do people fear change? Why are adults afraid of talking about their fears? My guest today is eminently qualified to answer such questions and to provide advice that can help us. My guest for Episode #315 is Robert Maurer, Ph.D., author of the outstanding book Mastering Fear. Bob was previously my guest for Episode #153, where we discussed one of his earlier books on Kaizen, One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way. By the way, earlier this year I noticed that his other book The Spirit of Kaizen was one of the few books by an American author that Toyota was selling at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology in Nagoya (see photo below). I hope you enjoy today's discussion on Mastering Fear. As the subtitle says, can we "harness emotion to achieve excellence in health, work, and relationships"?

314 - Skip Steward & Brandon Brown, on TWI & Kata in Healthcare Today I have two guests joining me for Episode #314 of the podcast. They are Skip Steward, the Chief Improvement Officer at Baptist Memorial Health Care in Tennessee and Brandon Brown, the owner and "Master Kata Coach" of his firm, Continuous Coaching Commitment, LLC. In this episode, we discuss their use of methods such as "Training Within Industry" and "Toyota Kata" in the important work of healthcare improvement. Skip and Brandon both have backgrounds in manufacturing, but they have been able to translate Lean skills and mindsets into healthcare. We'll also talk about their dynamic as consultant / client and how the roles of "coach" and "learner" are often very situational and how we can be both at different times.

Today's episode (#313) of the podcast is a bit of a departure from the norm. Instead of interviewing a guest about their book or other work, I'm reading what's basically an audiobook-style excerpt of the first part of my new book Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More. I say "audiobook-style" because it's not professionally produced and my voice has been bad after being sick last week... but I thought this would be one way to share some of this material and promote the book. I won't be doing a full-blown audiobook because the book is so full of charts, I don't think it all translates well to the audiobook format. But, here I'm reading the foreword, the preface, the introduction, and part of Chapter 1.

Joining me today for Episode #312 of the podcast is Jeff Hunter, author of the excellent book "Patient-Centered Strategy: A Learning System for Better Care." Jeff was with the ThedaCare in Wisconsin, where he was Senior Vice President, Strategy and Marketing for the health system. After retiring from ThedaCare, he has been a faculty member for Catalysis and has started his own consulting firm, Jeff Hunter Strategy. In today's podcast, we discuss a number of topics, including how a good strategy is a necessary input for a "strategy deployment" management process, some of the problems with traditional approaches to strategic planning, and why an iterative PDSA approach works better than static plans.

http://www.leanblog.org/311 My guest for Episode 311 is Jess Orr, a continuous improvement practitioner at WestRock, a large paper and packaging company, where she helps plants foster a culture of continuous improvement and employee engagement. Her experience includes working directly for Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky. She is particularly passionate about sharing best practices across industries, which motivated her to found Yokoten Learning. In today's episode, we talk about her path from Six Sigma Black Belt to a Lean-thinking engineer at Toyota. How did she progress from solving problems herself to developing others? We'll talk about a blog post that she wrote for this blog earlier this year, Lean and ROI, leadership and culture, and much more. What is it like working outside of Toyota again? I hope you enjoy the discussion.

Steve Shortell, The Impact of #Lean on Healthcare Quality http://leanblog.org/310 Joining me again for Episode 310 is Stephen M. Shortell Ph.D., MPH, MBA. He is Blue Cross of California Distinguished Professorship, HPM and is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.  He was previously a guest on Episode 267 talking about the establishment of the Center for Lean Engagement and Research (CLEAR) at the University of California, Berkeley, where he is the director.  In this episode, we talk about some initial research that they released in a paper that was published in The Joint Commision Journal on Quality and Patient Safety: "Use of Lean and Related Transformational Performance Improvement Systems in Hospitals in the United States: Results From a National Survey"

Episode page Back on the podcast for the sixth time is my friend David Meier, a Lean / TPS consultant who is a former Toyota leader at their plant in Georgetown, Kentucky. As we mentioned in our April episode (#304), he's gotten into what's, perhaps, the most Kentucky of industries… distilling bourbon (and more) at Glenn's Creek Distillery. Update — His “OCD #5” was named “US Micro Whisky of the Year” in the 2023 edition of the Jim Murray Whiskey Bible. Congrats, Dave!!! In this episode, there's a lot of bourbon talk, with some Lean concepts thrown in. If you share our interest in Lean and whiskey, then this might be your most favorite episode ever. Of course, if you don't have any interest in bourbon, you might well skip this one. Here is an article from IISE magazine about David's work: Helping the whiskey flow, Toyota style As David will talk about in the podcast: “Meier started work at Toyota in the 1980s and later became a traveling consultant. During his travels, he began thinking about establishing his own manufacturing-centered business closer to home. After researching his options, he came upon the original Old Crow Distillery that had been shut down since 1985. The 16-acre property had not been maintained since it closed, and Meier purchased the place in 2014.” I'll visit David and his distillery next week, so I'm sure I'll have more stories and photos. Topics and Links for this Episode: How did you get interested in distilling? Tell us the story about buying the business and getting things back up and running? There's lots of competition, long lead times before you can go to market… so why do this? Having solutions, versus understanding what's important, what the problems are, what the bottlenecks are… How do TPS / Lean principles apply to this business and the process? Are there annual cycles of strategy deployment to choose priorities and goals? Are there lessons from Toyota? “It's an area where I'm deficient.” What are needs vs. wants for the business? Bourbon usually requires a long value-added aging time in a warehouse… what can you do to reduce lead time in bourbon making? You can't level-load corn growing… Is there conventional wisdom, in Lean or whiskey making, that's superstition or proven in fact? Is there always a better way? Are you selling consistency or a product that's very different or better each year? In the IISE article, you said, “”When I was at Toyota all the Japanese guys would say, all we do is problem-solve,” he said.” — can you elaborate on that? “I took a one week class, so I'm an expert?” What's a “master distiller?” What's a “master?” The Japanese say you never achieve mastery no matter how good you get. “When you look at that mindset, you realize it's not about the savings. It's about the use of people, their creativity and directing that in a way that (pushes) them to think harder,” he said. – What do you do to be creative and encourage those who work with you to be more creative?

Joining me again for Episode #308 is Mike Grogan, a previous guest in episodes #182 (from Tanzania) and #224. Mike now lives in the Philippines, where he's helping and coaching many people and has written a new book, The MESSI Way. In this episode, we talk about the idea of "personal Lean" and being the best version of yourself. I appreciate Mike's reflections and honesty and I think we had a great conversation that was very thought provoking. What are your fears? Your failures? What have you learned about yourself in the last 12 months? What's a "thinking partner?" Those are just a few of things we discuss here today.

Joining me for Episode #307 of the podcast is my friend Andre DeMerchant, the President of DeMerchant Healthcare Solutions Inc., based in Kitchener, Ontario. We first crossed paths when we had the chance to work together with an American healthcare client via our then-affiliation with Pascal Dennis and Lean Pathways.  In today's episode, we talk about Andre's history working for Toyota in Canada and what he learned there -- and why it's important that he learned about "how flow works" at Toyota. We chat about the terms "Lean" and "The Toyota Production System" and what those words mean to him. How does TPS "transcend culture and language," as well as industries? We then shift to talking about healthcare and some of the common challenges, including "financial hardships," that are faced in many countries. Why are hospitals "poorly prepared for change" in many cases? Another main theme is "cost cutting" and why you can't cut your way to success. 

Podcast #306 - Mark D. Valenti, Motivational Interviewing and Health System Improvement My guest for Episode #306 is Mark D. Valenti, the manager of training, education, and workflow integration for the Enhanced Community Care Management (ECCM) at Highmark Health. In this episode, Mark and I talk about the use of "Motivational Interviewing" methods and mindsets in the ECCM program and how "everyday closer to better" is part of their mantra. We discuss the MI approach and how it's different than traditional healthcare or change management models that focus on telling people to change (or why they should change). There are many lessons that I think are helpful in any workplace or personal change context. ECCM is a "physician-led, patient-centered approach [that] focuses on prevention, high-quality and compassionate care, patient engagement and satisfaction, and health outcomes." According to Highmark, "In the first year, the ECCM program has provided a large Pennsylvania health plan with total medical care cost savings of greater than 19% for engaged members; equivalent to one inpatient admission per year per member engaged. More than 1,500 members are enrolled across more than 60 provider sites."

Respect for People and Continuous Improvement for Healthcare I was recently asked to do a recorded video presentation for a medical conference in Turkey. I spoke about the dual pillars of "The Toyota Way": Respect for People Continuous Improvement The video is about 20 minutes, split about half and half on each of those interrelated topics. I'm coming to you from a hotel room, somewhat tired after a day of consulting. (Slides PDF and transcript also included)

Episode page Back on the podcast for the fifth time is my friend David Meier, a Lean / TPS consultant who is a former Toyota leader at their plant in Georgetown, Kentucky. He's gotten into what's, perhaps, the most Kentucky of industries… distilling bourbon (and more). You can also listen to another, much longer episode where David and I talk about bourbon, whiskey, and continuous improvement for almost 90 minutes total there. Today is a shorter episode, where we catch up and hear more about what David has been doing since his last podcast appearance in 2010 when we talked about the challenges Toyota was facing then. In this episode, David drops a lot of knowledge and wisdom in a very short time — thoughts on problem solving and how Lean thinking isn't easy for anybody, even if you're Japanese. He's co-author, with Jeff Liker, of the books The Toyota Way Fieldbook and Toyota Talent.

Joining me for Episode #303 is Craig Deao, a senior leader with Studer Group. From his bio: "Since 2006, Craig Deao, MHA, has been an integral part of Studer Group as a senior leader for the organization's speaking and conferences teams, and he now directs thought leadership across Huron [Consulting Group]'s broader healthcare practice. Craig is a highly regarded national speaker on leadership, engagement, quality and patient safety. He works with medical staffs and healthcare executives to create highly reliable organizations where employees want to work, physicians want to practice and patients want to receive care." Today, we're talking about his book The E-Factor: How Engaged Patients, Clinicians, Leaders, and Employees Will Transform Healthcare. We'll talk about the differences between satisfaction and engagement, how to tell if people are engaged in their work, and how to engage various stakeholders, including employees, clinicians, and executives. We'll also talk about how Studer Group became a recipient of the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award in 2010.

My guest for Episode #302 is Katie Anderson, following up on her last appearances in Episode #233 (when she was living in Japan) and Episode #275 (after she returned to the U.S.). Today, we're chatting because I've just returned from a short trip to Japan and Katie's going back in May (and you can join her). We're sharing observations and reflections on topics ranging from standardized work to Kaizen. Would it be easier to "implement Lean" (or whatever term you'd use) if you're a Japanese organization? And what are some of the approaches you see with quality improvement and Lean in Japan's hospitals? Our conversation also meanders into topics like eating sushi and more.

This podcast is sponsored by Cardinal Health. All opinions expressed here are those of Joe Swartz and not of his employer or any other organization. Joining me again for episode #301 of the podcast is Joe Swartz, my friend and co-author for our books Healthcare Kaizen and The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen:. You can learn more about our books here. He also contributed a chapter to the book Practicing Lean. (read an excerpt). Today, we're talking about "Champions of Change," as I've been writing about for Cardinal Health.

Episode page Remastered October 2022 My guests for Episode #300 of the podcast are Tracey and Ernie Richardson, authors of the excellent book titled: The Toyota Engagement Equation: How to Understand and Implement Continuous Improvement Thinking in Any Organization The book is full of solid insights and personal experiences from their time working for Toyota in Georgetown, Kentucky at the plant known as TMMK (Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky). You can find their book's website. Tracey and Ernie are both faculty members for the Lean Enterprise Institute. Tracey's blog is called The Toyota Gal. In our podcast, we talk about their experiences at Toyota, including lessons they've learned about problem solving, people development, and what they call “D and A” – discipline and accountability. We also talk about Ernie's experience within health clinics at Toyota and other healthcare organizations. I hope you enjoy the discussion even if you work in healthcare or another realm outside of manufacturing.  

Joining me again for episode #299 of the podcast is Joe Swartz, my friend and esteemed co-author for our books Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvements and The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen: Leadership for a Continuously Learning and Improving Organization. You can learn more about our books here. He was previously the guest in episode #187. Joe is Administrative Director of Business Transformation for Franciscan St. Francis Health System in Indiana (his full bio is here). Today is the first part of a two-part discussion, where Joe reflects on the history and evolution of more than ten years of "Kaizen" or continuous improvement in his system. In our next episode together, Joe will be talking about "Champions of Change." I hope you enjoy the discussion!

Joining me again for Episode #298 is Billy R. Taylor, for Part 2 of a discussion we started in Episode #293. Last week, a friend texted me last week and said he couldn't wait for Part 2. He said he pulled off the road to take some notes when he listened to Part 1. So without further ado, here is Part 2. Here, we discuss "extreme ownership," why creating ownership is more important than forcing accountability, and important lessons he's learned along the way.

My guest for Episode #297 is John (JJ) Villarreal, Ed.D., the superintendent of the Rockwall I.S.D. here in the Dallas area. In this podcast, we talk about the applications of Lean in education, how to move beyond what JJ calls "the behavior waste of judgment and blame," and how visiting a factory was inspiring and helpful, among other topics. Even if you don't work in education, I hope you'll be inspired by this podcast.

Joining me for Episode #296 of the podcast is Zeev N. Kain, MD. MBA, FAAP. He is a physician and a Chancellor's Professor at the University of California, Irvine. See his full bio. He has many additional roles and titles, including: Director, System Redesign & Value Based Care for the UC-Irvine Health Policy Research Institute Executive Director of the UCI-Yale Center on Stress & Health President of the American College of Perioperative Medicine Dr. Kain is "recognized as an international expert in the clinical management of perioperative fear and anxiety, and management of children undergoing invasive medical procedures. His research addresses major dilemmas encountered in the management of affected children." He's also an advocate for Lean and Six Sigma and the connections to reducing "clinical variation" in healthcare. So, that's what we're talking about today.

My guests for Episode #295 are Sarah Steinberg of Atrius Health and Ted Toussaint, a healthcare innovation strategist, formerly of Atrius Health. Ted is also a faculty member for Catalysis.  Today, we're talking about some innovative work that they led at Atrius, using a variety of modern product development and innovation methods, including Lean, Lean Startup, Design Thinking, and more to create a new "Care in Place" model for home-based patient care that helps reduce trips to a clinic or hospital. Their work was featured in this HBR article: "How Atrius Health Is Making the Shift from Volume to Value."

Joining me for episode #294 is Clay Linkous, an account leader and speaker with Studer Group. He is an accomplished cultural transformation and leadership expert who has synthesized Lean and other improvement methods with Studer Group principles and practices. Today, we'll talk about Clay's career and his purpose and motivations - both for working in healthcare and improving healthcare. We're both firm believers in the combination of Studer and Lean practices, so we're also discussing that as our main topic. I hope you enjoy the discussion!

My guest for Episode #293 of the podcast is a dynamic speaker and manufacturing leader, Billy R. Taylor. I saw him speak a few years ago at a Shingo Prize Conference and I've wanted to get him on the podcast ever since. He's currently the Director of Commercial, Off Highway, and Support Manufacturing North America for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Over the past 20 years, he has risen from "the lowest level of the organization," up through the manufacturing leadership ranks at Goodyear, including time as a Plant Director at facilities in Oklahoma and North Carolina. He's been "engaged in Lean" for over 15 years and he is a Six Sigma Master Black Belt. Billy has a BS in in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University and an MBA from Baker University. Billy was very giving of his time and we talked for over 75 minutes, so I'm breaking this up into two parts, with Part 2 coming soon. Today, we talk about how he got started with Lean, the shift from tools- and event-based Lean to a culture focus, how to build a sense of ownership, servant leadership, strategy deployment, employee recognition and more.

Today, our topic is something that I've really taken an interest in the past two years: "Motivational Interviewing." See my past blog posts on this subject. I think it's a powerful methodology that will help anybody in their Lean transformation efforts... as well as our work engaging anybody in a small improvement. "Motivational Interviewing" or M.I. is defined by Miller and Rollnick (in their seminal book) as a "collaborative conversation for strengthening a person's own motivation and commitment to change." My guests for Episode 292 are the three co-authors of an excellent book, Motivational Interviewing for Leadership: MI-LEAD. They are (pictured from left to right in this order): Jason Wilcox, Director of Education and Connected Care at VA Roseburg Dr. Brian Kersh, Clinical Psychologist at New Mexico VA Health System Dr. Elizabeth Jenkins, Clinical Psychologist/Courtesy Assistant Professor at University of South Florida

My guest for Episode 291 is my friend and colleague, Jeff Roussel (@jeff_roussel on Twitter). Jeff is the VP of Sales at KaiNexus, a technology company that I have been involved with for over six years. As Jeff will humbly explain in the podcast, he joined our team almost four years ago as an experienced sales leader, not as an expert in Lean or process improvement. But, he's a voracious learner and he probably talks to more organizations about their process improvement efforts - what their aims are and what they're struggling with - than anybody I know. Our main theme for the podcast today is not technology. Our topics include what Jeff is hearing from organizations and trends he hears about. I hope you'll enjoy our conversation, as I did. I hope you'll also join us on Thursday as Jeff presents a free webinar hosted by me and KaiNexus: The Why, How and What of Continuous Improvement

@EricRies: From #LeanStartup to "The Startup Way" Joining me again for episode 290 is a three-time guest, Eric Ries. When we first talked, in episode 115 six years ago, his New York Times bestselling book The Lean Startup was being published. In 2012, we discussed the impact of Toyota's Taiichi Ohno on his work, in episode 142. This time, we're talking about his new book, The Startup Way. In this episode, Eric talks about how "Lean Startup" concepts came from "Lean" and the Toyota Production System and how Toyota then approached him about applying Lean Startup concepts in the development of a new in-dash electronics system. In recent years, GE and other large companies, in their efforts to be more innovative and entrepreneurial, have adapted these approaches into what Eric calls "The Startup Way." Will modern companies embrace a formal "entrepreneurship" function as they earlier embraced finance and marketing? We'll discuss that and more. Below, you'll find the full audio podcast, a 7-page PDF summary, and a complete transcript. The Startup Way is set for release tomorrow, October 17. Learn more at www.TheStartupWay.co. I had a chance to read the book in advance and enjoyed it very much. I hope you'll also join me at Lean Startup Week, where I'll be a speaker and session facilitator.

Episode page Audio remastered January 2023 My guests for Episode #289 are Kathleen Sharp, MBOE, LSS MBB, now the Director of Optimization at McLeod Health, and David Schoenwetter, D.O., FACEP, a Medical Director at Geisinger Medical Center. They are joining me to talk about the innovative Geisinger Mobile Health Paramedic program that they developed and piloted with Lean thinking throughout. Kathleen and David will discuss why it was important to engage stakeholders in innovation, how they viewed and addressed resistance to change, why it was important to test the idea in practice, and why it was important to measure results. They also discuss their lessons learned and their challenges along the way. This WSJ article has a nice summary of the program: "Paramedics Aren't Just for Emergencies." "In the Geisinger pilot program, mobile health visits can be requested by a patient's primary-care doctor, a cardiology clinic, or after an emergency room or hospital discharge. Patients who frequently visit the ER are offered the option of being seen at home by a paramedic as an alternative to an ER visit and potential hospital admission, especially for conditions that can be treated at home if caught early." I hope you enjoy the episode.

Joining me again for Episode #288 is Dean Gruner, MD, the recently retired CEO of ThedaCare, a health system in Wisconsin that has long been considered a worldwide leader in the practice of Lean in healthcare. Recently, in Episode #286, Dean shared his reflections on his work and ThedaCare's "Lean journey." Today, the topic is Accountable Care Organizations and other bigger-picture healthcare reform topics. Dean was also previously my guest in Episodes 119 and 144. I'm including a full transcript along with a three-page PDF summary, as I've been doing recently.

Joining me today for Episode #287 is another returning guest (see Episode #198), Harry Kenworthy. We're talking about his book, which will be released on Friday, Lean Government NOW! : Increase Service, Capacity and Employee Engagement While Reducing Costs and Wastes. The book is now available for pre-sale on Amazon at $19.95 (until September 7, 2017, at a $5.00 discount from list price). Harry was also a contributor to the book Practicing Lean, which is now available in audiobook format. I've been involved with some "government healthcare" organizations in different countries, but have never delved into other parts of government. I'm glad Harry is doing so! This seems like a big challenge, but an important and necessary one. We're seeing some examples of success with Lean at the local and state levels around the U.S., it seems. I hope we see more. I hope you enjoy our discussion whether you work in government or vote, pay taxes, or use government services (or all of the above!!). I'm including a four-page PDF summary, as I've been doing recently.

My guest for Episode #286 is Dean Gruner, MD, the recently retired CEO of ThedaCare, a health system in Wisconsin that has long been considered a worldwide leader in the practice of Lean in healthcare. See this article about his retirement, where he says "I've gotten more than I've given." Dean was previously my guest in Episodes 119 and 144 and I'm thrilled that he took time out of his retirement to talk with me about his lessons learned as he looks back on how ThedaCare's Lean journey has evolved, including some things he would consider to be missteps and challenges that they used as a springboard to get even better. I will also be releasing a separate episode where Dean talks about their experiences with Accountable Care Organizations (our topic from #144) and other "big picture" healthcare issues of the day. I'm including a full transcript along with a three-page PDF summary, as I've been doing recently.

In this episode, Mark and Karen discuss a provocative question she raised: "Is Lean Dead?" (or "dying?"). Karen is the author of books including "Value Stream Mapping" and "The Outstanding Organization." Her next book is titled "Clarity First" and we'll be discussing that in a future episode. http://www.leanblog.org/285

My guest today for episode #284 of the podcast is Dr. Margaret (Margie) Balfour, the lead author of an article, published in The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, titled "Using Lean to Rapidly and Sustainably Transform a Behavioral Health Crisis Program: Impact on Throughput and Safety." Today, we're talking about that article, the important improvement work that led to it, and her belief, as stated in the article that "Lean methods can positively affect safety and throughput and are complementary to patient-centered clinical goals in a behavioral health setting." Dr. Balfour is the VP for Clinical Innovation and Quality at Connections Health Solutions, one of the largest providers of psychiatric emergency care in Arizona, and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona. Dr. Balfour received her MD and PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Cincinnati and completed residency and a fellowship in Public and Community Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. A link to the article can be found at http://www.leanblog.org/284

Joining me today is Jim Lancaster, CEO of the company Lantech, a manufacturer that is the leader in stretch wrap technology and innovation, as well as case handling equipment. Jim is also author of the new book, published by the Lean Enterprise Institute, titled The Work of Management: A Daily Path to Sustainable Improvement. This episode is sponsored by the eVSM Group. It's almost 20 years now since the book "Learning To See" was published and value stream maps were established as central to a lean deployment. What has changed rapidly, however, is the supporting eVSM toolset that captures and analyzes the initial wall maps, making it easy to do "what-if" studies and prioritize improvements. Receive a free eBook and see the state of the art at evsm.com/2020.

My guests for Episode #282 of the podcast are two continuous improvement leaders from Cleveland Clinic: Dr. Lisa Yerian and Nate Hurle. Lisa is the Medical Director, Continuous Improvement and Nate is the Senior Director, Continuous Improvement.She's a doctor, he's an engineer, and they work together very closely in their efforts to help drive improvement at the Clinic. You can find them on Twitter as @LisaYerianMD and @NateHurle. In today's episode, we talk about topics including the Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model (see my previous posts on this), how their program is structured, what a "culture of continuous improvement" means to them and their staff, how to get others to accept Lean and C.I. methods, and some of the challenges they are facing in their work.

Joining me for Episode #281 of the podcast is Julie Firman, DNP, RN, FACHE, the Vice President/ System Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at Southern Illinois Healthcare. We have the opportunity to chat about the Lean transformation efforts at SIH thanks to my partners at Catalysis, as they are presenting the annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit this year in Palm Springs, June 7 and 8. Julie and I will both be there and I'll be doing a full-day workshop called "Better Metrics." Come join us! In today's episode, we talk about how Lean has been helpful to nurses (and other healthcare professionals), Julie's role as a nurse leader, and different ways patients and the health system have benefitted.

A returning guest today for episode #280 is John Dyer, president of his consulting firm, JD&A, Inc., and a contributor for IndustryWeek.com. As we discussed in episode #229, John started his career at General Electric and later moved to Ingersoll-Rand, where he was VP of Operations for their Security and Safety sector. He also had the good fortune to learn directly from W. Edwards Deming, as he took the famed four-day seminar (that included the Red Bead Experiment) and was also invited to take the follow on course with a smaller group. You'll also want to scroll down to see the great picture that he posted on Twitter of him and Dr. Deming. Today, our focus is that famed "Red Bead Experiment." We'll talk about it, he'll share memories of Dr. Deming facilitating this, and we'll both share and discuss our reflections and our experiences with this, and the lessons learned. Tomorrow, I am facilitating the experiment as part of my "Better Metrics" workshop that I'm leading in Seattle through Catalysis. I'll also be doing this in June before the Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit (you can still sign up). And, of course, I'd love to come to your organization to do the workshop and help you with your approach to managing metrics, people, and improvement.

Back in 2012, I did a podcast interview (Episode 153) with a psychologist and family therapist, Robert Maurer, PhD. It's been almost five years since the discussion, but I'm often reminded of what I learned from his books and his advice about small change. It's human nature for us to be afraid of change. Instead of lecturing people to be brave, we need to work within our limitations. How do we avoid the "fight or flight" instinct and reaction from kicking in? We start by making change SMALL. That's a key Kaizen insight that Dr. Maurer is able to tie to the way our brain works. Here's our original discussion: https://www.leanblog.org/2012/07/podcast-153-robert-maurer-phd-the-kaizen-way/

In the Lean community (and in businesses and hospitals, as well), people often talk about "fire fighting" in a colloquial way. Today, my guest for episode #278 of the podcast is an actual professional fire fighter, Tom Bouthillet (@tbouthillet on Twitter). He serves as Fire Captain / Paramedic for the Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue where he is the Cardiac Care Program Manager (STEMI and CARES Site Coordinator). In this episode, we discuss the role of Lean and process improvement in fire departments and EMS, why blame is "completely ineffective" as a strategy, why "unsafe supervision" is a problem (and what that means), and why it's necessary to build in quality instead of just inspecting for quality.

Joining me for episode #277 of the podcast is Kay Kendall (@KayAKendall), co-author (with Glenn Bodinson) of the excellent book "Leading the Malcolm Baldrige Way: How World-Class Leaders Align Their Organizations to Deliver Exceptional Results." Kay is CEO & Principal at BaldrigeCoach (see her bio there). Since 1989, BaldrigeCoach has worked with organizations across every sector, large and small, to use the Baldrige framework to create focus, align empowered employees, provide high quality products and services, deliver exceptional customer experience, and achieve enviable results. In this episode, we discuss topics including her background in manufacturing and quality, her experience with the Baldrige approach, and the ways that Lean and Baldrige are complementary.

My guest for Episode #276 is a Lean consultant (although he might not prefer that term) and an author, A J (Andy) Sheppard. Andy is the author of The Incredible Transformation of Gregory Todd: A Novel about Leadership and Managing Change. He also contributed a chapter to my Practicing Lean book project. You can download the PDF of his chapter here and I hope you'll consider buying the book (it's for a good cause). He is a coach for leaders of change. His core expertise is helping workforces to quickly achieve systematic change in practice. A former McKinsey & Company consultant, he has now spent eighteen years working out this art of transformation in diverse industrial environments across the USA, Europe and Asia. He also continues to draw from prior experience of navigating change in corporate environments and experiencing it on shop floors. Further information about Andy can be found on www.ajsheppard.com. Andy is also happy to take any follow-up questions about leading change on his Goodreads Author Page. I hope you enjoy the conversation, which touches on Lean, change management, the need to balance empathy and urgency, and more.

My guest for Episode #275 is Katie Anderson, following up on her last appearance here in Episode #233. Now, she has been back home in California and shares some more recent reflections on her time there, what she learned, and what she continues to learn. In this episode, we talk about how Lean isn't inherently Japanese in all ways, Ashikaga (the "5S City"), a key mentor of hers (Isao Yoshino), and more.

Remastered January 2022 Episode page: https://www.leanblog.org/274  My guest for Episode #274 of the podcast is Jay Arthur, author of Lean Six Sigma for Hospitals: Improving Patient Safety, Patient Flow and the Bottom Line, Second Edition. Jay is owner and founder of his company KnowWare International, based on Denver. Before founding that company in 1995, Jay was in a number of quality roles at US West / Qwest from 1973 to 1995. He has a BS in Systems Engineering from the University of Arizona. Lean and Quality and Six Sigma To me, “Lean Sigma” is often a controversial topic… not because anything is wrong with Six Sigma. Six Sigma methods can be very compatible with a Lean culture. But, “Lean Sigma” books and trainers (including Jay), paint a picture that says Lean is only about speed or efficiency and that Six Sigma is the method to improve quality. He says pretty directly in his book that Lean helps fix all of the types of waste… except for the waste of defects. He says Six Sigma is used to address defects. That's silly. The Podcast Discussion I challenge Jay a bit about this in the podcast, and I'd like to remind the listeners that Lean and the Toyota Production System are about flow AND quality. Lean and quality go hand in hand. Lean methods, like error proofing, and mindsets, like not blaming people, can very directly improve quality. So, I disagree with him on that point, but there are many good points in his book about not overcomplicating Lean or Six Sigma — that the goal is results (and I'd add “developing people”). I'm also glad that the phrase “Patient Safety” is in the subtitle of his book, as it is in mine. You can read more about Jay and his bio here.

Joining me for Episode #273 of the podcast is David Veech, author of the new book Leadersights: Creating Great Leaders Who Create Great Workplaces. David is a senior lecturer in the Department of Management Sciences at Ohio State University and their Fisher College of Business, teaching in the MBOE program (see his full bio). Veech was previously a lecturer in the College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky. He joined the University of Kentucky after retiring from the US Army in 2001. He taught in the Defense Acquisition University from 1998 to 2001 and was assistant professor of military science at Stetson University from 1988 to 1991. In today's episode, we talk about his book, how his background and career in the Army influenced his views on Lean and leadership, "self-efficacy," and more.

My guest for Episode #272 is Steve Thompson, Director of Patient Driven Supply Network initiatives for Cardinal Health, a global, integrated healthcare services and products company. He is also a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, dating back to his time spent working in the automotive industry. In today's episode, we talk about his lessons learned from General Motors and Lear Corporation and how he's helping healthcare leaders apply these lessons to improve their supply chain operations. In the past year, I've had a marketing partnership with Cardinal Health, which has led to content like this webinar and article, but after meeting Scott last year and having a great chat, I'm doing this podcast outside of that formal partnership. I'm pleased to have him on the podcast.

Joining me for Episode #271 is Isaac Mitchell (@IssacMitchell), talking about Lean Design for healthcare, the Society for Health Systems, and more. Isaac is a full-time lean practitioner at East Tennessee Children's Hospital, a lecturer at the University of Tennessee's Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and an instructor for the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers. You can read his bio (PDF) and learn more about Isaac via his personal website. Scroll down to the show notes for links to a special Lean Hospitals book excerpt and more free downloads about Lean Design and Isaac's work at ETCH.

My guests for Episode #270 of the podcast are two physicians: Paul DeChant, MD and Diane Shannon, MD. They are co-authors of the recently-released book Preventing Physician Burnout: Curing the Chaos and Returning Joy to the Practice of Medicine. Paul was previously a guest for Episode #230. In this episode, we talk about the symptoms and causes of burnout for physicians and other healthcare professionals. We also talk about how Lean, in particular "Lean done right," can help prevent or even reverse burnout by eliminating some of the systemic causes, such as the never-ending chaos that exists in far too many organizations.

Joining me for Episode #269 are Brian MacNeice & James Bowen, co-authors of the recently released book Powerhouse: Insider Accounts into the World's Top High-performance Organizations. They are founders of the international Kotinos Partners consultancy. In this episode, we talk about the book and take a deeper dive into two of the organizations they profiled: Toyota and Mayo Clinic. I think it's always interesting to see what people outside of our "Lean community" see when they study Toyota. They describe how "continuous improvement is at the heart of Toyota's high-performance model." And, as somebody committed to healthcare improvement, I'm always curious to learn lessons from organizations like Mayo Clinic. The authors write about a key driver of the Mayo Clinic's success being its "commitment to collaborative medicine."

My guest for Episode #268 is a long-time friend of mine in the Lean community and Lean Enterprise Institute circles, Tom Ehrenfeld (@tomehrenfeld). Tom is a writer and editor living in Cambridge, MA. A former writer/editor with Inc. Magazine and Harvard Business Review, he is the author of The Startup Garden: How Growing A Business Grows You. He works as a consulting editor for LEI and with many other Lean authors. He's a regular contributor to LEI's "The Lean Post." Eight of his edited books have won the Shingo Research Award. Today, we talk about some of the books he's played a role with, we'll talk about the evolution of the understanding of Lean, and his thoughts on shifting from his experience covering startups to thinking about "The Lean Startup" methodology in more recent years.

Joining me for Episode #267 is Stephen M. Shortell PhD, MPH, MBA. He is Blue Cross of California Distinguished Professorship, HPM and is a Professor of Organizational Behavior at the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health. He is the director of the Center for Healthcare Organizational and Innovation Research (CHOIR). Today, we are talking about Lean healthcare and a new initiative that's part of CHOIR called CLEAR: the Center for Lean Engagement & Research in Healthcare. You can read a release about CLEAR, which highlights funding coming from the Lean Enterprise Institute, the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, and Rona Consulting Group. In this episode, we talk about the Center, their planned research, and some reasons why there is variation in what organizations would describe as "Lean" - variation in methods and approach as well as variation in results.

My guest for Episode #266 of the podcast is Karyn Ross (KRCLean4Service on Twitter), co-author of the new book (with Jeff Liker): The Toyota Way to Service Excellence: Lean Transformation in Service Organizations. Karen first learned about and applied Lean in companies like Paychex, Zurich Insurance, and Liberty Mutual Insurance and has worked with other service sector companies as a consultant. In this episode, we'll discuss her book and the important applications of Lean in service settings. Karyn says delighting customers requires something different than a "mechanistic Lean implementation" approach - and I agree, completely. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

Joining me for Episode #265 of the podcast is Bernita Beikmann, AIA, EDAC, LSSBB, a Principal and Director of Lean Strategy at HKS, an international architecture firm. Bernita is originally from Kansas and has a Bachelor of Architecture from Kansas State University and a Certificate in Regional and Community Planning. She moved to Dallas in 1996 and has been employed by HKS, Inc in Dallas since that time. We first crossed paths when we had the opportunity to work together on a project for Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis to work with staff and leaders on designing parts of a new patient tower. You can read a bit about that work here. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

My guest for Episode #264 is a friend from here in the Dallas / Fort Worth area, Tyrone Butler. He is LSS Managing Partner at his company, Butler Active Business Solutions LLC. He has a background in the Air Force, he pre-dated me at Dell Computer in the 1990s, and he's being doing a lot of work all over the world with Lean, Six Sigma, and other methodologies for improving software and project delivery, like ITIL. Tyrone is one of the first to hold the "Certified Executive Master Black Belt (CEMBB)" certification through Mikel J. Harry, PhD. We first met probably back in 2010 when we were both part of a Lean group that went to visit the Toyota plant in San Antonio (which I blogged about here and here). In this episode, he'll share some of his experiences, including a presentation to Michael Dell, his thoughts on the combination of Lean and Six Sigma, and methods that he has seen work in software development and other settings.

My guest for Episode #263 is another returning guest, Pascal Dennis (@AuthorPascal on Twitter). He was previously a guest on Episodes #96 and #239, talking about two of his previous books (see a full list here). Today, we're talking about his most recent book, a business novel called Andy & Me and the Hospital: Further Adventures on the Lean Journey. I don't normally read much fiction, and I generally don't read business novels, but I really enjoyed this book and tore through it in a few days. It was really compelling and many of the scenarios felt quite familiar. I think this is a helpful book for painting a picture of what it could feel like to start a Lean journey in healthcare. The book is, of course, a sequel to his earlier book Andy & Me, Second Edition: Crisis & Transformation on the Lean Journey.

My guest for Episode #262 is Steven J. Spear (@stevenjspear on Twitter). He is author of the fantastic book The High-Velocity Edge: How Market Leaders Leverage Operational Excellence to Beat the Competition. He's a Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and recently taught a summer course on Lean and Six Sigma for the Leaders for Global Operations program (I graduated from that program in 1999 when MIT was teaching TQM in that summer course) and he also teaches executive education programs for MIT Sloan. Steve was previously a guest in Episodes #58 and 87. I'm glad to have him back on the show after six years. Steve is going to be one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming Northeast L.E.A.N. Conference, being held October 4th and 5th in Massachusetts. I hope you'll check it out, as I've participated in past years and it's always been great (and you get to meet Bruce Hamilton of "Toast Kaizen" fame).

Joining me for Episode #261 is an old friend and trusted mentor, Jamie Flinchbaugh. Among other things, he's the co-author of the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean. He writes for a number of publications, has his own blog, and was previously a guest blogger here on LeanBlog.org. He's a speaker, investor (including in KaiNexus), and a great guy. Jamie was previously a guest on episodes #5, #6, #10, #50 (where he interviewed me), and #64. We were long overdue for another one. This episode is intentionally more conversational than most, with no more of a plan than me asking Jamie, "What's new?" He's also in final editing of a chapter for the book Practicing Lean, so I'm happy to be adding that to the book. Jamie is also going to be giving a keynote talk at our upcoming KaiNexus User Conference.

See http://www.leanblog.org/260 My guest for Episode #260 of the podcast is Brad White, author of the recently-released book Lean Daily Management for Healthcare: A Strategic Guide to Implementing Lean for Hospital Leaders. He is currently a Senior Process Improvement Advisor at Grady Health System in Atlanta, but I first met Brad a few years back when we were both in San Antonio and he was working for a health system there. In San Antonio, Brad helped spread these "Lean Daily Management" practices at the Baptist system and University Health System. I was able to come visit and see how this process was engaging leaders and staff at UHS (see photos below). You can learn more about Brad's book at his website, which includes a two-page PDF on how these methods can improve patient flow. http://leandailymanagement.com/

See http://www.leanblog.org/259 Today's episode #259 is Part 2 of a discussion I started with Steve Bera in episode #256. Steve was one of the original 16 "NUMMI Commandos" that General Motors sent to work with Toyota in the 1980s, as discussed in the outstanding book Comeback: The Fall & Rise of the American Automobile Industry. In Part 1, we talked about his experience at NUMMI. Today, we talk about what happened after his two years at NUMMI, why he feared getting lost back in the regular old GM, what he's done to teach and spread Lean in various industries over the past 30 years, and other thoughts on the current state of Lean. A transcript of the discussion can be found at the bottom of the post.

Joining me for Episode #258 is a many times returning guest, Jim Huntzinger, the President and Founder of Lean Frontiers (check out Episodes 8, 15, 33, 196, and 251, his with Russ Scaffede). Jim has written two eBooks, The Roots of Lean: Training Within Industry: The Origin of Japanese Management & Kaizen and Deflation: The Road to Prosperity. We'll talk about that second book and topic in the podcast today. We're also going to talk about Lean Accounting and Lean Management, the related topics at the upcoming Summits in San Antonio later this month. I hope you can join us, as I'll be giving a talk on "Practicing Lean" to kick off the event and I'll be around that whole day. Lean Frontiers produces many great events and I hope you can check one out some time.

My guest for episode #257 is somebody I've known for a while in the Lean healthcare community, Tania Lyon. She's the Director of Organizational Performance Improvement at St. Clair Hospital in Pittsburgh. She has a PhD in sociology (like Jeff Liker, author of the Toyota Way book series) and she initially got involved with Lean through PRHI, a common connection to previous podcast guests Paul O'Neill and Naida Grunden. St. Clair is a KaiNexus customer and Tania has played a major role in their rollout of our software to support their ongoing spread of continuous improvement. Regular readers of the blog know my part time role with KaiNexus, as the VP of Improvement and Innovation Services. We initially recorded this to be a podcast and blog posts for our customers, but I thought this was a conversation that would be of interest to a wider audience, as we're talking mainly about Lean and improvement strategies, with a little bit of KaiNexus talk thrown in.

See http://www.leanblog.org/256 I'm really excited to have Steve Bera as my guest for Episode 256 of the podcast. I read about him, as he was featured prominently in parts of the 1994 Pulitzer-Prize winning book Comeback: The Fall & Rise of the American Automobile Industry.

My guest for episode #255 is Mark DeLuzio, author of the recently-released book Turn Waste into Wealth: How to Find Cash in Every Corner of the Company. It's Mark's first book, but he's been well known in the Lean community for a long time. Mark started learning and practicing Lean in 1988 when he worked for Jake Brake, a Danaher company (and Danaher has long been considered a great Lean company). As his bio says, "After studying TPS under Taiichi Ohno's influential Autonomous Study Group, he was instrumental in developing Jake's first zero-defect line for Toyota's Hino Motors. He has spent considerable time in Japan implementing TPS at various world-class companies and has had a successful career in finance." In 2007, Mark was inducted into the Shingo Academy for his contribution to the Lean movement. He is also CEO of the consulting firm Lean Horizons. hixgdxw5

Episode #254 is interesting to me for a number of reasons. For one, I have a "guest co-host" joining me for the first time. He's Chip Ponsford, DVM, a doctor of veterinary medicine and former practice owner who I've gotten to know here in Texas over the past few years. Chip has been a great student of Lean, following a path similar to that of Sami Bahri, DDS ("The World's First Lean Dentist") in reading the "classic" Lean books from industry because there had been nothing written about Lean in VetMed. I've been helping Chip with his "Lean Vets" blog and we've collaborated in a few other ways to promote Lean in veterinary medicine. Our guest is Samantha (Sam) Parrett, the Director of Business & Administrative Services at North Carolina State University Veterinary Health Complex. Chip and I ran across Sam's name in one of the few articles we've found on Lean in VetMed: NC Vet College Dives Into Lean Training In the podcast, we'll discuss their story at NC State and the potential for Lean to make the jump into veterinary medicine more broadly. We hope you enjoy the discussion.

Joining me for Episode #253 is Ash Maurya, author of the book Running Lean:Iterate from Plan A to a Plan That Works and his latest, being released this week, called Scaling Lean: Mastering the Key Metrics for Startup Growth. Ash is an entrepreneur and a big part of the "Lean Startup" community. Visit his website at www.LeanStack.com.

My guest for episode #252 is Jordan Peck, a Senior Director in the Center for Performance Improvement at MaineHealth and Maine Medical Center. Jordan and I first met when he was a graduate student at MIT and was involved with the Lean Advancement Initiative (and I was working basically across the street at the Lean Enterprise Institute). At MIT, he earned a PhD in Engineering Systems and Health Care Systems. Jordan and I have continued to cross paths every year at the Society for Health Systems annual conference. His career has taken him to the Veterans Health Administration and now into the private sector at Maine Health, as we discuss in the podcast.

Episode #251 is a bit different in that it's audio shared by the good folks at Lean Frontiers. They recently hosted a webinar where Jim Huntzinger, founder and president of Lean Frontiers asked questions that answered by Russ Scaffede about Lean leadership. See their other webinars here. Russ has a lot of great wisdom and experience to share, so I asked Jim if I could share it here. Russ is a big part of the upcoming event - The Summit on Lean Leadership, which is being produced by Lean Frontiers. It's being held June 21-22 in Charlotte. You can save 25% off that event by using the discount code leanblog. I should also mention that I'm going to be a keynote speaker at their upcoming Lean Accounting Summit in San Antonio this August. In this discussion, Russ shares a lot of gems not just about how Toyota does things (as he learned in his time there), but also some key insights about transforming an organization that is NOT Toyota (as he learned from his experience at Tiara Yachts and other companies).

Episode #250... a big round number. 250 podcasts in just under 10 years. Thanks again to Norman Bodek (my first guest and frequent guest) for the idea back in 2006. My goal with the podcasts has always been to showcase my guests. Occasionally, I take the stage or share the stage with audio of me. Today is one of those episodes. Earlier in May, I had the chance to co-present a webinar with Dr. Jack Billi from the University of Michigan (archived here). The webinar was hosted by the Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement, which is being spun off by the American Medical Association. Before the formal webinar, Jack and I recorded some informal Q&A with the host, Stephen Davidow. This audio, shared with the permission of the PCPI also includes the Q&A that was done after the webinar presentation. I hope you enjoy our discussion about how we each got started with Lean in healthcare and more.

My guest for episode #249 of the podcast is Steve Leuschel, author of the book Lean Culture Change: Using a Daily Management System. You might remember a post from January that included an excerpt from his book on "huddles." In this episode, we discuss topics including his greatest influences, the lessons he learned from Rodger Lewis (a former Toyota general manager), "mutual trust," PDCA cycles, daily huddles, and more. What's the potential of a Lean management system and why is it difficult to get organizations and leaders to embrace a holistic system like that?

Joining me for episode #248 of the podcast is Drew Locher, an author, consultant, speaker, and, also like me, a faculty member for the Lean Enterprise Institute and the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. You can read his bio via his consulting website, Change Management Associates. Drew's books include Value Stream Mapping for Lean Development: A How-To Guide for Streamlining Time to Market, Lean Office and Service Simplified: The Definitive How-To Guide, and Unleashing the Power of 3P: The Key to Breakthrough Improvement. He also, most recently, released a second edition of The Complete Lean Enterprise: Value Stream Mapping for Office and Services, a recipient of the Shingo Research Award. You can also read his two guest posts that I've published on this blog. In this episode, we talk about his books, how Lean is about more than just tools, and the need to focus on "the critical few things" instead of falling victim to a "scattershot" approach to reducing waste. "We learn more by doing than talking about it," says Drew about Lean.

My guest for episode #247 is James Chisholm, a principal and co-founder of the Toronto-based ExperiencePoint. James is a pioneer in the design of online game-based learning, and has authored numerous leadership simulations in use by over 100,000 executives and managers worldwide. I fell in love with their "Lakeview" hospital change management simulation a few years back when I first got to try it and I've been very happy to learn from James and to partner with ExperiencePoint. James speaks and writes widely on the subject of games, learning and change. He co-authored chapters in the "Handbook of Experiential Learning" and in the Center for Creative Leadership's Fieldbook, "Experience-Driven Leader Development: Strategies, Tools, and Practices" (both published by Pfieffer). Read his full bio: (PDF). In this episode, we discuss topics including why change management is such an important issue for him and organizations, the role of simulations and experience-based learning, how "leadership is a process," and how "change is synonymous with leadership."

Episode #246 is my second episode in recognition of Patient Safety Awareness Week. My guest is Steve Montague, who talked about Lean and Crew Resource Management with me in episode #195 in 2014. He's a retired Navy fighter pilot, a commercial pilot, and a consultant for hospitals and health systems... and a fellow Texan and a near-neighbor of mine. See his full bio here. Today, we're talking about a number of topics, including patient safety and checklists... what's the difference between good checklist systems and bad (and what are the parallels to Lean done well and Lean done badly). We talk about a number of articles and recent events about how NHS employees are afraid to speak up, an Iowa hospital that had four wrong site surgeries in 40 days, and the recent NEJM brouhaha.

See http://www.leanblog.org/245 Today is the first of two episodes that I'll post here during Patient Safety Awareness Week. I agree with the National Patient Safety Foundation that every day should be patient safety day. I'm sure my guest for episode #245 would agree with that. He is Tom Evans, MD, FAAFP, the President and CEO of the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative. I've know Dr. Evans for many years, but was prompted to do the podcast by this editorial he wrote in the Des Moines Register: "Iowa hospitals succeed at keeping patients safe." In this episode, we talk about the progress being made in Iowa hospitals, what they are doing, and the lessons learned.

See http://www.leanblog.org/244 Joining me again for Episode #244 is Dan Markovitz (@DanMarkovitz on Twitter). Today's episode is part 2 of our discussion about his most recent book Building the Fit Organization: Six Core Principles for Making Your Company Stronger, Faster, and More Competitive, a recipient of the Shingo Research Award. You can hear Part 1 in Episode #241.

Episode page with transcript, links, and more My guest for Episode #243, Michael Bungay Stanier, takes us a bit outside of the Lean realm... but that's good. Our topic today, which ties in very nicely to Lean and Kaizen (as you'll hear in our conversation) is coaching. His most recent book is titled The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever and it's available today. It's a very practical book that's full of tips and seven key questions that you can use as a coach. Michael is "founder and Senior Partner of Box of Crayons, a company that helps organizations do less Good Work and more Great Work." Remastered audio, Feb 2023

Episode #242 is unique in that it's a collection of audio clips from videos that Joe Swartz and I shot in late 2014 at his health system, Franciscan St. Francis Health in Indianapolis. In the videos, a number of nurses and leaders talk about continuous improvement in a way that's fun, wise, and inspirational. As we did last year, Joe and I are hosting a learning event at his system called "Kaizen Live!" where you have a chance to see and hear what a culture of continuous improvement is really like. We hope you'll join us April 5 & 6 for the main experience (where we'll be out visiting departments instead of spending all of our time in a conference center) and we have some optional classes on April 4. We hope you enjoy the stories and reflections here in the podcast.

Joining me for Episode #241 is a returning guest and friend of mine, Dan Markovitz (@DanMarkovitz on Twitter). He was a guest on Episodes #135 (talking about A Factory of One) and #52 (talking more generally about office Lean). He has also written a number of guest posts here. Oh, and he has his own blog. Today we're talking about his most recent book Building the Fit Organization: Six Core Principles for Making Your Company Stronger, Faster, and More Competitive, which, like his first book, is a recipient of the Shingo Research and Publication Award. Congrats!

My guest for episode #240 is somebody I've wanted to interview for a long time, Leah Binder, the president and CEO of Leapfrog Group, "a voluntary program aimed at mobilizing employer purchasing power to alert America's health industry that big leaps in health care safety, quality and customer value will be recognized and rewarded." In this episode, Leah talks about the story behind Leapfrog Group, the scale of the patient safety problem in America, some efforts of Leapfrog Group to grade hospitals, the connections between Lean and patient safety, and other topics. Please check out Leapfrog Group and their Hospital Safety Score website. How does your hospital measure up? How do the hospitals in your community compare? What can hospitals be doing to close their gaps so they get an "A"? How can large businesses who pay for healthcare and have their employees' interest in mind, like manufacturers, help put positive pressure on healthcare to improve?

Joining me for Episode #239 is Pascal Dennis, somebody I really respect and have learned a lot from over the years... I'd call him "sensei" gladly (although he and I agree that's not a term one should bestow upon themselves... see his blog post). I'm very happy to have him as a guest again for what is just his second time (I thought it had been more frequent). In Episode 96, we talked about his book The Remedy. Today, we are talking about the new third edition of his book Lean Production Simplified.

Episode #238 is a conversation with somebody I've wanted to talk with for a long time, Kevin Cahill. He is the executive director of the W. Edwards Deming Institute. He's also a grandson of Dr. Deming! Kevin played an instrumental role in getting NBC to publicly release the 1980 documentary, "If Japan Can, Why Can't We?" that featured Dr. Deming (see my blog posts about it). We talk about that in the podcast, along with his other recollections of Dr. Deming and how he watched the original NBC airing with him. We also discuss his reflections on learning the Deming philosophy and his attempts to utilize the ideas in his career (and how challenging that can be when it flies in the face of the prevailing business culture). It was a really fun discussion and I hope you enjoy it. If you have follow up questions for Kevin, please post a comment, as I'm sure we can do another podcast in the near future.

Episode #237 is, like the last episode, a bit different... but in a different way. My guest is my friend Paul Akers, author of the new book Lean Health. Paul was previously a guest for Episode 133, where he talked about his book 2 Second Lean and also for Episode 122. Today, we're talking about his new book, just released. What's different about this podcast is that I attempted to broadcast it live via YouTube. We eventually got there, but not until after some errors I made (and reflected upon here). What appears here is an edited audio-only version of our conversation, which includes some questions from live viewers. Paul has put a lot of time and money into this book. You can buy it on Amazon or download a FREE version as a PDF or audiobook via his webpage.

For episode #236, things are a little different than usual. Today, I wanted to share a video discussion between my friends Ted Stiles and John Toussaint, MD. Ted is a partner with the recruiting firm Stiles & Associates. John, of course, is the president of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value and has been a frequent guest in my podcast series. John's most recent book is Management on the Mend. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/236.

For the episode and more details, visit http://www.leanblog.org/audio235. If you've been a listener of my LeanBlog Podcast series, you might know that I normally record conversations and then publish them into the podcast feed. Today, I'm going to do my first live broadcast of a podcast discussion via the "Blab.im" streaming platform. My guest is Sam MacPherson and we are talking about Lean leadership, including his lessons learned from his time as a Green Beret. Topics Include: Differences between Special Forces (The Green Berets) and the rest of the military Similarities between “The Green Beret Way” and The Toyota Way - shockingly similar Command and Control vs. Leadership "Commander's Intent" Misconceptions regarding military leadership and industry leadership Lean transformation - you current leadership style and skills wont cut it!

Today's guest is Mitch Cahn, president of Unionwear, a manufacturer of hats, bags, and apparel in Newark, NJ. I first learned about Mitch and his company because of a display they had at the Northeast LEAN Conference, which I blogged about here. What caught my eye was their display of politician hats they produce, including the famous red "Make America Great Again" hat that Donald Trump wears. Beyond the surface of those hats is a fascinating story about competing instead of making excuses. As Mitch explains in the podcast, Unionwear has been very successful even though he's producing in one of the highest-cost parts of the world. Unionwear has had to compete against imports from China and lower-wage southern states in the U.S. Starting in 2007, Lean has been a major part of their strategy for improving productivity, reducing cost, and being fast to market. Whether you work in healthcare or manufacturing, I think you'll love the story behind Mitch, his company, and his employees. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/234.

Today's guest is Katie Anderson, and we're talking about her experiences living in Tokyo for 18 months and what she's learning about Lean culture, Japanese culture, and how those aren't always one and the same. I first met Katie through the Healthcare Value Network and our participation in that collaborative. She's an experienced Lean healthcare practitioner, coach, consultant, having worked for Stanford Children's Hospital and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation before starting her own consulting practice. Katie has been generously sharing her experiences in Japan and her reflections on her blog, which I highly recommend. You can also find her on Twitter and LinkedIn. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/233. Podcasts are sponsored by KaiNexus and their software that helps spread continuous improvement -- Learn more at http://www.KaiNexus.com

Today's podcast, #232, is presented with a heavy heart, after the recent passing of my friend Dr. Michel Téatrault, the CEO of St. Boniface General Hospital and a great Lean leader. He was a friend to many in the Healthcare Value Network and the broader Lean healthcare community. As I was remembering Michel, it occurred to me that I had recorded a podcast with him, back in 2010, as part of a series that I was doing for the Healthcare Value Network. I never shared that audio as part of my main podcast series, so I'm doing so today. In the episode, we talk about "Lean from the CEO perspective." I hope Michel's words and experiences at St. Boniface continue to help and inspire people. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/232.

Today's guest is Eric Dickson,MD, MHCM, FACEP, the president and CEO of UMass Medical Center. Episode #231 of the podcast is a little different than the usual. Normally, I record a podcast interview via Skype or a phone call. Today's podcast is a recording of an interview that I did on stage at the 2015 Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit, as part of the CEO panel I was moderating. Eric was one of three CEOs who did a 10-minute interview with me, then we had them take questions as a panel group. The audio quality isn't as good as normal, so there's a transcript of the conversation below. Eric tells what I think is an important story about why UMass Medical Center used Lean and Kaizen as an important strategy for the challenges and crisis they faced at the time. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/231.

Joining me for episode #230 is Paul DeChant, MD, MBA to talk about reducing burnout, especially physician burnout, through Lean. Paul (see his bio here) is the former CEO of Sutter Gould Medical Foundation, a 300-physician multispecialty medical group in California's Central Valley. Before that, he had stints at organizations including Geisinger Health System and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. He is now a consultant and executive coach for Simpler Healthcare. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/230. In the podcast, we talk about questions and topics including: Tell us about your career... how did you get involved in healthcare leadership and how did you get exposed to Lean? What problems or opportunities were you trying to address with Lean? How did you see your role and participation as CEO? As a physician leader? You recently wrote a blog post "why is physician engagement even an issue?" How would you describe the current state of life for an MD before Lean? Can Lean help prevent burnout for MDs or others? Is there a point where somebody gets "too burned out" and can't be turned?

My guest for episode #229 is John Dyer, president of his consulting firm, JD&A, Inc., and a contributor for IndustryWeek.com. John started his career at General Electric and later moved to Ingersoll-Rand, where he was VP of Operations for their Security and Safety sector. John had the good fortune to learn directly from W. Edwards Deming, as he took the famed four-day seminar (that included the Red Bead Experiment) and was also invited to take the follow on course with a smaller group. You'll also want to scroll down to see the great picture that he posted on Twitter of him and Dr. Deming. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/229. In the podcast, we talk about questions and topics including: Tell us about the early days of your career in manufacturing engineering and management... how did you get involved in operational excellence? While at GE, you had some experience with W. Edwards Deming, tell us about that... What are some of the key lessons from Dr. Deming that stick with you today? GE's CEO Jack Welch had once derided Deming as "too theoretical." Was it that or did Deming's concrete suggestions just fly in the face of Jack's way? What did John recently witness when a relative was a hospital inpatient? How did that compared to some things Dr. Deming saw and reported as a patient in 1987?

Remastered January 2022 Episode page: https://www.leanblog.org/228 Labor Day is Monday, so maybe it's appropriate that my guest for episode #228 of the podcast is Zeynep Ton, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Operations Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. You may have recently seen her being interviewed by Fareed Zakaria on CNN. Read her full bio here. She is author of the 2014 book The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost Profits. I saw Ton give a lecture at an MIT alumni event back in June and immediately bought and read the book (read my blog post about the book and parallels to Lean and healthcare). I highly recommend it and I wish more hospitals and health systems would pursue this “good jobs strategy” instead of being so focused on cutting labor costs. As Ton explains in the book and our discussion, this strategy is not about being kind or nice — it's just good business that drives better long-term results for all.   In the podcast, we talk about: How she transitioned from industrial engineering and supply chain management to studying retail companies. In the vicious cycle of the “bad jobs strategy, ” why is this considered conventional wisdom that the way to maximize profits in a low-margin industry is to offer minimal pay, training, and hours? What are the components (and system) of “the good jobs strategy?” What connections do you draw between the good jobs strategy and Toyota or Lean? Do the companies or founders that have a good jobs strategy sort of naturally embrace it? Of the “good jobs” components, is it most difficult to help people see that 100% utilization is often very harmful and that “slack” is necessary? Is it easier for privately held companies to pursue the good jobs strategy having less quarterly financial pressure? Any thoughts on why society focuses so much on wages, while seemingly ignoring other aspects of workplace conditions that need to be improved?

Joining me for episode #227 are Ruthie Davis and Stephen Cook, talking about the book that they edited, Do the Right Thing: Real Life Stories of Leaders Facing Tough Choices.' Episode page: https://www.leanblog.org/227  While this episode isn't focused on Lean, per se, I think you'll enjoy the discussion and I highly recommend the book, which highlights the role of ethics and integrity in leadership… hence “doing the right thing” and being a great leader who others chose to follow. The book is inspired by the life and lessons of Don Davis, who served as CEO of Stanley Works (now Stanley Black & Decker) from 1966 to 1988. After retiring as CEO, Don volunteered to teach a leadership seminar for the MIT Leaders for Global Operations program, which I was fortunate to take as a student there. You can read his obituary here. Ruthie is Don's daughter and Steve was, like me, a student of Don's at MIT, so they combined their efforts to publish a compilation of compelling stories from Don's students about real life leadership challenges that they faced and how Don's “leadership mantras“ helped them in those times. Stephen Cook is currently a co-founder and Executive Managing Director of the private equity firm, LFM Capital. Previously, he was a Principal with TVV Capital, following his role as COO of MFG.com, and 11 years of operations leadership roles at Dell. Prior to joining Dell, Steve served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy, where he flew combat missions in support of Desert Shield. He is a fellow graduate of the MIT Leaders for Global Operations program, a year ahead of me, and we worked together at Dell at the turn of the century and have kept in touch since. Read his bio. Ruthie Davis is an entrepreneur and designer, the founder and CEO of the high-fashion Ruthie Davis shoes. Her shoes are a “top choice of celebrities and fashion tastemakers including… Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Jennifer Lopez; Halle Berry, Sofia Vergara, Taraji P. Henson and Shailene Woodley… and Emma Roberts, Zendaya Coleman, and Rumer Willis.” Ruthie was a recipient of Babson College's “Entrepreneur Hall of Fame” award in 2015. Read her full bio here.

My guests for episode #226 are Steve Hoeft and Dr. Robert (Bob) Pryor from Baylor Scott & White Health in Texas. Bob serves as President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Medical Officer for the system and was formerly CEO of Scott & White Health before their merger with Baylor Health Care System. Steve is the Chief of Operations Excellence for the system. hoeft-pryor bookThey are co-authors of a recently released book that I think is outstanding: The Power of Ideas to Transform Healthcare: Engaging Staff by Building Daily Lean Management Systems. Steve is also previously author of another book I really like, Stories from My Sensei: Two Decades of Lessons Learned Implementing Toyota-Style Systems. I'm sure you'll enjoy the podcast, as they combine the perspectives of an industrial engineer and Toyota-influenced automotive guy (Steve) and a pediatrician and physician executive (Bob). They share a passion for healthcare improvement AND a belief that we need to respect and engage everybody who works in healthcare as a way to better serve patients. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/226. Podcasts are sponsored by KaiNexus and their software that helps spread continuous improvement -- Learn more at http://www.KaiNexus.com

Joining me once again on the podcast today is John Toussaint, MD, the founder and CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. We're talking about his latest book, Management on the Mend. John wrote this new book to document "core elements of successful Lean transformations" that he's seen, not just at ThedaCare, but at other organizations around the world. The book outlines a "transformation model" that can be used to structure a Lean transformation, while John admits there's not just one prescription or framework that could work. John was previously a guest for episodes #184, #159, #146, #72, #62, and #54 going back to 2008. His previous books, which I highly recommend, are On the Mend and the follow up Potent Medicine, both are Shingo Research Award recipients. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/225. Podcasts are sponsored by KaiNexus and their software that helps spread continuous improvement -- Learn more at http://www.KaiNexus.com

My guest for episode #224 of my podcast is a returning guest, Mike Grogan. About two years ago, we talked about his Lean work in Tanzanian healthcare, in episode #182. Mike is an international trainer, coach, and speaker, who works with successful but overwhelmed management teams, to help them understand the technical and behavioral elements of Lean leadership, so that they can realize a culture of constant and never-ending improvement in their organization. In this eposide, we talk about his experience with mentoring, in Tanzania and other settings. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/224. Podcasts are sponsored by KaiNexus and their continuous improvement software platform -- www.KaiNexus.com

My guest for podcast episode #223 is Christian Wolcott, a senior advisor and director of Kaizen Institute North America and their director for Japan tours. Christian was an integral part of the team for the Japan Lean Healthcare Tour that I participated in last November as an instructor. Christian taught Lean concepts and facilitated discussions with me and the global attendees. In this podcast, we talk about our reflections on Japan and the tour, lessons learned, and reasons to go (which include wonderful camaraderie, fine cuisine, and evening discussions with the attendees). You can learn the difference between sushi, shabu shabu, and shōchū, in addition to learning about Lean and Kaizen. We're planning another tour in September, so please contact me if you'd like to be sent more information and check out the website I've set up about the tours. See past posts I've written about the tours --- http://www.japanleantrip.com. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/223. Podcasts are sponsored by KaiNexus and their continuous improvement software platform -- www.KaiNexus.com

Joining me for episode #222 of the podcast is Erin S. DuPree, M.D., FACOG, the Chief Medical Officer and Vice President for the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare. Dr. DuPree is an OB/GYN by training, was previously the Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. She is a certified Six Sigma Green Belt and is also a TeamSTEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety) master trainer. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/222. One thing we have in common is both growing up around Detroit, being exposed to the auto industry and the ideas of W. Edwards Deming early in life. In this podcast, topics include: Her role in the Center for Transforming Healthcare (the Joint Commission does more than accreditation) How Dr. DuPree first got involved in healthcare quality improvement and, in particular, Lean and Six Sigma (two complementary practices, as we agree) Of the different estimates about the number of patients harmed or killed each year due to preventable medical errors, which numbers does she cite and why? There are pockets of improvement around healthcare, but what are some of the biggest barriers, that she sees, that prevent adoption of Lean and Six Sigma and, more importantly, the improvement of quality and patient safety? How does the idea of "High Reliability Organizations" fit with other improvement methodologies? What's the personal patient story that helped her see the preventable harm that occurs and the need for improvement?

My guest for episode #221 is Jacob Stoller, author of a book that was just released: The Lean CEO: Leading the Way to World-Class Excellence. It's available now through Amazon or you can learn more through his book's website. As Jacob explains, he's a journalist, not a Lean practitioner, and he interviewed CEOs across different industries to get their thoughts on Lean management. We discuss topics including how CEOs get exposed to Lean thinking, why humility is so important, what "respect for people" means in the Lean context, and reasons why more CEOs don't embrace Lean. Did Six Sigma and Dr. Deming come up in his interviews? You'll also hear a bit about Bob Brody, the CEO at Franciscan St. Francis Health, which was featured in my Healthcare Kaizen books. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/221. Podcasts are sponsored by KaiNexus and their continuous improvement software platform -- www.KaiNexus.com

My guest for episode #220 is somebody I've wanted to interview for a long time, Dr. Robert Wachter, one of the leading voices in the modern patient safety movement. He's most recently author of a brand-new book The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype, and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine's Computer Age. His book was excerpted in this New York Times Op-Ed piece, "Why Health Care Tech Is Still So Bad." In this episode, we cover topics including: How Bob got into the patient safety field Of all of the estimates of patient harm and death caused by medical errors, which does he find most valid? His perspectives on the interface between Lean principles and practices and the modern patient safety movement What were some of the pros and cons of the $30 billion in federal government incentives for EMR/EHR adoption? Is it fair to say that EHR systems solve some patient safety problems while solving others? Some of the new waste introduced by new "meaningful use" regulations The story of a preventable medication error that harmed a child - a combination of technology problems, human factors, and bad process Finding the balance between "system problems" and personal accountability (see this article) Disclosure: I received an advance copy of The Digital Doctor from the publisher. I highly recommend the book for its balanced presentation of the promise, successes, and challenges of healthcare IT. The book discusses why electronic medical records haven't been adopted more quickly, why government incentives were introduced, and EMR/EHR systems are not the panacea that some had promised. Previously, Dr. Wachter has written books on patient safety (that I've read and recommend) including Understanding Patient Safety and Internal Bleeding. He received one of the 2004 John M. Eisenberg Awards, the nation's top honor in patient safety and quality. He has been selected as one of the 50 most influential physician-executives in the U.S. by Modern Healthcare magazine for the past seven years, the only academic physician to achieve this distinction. I was honored when Dr. Wachter recently interviewed me about Lean and patient safety for his AHRQ "Web M&M" series. Dr. Wachter is Professor and Associate Chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where he holds the Lynne and Marc Benioff Endowed Chair in Hospital Medicine. He is also Chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine, and Chief of the Medical Service at UCSF Medical Center. He has published 250 articles and 6 books in the fields of quality, safety, and health policy. He coined the term "hospitalist" in a 1996 New England Journal of Medicine article and is past-president of the Society of Hospital Medicine. He is generally considered the academic leader of the hospitalist movement, the fastest growing specialty in the history of modern medicine. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/220. Podcasts are sponsored by KaiNexus and their continuous improvement software platform -- www.KaiNexus.com For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.Joining me for episode #219 is Tristan Kromer, a professional "Lean Startup" coach who works with startups around the world and volunteers for the non-profit Lean Startup Circle.

Joining me for episode #219 is Tristan Kromer, a professional "Lean Startup" coach who works with startups around the world and volunteers for the non-profit Lean Startup Circle. In this episode, we discuss topics including how he got involved in the Lean Startup movement, the difference between a coach and a consultant, and lessons from various startups. When are you "pivoting" versus just giving up on an idea? Tristan also talks about why being data driven and scientific "is the aspiration" and why somebody who "starts from a profound state of ignorance" can be helpful by asking the right questions. You can find Tristan on Twitter @trikro and via his blog. Read his bio here. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/219. Podcasts are sponsored by KaiNexus and their continuous improvement software platform -- www.KaiNexus.com For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.Joining me for episode #219 is Tristan Kromer, a professional "Lean Startup" coach who works with startups around the world and volunteers for the non-profit Lean Startup Circle. In this episode, we discuss topics including how he got involved in the Lean Startup movement, the difference between a coach and a consultant, and lessons from various startups. When are you "pivoting" versus just giving up on an idea? Tristan also talks about why being data driven and scientific "is the aspiration" and why somebody who "starts from a profound state of ignorance" can be helpful by asking the right questions. You can find Tristan on Twitter @trikro and via his blog. Read his bio here.

My guest for episode #218 is Karen Kiel-Rosser, Vice President/Quality Improvement Officer at Mary Greeley Medical Center in Iowa. You can see her full bio below in this post. You might remember Karen from a recent post where she told a great story about putting patient safety first. We're talking today about the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and how that framework and process is mutually supportive of Lean and quality improvement. In December, Mary Greeley Medical Center was named a recipient of Gold level recognition in the 2014 Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence (IRPE) program - the state level Baldrige award. They previously received the Silver level in 2011. In the podcast, we talk about why and when Mary Greeley decided to pursue the Baldrige award, what it was like to be reviewed at the state level, and their future plans for applying at the national level. Karen also shares thoughts about how Baldrige ("the what") and Lean ("the how") fit together, some of their key quality outcomes measures, and how the recognition has helped internally with staff. She also talks about their safety huddles, the importance of "engaging those closest to the work," and the need for a "systematic approach" to capture Rapid Improvement Events and daily improvement work and how their use of KaiNexus has supported those efforts. The hospital was previously featured in episode #201: Ron Smith & Suz Kaprich, the KaiNexus WorkOut at Mary Greeley Medical Center. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/218. Podcasts are sponsored by KaiNexus and their continuous improvement software platform -- www.KaiNexus.com For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

Podcasts are sponsored by KaiNexus and their continuous improvement software platform -- www.KaiNexus.com Our guest today is Alan G. Robinson, PhD, an award-winning author, educator, researcher and consultant. He has co-authored six books, including Modern Approaches to Manufacturing Improvement: The Shingo System, Ideas Are Free, and his latest, The Idea-Driven Organization. His specialties include managing continuous improvement, creativity, ideas and innovation, and Lean production, being one of the earliest professors to visit Japan to study the Toyota Production System. In this episode, we talk about the history of suggestion programs (and a surprising detail about their history), why 80% of an organization's improvement comes from staff ideas, and why high-performing idea systems are rare. We also talk about some of the pitfalls of traditional cost-benefit analysis, the role of leaders and humility, and a company, Scania, that intentionally overstaffs to provide time for Kaizen, leading to 12-15% annual productivity improvement. Why is mankind still battling against command-and-control management systems? And what's the real story behind American Airlines famously removing an olive from their salads? We cover all of that and more in this episode. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/217. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

Podcasts are sponsored by KaiNexus and their continuous improvement software platform -- www.KaiNexus.com Returning to the podcast after his first appearance in Episode #188 is Daniel T. Jones, founder and chairman of the UK-based Lean Enterprise Academy. You can find him on Twitter now as @DanielJonesLean. Dan collaborated with Jim Womack on the books The Machine That Changed the World, Lean Thinking, and Lean Solutions and published other books through the LEA. He is also a senior advisor to the relatively new website and journal "Planet Lean." In this episode, we talk about some of the progress being made in areas outside of manufacturing. Dan says there's "awareness everywhere" but asks if there's "real depth" in Lean progress? We'll discuss how we can reframe Lean for the public sector and healthcare as a way of going beyond mere cost cutting programs. What does Dan seeing happen in software and startup sectors with Lean in companies like Spotify in Sweden? How is interest in the core "respect for people" leading to a search for "more holistic management methods?" For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/216. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

Today's guest is my friend John Ervin and we were able to sit down together here in San Antonio to record this episode. John has about 20 years of healthcare leadership experience, including in military medicine and the civilian sector. He's been a manager and director of operating rooms in many types of hospital and surgical center settings. 2022 update: John is now a part of the team and is my colleague with the firm Value Capture and we were able to collaborate on an engagement with a Philadelphia health system. We share a passion for Lean and, more importantly, patient safety. We believe strongly that you need the right type of culture and leadership to encourage and support a culture of safety and that's what we'll talk about today. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/215. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also subscribe and listen via Stitcher.

Today's guest is Michael Ballé, an author of many novels about Lean management, published by the Lean Enterprise Institute. He joins us for this episode from Paris (he shares many photos of “Paris moments” via his Twitter account @Michael_Balle). Michael and his father, Freddy, have collaborated on these books and have learned about as directly from Toyota as anybody (Freddy was CEO of the French automotive supplier Sommer-Allibert and was coached by Toyota there). The three novels are: The Gold Mine The Lean Manager Lead With Respect See all of his books via Amazon As we joke about in the podcast, I'm not a fiction reader, in general, so I don't care for business novels. But, many people do! I read Michael's non-fiction essays and articles, including: “The Gemba Coach” column on Lean.org His answers to questions on leanblog.org (where I'm also a contributor) Michael is a first-time podcast guest (which we were both shocked to discover), but I did host a four-part written Q&A with him back in 2009. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/214. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also subscribe and listen via Stitcher.

Today's podcast is different than my usual interview format. I still plan on continuing the podcast format and series, but I also wanted to try something new. I'm starting a “Lean Blog Audio” podcast, which is basically an “audio book” type reading of blog posts. I won't do it for all posts, but maybe a few a week. I'll also occasionally look back at an old post, as I did in this episode, which is actually #4 in the new series. The episodes in this new series won't have their own page, but the audio will be embedded in the blog post itself. To find all episodes, you can visit www.LeanBlog.org/audio. I realize this won't add value to all readers of the blog or all listeners of this podcast. But, many people tell me they like listening to the podcasts while they drive or workout and this new podcast provides a way to keep up on the blog in addition to or instead of the written word on the blog. These are really easy to do and many of them will be done while I'm doing a final proofreading of a new post, basically (which might reduce the number of typos and other defects!). Interviews (planning them, prepping for them, editing them) for my original podcast series is actually more time consuming than doing a podcast of this type. If you go to www.LeanBlog.org/audio, you'll see information about how to subscribe via an RSS feed or the iTunes podcast directory. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/213. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also subscribe and listen via Stitcher.

Today's guest is David Mann (bio), talking about the new 3rd edition of his Shingo Research Award winning book Creating a Lean Culture. David tells us what's new in the book and we discuss “leader standard work” and other elements of a Lean culture. David also talks about the difference between “Lean production” and a “Lean management system,” and we discuss forcing “compliance” versus leaders teaching and learning in the workplace. What is the role of executives in creating a Lean culture? I hope you enjoy the discussion. David was also one of my earliest podcast guests, back in Episode #9. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/212. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also listen via Stitcher.

Normally, my podcast is all about my guests. This episode has me being interviewed by the hosts at Healthcare Tech Talk, a new podcast for Healthcare IS professionals. This originally appeared as episode #23 of their series. Thanks to hosts Terry Baker and Kelley Hill for interviewing me and for allowing me to republish their episode here. I hope you like the podcast. You can subscribe to their series via iTunes, Google Play, and their app for iOS or Android. Learn more at their site. My podcast series will return next week. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/211.

My guests today are Darrell Damron and Hollie Jensen and we're talking about Lean in Washington state government. Darrell and Hollie are both state employees, serving in the role of Enterprise Lean Consultant within a team called “Results Washington.” I've seen them both present at a Lean Enterprise Institute summit and I'm really happy to have them share their ongoing improvement story here in the podcast. In the episode, we talk about their backgrounds and how they got started with Lean – Darrell in the public sector and Hollie at Starbucks. How did the state of Washington get started with Lean? What are some of their goals and accomplishments? How is Lean a strategy under Governor Jay Inslee and why is Lean a non-partisan issue that was supported by both gubernatorial candidates in the last election? What are some of the challenges that lay ahead for Washington? For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/210. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also listen via Stitcher. Darrell's Bio: With a passion for public service, Darrell has served as an enterprise lean consultant in the Governor's Office for the past 3 years, under two governors,  helping Washington state government learn to use lean principles and tools to deliver better value to more Washingtonians. As part of the Results Washington team, Darrell created Washington State's Lean Expert Partnership Program through which, over the past 3 years, more than 200 private sector lean experts have volunteered their time (no cost to taxpayers) to give thousands of Washington state's public servants advice, training, and coaching as they learning to use Lean principles and tools to make improvements throughout state government. Darrell has been a public servant in Washington State government for more than 23 years, working in the Department of Corrections and the Department of Revenue. Prior to joining state government, Darrell served 6 years on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps. Hollie's Bio: As part of her role with the State of Washington, Hollie Jensen is developing and implementing a Lean Fellowship program while also consulting on the governor's priority goal areas. In this role Hollie focuses on developing state leaders by teaching, consulting and coaching on Lean principles and leadership behaviors.  Through her work with the Fellowship and State leaders, she is focused on every state employee learning how to problem solve and every state leader supporting the problem solving work by teaching and coaching.    She joined state government in the spring of 2013 as an enterprise lean consultant after her 17-year tenure with Starbucks, where she began as a barista on the front lines and worked her way up through the organization with roles in human resources, global strategy and operations. Most recently she was a lean practice strategy manager with a focus on implementing the store system of work and the leadership/coaching program.  Jensen holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington and has worked closely with LEI over the past 7 years to grow her lean knowledge and experience.  Most recently, Hollie has had the opportunity to teach other practitioners at the Lean Transformation Summit, LEI public workshops in Seattle and the Lean Coaching Summit.

My guest for episode #209 is George Friesen, Business Practice Leader for Lean Transformations in the Workforce Solutions Group at St. Louis Community College. In this episode, we talk about his early experiences at the GM/Toyota NUMMI plant, why candor and trust are so important in a Lean transformation, and how to engage front-line employees in Kaizen and continuous improvement, and much more. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/209. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also listen via Stitcher. George's Bio: George has been a Lean Manufacturing Consultant with St. Louis Community College since April 2000.   Since coming to the College, George has developed an extensive and very well received series of training and consulting services focused on helping the College's clients take advantage of the power of Lean thinking and Lean work processes. In addition to services specific to certain Lean tools such as 5S, Value Stream Mapping, and Six Sigma, the College's Lean Transformations Business Unit has developed and provided to various clients, the Lean Leadership Certification Program, the Kaizen Thinking series, a series of discussions focused on Mike Rother's Toyota KATA, and the Lean Culture Change Symposia. These programs have received high praise from participants, eliciting comments such as, “What a great set of experiences.” “The training was just great. I learned a lot I can apply right now on the job.” Prior to joining the College, George worked for the Maritz Performance Improvement Company. He has provided performance improvement consulting and training services across a wide variety of industries, serving companies such as Toyota, Mercedes Benz, Texaco, BellSouth, Duke Power, Sigma-Aldrich, Caterpillar, AT&T, ThermoKing, Shell Oil Company, Illinois Bell, GM, Nestle, and Ford Motor Company. Over the past 35 years, George has facilitated over 800 seminars in areas such as 5S System implementation, Toyota KATA, Kaizen Thinking, Value Stream Mapping, Lean Leadership, Lean Culture Change, SMED, Visual Management, sales training, strategic planning, time management, and communication techniques. He has made presentations on Lean Manufacturing at the conventions of the National Council of Advanced Technology Centers, the National Council on Workforce Education, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and the American Society for Quality. George is a graduate of Washington University (AB), Webster University (MA), and United States Air Force Flight Training. He is also a certified AchieveGlobal and DDI facilitator.

Joining me for episode #208 is Michael Bremer, author of the recently released book How to Do a Gemba Walk. Michael is president of The Cumberland Group, a business improvement consulting firm based in Illinois. In today's episode, Michael talks about different types of gemba walks, key behaviors that need to be exhibited by leaders, and why it's critically important to build trust and credibility over time. How can gemba walks help a leader be more in touch with reality in the workplace? How can gemba walks help develop critical thinking skills in others? Listen to find out. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/208. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also listen via Stitcher.

Episode #207 is part two of my conversation with Chris Jerry, founder of The Emily Jerry Foundation.  The foundation was created in the aftermath of the tragic death of his daughter, Emily – a preventable medical error caused by a number of factors and bad systems. You can read Emily's story here. In the first part (Episode #203), Chris told the story of what happened. In part two, we talk about topics including: A systems view vs. blaming an individual Chris skipping over the “anger” phase of grief Why his barber required more certification than a pharmacy tech compounding medications? “Emily's Law” was passed in 2009 in Ohio and he's working on this nationally How he learned his ex-wife pursued the criminal charges against Cropp Publicly forgiving Cropp and meeting him face to face for the first time How we're all fallible and capable of making a mistake All of the elements of the system have to fit together and work together Differences between advances in automotive safety over time and healthcare safety Warning people without demonizing the individuals The importance of patient and family involvement How to reduce hospital acquired infections – hand washing! How much progress is being made in the patient safety battle? For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/207. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also listen via Stitcher.

My guest for episode #206 is Ed Pound, co-author of the book Factory Physics for Managers: How Leaders Improve Performance in a Post-Lean Six Sigma World that was released in April. It is, of course, a new version of the original Factory Physics textbook that I used in college and was the subject of Podcast #25 with Prof. Mark Spearman. Ed is the chief operations officer of Factory Physics, Inc., a company started by Spearman. In the podcast, we talk about the term "Factory Physics" (including the origin of the term) and what it means, including understanding the relationships between capacity, throughput, inventory, and variability. Ed also brings up great points about "dogma" versus manufacturing science, including dogma that can get companies in trouble, including: - Thou shalt have no finished goods inventory - Thou shalt have single piece flow, always - Thou shalt always have a moving assembly line We also talk about the subtitle of the book and what he means by a "post-Lean Six Sigma world" (it doesn't mean a world without Lean or Six Sigma). It's a great discussion and I hope you'll enjoy it, even if you don't work in factories. The lessons and ideas are certainly applicable. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/206. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. Podcasts are sponsored by KaiNexus and their continuous improvement software platform -- www.KaiNexus.com

Episode #205 is a conversation with Joe Schnur, VP Business Development at Intelligent M, a company that “designs data-driven hand hygiene compliance  improvement solutions for hospitals that dramatically reduce healthcare-acquired infections and their associated costs.” Joe and I share a passion for improving patient safety and we've had a number of great conversations comparing notes on the problem and the different ways we need to work toward solving it. We decided to finally record one of those discussions for a podcast. In the podcast, Joe shares some shocking statistics about “hand hygiene compliance” – that while hospitals report numbers that are far higher, the typical care provider washes or cleans their hands only about 20% of the time. One management challenge (and sales challenge for Joe) is that hospital executives might find it too easy to sit back and point to the inaccurately high numbers that claim 90%+ compliance (numbers that are based on sampling instead of real data). When I first started talking to Joe, I was skeptical about a “monitoring” technology for healthcare professionals, since I see hand hygiene as a system problem (lack of time, empty gel dispensers) that management has to work to fix… it's a process problem. But, I think (as in many cases) there is a role for technology that can be supportive of people (patients and staff) and can enable systemic improvement. What's the proper balance between individual accountability and the role of “the system?” I'm curious to hear what you think (you can post a comment on this post). For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/205. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also listen via Stitcher.

Joining me today for Episode #204 is Paul Plsek (@PaulPlsek) and we're talking about his excellent book (a Shingo Research Award recipient this year) titled Accelerating Health Care Transformation with Lean and Innovation: The Virginia Mason Experience. Virginia Mason, of course, is Virginia Mason Medical Center, the outstanding Lean organization that was named “Hospital of the Decade” by Leapfrog Group. In our discussion, we touch on topics including how you can be Lean AND innovative, how an organization and people can LEARN to be innovative, and what is the health system board's role in this innovation and improvement strategy? I think you'll enjoy the discussion (and the book!). You can learn more about Paul, his book, and his work at his website: www.directedcreativity.com. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/204. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also listen via Stitcher.

My guest for Episode #203 (and for Part 2 of our discussion in episode #207) is Chris Jerry, founder of The Emily Jerry Foundation.  The foundation was created in the aftermath of the tragic death of his daughter, Emily – a preventable medical error caused by a number of factors and bad systems. You can read Emily's story here. I first learned about this tragedy a few years back and I blogged about it: “A Pharmacist's Jail Cell Interview – What Good Does Blame Do?” Some people ask, “Why are you defending a pharmacist who screwed up and killed a sweet little girl?” The main victims were, of course, Emily and her family. That doesn't mean that a simplistic response of punishing and jailing one person will do anything to protect other patients in the future… and Chris Jerry agrees with that view. I saw Chris speak at a conference earlier this year and we finally found an opportunity to record a podcast after talking about this for a few years off and on. The story is powerful and I admire Chris for his work and advocacy to help others — as a way of honoring Emily and her life and memory. In this first part, Chris tells the story of what happened. Again, also check out Part 2, which was released later. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/203. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also listen via Stitcher.

My guest today for Episode 202 is Patrick Graupp, co-author of the excellent book Getting to Standard Work in Health Care: Using TWI to Create a Foundation for Quality Care, co-authored with Martha Purrier from Virginia Mason Medical Center. If you're brand new to the Training Within Industry (TWI) model, you might want to first listen to Episode 196, with Jim Huntzinger, on “What is TWI?“ Patrick is also a senior master trainer with the TWI Institute. His other publications include the book The TWI Workbook: Essential Skills for Supervisors, a Shingo Research and Professional Publication Prize Recipient for 2007 and Implementing TWI: Creating and Managing a Skills-Based Culture which was published by Productivity Press. In the episode, we discuss topics including: How often do you meet Lean practitioners who don't know about TWI? What are some of the challenges that hospitals address using TWI? How did Virginia Mason get introduced to these concepts? How has TWI helped in healthcare? About the TWI Institute and Patrick's work For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/202. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also listen via Stitcher. More info and links related to this podcast: Previous podcasts on TWI: #196: (3/18/14) Jim Huntzinger, What is TWI? #104: (11/23/10) Dr. Peter Patterson, Lean in Histopathology #28: (7/29/07) Norman Bodek, on Training Within Industry and more #15: (1/7/07) Jim Huntzinger about the “Training Within Industry” program Other Related References & Links: Podcast #31 on “Toyota Talent” My article on “Training Within Healthcare“ A longer overview presentation about TWI

Joining me for episode #201 are Ron Smith, a Process Improvement Coordinator/Lean Facilitator at Mary Greeley Medical Center (in Iowa) and Suz Kaprich, a consultant with KaiNexus (disclosure: I'm on the management team of KaiNexus and have an ownership stake in the company). Today, they are talking about a three-month “WorkOut” process that Ron and Suz ran recently at the hospital. Given the challenges in today's healthcare environment, the focus was on cost reduction and financial benefits, but they of course made improvements to the timeliness and quality of patient care, as well. The total financial impact, validated by finance, was about $800,000 in that time. The goal was not just to drive short-term improvements, but to also demonstrate how improvement was possible… to help spark a culture of ongoing continuous improvement. Through the course of the WorkOut, Mary Greeley Medical Center used the KaiNexus web-based continuous improvement platform to facilitate and track their improvements and results and they remain a customer of KaiNexus for their ongoing improvement efforts. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/201. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also listen via Stitcher.

My guest for episode 200 is Paul Spiegelman, author of the book Patients Come Second: Leading Change by Changing the Way You Lead. Today, we're talking about his book and its provocative title – what do you mean patients don't come first? What about this trend for “patient-centered care” (and why wasn't it patient-centered to begin with?).  In the podcast, Paul talks about: The book's title and how it was meant to be provocative Why focusing on engaged employees leads to better patient care and more success for the organization How do we create engagement? Why is it important to connect things to purpose and values? Why is being vulnerable important and why is that the sign of a strong leader? And more…. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/200. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also listen via Stitcher. About Paul: Paul Spiegelman is Chief Culture Officer of Stericycle, a NASDAQ listed global services organization with 13,000 employees and is the Founder of BerylHealth and The Beryl Institute. Paul also co-founded the Inc. Small Giants Community, an organization that brings together leaders who are focused on values-based business principles. As the former CEO of BerylHealth, Paul led a unique, people-centric culture for a company that won nine “best place to work” awards, including the #2 Best Medium Sized Company to Work for in America. Paul was honored with the Ernst & Young 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year award. Paul is a sought-after speaker and author on leadership, employee engagement, entrepreneurship, corporate culture, and customer relationships. He makes frequent radio and TV appearances and writes columns on culture for Inc. Magazine and the Dallas Business Journal.  He's written several books on employee engagement and is the New York Times best-selling author of Patients Come Second: Leading Change by Changing the Way you Lead. Paul practiced law for two years prior to founding BerylHealth. He holds a bachelor's degree in history from UCLA and a law degree from Southwestern University.

Joining me for episode #199 is Jeff Gothelf (@jboogie), talking about “Lean UX” or “Lean User Experience,” a key method for software development, usually used in conjunction with design thinking, agile development, and Lean Startup business practices. Jeff is author of the book Lean UX: Applying Lean Principles to Improve User Experience and he is Managing Director at Neo, the global product innovation company. Jeff is teaching a workshop in Austin on June 10 called “Lean UX Bootcamp: Agility through cross-functional collaboration.” I barely know anything about LeanUX, but have chatted with Jeff before and read the first few chapters of his book… but my role here is to just ask questions… Jeff will explain Lean UX to us today. I'm taken by the parallels between Lean UX (along with Lean Startup) and more general “Lean,” as I know it in manufacturing and healthcare. It's about deeply understand the customer and their needs, forming hypotheses, and iterating in an experimental and data-driven way… a departure from the old way of the designer “knowing” what the customer wants or a software company writing a huge specification document (about “half of which never got used,” says Jeff). Lean UX designers are problem solvers, they “get out of the building,” and they get their designs (or even just sketches) in front of customers to get feedback early and often. It's better to do small, inexpensive tests of change… if you're going to fail, better to fail early and fail often… and we'll be more successful as a result. That's good solid Lean thinking and Kaizen thinking. Read more about Jeff via: His bio His blog For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/199. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  

Episode #198 is a discussion with Harry Kenworthy about his work bringing Lean into local and state governments. We had a great conversation that touches on the influence of Dr. W. Edwards Deming and many other concepts that might be of interest even if you're not interested in “Lean Government” and the work happening there. Harry is Principal and Manager of the Quality and Productivity Improvement Center (QPIC, LLC), a consulting organization he founded in 1984 and has been with full time since 2004. He worked with Dr. Deming in 1983-85 on a series of 2 day seminars throughout the US, sponsored by MIT. He has spoken at over 90 conferences on quality, productivity, Lean, and Six Sigma, and has been published several magazines including Quality Progress and Purchasing. He also had working relationships with Dr. Joseph Juran and Dorian Shainin. He was one of the first practitioners to apply LEAN in the Government sector in the mid-90s. Here is an article by Harry, shared with permission (PDF link): Getting Started on a Lean Government Journey Harry was also a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Examiner from 1989-1991, a licensed Professional Engineer and a Certified Quality Engineer. He worked at a NYSE listed, global manufacturer, for 26 years in a variety of capacities: Operations Manager, Division Manager, Group VP and, for his last 3 years, as Corporate VP, Manufacturing. He was the Executive Lean Six Sigma (LSS) Champion: leading the LSS effort and developing the LSS training program, which incorporated the best of traditional Six Sigma (DMAIC), Lean, and a series of Specialized Problem Solving Techniques. He provided LSS training in the US, Europe, Japan and China.  For 9 years, he was on the Board of Directors of a Japanese Joint Venture based in Nagoya, Japan. The JV was a key supplier to Toyota and Harry was able to learn about Lean through Toyota. He also had a long term relationship with JUSE (Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers) which administered the Deming Prize in Japan and had the honor of visiting several Deming Prize-winning companies. Harry holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Materials Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MBA in Finance from Syracuse University.  For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/198. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also listen via Stitcher. Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

My guest for episode #197 is a hospital leader I really respect, Kim Barnas, author of the new book Beyond Heroes.  Until very recently, Kim was a Senior VP at ThedaCare, leading Appleton Medical Center and Theda Clark Hospital. I've seen Kim speak to groups at ThedaCare and a few conferences and she has a lot to teach us about Lean leadership, using her stories and experiences in a way that's very powerful. I hope you'll check out the book. Read a press release about it here. In the podcast today, we talk about topics including her initial reactions to Lean when first introduced to it as a hospital leader, why “heroes” are overrated and sometimes create “chaos” in healthcare, and the importance of moving beyond tools and projects to a Lean culture and management system. 2018 Update: What's Going on at ThedaCare? Kim talks about the need to “create more value” (not just reduce waste), saying “just trying to do more with less makes no sense – you need a plan.” We also talk about programs like GM's “Speak up for Safety,” where she says that speaking up “needs to be a conversation, not a reporting” transaction. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/197. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. 

My guest for episode 196 is Jim Huntzinger, founder of Lean Frontiers. Today, we're talking about the Training Within Industry methodology and his new website WhatIsTWI.com. We are discussing topics including what a typical TWI “journey” looks like for an organization, how TWI is such a fundamental Lean concept/method, and some examples of how TWI is helping organizations in various industries, including healthcare. What's the latest in the seven years since our first podcast on this topic? For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/196. Previous podcasts and related links: #8: (10/31/06) Jim Huntzinger, Founder of the Lean Accounting Summit #15: (1/7/07) Jim Huntzinger about the “Training Within Industry” program #33: (11/17/07) Jim Huntzinger, on the latest Lean Accounting Summit Training Within Industry: What Rosie the Riveter and IV Med Prep Have in Common Podcast #104 – Dr. Peter Patterson (@IDrPete), Lean in Histopathology\ Society for Health Systems Talk on TWI For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.   Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

Joining me for episode #195 is my friend Steve Montague from LifeWings. Steve and I met initially through our shared interest in Lean and, like Ron Pereira, we discovered we both lived in Keller, Texas (I've since moved to San Antonio). Steve is a retired Navy pilot and currently flies for a major commercial airline. He's also been involved, through LifeWings, in the movement to bring aviation safety practices (and culture) to healthcare via "Crew Resource Management" or "TeamSTEPPS." He's also been on the forefront of combining Lean and TeamSTEPPS, something we both agree is a great idea. In honor of National Patient Safety Awareness Week, we talk about topics including: - Steve's background with CRM in aviation and healthcare - Why CRM isn't just about checklists, but also learning how to "communicate more assertively" in the cockpit or operating room... - How Lean and CRM / TeamSTEPPS fit together conceptually - How standardization and iterative improvement fit together There's so much we could talk about, so we barely scratched the surface on this topic. If you have questions, we can do another podcast. Please post them as comments on this post. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/195 -- go there for some links and material that Mark wrote to share with the listeners (and he'll have a guest post soon that expands on the thoughts in the podcast). Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast by visiting the blog page for this episode. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

My guest for episode #194 is Paul Piechota, Director for the Center for Competitive Change at the University of Dayton School of Engineering. Piechota has authored over 30 publications with such titles as Transforming the Enterprise, Getting to the Future First!, and Establishing a Method for Process and Culture Change in the Military. His most recent publication is the book titled, Keeping Your Business in the U.S.A.: Profit Globally While Operating Locally. In this episode, we'll talk about topics including how the university is using Lean and Six Sigma to improve their own operations, how they are getting students involved, and their attempts to engage professors to improve their work in the classroom. This all follows up a blog post I wrote about their press release on this topic. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/194 -- go there for some links and material that Mark wrote to share with the listeners (and he'll have a guest post soon that expands on the thoughts in the podcast). Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast by visiting the blog page for this episode. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

My guest for episode #193 is Mark Jaben, MD, talking about our brains, Lean, and change. Mark has been a guest blogger for me before and it's great to talk to him today about his research and experiences. In our conversation, Mark talks about "the troublesome features of our brain's operating system" (such as our "hidden brain"), how the A3 problem solving process fits with the way our brains work, and how to deal with "resistance" to change. Mark has also helped talk to some healthcare organizations about KaiNexus and we both presented at a conference last year. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/193 -- go there for some links and material that Mark wrote to share with the listeners (and he'll have a guest post soon that expands on the thoughts in the podcast). Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast by visiting the blog page for this episode. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Joining me for podcast #192 is John Torinus, author of the excellent book, The Company That Solved Health Care: How Serigraph Dramatically Reduced Skyrocketing Costs While Providing Better Care, and How Every Company Can Do the Same. John is the chairman of Wisconsin-based Serigraph Inc., a graphics parts manufacturer with ownership in ten plants in the U.S., Mexico, China and India with over $130M in annual sales. John has served as business editor and columnist at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. John is collaborating with the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value for a new workshop: “Solving the Employer Healthcare Crisis,” to be held in Phoenix on January 28 (and hopefully again in the future). In this episode, we talk about how Serigraph has kept healthcare costs under control while improving the health of their employees. How do concepts of consumer choice, data transparency, and focusing on preventive care help to “engage all employees in the healthcare challenge”? For example, 90% of their diabetic employees have their disease “under control” as compared to about 30% nationally. What is this “grass roots revolution” in healthcare? For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/192. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.   Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

Joining me for podcast #191 is my friend and fellow LEI faculty member Mike Orzen (@MikeOrzen), co-author of the Shingo Award-winning book Lean IT: Enabling and Sustaining Your Lean Transformation. I recently crossed paths with Mike in Columbus, Ohio, because we're both mentoring students in the Ohio State University MBOE program. We have a lot in common, it seems! Mike is also collaborating with the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value for a new workshop: “Leveraging Information, People & Systems in Healthcare,” to be held in Phoenix on January 28 and 29. In this episode, we talk about topics including an overview of “Lean IT,” how Lean is different compared to manufacturing and other service settings, how healthcare organizations can benefit from Lean IT, and the potential for kaizen and continuous improvement in IT. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/191. Mike and I wrote an article in 2011 on using Lean to meet the IHI “Triple Aim” goals in healthcare (PDF link). For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the  main Podcast page, which includes information on how to  subscribe via RSS  or  via Apple Podcasts. Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

My guest for episode #190 is a returning guest (from episode #151), my friend Karen Martin, talking about her (co-authored by Mike Osterling) newly-released book, Value Stream Mapping: How to Visualize Work and Align Leadership for Organizational Transformation. You can order via Amazon and can learn more via Karen's website. In the episode, we talk about topics including how this book fits with her others, some common struggles that people face when mapping value streams, why it's important for senior leaders to be involved with VSM work, how long mapping should take, the publishing value stream, and the use of VSM in different industries. I hope you enjoy the conversation! For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/190. Here is the endorsement I gave for the book based on my reading of a pre-publication version of the book: “Value Stream Mapping is a wise and practical guide that will help you lead transformation efforts in your organization. While some think of value stream mapping as a ‘lean tool,' Martin and Osterling rightly emphasize the strategic value of looking at the big picture and improving your entire value stream from suppliers to the customer and all points in between. The book is full of tips and lessons learned to help you avoid mistakes and maximize the results that you get from the time invested into proper value stream mapping.” You can read the introduction (PDF) or the executive reading guide (PDF) online. You can also view webinars Karen has done on this topic: Value Stream Mapping – Strategy Before Tactics Value Stream Mapping: How to Visualize Work & Align Leadership for Organizational Transformation You can also sign up for a new webinar being done tomorrow, Jan 7 2014: Value Stream Analysis: Beyond the Mechanics – Part 1 (Planning) For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to  subscribe via RSS  or via Apple Podcasts. Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

Audio remastered June 2022 Episode page Joining me as my guest for episode #189 is Rich Sheridan, CEO and Chief Storyteller at Menlo Innovations, a software development company in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Rich is author of the new book that I'm really enjoying: Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love. Learn more about the author and the book at www.menloinnovations.com/joyinc. You can also download a free chapter here. There's so much to love about his book and what they are doing at Menlo. I think it's great to start a new year, 2014, with a look at a book that gives us hope about creating workplaces where employees are fully engaged and everybody wins – customers, company, and employees. I'll have a chance to visit Menlo in about two weeks when I'll be in Michigan for my public Kaizen workshop, so I'll report back on what I see during that visit. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/189. Some of the topics I was taking notes on as I read the book (through chapter six): “You can be joyful without being happy all the time” Menlo has built upon “extreme programming” and Kent Beck‘s work there Their “Menlo Way” is worth looking at As Toyota has done, Menlo doesn't mind teaching competitors about their methods (because this serves their mission to reduce suffering in the world, including the suffering in bad workplaces) They work really hard to break down “towers of knowledge” in the organization Menlo emphasizes direct customer contact and understanding their problems and what they need (often better than the customers could articulate on their own in a traditional software approach) Their “high tech anthropology” approach (HTA) starts with understanding customers better and then iterating and testing designs (often starting with crude prototypes and mockups) Their QA process focuses on reducing delays and shortening lead time (along with other approaches that are different than traditional QA) A reader will recognize ideas that are similar to Deming, Lean, Lean Startup, Agile, and more… combined into a powerful and cohesive articulation of culture and strategy

My guest for Episode 188 has been a leading voice in the Lean community for 25 years, Daniel T. Jones, founder and chairman of the Lean Enterprise Academy, based in the UK. Dan collaborated with Jim Womack on the books The Machine That Changed the World, Lean Thinking, and Lean Solutions and published other books through the LEA.  Currently, Dan is helping promote Lean in healthcare and government and is learning about the Lean Startup community by becoming an advisor to the company Elastera. He has also recently joined Twitter as @DanielJonesLean. You can also watch recently-released free videos (via Gemba Academy) of Dan, Jim, and John Shook reflecting on 25 years of Lean and other topics. In this episode, we touch on all of these questions and also take a question via Twitter. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/188. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS  or via Apple Podcasts. Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus.

Joining me for episode #187 is Joe Swartz, my friend and esteemed co-author for our books Healthcare Kaizen: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Sustainable Continuous Improvements and The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen: Leadership for a Continuously Learning and Improving Organization. You can learn more about our books here. Joe is Director of Business Transformation at Franciscan St. Francis Health System in Indianapolis (his full bio is here). In the episode, we talk about his background with Kaizen and how he got into healthcare. Joe discusses how Franciscan got started with Kaizen, some of his favorite Kaizen examples, why it would have taken too long to engage everybody through Lean Six Sigma projects, what they are teaching managers about leading in a Kaizen culture, and the work that still needs to be done in their cultural transformation. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/187. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. You can also listen via Stitcher. Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

Episode page My guest for episode #186 is my friend Jon Miller, CEO of Kaizen Institute and long-time blogger at Gemba Panta Rei. Today, we're talking about his upcoming book, Creating a Kaizen Culture: Align the Organization, Achieve Breakthrough Results, and Sustain the Gains (co-authored by Mike Wroblewski and Jamie Villafuerte. I can't believe I haven't had Jon on the show before… hopefully, this won't be the last time. In this episode, we'll talk about “artifacts” of a Kaizen culture and why core beliefs, including safety and security, are so important. What are some of the other core beliefs in a Kaizen culture? Why are some of these beliefs and behaviors “not natural Japanese behaviors” and what are the implications for those of us doing this in other countries? For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/186.

My guests for episode #185 are Karen Dunn Skinner and David Skinner and our topic, for the first time on the Podcast, is Lean in law firms and the legal profession. David and Karen are husband and wife, attorneys, from Quebec, and consultants for their firm Gimbal. I had a chance to meet up with them in Montreal earlier this year, after connecting via social media, and they're a delight to talk to – in person and in our podcast. I think there are a lot of fascinating parallels between Lean in healthcare and Lean in law. There are opportunities to focus on payment for value instead of activity, big opportunities to reduce waste and errors, and to make sure people are doing the right work for their job level. “The way it's always been” seems very powerful in both professions and the “but we don't make cars” objection can be powerful. In the episode, we discuss topics including: How do Lean methods apply in a Law firm? What are some benefits to the clients and the firm itself? How do you get past the “we don't build cars” objection? How widespread is Lean in the legal profession? How did Karen and David discover Lean (and Six Sigma) as attorneys? What's the balance between using Lean and/or Six Sigma in law? How can standardized work and checklists help? Why are legal clients dissatisfied with the pricing and quality of legal work? How do you strike a balance between law being an art vs. being a process? For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/185. For earlier episodes, visit the  main Podcast page, which includes information on how to  subscribe via RSS  or  via Apple Podcasts. Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

It's great to have Dr. John Toussaint back for episode #184 of the podcast (see links to previous episodes below). He is, of course, CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value and the author of two Shingo Award-winning books, On the Mend: Revolutionizing Healthcare to Save Lives and Transform the Industry and Potent Medicine: The Collaborative Cure for Healthcare. In this podcast, we start by hearing John's thoughts on some of the top issues that healthcare CEOs are facing today, such as changes in payment structures and Accountable Care Organizations. We also talk about the “Enduring Excellence” program that Paul O'Neill and John are leading to teach healthcare senior leaders about Lean culture change and their important role. This podcast was produced in conjunction with the  Healthcare Value Network as a continuation of their previous podcast series. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/184. Past episodes with Dr. Toussaint: #159: (10/16/12)  John Toussaint, MD  on the new IOM report #146: (5/2/12)  John Toussaint MD, on his new book Potent Medicine #72: (8/12/09) John Toussaint, MD, Lean and Health Reform #62: (2/23/09) John Toussaint, MD,  ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value #54: (12/2/08) John Toussaint, MD, ThedaCare's Lean Journey For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS  or via Apple Podcasts. Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

My guest for episode #183 is Scott Sambucci, who I met at the 2012 Lean Startup Conference. Scott is author of an excellent book, Startup Selling: How to sell if you really, really have to and don't know how. Scott is also founder of  SalesQualia, a firm that helps people improve sales performance. His latest project is the Sales Model Canvas, an online tool. Scott and I talk about getting better at sales (something I've honestly struggled with, as an engineer, during my time with KaiNexus). Scott talks about how “sales is a process,” what some of the biggest mistakes people can make with sales, what some common “vanity metrics” are (to be avoided), and how to look out for “vampires and gatekeepers” as you sell. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/183. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS  or via Apple Podcasts.   You can also listen via Stitcher. Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

Joining me for episode #182 are Michael Grogan and Dr. Brenda Dmello, joining me via Skype from Tanzania where they are working together to use Lean to improve health care at the Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania  (CCBRT). Michael is Irish born and left his career in the United States to work in Africa (which you can read about in his guest post that I published earlier this month). In the episode, we talk about their mission to reduce maternal death rates and “needless suffering” by creating “engaging, problem solving managers” as “everything rises and falls with leadership.” They are developing leaders who can “stop blaming” and treat people with respect, eliminating the “culture of fear” that we see in far too many organizations around the world. Dr. Brenda says, “I don't think it's ethical to allow change to happen so slowly” and that “clinical skills alone” won't solve healthcare's problems. Links about their work: You can make donations toward their work via the Kupona Foundation Mike Stoecklein's blog post about their work Michael's blog post on his first 79 days in Tanzania Register for a webinar by Michael, hosted by the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value on August 14

My guest for Podcast #181 is a good friend, Ron Pereira of Gemba Academy, an outstanding provider of online Lean (and now Six Sigma) education. Ron's blog posts can now be found at the Gemba Academy blog. I was recently a guest on episode #8 of his podcast series. Ron was also the guest host for episode #143 of my podcast, where he interviewed me with follow up questions from a webinar I did for Gemba Academy on SPC. Before I moved to San Antonio, Ron and used to live just about five miles apart in Keller, Texas and would meet for coffee regularly… but, today, we are talking via Skype. We're talking about his background with both Six Sigma and Lean and about how these methods can be used together. Ron tells a story about a time he used statistical methods to solve something that might have been difficult with standard Lean approaches. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/181. Conflict of interest disclosure: Gemba Academy is a formal partner of KaiNexus, a technology company I work with and have an ownership stake in. I have received a free subscription to the Gemba Academy training classes. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to  subscribe via RSS  or  via Apple Podcasts.

Joining me for episode #180 of the Lean Blog Podcast is Dan Florizone, who served from 2008 until last month as Deputy Minister of Health in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Dan has just recently transitioned into his new role as the Deputy Minister of Education and he will also focus on the application of Lean principles across all departments of the government. Dan previously had over 25 years of healthcare management experience, including a five-year stint as CEO of the Five Hills Health Region. Dan and I first met a few years back when we were at a Lean healthcare conference hosted by Cindy Jimmerson. I really enjoyed talking with Dan and have closely followed the Lean healthcare transformation work being done in the province. In the episode, we talk about Dan's introduction to Lean, his 2005 visit to Seattle to learn more, and how Lean is part of their “patient first” model. Lean has been a shift from “traditional cost cutting” to a “patient-centered, not provider-centered” approach to care. Lean has helped change their leadership model, where “the barrier to our change was thinking,” as Dan says. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/180. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS  or via Apple Podcasts. You can also listen via Stitcher. Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus Additional links and info: Saskatchewan Intro to Lean Healthcare page PROVINCE ACCELERATES LEAN JOURNEY TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE LeanBlog.org post:  CBC on Lean in Saskatchewan Hospitals LeanBlog.org post:  Lean in a Moose Jaw Hospital LeanBlog.org post referencing “lean design” work in Saskatchewan Follow  Trish Livingstone (@LeanSaskHealth) on Twitter

My guests for Podcast #179 are my friends Judy Worth and Tom Shuker, two of the co-authors of the book Perfecting Patient Journeys, which was published earlier this year by the Lean Enterprise Institute. About the book: “Perfecting Patient Journeys” is a guide for leaders of healthcare organizations who want to implement lean thinking. Readers will learn how to identify and select a problem, define a project scope, and create a shared understanding of what's occurring in the value stream. Readers will also learn to develop a shared vision of an improved future, and how to work together to make that vision a reality.” We'll talk about their book, what types of value streams and “extended value streams” are being worked on in healthcare (including “end-to-end” flows), breaking down silos, improving quality and cost as a result of taking time out of the value stream, and more. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/179. Other links and info: Downloads and templates from the book (see the “downloads” tab) A review of the book by John Miller at the Gemba Panta Rei blog A review by Tim McMahon on his blog Conflict of interest disclosure: I received a free copy of the physical book and e-Book from the Lean Enterprise Institute and I am formerly an employee of LEI. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. You can also listen via Stitcher. Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

Joining me for Podcast #178 is Drew Greenblatt, President and Owner of Marlin Steel Wire Products, a manufacturing company based in Baltimore. I was really impressed with Drew's keynote talk at the recent AME Southwest Region conference here in San Antonio. Drew's company is successfully competing against cheap Chinese imports by using Lean and “theory of constraints” methods, being passionate about serving customer needs, and making a commitment to (and investment in) his employees. Whether you're a manufacturer who is considering “re-shoring” your production (or avoiding off-shoring) or if you're an organization looking to success by partnering with all of your employees, I think you'll find Drew inspiring. Drew and Marlin Steel Wire are featured in this month's Fast Company magazine Check out Bill Waddell's recent blog post about Drew and Marlin Wire. Inc. Magazine article on Drew Video of Eli Goldratt's last speech, shared by Drew online For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/178. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. You can also listen via Stitcher. Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

My guest for Podcast #177 is a returning guest, Bob Emiliani. In this episode, we're talking about one of his latest eBooks: Nobody Is Exempt From Improvement. Check out our previous podcasts together – Episodes 132, 77, 48, 38, and 30. Bob is a professor at Central Connecticut State University and a prolific author on Lean management. Also check out his new book – “The Lean Professor.” For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/177. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. You can also listen via Stitcher. Podcasts Sponsored by KaiNexus

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/176  Remastered June 20201 Today, we discuss his latest book, The Harada Method: The Spirit of Self-Reliance. Joining me once again for episode #176 is my mentor good friend Norman Bodek, who has been a guest many times here. You can also learn more about the book and Norman's workshops at his website, PCSPress.com. As always, it's great to hear Norman talk about his interests and what he has learned in his trips to Japan, including Takashi Harada's work. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/176. For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS, through Android apps, or via Apple Podcasts.  You can also subscribe and listen via Stitcher. Please leave us a review and rating!

My guest for podcast #175 is Mike Taubitz of the firm Sustainable Lean and FDR Safety. Mike is a retired GM employee (including a stint as Global Safety Director)  and we met at the Michigan Lean Consortium conference in 2011. We quickly discovered our shared interest in Dr. Deming, Lean, and, most importantly, safety improvement. I hope you enjoy our chat about his background and lessons from his career, the integration of Lean practices and safety improvement, lessons from Paul O'Neill and other great topics. Like my dad, Mike is a graduate of the then General Motors Institute (now Kettering University). Some key quotes: “It's not just what you do, but why.” 5S is not just neat, clean, and organized – it's about team identifying waste and developing standards We are “a nation of solution seekers” instead of working on “foundational thinking.” For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/175. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for podcast #174 is John Hunter, a long-time friend and fellow blogger – at his Curious Cat Management Improvement Blog and, more recently, as a blogger for the W. Edwards Deming Institute. John has recently published a book through LeanPub.com titled “Management Matters.” In this episode, John joins us from Malaysia, where he has been living, and we talk about his quality background – growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, influenced by his dad (William Hunter), Brian Joiner, George Box, Dr. Deming, and others. John also talks about his book and work, why long-term thinking is such a rare commodity, and some of the lessons from Dr. Deming that mean the most to him. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/174. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for podcast #173 is Alan Gleghorn, CEO of Christie Clinic in central Illinois. Alan is one of the keynote presenters at the upcoming Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit, to be held June 5-6, 2013 in Orlando. Alan has been CEO for 14 years, leading Christie Clinic in their Lean journey that started in 2005 when he saw ThedaCare's current CEO Dr. Dean Gruner present at a conference. In this episode, Alan talks about how they got started with Lean, what they learned from Autoliv and the Shingo Prize assessment process (being the first healthcare organization to do that). He also talks about his Summit keynote and how their work with Accountable Care Organizations  is leading to better value and outcomes for patients. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/173. You can also listen to an interview I did with Alan two years ago for the Healthcare Value Network podcast. This podcast was produced in conjunction with the  Healthcare Value Network as a continuation of their previous podcast series. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Joining me for episode #172 is Jerry Bussell, previously a guest on episode #137. Today, we're talking about his recent book, Anatomy of a Lean Leader.  I just saw Jerry talk about the book yesterday at the AME spring conference here in San Antonio. Jerry talks about how he defines a “Lean leader” and why President Abraham Lincoln fits into that description. He'll talk about some of the modern CEOs he would put on the list of great Lean leaders, including the owner of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. Visit the website for Jerry's book here. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/172. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #171 is Chad Walters, a friend and a Lean consultant. He is owner of Lean Blitz Consulting in Augusta, Georgia, a firm focused on continuous improvement for small businesses and sports organizations. I'm a big fan (and frequent commenter) on Chad's blog and he's contributed guest posts here on my blog. He has been cited and mentioned on ESPN.com and CNBC.com. Today, we talk about how Lean principles can apply to sports operations, including the stadiums and events you attend. We'll talk about concepts of value and waste from the sports fan perspective, specific challenges in the sports and entertainment fields and some examples related to baseball (play ball!, the season just started) and The Masters, which starts Thursday. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/171. More about Chad Walters: He has run projects for the Atlanta Braves, the Salvation Army, Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Eaton Corporation, The Dannon Company, and the South Bend Silver Hawks among other companies. He has been practicing Lean and continuous improvement for over eight years, is a Six Sigma Black Belt certified by the American Society for Quality, and received his MBA from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, where he was a member of the Kelley MBA Sports & Entertainment Academy. Posts of his we talk about: Enforcing Standardized Process & Major League Baseball Pace-of-Game The Masters: Concession Stands 2013 BCS National Championship and Silly Rules About Parking The Dayton Dragons  — Note from Chad:  “The Dayton Dragons have not won a Midwest League title, confirming what I stated in the podcast. However, they have 913 straight sellouts, which stretches back far past eight years as I originally stated. I'm estimating their sellout streak at about thirteen years and still going.” Joe Garagiola Jr. is the Senior VP of Standards and On-Field Operations for MLB. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #170 is Stephen Parry, joining us from England. He is a keynote speaker at the upcoming Lean Kanban North America conference in late April. I will also be a main stage speaker at the event. Parry has experience leading Lean transformation efforts in industries ranging from telecommunications, IT, shared services, financial services, and the public sector. He is the author of the book Sense and Respond: The Journey to Customer Purpose. In this episode, we talk about his experience, how Lean engages employees to provide value to customers, and the differences between LINO (Lean In Name Only) and Real Lean. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/170. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Joining me for Episode #169 is Leonard L. Berry, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Marketing in the Mays Business School at Texas A&M University. We are talking about his article that he co-authored with John Toussaint, MD Mayo Clinic Proceedings: 201CThe Promise of Lean in Health Care201D (PDF) - which I blogged about earlier. In this podcast, Len talks about his time being embedded in ThedaCare and the lessons he learned there... for example, why is it incorrect to assume that "standardized work" means something stifling? This episode is produced in partnership with the Healthcare Value Network. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/169. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

My guest for episode #168 is Carolyn McCulley, from CityGate Films, and  she is a co-director and producer of the upcoming documentary called "Breaking the Wall of Silence." Through March 31, you can sponsor this project through the Kickstarter website (with a minimum contribution of $15) and I hope you'll join me as a supporter of this important work. Learn more at www.leanblog.org/168. As Carolyn discusses with me, the film does not just focus on the problems of patient safety and poor healthcare quality... it focuses on the positive steps that MedStar Health (a large system in the Washington DC area) is taking to transform its culture to reduce systemic patient harm. This focus is why she calls this a "hopeful film" as opposed to being alarmist. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/168. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

My guest for episode #167 is Clare Crawford-Mason, the producer of the landmark 1980 NBC documentary that featured W. Edwards Deming,  “If Japan Can Do It, Why Can't We?” You can view the documentary here. I was fortunate to meet Clare and her husband Bob back in 2007 or so when I was teaching a Lean healthcare seminar near their home in Washington, DC. Clare and Bob led the efforts to create the “Deming Library” video series. They also created the PBS special “Good News: How Hospitals Heal Themselves” and the companion book The Nun and the Bureaucrat. We've talked for years about doing this podcast and I'm glad to finally being able to share this with you. Early in the podcast, Clare talks about meeting Dr. Deming and the production of documentary, which is a fascinating story and glimpse into his personality and work. Show notes and links: Atul Gawande MD article: “Testing, Testing” Deming Institute Time piece on “Why Healthcare Costs are Killing Us” The Nun and the Bureaucrat/Good News…How Hospitals Heal Themselves Book/DVD Set via Amazon For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/167.

My guest for episode #166 is Julie Bartels,  Executive Vice President, National Healthcare Information at the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. In this episode, we are talking about their new program, the Healthcare Clinical Business Intelligence Network (CBIN). Julie tells us about “business intelligence” and how data and transparency relate to Lean improvement efforts. Why is “the devil in the details” in making more data available to payers and patients? Listen to find out. Read an FAQ document about the CBIN  or see this PDF document.  You can also learn more on the Center's transparency page. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/166. Learn more about the Healthcare Value Network, the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, and their annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit  (registration now open). For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #165 is Chris Vogel, President & CEO of Compass Affiliates. I've met Chris before at an LEI Lean Transformation Summit and he is doing a learning session at this year's Summit, to be held March 13 and 14 in Orlando. Chris specializes in the Development of Lean Leaders and Administrative Lean. He has over 15 years of Lean Administrative and Process Improvement experience. During his 15 years at Wells Fargo, Chris led and used Lean to transform a division of Wells Fargo with 1,200 staff members. In our discussion, we'll talk about applying Lean to settings outside of manufacturing, including mortgage processing and government. I think this discussion will help reinforce the idea that Lean is Lean and Lean leadership is Lean leadership, regardless of the setting. In the episode, Chris says that “standardized work is misunderstood… it's not equal to creating documentation and it's not a constraint.” He emphasizes that standardized work is exactly the thing that allows people to “customize more quickly” when they have to. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/165. Learn more about the Healthcare Value Network, the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, and their annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #164 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Rachelle Schultz, CEO of Winona Health (based in Winona, Minnesota). Rachelle was a part of the CEO panel that I moderated at last year's Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit and her comments on leading a health system's Lean transformation were well received. In this discussion, she says, “Everything I do has to drive Lean,” as we talk about how her system is using Lean in these challenging times and what the impact has been – quality, satisfaction, financial. This episode is produced in partnership with the Healthcare Value Network. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/164. Learn more about the Healthcare Value Network, Catalysis, and their annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #163 is Dr. Gregory R. Johnson, the Chief Medical Officer at Parkview Health in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In this episode, we talk about how Parkview is using Lean to cope with today's challenging environment, how Dr. Johnson encourages Lean thinking among physicians, and the role of standardization in medicine. Dr. Johnson says Parkview is moving toward “having everyone operating in a Lean way, all 8200 co-workers” instead of just doing “Rapid Improvement Events.” This episode is produced in partnership with the Healthcare Value Network. Dr. Johnson and I also talk about Parkview's participation in the Network, including hosting a “gemba visit” by other members. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/163. Learn more about the Healthcare Value Network, the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value, and their annual Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guests for episode #162 are Patrick Vlaskovits (@pv)  and  Brant Cooper (@brantcooper), previously guests on episode #99. I recently ran into them at the Lean Startup Conference and today we are speaking about their newest book (coming in February) The Lean Entrepreneur: How to Create Products, Innovate with New Ventures, and Disrupt Markets. You can learn more via their website: www.LeanEntrepreneur.co In this episode, we talk about: What is Lean Entrepreneurship? How does Lean create disruptive innovations? Why is it better to fail fast and learn your idea isn't viable sooner rather than later? Why is “follow your passion” really bad advice? What's a value stream in the context of a startup? Why would data “inform decisions” rather than “make” them for you? Their books: The Lean Entrepreneur: How to Create Products, Innovate with New Ventures, and Disrupt Market The Entrepreneur's Guide to Customer Development: A cheat sheet to The Four Steps to the Epiphany For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/162. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Steve Bell, author (most recently) of the book Run Grow Transform: Integrating Business and Lean IT  is my guest for episode #161 of my podcast series. Steve is a fellow faculty member for the Lean Enterprise Institute and he is also a founder of Lean4NGO.org,  working with non-profits in the developing world. He is also founder of Lean IT Strategies, LLC, coaching IT professionals as they partner with their business colleagues to meet the challenges and exploit the opportunities in the rapidly changing, technology-enabled business landscape. In this episode, Steve talks about: Why “Lean Thinking” is important in IT What is “Lean IT,” including some success stories How do agile, scrum, Lean IT, and Lean Startups fit together? His upcoming LEI workshop in San Francisco this February Lean4NGO initiative Steve's Other Books: Lean Enterprise Systems: Using IT for Continuous Improvement Lean IT: Enabling and Sustaining Your Lean Transformation For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/161. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for podcast #160 is Joseph S. Guarisco, M.D., FAAEM, FACEP. Dr. Guarisco is currently Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine and System Chief of Emergency Services for the Ochsner Health System. Dr. Guarisco is a keynote speaker at the upcoming Society for Health Systems conference (which I'll be attending) and we are both part of the American Academy of Emergency Physicians annual scientific assembly in February (where I'll be co-presenting with my Healthcare Kaizen co-author Joe Swartz on E.D. process improvement strategies). Here is a Q&A, hosted by SHS, with Dr. Guarisco. In this episode, we talk about Dr. Guarisco's process improvement efforts at Oschner and how that was made necessary by Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath, where demand TRIPLED in their E.D. We also chat about standardized work and variation reduction fit in with the practice of medicine and improving E.D patient flow. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/160. Conference links: Society for Health Systems American Academy of Emergency Physicians Emergency Department Practice Management Association For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the “Lean Line” at (817) 993-0630 or contact me via Skype id “mgraban”. Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Guest Bio: Joseph S. Guarisco, M.D., FAAEM, FACEP. Dr. Guarisco is currently Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine and System Chief of Emergency Services for the Ochsner Health System. He joined Ochsner as a staff physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine in August, 1980. In July, 1990, he pursued a fellowship in anesthesiology at Ochsner. In July, 1992, he returned to emergency medicine as Chairman and Medical Director of the Emergency Department and is currently serving in that position becoming System Chief Emergency Services in 2007. Dr. Guarisco has extensive experience in ED informatics automation pertinent to the design, development and implementation of ED information systems. He has published and lectured widely on the use of automation in workflow redesign and ED process improvement and is well known for his work in physician performance profiling and data driven ED management. The 2005 Ochsner Clinic Foundation award for outstanding achievements in patient satisfaction was awarded to the Department of Emergency Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Guarisco has been recently recognized by Press Ganey for innovative use of data and process design in improving patient satisfaction at Ochsner and is the winner of the Press Ganey 2005 National Success Story Award. In 2008, Press Ganey awarded the Ochsner Health System the Compass Award for the largest improvement in patient satisfaction amongst its client base. He has pioneered ED workflow redesign through innovative adaptation of Lean engineering principles to ED patient flow processes. He is also responsible for pioneering web based wait times for emergency departments nationally. Dr. Guarisco has a bachelor's degree in engineering and is board certified in emergency medicine. He is a fellow in both the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. In 2012, he was named Chair of the American Academy of Emergency Physicians (AAEM) Operations Management Committee.

A returning guest for episode #159 is John Toussaint, MD, the CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value and the author of the books On the Mend: Revolutionizing Healthcare to Save Lives and Transform the Industry and Potent Medicine: The Collaborative Cure for Healthcare. John was a guest on episodes 54, 62, 72, and 146. Today's main topic is a new report, published last month by the Institute of Medicine, titled “Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America.” John was a reviewer of this report and has key insights to share, as always, about the problem and things we can do to improve healthcare around the world. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/159b/. Helpful links: IOM report main page  (with full report, briefs, sides, data, etc.) A pilot workshop I will be teaching at the ThedaCare Center in December on the fundamentals of Lean in healthcare Other workshops by the ThedaCare Center For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS  or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for podcast #158 is Art Byrne, author of the new book The Lean Turnaround: How Business Leaders Use Lean Principles to Create Value and Transform Their Company. Art is very well known in the Lean community for his successful run as CEO of Wiremold, having previously worked at GE and Danaher.  He is currently Operating Partner at the private equity firm J. W. Childs Associates L.P. In this podcast, Art talks about operations improvement as a business strategy, why the CEO needs to be directly involved in a Lean transformation, why “stretch goals” aren't demoralizing when you have the right leadership and culture, and more. Also, listen to my podcast with Bob Emiliani (who documented the Wiremold story in the book Better Thinking, Better Results: Case Study and Analysis of an Enterprise-Wide Lean Transformation), where he talks about what happened to Lean at Wiremold after the company was purchased and Art left. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/158/. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Show notes: https://leanblog.org/157 Remastered June 2021 Joining me for episode #157 is Nick Sarillo, founder of Nick's Pizza & Pub and author of the new book (out September 13) called A Slice of the Pie: How to Build a Big Little Business. I had a chance to meet Nick and visit one of his restaurants in 2010 after I blogged about an Inc. magazine article about their culture and their approach to operations. It was great talking to Nick about his new book and what I call the “Like Lean” mindsets and approaches that remind me of the challenges and opportunities that organizations face with Lean Manufacturing or Lean Healthcare. I hope you'll take a listen. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/157/. Some questions, key topics and thoughts: Was it just intuitive to you that getting everybody oriented around that purpose was important? How do you get others to share the sense of purpose? Talk about what you see the “main job” of a manager to be… Describe the process of “trust and track” and why it's better than fear-based management and “command and control?” Why do you think fear-based management is, sadly, so common in so many industries and companies of all sizes? Can you talk about the role of transparency in your daily management and the impact it has on your employees? How does Nick find managers who are “coaches, not cops”? What's the difference between purpose, values, vision, and mission? Why is trust so important in an organization? Why does clarity have to exist around purpose in an organization? Does the younger generation have a higher expectation of leadership today? What are “ops cards” and how are they like standardized work? For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS  or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #156 is a friend, Mike Stoecklein, the Director of Network Operations for the Healthcare Value Network. I was able to work with Mike when I was an employee of the Lean Enterprise Institute, working closely with the HVN team and its members. Our conversation is about Mike's reflections on meeting Dr. W. Edwards Deming in the late 1980s, volunteering to assist with some of his famed 4-day seminars around the country. You can read Mike's excellent blog post that was the basis for some of our discussion here. Why are we here? To learn… and to have fun, as Dr. Deming said! For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/156/. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Joining me for episode #155 is Jim Benson, co-author of the book Personal Kanban: Mapping Work | Navigating Life. Jim is the founder of a company with a great name, Modus Cooperandi. He is, most notably, the creator of the “personal kanban” approach for managing work. It's not kanban as in material management, but rather a way of visualizing work and setting WIP limits (much as kanban might be used to trigger or limit production in a factory) — but for knowledge workers and anybody! Learn more about this approach on his “Personal Kanban 101” site. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/155/. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to  subscribe via RSS  or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #154 is Rick Morrow, a director at Healthcare Performance Partners and author of the book Utilizing the 3Ms of Process Improvement in Healthcare: A Roadmap to High Reliability Using Lean, Six Sigma, and Change Leadership, from Productivity Press (which is my publisher, as well). We talk about the book as well as a favorite issue of mine – why we shouldn't ask patients to inspect the work of healthcare providers. You can learn more about the book and interact with Rick at his website. ADVERTISEMENT: This podcast episode is brought to you by Creative Safety Supply, leaders in Visual Safety, floor marking, label printing and more. Visit their website atwww.creativesafetysupply.com/leanpodcast  for a discount. Check out their  industrial labeling system  and  SafetyTac tape products. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/154/. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to  subscribe via RSS  or  via Apple Podcasts.

Joining me for Podcast #153 is Robert Maurer, PhD,  Director of Behavioral Sciences for the Family Practice Residency Program at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and a faculty member with the UCLA School of Medicine. We are talking about his excellent book titled One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way. I discovered Maurer's book when doing research for our recently-published  Healthcare Kaizen. Here is my earlier review and blog post about his book. It's really interesting to hear about applying the Kaizen approach in the realm of psychology and therapy instead of the workplace. Maurer writes about the brain chemistry that causes people to “fear change” – except when it's small change. Fascinating stuff and I'm thrilled to have spoken with him a few months back. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/153/. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to  subscribe via RSS  or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for podcast #152 is Matt Stewart, and we are talking about his book The Walk-On: Inside Northwestern's Rise From Cellar Dweller To Big Ten Champ. Matt and I are both graduates of Northwestern University. While he played football on a championship team, I was on the field as a marching band drummer. There are a lot of football stories in the book, but our episode focuses on the lifelong leadership lessons that come from the rise of Northwestern's program – how do we motivate people to tackle seemingly insurmountable challenges? Matt's book website: www.MattStewartBooks.com. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/152. ADVERTISEMENT: This podcast episode is brought to you by Creative Safety Supply, leaders in Visual Safety, floor marking, label printing and more. Visit their website at www.creativesafetysupply.com/leanpodcast  for a discount. Check out their  industrial labeling system  and  SafetyTac tape products.

Joining me for episode #151 is my friend Karen Martin, talking about her newly-released book The Outstanding Organization: Generate Business Results by Eliminating Chaos and Building the Foundation for Everyday Excellence. Karen is the founder of Karen Martin & Associates and she is previously the co-author of The Outstanding Organization: Achieving Rapid Improvement in Office, Service, and Technical Environments. FastCompany.com has an excerpt from The Outstanding Organization here. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/151/. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS  or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #150 is Jeffrey M. Lobosky, MD, the author of the book It's Enough to Make You Sick: The Failure of American Health Care and a Prescription for the Cure. Dr. Lobosky talks about what he thinks is lacking in current healthcare reform efforts driven by Washington D.C. We talk about how he defines the crisis in healthcare – “why are things going bad?” After we diagnose the problem, what are some treatments, cures, or solutions? For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/150/. About Dr. Lebosky: Jeffrey M. Lobosky M.D. was awarded his Bachelor of Science degree in preprofessional studies from the University of Notre Dame and his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of California at Irvine. There, he received the J. Gordon Hatfield Award for Outstanding Student in the field of Surgery. As a surgical intern at UC Irvine Medical Center he was named Resident of the Year. He completed his neurosurgical residency at the University of Iowa where he was the recipient of the Department of Surgery's Outstanding Resident Research Award. Dr. Lobosky currently serves as Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California at San Francisco and is Co-Director of the Neurotrauma Intensive Care Unit at N.T. Enloe Memorial Hospital. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Joint Section on Trauma and Critical Care for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. Lobosky served as one of organized neurosurgery's six representatives to the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma which advises national policy makers on health care issues. Dr. Lobosky has received national and international acclaim for his work on injury prevention, has been an invited lecturer throughout the U.S. and abroad and is listed in “Who's Who in American Medicine”. He has served as Chairman of the Board of the National Injury Prevention Foundation and has written a variety of research articles published in national journals as well as several book chapters and articles on the health care crisis in America's trauma system. He has received numerous awards for his contributions to the field of trauma and injury prevention and in 2007 was recognized for his distinguished teaching experience by the students and faculty of the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine. He and his wife, Diana, reside in Chico, California where he continues an active practice as a founding member of Northstate Neurosurgical Associates. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #149 is Gregory Jacobson, MD, the co-founder and CEO at KaiNexus. We'll be talking about his early work with Kaizen in emergency medicine settings – how did he get introduced to Kaizen principles and how did train others, especially physicians, in getting started with this methodology? In a future episode, we'll talk more about KaiNexus and use of software, but today's focus is on the application of core Kaizen principles (as discussed in my book Healthcare Kaizen). For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/149. Conflict of interest disclosure: I have been on the management team at KaiNexus since 2011 and I am a part owner of the company.  

Episode #148 is a conversation with a returning guest, Naida Grunden (previous episode) and her co-author Charles Hagood (of Healthcare Performance Partners), talking about their new book Lean-Led Hospital Design: Creating the Efficient Hospital of the Future. It's an outstanding book and I was happy to endorse it, as did John Toussaint, MD and many others. In the podcast, we talk about what lean-led hospital design entails, including getting staff involved, how to tie processes and space together, and how to collaborate with architects and construction companies to build space and processes that best serve the patients and healthcare professionals. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/148/. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #147 is a part two of a conversation with  Scott Patten and Peter Armstrong from  LeanPub.com (listen to part one in episode #140). They want to be THE website for publishing “in-progress books”. In this episode, we are talking  about how they are applying the concepts of the Lean Startup methodology to their service and their business. We'll talk about some of my own experiences as an early adopter and later as an actual user — what have they learned along the way and how do they use lean methods to be innovative? Conflict of interest disclosure:  I have published two blog compilations via their service, a Best of Lean Blog 2011 book and a Best of 2012 book that is being published incrementally throughout the year. I'm a huge raving fan of their service… For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/147. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #146 is a discussion with a returning guest (#54, #62, #72), John Toussaint, MD, the CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. Today, we're talking about his latest book, recently released, called Potent Medicine: The Collaborative Cure for Healthcare. John talks about the three aspects of his collaborative cure: patient-centered care redesign, transparency, and payment for outcomes. A lot of the discussion follows on my conversation with Dean Gruner, MD in Podcast #144, talking about the experiments with “Accountable Care Organizations” at ThedaCare and other organizations. John will also be speaking at the upcoming Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit, this June in Minneapolis. We hope to see you there! Links to organizations mentioned in the podcast: Wisconsin Health Information Organization (WHIO) Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality (WCHQ) Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI) For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/146. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #145 is a conversation with Natalie J. Sayer, co-author of the recently updated 2nd edition of the book Lean For Dummies. I was able to meet Natalie at the recent ASQ Lean and Six Sigma Conference, where she was also a presenter. While I was a bit resistant at first to the “for Dummies” being associated with Lean (given that “dummy” is a sort of disrespectful word), I came around when I read the first edition and found it to be a fun, solid overview of Lean concepts and a great first read for people who are new to Lean. In the podcast, Natalie shares what's new in the second edition and shares some of her history and experience with Lean, including some time learning at the famed NUMMI plant while working for GM. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/145. ADVERTISEMENT: This podcast episode is brought to you by Creative Safety Supply, leaders in Visual Safety, floor marking, label printing and more visit their website at  www.creativesafetysupply.com/leanpodcast  for a discount. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #144 is a discussion with Dean Gruner, MD, the president & CEO of ThedaCare, talking about Accountable Care Organizations  (ACOs) and how ThedaCare is using this approach, along with Lean methods, to improve the coordination of care for patients. Dean was  previously a guest in episode 119, talking about the “strategy deployment” methodology. Dean will be presenting at the upcoming Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit, June 6-7, 2012 in Minneapolis. I hope to see you there! I'll be attending and moderating the CEO panel again this year. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/144. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. Transcript: Mark Graban: Hi, this is Mark Graban. Welcome to the podcast, episode 144 for April 16th, 2012. My guest today is Dr. Dean Gruner. He is the CEO of ThedaCare. He was previously a guest on episode 119 talking about “strategy deployment” as part of their management system at ThedaCare. Today, we're going to be talking about ACOs or Accountable Care Organizations and how that fits in with a Lean perspective at ThedaCare, related to healthcare reform happening here in the United States. Dr. Gruner is going to be presenting at the “Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit,” June 6th and 7th in Minneapolis. This is an event that's co-sponsored by the Lean Enterprise Institute and the ThedaCare Center for healthcare Improvement. I'll be there. I'll be attending. I'm going to be moderating the CEO panel again this year. I certainly hope to see you there. It's a great event, wonderful speakers from the healthcare value network organizations, just a lot of great attendees, networking, learning and sharing. You can visit leanblog.org/healthcaresummit and that will forward you to the official conference website to learn more and to register. For other episodes, you can go to leanpodcast.org and for Dr. Gruner's previous episode, go to leanblog.org/119. Thanks for listening. [music] Mark Graban: Dean, it's a pleasure to talk to you again. Thanks for joining us here on the podcast. Dr. Dean Gruner: Thanks, Mark, for inviting me. Mark: I think a lot of our listeners, especially those outside of healthcare and maybe even some within healthcare might not know a lot about ACOs or “Accountable Care Organizations.” Would you mind giving us a little bit of an intro about what an ACO is? Dr. Gruner: I'll try. I think the short version is that, there are multiple definitions out there. Everybody has a little different description of what an ACO is. I think of it as a mechanism for a group of providers, whether it's a group of physicians, physicians at hospitals, hospitals or healthcare systems, to be accountable for both the quality and the cost of the care that they are providing to a group of patients. An example today that people might be familiar with is Kaiser. Kaiser provides the premium in their case, but they only provide premium for their health insurance, but then they become accountable for providing all the services that that person would need under the Kaiser umbrella. All ACOs aren't just models like Kaiser, which is what we would call a staff model HMO. There may be groups of physicians in hospitals and other care providers that come together, again, for the purpose of providing the services to patients and assuming some degree of accountability for both the quality of the care that's provided and the cost of the care that's provided. Mark: Part of the idea, if we look at this from a Lean perspective, when you talk about improving quality and cost which, people familiar or experienced with Lean would realize it's possible to do both. Where do these improvements come from? Is it a matter of better coordination between hospital care or primary care.? How do people in different organizations collaborate in an ACO? What are the types of benefits that we're expecting to see?

Like podcast #133, this episode is a Q&A that follows up a webinar I did for my good friends at Gemba Academy recently, on the topic “Using Statistical Process Control (SPC) to Make Better Management Decisions.”   You can view a recording of the webinar here or on the Gemba Academy website. You can get the slides here. This might seem like an esoteric topic, but it's one I've found to be VERY practical and helpful in my career and with my clients. Some feedback I got included, “That wasn't nearly as boring as one might have expected.” :-) Update: This topic is something I later explored in my 2018 book Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/143. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  

Episode page Episode #142 brings us a returning guest (#115), Eric Ries, author of the best-selling book The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. In the book, Eric cites the work of Taiichi Ohno, including the “5 Whys” problem-solving approach. In this podcast, Eric shares his story about finding Ohno's work (including the Lean classic Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production) and how it has influenced his work with startups. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/142. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. Eric: It's been incredibly influential. I think I would go so far as to say it has changed my life. It's actually just a coincidence. It's a funny thing how these things work. To set the stage a little bit, I had founded a company called IMVU in 2004. I was really into a lot of the ideas that are called Agile software development, which have their origins in Lean, but a lot of the works I had read about them, Toyota was not specifically mentioned. Lean principles were not mentioned. I didn't know the theory of Lean or anything like that. I knew nothing about manufacturing. I've actually, to be totally honest, never set foot in a manufacturing plant in my whole life. I have no idea any of that would be relevant to me. I had this intuition that we should be going a lot faster in a startup and doing practices that even in the Agile world were considered a little bit extreme. We've had the chance to talk about them on other occasions, things like continuous deployment or putting software in customers' hands much faster than was previously considered possible. I had this problem which was I had no way to explain to anybody why that was going to work. People would look at me like I was completely crazy. I could see that it was working, so I was very stubborn. I had this intuition. I said, “We're going to do it no matter what.” It was working, but we're always hiring new employees. The company's growing. We're bringing on investors. We had investors that when they were doing their due diligence for the company, pulled out because they didn't like the answers I was giving them about how we built the technology. They would bring their experts in, experts trained in more traditional software development methodologies, and they'd be like, “This kid is crazy. Doesn't know what he's talking about. This is not the way it's done.” This is a continuous point of stress for me and my co-founder. [laughs] You got to remember, at the time, I was by far the youngest person on the team. I was often younger than the employees I was hiring and training them in this method. It's not like it was an easy situation to be in, but I really believed it was right. I was reading everything I could get my hands on for ideas about, first of all, was I actually right or was it a fluke? If it was right, how could I possibly explain it? I read some cases about Toyota, the business school cases, so I was a little bit familiar with it. There was this thing called Toyota Production System. That's all I knew. I figured I should be educated about it.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/141 Remastered audio June 2021 Episode #141 is a chat with Norman Bodek, as he shares his recollections of working with Taiichi Ohno, one of the creators of the Toyota Production System. Norman met and worked with Ohno in Japan and then published the translation of Ohno's classic book Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production in 1988. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/141. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #140 is a discussion with Scott Patten and Peter Armstrong from LeanPub.com  – they want to be THE website for publishing “in-progress books”. We'll be talking about lean publishing and how that's different than self publishing and about how leanpub.com works. In the upcoming part 2 of the podcast, we'll talk more about how they are applying the concepts of the Lean Startup methodology to their service and their business. Conflict of interest disclosure:  I have published a number of books through Leanpub. I'm a huge raving fan of their service and the way Scott and Peter have worked with me as I learned and used Leanpub.com.   For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/140. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #139 is a conversation with Dave Munch, MD, the Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer for Healthcare Performance Partners (HPP). Before joining the consulting firm, Dave was a senior C-level clinical leader at Exempla Lutheran Health System where he led their Lean Production applications for more than five years, resulting in substantial improvements in both clinical and non-clinical processes. Today, we are talking about important Lean mindsets and systems principles, including making it safe for people to surface problems in the workplace and aligning management behaviors and methods at all levels so we can use Lean to achieve our most important objectives in healthcare. Dave is also a speaker at the upcoming Lean Healthcare PowerDay event, produced by HPP. Hope to see you there! Conflict of interest disclosure: I will be a paid speaker at the Lean PowerDay event. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/139. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #138 is a discussion with Al Norval from Lean Pathways, talking about his new publication titled: “The Lean Manifesto: Back to basics – how a Lean business system creates value by engaging everyone in improvement.” It's a free six-page document and you can download it here. The manifesto is a fun, upbeat guide to the basics of the Lean methodology and management system, including a brief history of Lean, as well as its foundational concepts, and a discussion of why “just in time” is not the right place to start. Conflict of interest disclosure: I have a business relationship with Lean Pathways where I sometimes work with their healthcare clients. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/138. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the “Lean Line” at (817) 993-0630 or contact me via Skype id “mgraban”. Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. About Al Norval (from the Lean Pathways website): Alistair Norval is a professional engineer who developed his skills at Eastman Kodak Company, where he helped design and implement the Kodak Operating System, based on the principles of the Toyota Production System. In this capacity, he received in-depth personal training with leading international senseis. Following that, Alistair helped guide Celestica International, a provider of Electronic Manufacturing Services, with their lean journey at multiple site value streams in Asia. More recently, Alistair has been guiding clients on their lean transformation while achieving significant business results. His clients include the Medical, Consumer, and Professional Services business sectors. Alistair has been a manager of manufacturing, product and process engineering, and has helped launch several plants. His experience covers both continuous chemical processes as well as discrete manufacturing. He has applied lean methods in new product development and the supply chain. His passion is to apply lean thinking across the enterprise so as to achieve consistently superior results.

Episode #137 is a chat with Jerry Bussell, founder of the Jacksonville Lean Consortium. I've met and talked with Jerry many times through LEI, so I'm thrilled to finally get him on the podcast. Jerry is a retired Medtronic executive (leading Lean efforts in a unit that won the Shingo Prize); he's now doing work with healthcare quality improvement, he's writing a new book, and he's speaking at the Lean Transformation Summit next month in Jacksonville. Jerry is also friends with Sami Bahri, DDS – and he's also a patient of the “World's First Lean Dentist” (click here for my podcasts with Sami, episodes 29, 69, and 82). For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/137. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.   If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the “Lean Line” at (817) 993-0630 or contact me via Skype id “mgraban”. Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. About Jerry Bussell (from the Lean Transformation Summit site): Sporting a license plate reading “Leanjax,” Jerry Bussell is the past chairman and founder of the Jacksonville Lean Consortium, a group of companies and government agencies improving business performance by sharing knowledge about implementing lean principles. Recently retired as vice president, Global Operations, at Medtronic Surgical  Technologies, Bussell is president of Bussell Lean Associates, a lean management advisory service for CEOs and their executive teams. He is also an executive advisor to Underwriters Laboratories' Center of  Continuous Improvement and Innovation. Bussell received the prestigious Medtronic Wallin Leadership award for transforming Medtronic ENT's traditional manufacturing operation into a nationally recognized model of lean manufacturing. Under his leadership, Medtronic ENT/NT received an IndustryWeek Best Plants award for North America in 2002, a Shingo Prize in 2003, and a Shingo  Silver Medallion recipient in 2009. In 2005 Bussell was inducted into the Shingo Academy for his contributions to operational excellence. He is a past chairman of the Board of Governors for the Shingo Prize and is a member of the Champions Club with the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. Bussell holds a bachelor's degree from St.  John Fisher College and a master's degree from Baylor University. He is currently writing a book on lean leadership lessons from Abraham  Lincoln that will be available in 2012.

Our guest for episode #136 is Paul Akers, President of FastCap and author of the book 2 Second Lean. Remastered August 2021 Here, we are talking about the new book and how small improvements that save two seconds in your daily work can contribute to an engaging and fun “Lean Culture.” You can also view a video recording of the discussion here on YouTube. Paul was previously a guest on episode #122, talking about LeanAmerica.org, so please check that out too. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/136.

Our guest for episode #135 is Dan Markovitz, author of the new book A Factory of One: Applying Lean Principles to Banish Waste and Improve Your Personal Performance. If your New Year's resolutions include improving your own personal productivity, Dan is a great person to talk to about the application of Lean principles to your own professional work – whether you work in an aspiring Lean organization or not. Dan was previously a guest on episode #52, so please check that out too. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/135. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #134 is a different topic than usual. Instead of strictly talking Lean, today's discussion is about broader issues of healthcare quality and our United States military. Joining me are Daniel Sullivan, President and General Manager of the The Sergeant Thomas Joseph Sullivan Center (SSC), a non-profit organization that  is dedicated to improving health outcomes for current and former military personnel, especially those who are suffering from emerging, complicated, or currently unexplained post deployment  health concerns.  Named in honor of a fallen marine,  the Sgt. Sullivan Center promotes the health security of America's troops and the principle that none should be left behind. Also joining us is Gregory Jacobson, MD, a college friend of Daniel's and the co-founder and CEO of KaiNexus, also a board member of the Center. The Sergeant Sullivan Center is named for Daniel's brother,  Sergeant Thomas Joseph  Sullivan, a veteran of the Iraq war, who died suddenly in his northern Virginia home at age 30, four years after returning from deployment. With his medical problems originating during his deployment in Iraq and continuing in the years following his return home, Sgt. Sullivan suffered a progression of unexplained health complications that included chronic pain, swelling, cardiovascular disease, and severe inflammation. His autopsy revealed life threatening problems that medical tests had not detected. Today would have been St. Sullivan's 32nd birthday, so I am sharing his story here. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/134. More About the  Sergeant Sullivan Center: Their website Sgt. Sullivan's story and a video Speech on healthcare quality by Gregory Jacobson, MD For earlier episodes, visit the  main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #133 is hosted by Ron Pereira, from Gemba Academy, as he leads me through additional Q&A as a follow up to our recent webinar on my upcoming book Healthcare Kaizen  and some of the concepts from the book on the theme of “Putting the Continuous Back in Continuous Improvement.” You can view the recording via this link. Two of the main themes were that “kaizen” is not always about weeklong events and that suggestion boxes are not the same as the kaizen approach. Kaizen ideally involves everyone in continuous improvement, facilitated in ways that are better than the slow, batchy, non-collaborative suggestion box approach that many have tried and struggled with before. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/133. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts

A returning guest for episode #132, we are joined by author and professor Bob Emiliani. Today, we are chatting about some videos he recently posted to his website… 10-year-old videos that document executives from Virginia Mason Medical Center, now considered a leader in Lean healthcare, visiting a Lean manufacturing company, Wiremold. You can view the videos on Bob's site or read some summaries via this blog post of mine. In the podcast, Bob reflects on those videos and we talk about some of the lessons learned – what healthcare executives can learn about Lean leadership from manufacturing leaders. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/132. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #131 is Paul Borawski, the CEO of ASQ, the American Society for Quality. Today, we are talking about ASQ, their recent World Quality Month events (November), and other topics including: Their “YouQ” video contest (vote on the submissions now via Facebook) The ending of federal funding for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (as I blogged about) Paul's blog post on the passing of Bob Galvin and Steve Jobs I'm also happy to be presenting (about Healthcare Kaizen) at the 2012 ASQ Lean & Six Sigma Conference, to be held in Phoenix, February 27-28. Hope to see you there! For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/131. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #130 is Greg Howell, co-founder and managing director of the Lean Construction Institute (LCI), a non-profit organization devoted to production management research in design and construction. Howell brings 35 years of construction industry project management, consulting and university-level teaching experience to LCI. In this episode, we'll be talking about lean design and construction methods, parallels to general lean thinking, and lessons learned. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/130. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

My guest for episode #129 is Chris Cooper, a vice president with Simpler Consulting. We're talking about his new book The Little Book of Lean. We discuss his career in Lean and the background of his book, which is intended to be a simple introductory primer for those who are new to the methodology. Chris has worked in aerospace, as well as military and non-profit applications of Lean. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/129. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. About Chris Cooper: Joining Simpler in 2002, Chris Cooper has over 20 years of leadership experience in the delivery of successful large-scale Lean transformations across a broad range of industries, companies and countries. His industry segment experience includes aerospace, defense, military, finance, marketing, health care, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). Chris's Lean journey began in 1989 as a student of the Kawasaki Production System (KPS) while working for Europe's largest defense company, BAE Systems. During this time he became part of the leadership team that drove the company's Lean transformation of the defense division all the way to a value stream organized company winning a Queen's Award for Export. As a result, Chris was promoted to be the company's first Integrated Product Development Team Leader (IPT) position to introduce set-based- concurrent-engineering methods to Europe. During this period Chris was trained in six sigma and design six sigma by Motorola, Inc. As the IPT leader he won a Chairman's Award for Innovation and a McDonnell Douglas Supplier award for introducing Lean techniques beyond the shop floor. Directly before joining Simpler, Chris was the Lean Advisor to the Eurofighter Program, then the world's largest non-U.S. based military program, where he worked as a member of the Chief Engineer's staff team. Chris's professional career in Lean and six sigma consulting began in 2002 when he joined Simpler in the early days of European expansion. As a member of the European leadership team, he has helped grow the business ten-fold since. Chris has been at the forefront of the Lean revolution speaking at conferences, working with executive teams, and as an assessor for the Shingo Prize. He has been the sensei for many significant and pioneering Lean transformations and has often introduced Lean concepts to new sectors and organizations in the commercial business and non-profit fields. As Vice President, Chris leads a multi-cultural team of consultants working in more than ten languages throughout Europe and Asia. Chris has authored The Simpler Little Book of Lean and co-authored Lucky by Design with Rob Westrick. Chris is an Aeronautical Engineer through his formal apprenticeship program with BAE Systems, and has a Business and Technology (BTEC) Higher National Diploma (HND) from the University of Humberside. He lives in the North West of England with his wife and two children.

Episode Page Podcast #128 turns the tables a bit, as your host Mark Graban is, this time, interviewed by Dirk Dusharme and Ryan Day from the online video show “Quality Digest Live.” Thanks to Quality Digest, I'm able to share the audio from my segment on the show with you in this format. You can view the episode here, if you like. In this episode, we talk about lean healthcare and quality. We'll be back to the regular show next week. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/128. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/127 Remastered audio June 2021 Podcast #127 is a very special conversation with a leader and a hero of mine in the world of patient safety, Richard P. Shannon, MD. Dr. Shannon is a cardiologist and is Chair, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania as well as the Senior Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, Department of Medicine. We'll be talking about his work in using Lean methods to reduce patient infections and other clinical outcomes. According to data published by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the improvements at Allegheny indicated that “the VAP rate dropped by 83 percent and the CLI rate fell by 87 percent.” Savings lives and reducing cost go hand in hand, as his work shows. This work is now being repeated successfully at UPenn. Leaders at Allegheny General estimate that patients diagnosed with VAP average a 34-day stay, with a net loss to the hospital of $24,435 after reimbursement; patients diagnosed with CLI average a 28-day stay, at an operating loss of $26,839. For an investment of about $35,000 in improvement work, Shannon estimates that the hospital experienced a $2 million improvement Dr. Shannon was an early pioneer in the use of Lean and Toyota methods to improve outcomes and patient safety, namely the reduction of hospital-acquired central line bloodstream infections when he was at Allegheny General Hospital, near Pittsburgh, as documented in Naida Grunden's book The Pittsburgh Way to Efficient Healthcare: Improving Patient Care Using Toyota Based Methods. You can see inside the book and some of the mentions of Dr. Shannon via Google Books. In Pittsburgh, as part of the PRHI effort, Dr. Shannon learned from Paul O'Neill, read or hear my interview with O'Neill. This podcast was produced in conjunction with the Healthcare Value Network as a continuation of their previous podcast series. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/127. Scroll down this page for a transcript of this episode. Related Posts: Toyota video about Lean at Allegheny Interview with Dr. Shannon Some Data on Patient Safety and Quality Improvement, including PRHI and Allegheny Podcast with Paul O'Neill For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode Page My guest for Podcast #126 is Bob Lutz, author of the book Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business. Retiring in late 2010 as vice chairman of General Motors, he currently runs Bob Lutz Communications. During his 47-year career in the auto industry, he worked for GM, Ford, BMW, and Chrysler and he's a legend in Detroit, where I grew up. In this podcast, we discuss his new book, his thoughts on designing products that create value and excitement for customers, as well as some of his thoughts on leadership. Bob's a “car guy” and a designer through and through, so what he says isn't always classic “lean thinking,” but it's interesting and thought provoking. What's a “blanderizer”? You'll have to listen (or read) to find out. I hope you'll take a listen and/or read the transcript below. Be sure to share your thoughts and reactions by posting a comment on this post. I have my own thoughts and reactions, which I've added as comments to the transcript – notated by [MG1]. As I wrote about in my preview post, Lutz says he is a fan of “autocratic” leadership, saying that the pendulum had swung too far during the “total quality” era toward too much slow consensus building and too much employee participation. In talking with him, much of what he's complaining about isn't what we'd recognize as Lean or Toyota thinking, but it's perhaps a reaction to the way the “Detroit Three” were using these TQM ideas in dysfunctional or extreme ways. He says we need more autocratic leadership, yet he doesn't think he's an autocratic leader, nor would he want to work for one. Interesting stuff. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/126.

My guest for Podcast #125 is Mike George, the founder of Strong America Now, a “nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing and educating citizens to support only those Presidential candidates who commit to eliminating the deficit with no new taxes.” In this episode, George talks about his efforts to get candidates to commit to getting personally educated in Lean Six Sigma methods and to use these methods in their administration if elected. You can also read my previous blog post about his initiative. Michael L. George is best known as the founder of The George Group, a consulting firm that was acquired by Accenture in 2007. As the author of books including Lean Six Sigma for Service: How to Use Lean Speed and Six Sigma Quality to Improve Services and Transactions, George is often listed as being the “creator” of Lean Six Sigma, which I know is somewhat controversial to some in the Lean community. That said, I appreciate that Mr. George is working to create awareness amongst our elected officials that we can indeed eliminate waste in government by providing higher quality services at a lower cost by using process and quality improvement methods like Lean and Six Sigma. As in any industry, we can do better through “reducing waste” instead of just slashing costs. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/125. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

U.S. Treasury Secretary from 2000 to 2001 and former CEO of Alcoa. Show Notes: https://www.leanblog.org/124 Remastered June 2021 I have a very special guest for Podcast #124 –  he is Paul O'Neill, the U.S. Treasury Secretary from 2001 to 2002 and former CEO of Alcoa. 2020 Update: Read my reflections on Mr. O'Neill's passing Mr. O'Neill shares his thoughts on patient safety and healthcare, including his time spent as the Chair of the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative and his work with Dr. Richard Shannon in dramatically reducing hospital-acquired infections to near their “theoretical limit” of zero. Dr. Shannon will be a podcast guest next month. Mr. O'Neill talks about the leadership required to have such an impact on safety and quality, drawing on lessons from his years as Alcoa's CEO. This podcast was produced in conjunction with the Healthcare Value Network as a continuation of their previous podcast series. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/124. Scroll down for quotes in readable form. Quotes and Excerpts: In summary, O'Neill talks about: Leadership mindsets required for dramatic workplace safety and patient safety improvement, including a near 100% reduction in hospital-acquired infections at Pittsburgh's Allegheny General Hospital Why the United States has accomplished “practically nothing” nationally since the famed 1999 Institute of Medicine report “To Err Is Human” Why society's most lacking skill is “leadership” Alternative ways of compensating patients who are harmed by the healthcare system while ensuring real improvements are made by learning from each problem Why Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) needs to shift his focus from “financial engineering” to visiting ThedaCare to learn about “the real way” we should improve health care.

This episode is a discussion with two leaders from Group Health Cooperative, a consumer-governed, nonprofit health care system based in Seattle, Washington. My guests are  Claire Trescott, MD, Primary Care Medical Director, and Alicia Eng, Vice President of Primary Care. We will be talking about their use of Lean principles in the design and management of their “Medical Home” approach to primary care and wellness. You can read a PDF of a Health Affairs article that describes the benefits to patients and caregivers. This podcast was produced in conjunction with the Healthcare Value Network  as a continuation of their previous podcast series. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/123. For a 2007 interview with Group Health leaders, visit www.leanblog.org/23. About Medical Home (from Group Health): The Group Health Research Institute conducted a two-year study of the Factoria Medical Home Pilot. Results of that study were published in the May 2010 issue of the journal Health Affairs. The study compared the medical home prototype at Factoria to care at Group Health's other medical centers, and found that: The quality of care was higher at Factoria; patients reported better experiences and clinicians said they felt less “burned out.” Patients had 29 percent fewer visits to the emergency room and 6 percent fewer hospitalizations, resulting in a net savings of $10 per patient per month. Patients with chronic conditions managed them more successfully, and followed medical orders better with the aid of everyone on the medical home team. For every dollar Group Health invested, mostly to boost staffing, it recouped $1.50. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

This episode is a conversation with Paul Akers, founder and president of FastCap LLC, based in Bellingham, WA. FastCap is an international product development company founded in 1997 with over 2000 distributors worldwide. Paul and FastCap have also embraced Lean, with an unmatched enthusiasm for kaizen – small, daily improvements made by people in the workplace, as you can see in their collection of Lean videos. We're also talking in this episode about his LeanAmerica.org initiative. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/122. For earlier episodes, visit the  main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Today's episode is a discussion with Mrinalini Gadkari, a Senior Lecturer at the Fisher College of Business. Today, we're talking about the new  Master of Business Operational Excellence (MBOE) for Healthcare Program starting this fall. We'll talk about how the program is structured, who the intended students are, and delve a little into the curriculum that includes Lean, Six Sigma, and other improvement methodologies. Mrinalini Gadkari is a physician trained in India. She practiced in India for three years as a family physician. She came to the US 9 years ago to pursue her passion in Process Improvement in Healthcare. Mrinalini received MHSA (Masters in Healthcare Services Administration) from George Washington University. She worked as an administrative resident at the John's Hopkin's Bayview Medical Center focusing on Quality and Process Improvement. She worked at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital over five years and helped multidisciplinary teams apply lean principles to improve efficiency and safety of their clinical and business processes. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/121. For earlier episodes, visit the  main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Today's episode is a chat with Jody Crane, MD, MBA and Chuck Noon, PhD. They are talking about their outstanding book The Definitive Guide to Emergency Department Operational Improvement: Employing Lean Principles with Current ED Best Practices to Create the “No Wait” Department. Dr. Crane is an Emergency Physician practicing at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia. From 2002 to 2009, he served as the Business Director of his group, Fredericksburg Emergency Medical Alliance. He currently serves as a faculty member in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and is also faculty at the University of Tennessee's College of Business. Dr.  Noon is a Professor of the Management Science Program in the Department of Management. He joined the faculty in the fall of 1987 after completing his Ph.D. in Industrial & Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan. He is also a founding member of the UT Physician Executive MBA Program. For a link to this episode, refer people to www.leanblog.org/120. For earlier episodes, visit the  main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Produced in partnership with the Healthcare Value Network, episode #119 is a discussion with Dean Gruner, MD, the president & CEO of ThedaCare. Here, we talk about Strategy Deployment as a Lean management system and how it fits into their ongoing management and improvement efforts in their health system. To learn more about strategy deployment, visit YouTube for a free preview clip of a new educational DVD produced by the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. You will also find a link to a free white paper about strategy deployment at ThedaCare, Group Health, and St. Boniface General Hospital. For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/119. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/118 Remastered July 2021 Episode #118 is a follow up to podcast #116 with  Jim Womack, founder and former Chairman of the Lean Enterprise Institute, now their Senior Advisor and author of the new book Gemba Walks, available in paperback, Kindle format, iBooks, and other formats. In this episode, we talk about both GM and Toyota – their challenges, Jim's reflections on the companies, and thoughts about where they are headed in the future. Jim also answers reader questions about the word “lean” itself and the combination of the Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.

Episode Page Episode #117 is a conversation with Prof. Samuel A. Culbert of the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Along with Daniel Pink, he is a fellow alum of Northwestern University. Prof. Culbert has a BS in Systems Engineering, the precursor of the Industrial Engineering department in which I was a student. Dr. Culbert then earned a PhD in clinical psychology from UCLA. Today, we are talking about his most recent book, Get Rid of the Performance Review!: How Companies Can Stop Intimidating, Start Managing–and Focus on What Really Matters. Much like Dan Pink's take on incentives in the workplace, Culbert is a contrarian about the generally accepted (yet dysfunctional) practice of the “annual performance review.” In his writing, Culbert calls them “corporate theatre,” as well as a “sham,” a “facade,” “immoral,” and “intimidating.” In the podcast, we talk about the problems and alternatives to this common management practice. For a link to episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/117. Recent articles by Prof. Culbert via my blog posts: Professor Channels Dr. Deming and Writes “Get Rid of the Annual Review” New Book Gives Negative Review to Performance Reviews Prof. Culbert mentioned that he only discovered the work of Dr. W. Edwards Deming a few years back, although they were both railing against the annual performance review in 1980. They must be “long lost cousins,” Culbert says, and I would agree.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/116 Remastered July 2021 Episode #116 brings us Jim Womack, founder and former Chairman of the Lean Enterprise Institute, now their Senior Advisor and author of the new book "Gemba Walks," available in paperback, Kindle format, iBooks, and other formats (see lean.org for a link). Here, we talk about the new book, how a gemba walk differs from "management by walking around," some of his most memorable walks, progress in lean healthcare, and other topics. We recorded two podcasts in the same sitting. The next one will be out in a few weeks, with his thoughts on recent developments with GM and Toyota, his reflections on the word "lean," his thoughts on six sigma, and more. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/116. You can leave comments there, as well. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode #115 is a discussion with Eric Ries (@ericries), entrepreneur and author of the book The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. Remastered August 2021 Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/115 You can also read a partial transcript of the podcast.  Today, we talk about how got introduced to Lean, core materials like books by Womack and Jones and Jeff Liker, and how he has put a lot of thought into how to take proven Lean principles – such as reduced batch sizes, 5 whys analysis, and faster time to market – and applied them to startups. We both agree there are a lot of applications of these Lean Startup principles even if you are working on new products in larger, older, manufacturing settings – so I hope you'll take 20 minutes to listen regardless of your background, as Eric's work has pushed my attempts at Lean thinking in new directions. You might also be interested in Podcast #99 with Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits on “Customer Development.“ To point others to this episode, use the simple URL:  www.leanblog.org/115. Book website:  http://www.lean.st/ Buy the Book via Amazon: The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses

Episode #114 is a conversation with John Kim, of the firm John Kim & Associates. John is a recognized leader in the Design, Development, Implementation and Deployment of Enterprise Wide Lean Transformations.  As an executive at The HON Company and Danaher Corporation, John learned the keys to implementing Lean while running multiple operations across the US. With over 20 years of Lean Transformation experience, John has spent the last 12+ years in executive consulting, implementing Lean in various sectors, including healthcare, which we are talking about today. His website is www.johnkimconsulting.com. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/114. You can leave comments there, as well. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Now actor Charlie Sheen has been all over the news lately, giving interviews to practically anyone with a microphone. This is the type of "news" I normally try to tune out, yet alone blog about. Somehow, he stumbled across my "Lean Line" phone number to talk about Lean Healthcare, although I suspect he may have been looking for the street drug called "lean." He claimed to have spent his hiatus from TV working to teach and implement the "Lean" methodology at hospitals around Los Angeles. Listen to the audio and judge for yourself - is he pulling our legs? Is this just another Hollywood publicity stunt? Is he the type of Lean consultant you would want around? Ok, it's an early April Fool's Joke.... that was audio taken from an interview he gave to ABC's Good Morning America show.

Episode #113 is a discussion with Aubrey Daniels, PhD, the founder and chairman of his firm Aubrey Daniels International. Today, we are talking about his most recent book titled Safe By Accident?, a book I really enjoyed, so I was happy to speak with him about creating an effective safety culture culture in an organization - what doesn't work and what does work? To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/113. Visit Aubrey's website at www.aubreydaniels.com. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode #112 is a chat with Naida Grunden, the author of the outstanding book The Pittsburgh Way to Efficient Healthcare: Improving Patient Care Using Toyota Based Methods. Remastered Oct 2022 - the audio quality isn't great, but you can read the transcript here: https://leanblog.org/112 Here we talk about her experiences in Pittsburgh and her “small world” connection to Captain Chesley Sullenberger (a.k.a. “Sully”) and the connections between Lean, aviation safety, and checklists. To point others to this episode, use this URL: www.leanblog.org/112. In the podcast, Naida talks about three key components, via Capt. Sullenberger, of aviation safety that we would need in healthcare: A non-punitive national reporting system (the ASRS) Crew Resource Management (standardized work, checklists… in a less hierarchical environment) Culture change For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #111 brings us some time with Professor Jeffrey Liker from the University of Michigan, the well-known author of many books in the The Toyota Way series. You can see Dr. Liker talk at the upcoming Shingo Prize Conference (hope to see you there!). Today, we are talking about his TWO upcoming books: The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement: Linking Strategy and Operational Excellence to Achieve Superior Performance and Toyota Under Fire: Lessons for Turning Crisis into Opportunity. The second book was clearly written in response to Toyota's recent challenges and Dr. Liker has some very strong perspectives to share here in this podcast. What was his take on  Toyota's recalls and quality problems? Why does he think that Toyota was singled out as a "scapegoat" to be "taken down"? Does he think Toyota really will emerge stronger from these challenges? To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/111. You can leave comments there, as well. For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode page Episode #110 is a chat with Dr. Jack Billi from the University of Michigan Health System and Medical School. Here, we talk about their lean work and how Dr. Billi works with physicians to engage them in lean, tying lean problem solving methods, including the A3 approach, to the scientific method and medical thinking. Dr. Billi talks about the right approach to the lean concept of “standardized work” in a way that works for medicine and complex patient situations. More about Dr. Billi,  Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Medical School and Associate Vice President, Medical Affairs: Dr. Billi is Professor of Internal Medicine and Medical Education. He leads the Michigan Quality System, the University of Michigan Health System's unified approach to improve quality, safety, efficiency, appropriateness and service using lean tools and philosophy. Dr. Billi's research and leadership interests are in health services delivery and the use of community consortia for quality improvement. He is active on statewide and regional groups affecting quality of care, pay-for-performance and public reporting. He chairs the Michigan State Medical Society's Committee on Quality, Efficiency and Economics and the Essential Benefit Design Work Group and is a member of MSMS's Board of Directors. Dr. Billi co-chairs the Medical Director Committee for the Michigan Quality Improvement Consortium which develops and disseminates evidence-based practice guidelines used by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and 15 other health plans representing over six million members. To point others to this episode, use the simple URL:  www.leanblog.org/110. For earlier episodes, visit the  main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #109 is a discussion with Jim Morgan, Director, Global Body Exterior and Stamping Business Unit Engineering, Ford Motor Company. We will be talking about Lean product development methods in this show. James will be a plenary speaker at the upcoming Lean Transformation Summit, presented by the Lean Enterprise Institute, in Dallas this March 9th and 10th. Hope to see you there! Visit www.lean.org for more info. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/109. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode #108 is a discussion with Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth, recorded in person at the 2010 Shingo Prize Conference in Salt Lake City. Gwendolyn was previously a guest on episodes #26, 45, and 49. Here, we chat about lean and the "respect for people" principle, following up my talk with Dr. Stephen Covey (episode # 91) and we also touch briefly on her new book "Work That Makes Sense." You can find Gwendolyn's website at www.visualworkplaceinc.com. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/108. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Show notes and more: https://www.leanblog.org/107  Remastered January 2022 Episode #107 is something I've been looking forward to for some time now – an interview with Dan Pink, the author of some  outstanding books including Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us and Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself, among others. Today, we're talking about Drive and a number of issues that will be familiar and relevant, yet thought provoking to Lean thinkers and students of Dr. W. Edwards Deming, ideas such as the dysfunctions of incentives and rewards, intrinsic motivation, and finding the balance between autonomy and following “standardized work” in a modern workplace. You can find Dan on Twitter as @DanielPink and his website is www.danpink.com, which has his blog, and more. Dan has a paperback version of Drive coming out in the spring of 2011 and, if you've read Drive, you can send him ideas and feedback via this blog post of his. In the podcast, I reference back to: an earlier interview with Alfie Kohn, on education a recent WSJ article on the decline of creativity in kids, thanks to our school system To point others to this episode, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/107. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the “Lean Line” at (817) 993-0630 or contact me via Skype id “mgraban”. Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

For episode #106, we have a returning guest, Jim Baran of the firm Value Stream Leaders. Jim was previously a guest on episodes #16, 27, and 88 talking about careers in Lean. Today, Jim talks about a new offering called "Career Kaizen™," a service that combines coaching and personalized career management. With him today is Rick Pederson, one of the early people to go through this process with Jim. Jim's website is http://www.valuestreamleaders.com To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/106. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Podcast #105 is a conversation with the co-authors of the new book Simple Excellence: Organizing and Aligning the Management Team in a Lean Transformation from Productivity Press. They are Adam Zak, a regular guest blogger here on Leanblog.org and Lean-focused executive recruiter and Bill Waddell, a Lean consultant and frequent blogger over at EvolvingExcellence.com. Here, we talk about their book and their thoughts on Lean leadership, talent development, and other topics. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/105. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Podcast #104 is a discussion with Dr. Peter Patterson (@IDrPete), a friend of mine and the Lean Blog the past few years. He wrote a guest post for me back in 2009 (A Breakthrough in Training — Call it "Near-TWI") and I blogged about our presentation at the 2010 Society for Health Systems conference about Lean and TWI in healthcare. Here, we chat about his background with Lean in multiple settings, including histopathology.  To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/104. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

In my latest Video Podcast (here as audio podcast #103), my guest is Matthew E. May, returning to talk about his latest book, a business fable called The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change. I’ve been reading the book and have found it be a thought-provoking about your own personal effectiveness in a complex world. You can read more about the book at Matt’s website: www.ShibumiStrategy.com. Some of the topics we discuss include: ▪ What is “Shibumi” and where does the term come from? ▪ What’s the context for lean practitioners or students of Lean and TPS? ▪ Did you reach a point of Shibumi while writing this book or in your other work? ▪ Any particular reason you chose a car dealership as the job and the setting? Is it because it’s stereotypically a very numbers-driven “get it done” setting? To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/103. You can also watch video of our discussion at www.leanblog.org/v12 . For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

My guest for Episode #102 is Ron Wince, the President/CEO of Guidon Performance Solutions. We talk here about his views on lean healthcare and the impact of healthcare reform on the healthcare landscape. Prior to founding Guidon, Ron held senior leadership positions within world-class organizations, including J.P. Morgan Chase, Freudenberg-NOK, and Lear Corporation. You may have seen Ron as a guest commentator on Fox Business Network. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Ron holds a degree in engineering and is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm.  He currently resides in the Phoenix area with his wife and two children. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/102. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode #101 of the Podcast is a discussion with Keith Syberg, former Chairman of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (see here for more about their 2010 annual AME conference in Baltimore, November). Today, we talk about consortia (I word I really struggled with) and collaboration efforts among manufacturing companies and the possibility of sharing across industries. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/101. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode Page Wow, 100 episodes of my podcast since 2006! For this episode, I'm thankful to have the author of one of my favorite books in the last two years – Dave Crenshaw, author of The Myth of Multitasking: How “Doing It All” Gets Nothing Done, a book I blogged about back in 2009. Dave's new book is called Invaluable: The Secret to Becoming Irreplaceable, a book I'm hoping to read soon. In this podcast, Dave and I talk about so-called multitasking – why are we so tempted to do it, what are the costs of this switching back and forth between tasks, and what are some alternatives for individuals and for organizations? Dave received his B.S. in business management-entrepreneurship from Brigham Young University, one of the nation's top entrepreneur programs, and began his coaching career in 1998. Dave is the President of the National Association of Productivity Coaches. He is also the founder of Invaluable Inc., a coaching and training corporation dedicated to helping companies, their leaders, and their employees become truly invaluable. You can read Dave's full bio here. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/100. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

For episode #99 of the podcast, I'm talking with the authors of the book The Entrepreneur's Guide to Customer Development: A cheat sheet to The Four Steps to the Epiphany. My guests are Brant Cooper and Patrick Vlaskovits, both are experienced entrepreneurs from California. We had a great discussion and I'm happy to bring a topic that will stretch the minds of Lean thinkers in many industries... so be sure to listen in even if you're not an entrepreneur... In this podcast, we discuss their book and the "Customer Development" methodology that was first published in Steve Blank's book The Four Steps to the Epiphany. This methodology is often used as part of the "Lean Startups" methodology and can be contrasted to a traditional "product development" approach. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/99. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode Page Podcast #98 brings us Pat Bergin, President of Aerofil Technology, a manufacturer based in Missouri with 400 employees. Aerofil has been on its Lean journey since 2007 under Pat's leadership – first as a consultant and now as President. With more than 30 years of operations, finance, sales and marketing experience, Pat has brought both a broad and deep understanding of continuous improvement to Aerofil as President. His mission is the relentless pursuit of excellence through the total elimination of waste. Pat was previously at Esselte, under the direction of Art Byrne (formerly of Wiremold), that Pat learned and developed his Lean (kaizen) management skills under the coaching of Shingijutsu Co LTD (Chihiro Nakao) of Japan, an original architect of the Toyota Production System. In this podcast, we talk about how he drives Lean as the company President, how Lean fits into their overall strategy, and what challenges they have worked through. Here is a recent news story about their Lean achievements and business results. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/98. Pat Bergin Bio Pat first began working with Aerofil in 2007 as a consultant and taught Lean Manufacturing to the Senior Leadership Team.  Lean Manufacturing encompasses the continuous improvement philosophies and real world applications of the Toyota Production System.  Through his natural teaching abilities and results-driven leadership, Pat quickly earned the trust and respect of both Aerofil's ownership and management staff, and joined the company full-time as the Vice President of Operations / COO in early 2009. With more than 30 years of operations, finance, sales and marketing experience, Pat has brought both a broad and deep understanding of continuous improvement to Aerofil as President. His mission is the relentless pursuit of excellence through the total elimination of waste.  Prior to joining Aerofil, Pat was a Senior Lean Management Consultant with Simpler North America where he worked with several multibillion-dollar corporations such as Owens Corning, Novelis and MTD, successfully guiding their senior leadership and plant management teams in the Lean transformation process. It was here that he both personally met and benefitted from the many learnings of George Koenigsaeker (formerly Danaher, Hon), who sits on Simpler's Board of Directors. Earlier in Pat's career, he led and participated in hundreds of enterprise-wide Lean conversion events across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe at Esselte Corporation, a billion-dollar global office products manufacturer. It was at Esselte, under the direction of Art Byrne (formerly Wiremold), that Pat learned and developed his Lean (kaizen) management skills under the coaching of Shingijutsu Co LTD (Chihiro Nakao) of Japan, an original architect of the Toyota Production System. He was later certified as an internal sensei by Shingijutsu where he conducted multiple kaizen blast events in the area's shop floor manufacturing, distribution, finance, office administration and corporate policy deployment. He also helped introduce Lean throughout Esselte's global supply chain by leading multiple kaizen events for several key vendors within their preferred supplier program. Pat has a Bachelor's of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and enjoys spending time with his family, walleye fishing, swimming and the St. Louis Cardinals. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.  

Episode Page Episode #97 is a discussion with Bob Sutton, a Stanford University Professor of Management Science and Engineering and the best-selling author of The No A-hole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't. Other books by Bob include The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action and Weird Ideas That Work: How to Build a Creative Company. Here, we talk about his new book, due out in September, called Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best… and Learn from the Worst. In this podcast, the conversation weaves through Toyota, HP, Intel, Southwest, and other companies as we'll find parallels and complements between different management approaches, including Lean. Stay to the end to find out what company Bob thinks is surprisingly good and weeding out “A-holes” from their organization. To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/97. You can find Bob and his blog at www.BobSutton.net. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode page Our guest for Episode #96 is Pascal Dennis of Lean Pathways, Inc. Pascal is a faculty member with the Lean Enterprise Institute and he's the author of the books: Lean Production Simplified, Andy & Me: Crisis And Transformation On The Lean Journey, and Getting the Right Things Done: A Leader's Guide to Planning and Execution. Here in this podcast, we talk about his new book, www.leanblog.org/96. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the “Lean Line” at (817) 993-0630 or contact me via Skype id “mgraban“. Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/95  Remastered audio June 2021 Episode #95 features Norman Bodek talking about some of the ideas in his most recent book, How to do Kaizen: A new path to innovation – Empowering everyone to be a problem solver. Late in the podcast, Norman asks and answers an interesting question: what if an employee suggests “we should blow up the factory”?? This was recorded in March 2010, with Norman appearing from his office in Portland, OR. You can read about or comment on this podcast at www.leanblog.org/95. You can also see Norman speak, as this was also published as Video Podcast #11 -- go to www.leanblog.org/v11 For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.ort, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode Page Episode #94 of the LeanBlog Podcast is here and our guest is Robert Miller, Executive Director of the  Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence. Bob was previously a guest for Podcast #59, talking about changes to the Shingo Prize criteria. Here, we are talking as a follow up to my discussion with Dr. Stephen Covey in Podcast #91. Bob tells me some of the background and history about how Dr. Covey became involved with the Shingo Prize and how he became a professor at the John M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. Bob also talks about some of the future hopes and plans for Dr. Covey's involvement with the Shingo Prize.  

Episode Page Episode #93 is a discussion with Jim Hearn, the Head of Lean and Six Sigma at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust. This discussion was found earlier online as part of the SixSigmaIQ.com podcast series on BlogTalkRadio, so thanks to SixSigmaIQ for lining up the interview. Jim talks about his transition from manufacturing into healthcare and he describes some of his hospital's work and success improving patient care with Lean methods.

Epsiode #92 brings a returning guest, the always entertaining and thought-provoking Mike Micklewright. He is the author of a batch of two new books: Out of Another @#&*% Crisis! Motivation through Humiliation and Lean ISO 9001: Adding Spark to your ISO 9001 QMS and Sustainability to your Lean Efforts. In this podcast, we talk about his "Crisis" book and why it's important to revisit the teachings of W. Edwards Deming. How are companies and CEOs performing against the famous 14 Points? You can find Mike online at www.mikemick.com. You might remember Mike from Podcast #43, "What Would Deming Say?" - www.leanblog.org/43 You can read about or comment on this podcast at www.leanblog.org/92 For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.ort, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode page Remastered 2023 Episode #91 is a very special one-on-one conversation with Dr. Stephen Covey, recorded at the Shingo Prize Conference in Salt Lake City last week. My main question to Dr. Covey was to ask his thoughts on Toyota's “Respect for People” principle, sometimes called ‘Respect for Humanity.” You can listen to the audio or you can read a transcript below in this post. After the chat with Dr. Covey, I share a few thoughts at the end of the podcast about Dr. Covey's work and Lean, along with a little background about the interview and my personal reaction to speaking with him. A partial transcript of the conversation: Mark Graban: The one question I would ask for your thoughts on is Toyota's principle of “respect for people,” or often referred to as “respect for humanity.” Could you share some thoughts on the importance of respect in workplace, what does that really mean? Dr. Covey: I think that it's of profound importance because it means you are caring and you trust them to do the right thing. Mark: You were talking earlier about the industrial model and trust seems to not come with that. Dr. Covey: It doesn't come with that. And the industrial model is obsolete. You know, the supervision is command and control, it's top down. There's such co-dependency about it. Mark: So we have a situation maybe where we have to convince the industrial world that this industrial model is… Dr. Covey: … is obsolete. But it's hard to do that because they're so used to it… kissing up to the hierarchy. Mark: Have you been able to visit with Toyota? Dr. Covey: I have. I was with the President of Toyota in Japan. We were walking in the plant and he said, “Any person in this plant can close the line down if he can show to the others that would improve quality and lower cost.” Mark: And so there's a trust inherent in that? Dr. Covey: Definitely, and it tells you also about the culture. If he can show to the others… Mark: It's very exciting to have you participate in the Shingo Prize conference and to share your message with the Lean community. What are your hopes, with your professorship at Utah State, to try to help influence… Dr. Covey: Yes, and also I am very appreciative of that opportunity with Utah State. And I think that the Shingo Prize is one to be really sought after and to be won. It's very significant. But I think that in the next few years it will be knowledge-worker age companies that will win the Shingo Prize, because they are developing and empowering their people. ———————- Thank you to Bob Miller, the Executive Director of the Shingo Prize, to Steve von Niederhausern, the Director of Marketing and Communications, and to Michael Ockey, who works for Dr. Covey and FranklinCovey for their help in lining up the time with Dr. Covey and for helping me prepare. I'm going to have a separate podcast discussion with Bob on his thoughts about Lean and Dr. Covey's work. One of the conference attendees, an executive from a major corporation told me how they have given every manager the Covey training each year for the last 15 years. This leader thinks that leadership training has been the key to their success with Lean. What are your experiences with Dr. Covey and his teachings? Do you see it as a core component of Lean, a helpful add-on, or fairly irrelevant? What do you think of the partnership between Dr. Covey and the Shingo Prize? For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the “Lean Line” at (817) 993-0630 or contact me via Skype id “mgraban”. Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode page Podcast #90 features Tim Turner, a team leader at Toyota's factory in Georgetown Kentucky (aka TMMK or Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky). He is the author, along with a team of co-workers, of the new book called One Team on All Levels: Stories from Toyota Team Members, Second Edition. In the podcast, we discuss the book and the culture of teamwork at Toyota. Tim also comments on his reaction (and his colleagues') to Toyota's recent quality problems and the resulting bad publicity. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode page ur guest for Podcast #89 is Keith Russell, a Global Continuous Improvement Leader at AstraZeneca R&D. I met Keith at a recent Lean & Six Sigma conference for Pharma R&D where we both presented. Keith has substantial in-house R&D experience across the entire value stream and currently works with Global Drug Development. He is particularly interested in Design and Innovation and the application of Systems Thinking to complex Business problems. Keith has a Ph.D. in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from the University of Cambridge. In this podcast, we discuss the applications of Lean and Six Sigma in a space that we've never talked about here – pharmaceutical development. How do you use Lean principles in such a technical field and how do you engage the highly educated scientists who do this work?  

Episode #88 is a conversation with a returning guest, Jim Baran of the firm Value Stream Leadership (he is @leanVSL on Twitter, also). His sites include the Lean Career Compass and his Lean Career Guide blog. In this podcast, Jim talks about a shift in his firm's business model away from traditional recruiting and placement to helping companies manage Lean talent within their organization. We've structured the discussion to follow somewhat of a "Verbal A3" format, so I hope that helps. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. You can also hear Jim in episodes #16 and #27. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Show notes https://www.leanblog.org/87 Remastered June 2021 Episode #87 is a discussion with a returning guest, Steven J. Spear, DBA, author of the outstanding book Chasing the Rabbit: How Market Leaders Outdistance the Competition and How Great Companies Can Catch Up and Win. The book is due to be re-released in May under a new title, The High-Velocity Edge: How Market Leaders Leverage Operational Excellence to Beat the Competition. In this podcast, we talk about an upcoming workshop Spear is doing for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, lessons that healthcare can learn from other industries, and the reaction of healthcare leaders to Toyota's recent quality problems. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #86 is a conversation with David Lawrence Sundahl, PhD, Managing Director of Rule 4 Consulting (www.rule4consulting.com). They are a firm that works with healthcare providers to drive improvements using Lean and what they call "Adaptive Design" methodologies. Sundahl was a contemporary of Steven Spear at the Harvard Business School and also worked with Dr. John Kenagy, author of the book Designed to Adapt, Leading Healthcare in Challenging Times. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode Page Episode #85 is a conversation with David Meier, a former Toyota Georgetown Group Leader and the co-author of the books The Toyota Way Fieldbook and Toyota Talent: Developing Your People the Toyota Way We discuss the recent quality problems that Toyota is facing and we get a lean thinker's perspective on how to look for facts and really try to diagnose what is happening in a complex situation. David was a guest on episodes #17 and #35 of the podcast if you want to check those out. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode 84 is audio from Video Podcast #10 (available on iTunes, YouTube, or leanvideopocast.org). This is a conversation with Karl Wadensten, President of VIBCO, a manufacturer in Wyoming, R.I. Here, we talk about his radio show, "The Lean Nation," which airs on AM 790 in Rhode Island and streams live on the web everyday weekday at 4 PM eastern -- www.790business.com. For more video podcasts visit www.leanvideopodcast.org or www.leanblog.org/video. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode page Podcast #83 is an in-depth conversation with Jim D'Addario, the CEO of D'Addario, Inc., a manufacturer of guitar strings, drum heads, and other musical accessories. Jim and his family company were featured on CNN late last year, highlighting how lean manufacturing has helped save and create jobs as part of their business strategy. Jim agreed to speak with me to delve into more detail about their use of lean management principles. Jim is a hands-on CEO who gets out on the shop floor, which seems to be a big advantage for lean success. He describes his personal transition from a starting point of “not seeing the benefits” after lean was initially proposed to him to reaching a point where he articulates very well how lean allows D'Addario to better serve their customers' needs. D'Addario started in the warehouse where, prior to lean, the operations strategy involved millions of dollars of warehouse automation. Now, with lean, they have freed up space, they have deployed people, and they can now ship orders that come in by 5 PM that very same day, as opposed to 48-hour performance before lean. Customers are able to hold less inventory and they can order more often in smaller batches. While this might increase order picking costs to D'Addario, Jim emphasized the increased customer contact and the benefits that come from that. D'Addario has long had a committment to its people, avoiding layoffs as much as possible. In the course of lean improvements, people are redeployed and cross-trained to be more flexible. Now, with lean, D'Addario was able to shut down a California warehouse, resulting in job loss. But, the company has consistently moved to bring jobs to Long Island, acquiring product lines and moving production from China. In the case of guitar straps, Jim emphasized that while the unit labor cost for sewing is higher, they don't have “110 days lead time” coming from China. Customer service is better and that's good for D'Addario's business. Jim said: “We've moved more and more work here and we'll continue to do that.” For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

* Remastered audio June 2021 Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/82 This is an interview with Dr. Sami Bahri, D.D.S., a dentist from Jacksonville, Florida. He is a pioneer in using Lean methods in the management of his dental practice. In this episode, he talks about what he's learned from visiting manufacturing plants and how single-piece flow is a critical piece of Lean. His outstanding book, Follow the Learner, is available from the Lean Enterprise Institute (www.lean.org). The book documents his learning journey for himself and his office staff as they learned how to apply Lean in a very non-traditional setting. This an audio version of LeanBlog Video Podcast #9, available in a separate RSS/iTunes feed or at www.leanvideopodcast.org. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Podcast #81 is an interview with Rob Bryant, VP for Quality with CSC (Computer Sciences Corporation). In this podcast, we talk about how CSC, being outside of manufacturing, uses Lean in their business and for their customers. Rob shares some insights on Lean, an outlook for 2010, and finishes our discussion with an inspiring story about how he got into the quality field. You can visit Rob's website at http://www.robbryant.com/ to learn more about his work and his public speaking appearances and more. As the vice president for quality, Bryant has: * Assisted DynCorp in increasing its revenue from $900M to $2.1B in just four years as a direct report to the President * Led over 100 teams and studies resulting in over $100M in savings/revenue/improvements for all divisions of CSC as a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt Trainer * Received the Malcolm Baldridge Sr., Examiner for the National MB Award * Served on the “President Bush Business Advisory Council” for two years * Served as an editor for a book called Quality for Dummies and has written several published articles/papers for journals such as Quality Digest, Six Sigma Magazine, and others * Quality Certifications include ISO-9001:2000, TQM, Process Management, ITIL, CMMI, Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Business Excellence, and Malcolm Baldridge For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

A special holiday treat for my Lean Blog readers and podcast listeners, "Gemba Claus is Comin' to Town." Lyrics by Mark Graban, Performance by Steve Sholtes (http://www.stevesholtes.com/). Webpage for the song

Episode page This episode is a discussion with Joan Wellman, of the consulting firm Joan Wellman & Associates. Joan is a real pioneer in the lean healthcare arena, having started her initial work with a hospital in 1995 — I haven't found anybody who started this work earlier than her. We first met in Seattle a few months back and I'm thrilled to bring you this discussion about the early days of lean healthcare and her thoughts on the potential for the future.    

Episode page Eve Yen, founder and CEO of Diamond Wipes, is our guest for episode #79 of the podcast. In this podcast, Eve discusses her company and how manufacturing in the United States provides a strong competitive advantage. While not explicitly “Lean,” Eve articulates a value proposition that any Lean Thinker would recognize: manufacturing close to the customer allows for shorter lead times and, for these products, better quality and freshness. Her strategy also allows for just-in-time delivery and ready customization for customers. Her story is an inspiring one for many reasons, as an entrepreneur and an immigrant who has made the most of her opportunities in America. Eve believes strongly that manufacturing is critically important for our nation's economy and she's working to build her company, serve her customers, and spread that message. You can read about her story at the following links: Woman finds success making wipes for restaurants, more IndustryWeek column by Eve

Episode #78 brings a very special guest, Sorrel King, to talk about systems, communication, and patient safety. Sorrel's 18-month old daughter, Josie, was the victim of a series of preventable medical errors at a world-renowned hospital, passing away in the hospital's ICU. Sorrel channeled her grief and energy into the Josie King Foundation, which works to educate healthcare providers, patients, and families about the patient safety and systems improvement. From their website: The Josie King Foundation’s mission (www.josieking.org) is to prevent others from dying or being harmed by medical errors. By uniting healthcare providers and consumers, and funding innovative safety programs, we hope to create a culture of patient safety, together. Sorrel is also the author of the recently released book, Josie's Story: A Mother's Inspiring Crusade to Make Medical Care Safe. I think much of what she talks about will resonate with Lean thinkers, as well as anyone with an interest in safer healthcare For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

A returning guest (episodes #30, #38, and #48), Bob Emiliani is again featured in episode #77 of the LeanBlog Podcast. Bob is the President of The Center for Lean Business Management, LLC. He is a leading authority on Lean management, who since 1995 has focused his efforts on de-mystifying the "black art" of Lean leadership through his "Real Lean" series of books. Today, we talk about his most recent work - the republication (with additional material and commentary from Bob) of a book by Frank Wollard called Principles of Mass and Flow Production. You can read more about the book here on Bob's web site: www.theclbm.com. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode #76 is a discussion with Dr. David Jaques, VP of Surgical Services at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO. Dr. Jaques is a skilled surgical oncologist and surgery department administrator. He came to Barnes-Jewish after serving as vice chairman of the department of surgery and director of graduate education at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He received his medical degree at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, which was followed by a distinguished career in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. He served as a combat surgeon in the Persian Gulf War and was later chief of surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as an oncologist. He served as the senior medical officer during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Honors during Dr. Jaques' time in the U.S. Army Medical Corps include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. In this podcast, Dr. Jaques talks about how he has led Lean efforts that involve physicians in a unique "6/3" format that helps solve tightly-scoped problems without the need to have surgeons and clinicians for a full 4-day kaizen event. We discuss how he got started with Lean, improvements that were made in the "Mass Transfusion Protocol," and their broader Lean and physician engagement efforts. Really fascinating and innovative stuff. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Our guest today for Episode #75 is Peter T. Ward, a professor at Ohio State University’s Fisher College Business and Chair of the Department of Management Sciences. Professor Ward is a leading expert in lean management and is president of the Lean Education Academic Network. His research has been published in a number of journals, including Decision Sciences, Journal of Operations Management and Production and Operations Management. He is research director for the Center for Operational Excellence, associate editor of the Journal of Operations Management and Decisions Sciences. Among other distinctions, he serves as a judge for Industry Week’s Best Plants program. In this podcast, we talk about efforts to standardize and improve formal education about lean in universities and other academic settings. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode #73 is a conversation with Doug Burgess, Senior VP of Corporate Lean Six Sigma for Xerox. We talk about the Lean Six Sigma approach at Xerox, how they've used it internally and how they have used it to help customers improve processes and eliminate waste. The Xerox corporate website is: http://www.consulting.xerox.com/lean-six-sigma/enus.html For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Our returning guest is John S. Toussaint, MD, the CEO emeritus of ThedaCare, and CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. In the interest of disclosure, he is a partner in our Lean Enterprise Institute efforts to promote Lean in healthcare. Dr. Toussaint has been the guest previously for episodes #54 and #62 where he talks about ThedaCare's lean journey. Dr. Toussaint is very well known for his leadership of the Lean efforts in the ThedaCare system, done under the heading of the ThedaCare Improvement System. ThedaCare has been profiled in the WSJ and many other articles about the quality and cost improvements they have achieved. In this podcast, Dr. Toussaint talks about the current health reform efforts in Washington -- what is lacking and how Lean can contribute to fixing our broken healthcare system. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode #71 is the second part of a discussion with Patrick M. Anderson, the Executive Director of Chugachmiut, the Tribal consortium created to promote self-determination to the seven Native communities of the Chugach Region. I met Patrick at a Lean conference last year where he shared their experiences with applying Lean principles to healthcare delivery in Alaska. Part 1 of the discussion was Episode #53. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode #70 is an interview with Tamra Kaplan, the COO of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. We talk about the lean transformation work being done in the hospital and Ms. Kaplan's experience in leading this effort. For an earlier blog post about her promotion to COO and Lean at LBMMC, visit http://ow.ly/gyeX. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

* Remastered audio June 2021 Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/69  This is an interview with Dr. Sami Bahri, D.D.S., a dentist from Jacksonville, Florida. He is a pioneer in using Lean methods in the management of his dental practice. The book documents his learning journey for himself and his office staff as they learned how to apply Lean in a very non-traditional setting. His book, Follow the Learner, is available from the Lean Enterprise Institute. You can also watch a webinar that he presented (archive here), along with some text Q&A follow ups that were recently posted. There is also a video podcast version of this discussion available as episode #5 of my video podcast series.    

Podcast #68 is a discussion with Benjamin G. Harrison, President & CEO of Kaysun, a privately-held manufacturer that, for over 60 years, has designed and manufactured complex, high-tolerance plastic injection molded products and assemblies. In his role as CEO, Ben is the champion for Kaysun's lean strategy and efforts and we discuss his support for lean in this episode. Kaysun was just named Lean Initiative and Plastics Supplier of the Year by Rockwell Collins, so congratulations to them for that award. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

This podcast is an interview with Matt May, author of the Shingo Prize winning book The Elegant Solution: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation. Available May 19 is his new book In Pursuit of Elegance. Matt's website is www.inpursuitofelegance.com. Come back for a 2nd conversation with Matt next week. There is also a video podcast version of this discussion available as episode #4 at www.leanvideopodcast.org. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

SPONSOR: MIT Professional Education - Short Programs: MIT will be holding three short courses on campus this July focused on various lean concepts geared towards busy professionals (Lean Academy® Course, Lean Engineering Seminar, Lean Healthcare Academy). To learn more visit them on the web at http://shortprograms.mit.edu/lean. CONTENT: LeanBlog Podcast #66 This is a discussion with Joe Rizzo, Chairman of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) Annual Conference, to be held in Covington, Kentucky. The dates are October 19 to 23, 2009. For more info, visit http://www.ameconference.org. In this podcast, Joe talks about his lean background and what to expect if you attend the event. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

LeanBlog Podcast #65 is a discussion with Kevin Frieswick, a Lean Process Manager, with MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, MA. I found Kevin earlier this year when I discovered their YouTube video about innovations at MWMC, which included a unique error proofing device to help encourage handwashing by staff and physicians before entering patient rooms. I recommend you first watch the video here (http://www.leanblog.org/2009/02/error-proofing-handwashing.html) before listening to the podcast. In this podcast, Kevin gives us more details behind the invention of the device and how it has been received in the hospital. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode #56 of the podcast is a discussion with John Shook, one of my absolute favorite people in the Lean world. Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/56  Remastered August 2021 Episode #56 of the podcast is a discussion with John Shook, one of my absolute favorite people in the Lean world. The few times I've seen John present or had the chance to chat in person, I've learned more in that amount of time than from anyone else, so I'm thrilled to have him here. John has a new book, published by the Lean Enterprise Institute, about the “A3” problem solving process called Managing to Learn: Using the A3 Management Process to Solve Problems, Gain Agreement, Mentor, and Lead. John also has a new blog on the LEI website, which is exciting to see. In the podcast, we discuss the story behind the book and some thoughts on how to get started with A3 thinking from scratch in your organization. Episode #56 Key Words and Links: About A3s (via John's blog) Lean Enterprise Institute John Shook's Lean Management Column (blog) Problem solving, kaizen, A3 thinking, A3 reports

Here is LeanBlog Podcast #64, again with Jamie Flinchbaugh, Founder of and Partner with the Lean Learning Center and co-author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean. In this Podcast, we talk about the role of coaching in a Lean transformation effort. What is the difference between coaching toward a solution and coaching to learn a method, for example? This was also the first attempt at a "video podcast", this is the audio from that. The video, if desired, can be found at this address: http://www.leanblog.org/2009/03/video-podcast-beta-v-10-jamie.html . The video admittedly doesn't add too much to the discussion, but it's an experiment and I'll continue to put audio from the discussions here in the audio podcast series if I do more videos. For past episodes, please visit www.leanpodcast.org. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode Page I have a very special guest today… it's a very spur of the moment podcast with L.A. mayoral candidate, David “Zuma Dogg” Saltsburg. This went from email, to phone call, to podcast all in a few hours. He is running on a platform is using Dr. W. Edwards Deming's 14 points for management. It's very interesting listening — David paid his own way to a Dr. Deming 4-day seminar in Houston in 1991 and it changed his life. He's talking about Dr. Deming on TV and all the media — what a great service to Dr. Deming and hopefully to the residents of Los Angeles. Check out my earlier blog post with him and his videos. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/57 Audio remastered July 2021 My guest for LeanBlog Podcast #57 is Alfie Kohn, an author and lecturer in the fields of education, parenting, and human behavior. His books include Punished By Rewards: The Trouble with Gold Stars, Incentive Plans, A's, Praise, and Other Bribes and The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing. I reached out to Alfie after there was some very good discussion on the blog about Chicago Public Schools giving incentive payments to high school students earning A's, B's, and C's. Many of the arguments that Alfie makes are reminiscent of Dr. W. Edwards Deming and can be applied, more generally, to many organization settings where rewards and incentives are used. I hope you find this interesting and thought provoking. If anything, the Dr. Deming fans will want to listen to the end of the Podcast where Alfie does a dead-on impression of Dr. Deming. To read more articles, Alfie's website is http://www.alfiekohn.org/ . For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes. The podcast is available there in MP3 or AAC formats.

Episode #58 of the LeanBlog Podcast brings us Steven J. Spear as our guest. Spear is a Senior Researcher at MIT, a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and is the author of the new book Chasing the Rabbit: How Market Leaders Outdistance the Competition and How Great Companies Can Catch Up and Win. Today, we talk about he started studying Toyota and his new book, which includes examples from many high-performing organizations in manufacturing, healthcare, and other industries - fascinating reading. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode Page Episode #59 of the LeanBlog Podcast is here and our guest is Robert Miller, Executive Director of the Shingo Prize for Operational Excellence. We are discussing the Prize, some of the recent changes made in its criteria, and some future directions for the Prize named after Dr. Shigeo Shingo, of Toyota Production System fame. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Once again, our guest for Episode #62 is John S. Toussaint, MD, the CEO emeritus of ThedaCare, and CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. Dr. Toussaint is very well known for his leadership of the Lean efforts in the ThedaCare system, done under the heading of the ThedaCare Improvement System. ThedaCare has been profiled in the WSJ and many other articles about the quality and cost improvements they have achieved. This is the first of two podcast discussions we recorded (Part 1 is episode #54). In this podcast Dr. Toussaint talks about the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value and some big picture issues related to Lean and healthcare improvement. For past episodes, please visit www.leanpodcast.org. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/61 Remastered audio June 2021 Norman Bodek is once again back for episode #61 of the LeanBlog Podcast, talking about his discovery of a unique system in Japan, at Canon, called the “Super Meister” system that trains employees to be able to build an entire copier on their own. This was introduced in Episode #55 of the Podcast. Norman also talks a little more about Gerry Corrigan and his Lean/5S work in Ireland, employee ideas, and his video terminal that allows him to teach people remotely. Episode #61 Key Words and Links: Canon, Japan, “Super Meister” Tony Corrigan Institute for Lean Systems

Podcast Episode #60 is the second part of a two-parter with retired Lt. Randy Russell of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, an innovator in the use of Lean methods for improving law enforcement (Part 1, Episode #51 is here). In this episode, Randy discusses some really interesting examples of how Lean methods are helpful in law enforcement and how 5S or standardized work can help save a life. Very powerful stuff. Randy’s company, Hyperformance Enterprises, LLC, operates a Lean consulting and training division that can be found online at www.improvementors.com. Randy's interests include waste identification and elimination, process improvement, transactional systems, and strategic alignment. His hands-on experience with Lean in a broad array of settings as the former Chairman of the (47+ member) Jacksonville Lean Consortium and his two decade career as a law enforcement commander and lead security planner for a Super Bowl provides valuable added experience and insights when it comes to dealing with sensitive and complex projects. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/55 Audio remastered June 2021 Norman Bodek is once again back for episode #55 of the LeanBlog Podcast, talking about his recent trip to Ireland. If you're a fan of Norman, his books and his podcasts, be sure to check out the special charity auction that's running on www.leanblog.org through December 19. You can get a specially autographed CD set of Norman's previous Podcasts along with an autographed book. You'll see links to the auction on the Lean Blog, so visit today. The auction benefits the Josie King Foundation, a group that supports improvements for patient safety in hospitals and healthcare, a very important cause. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. Episode #55 Key Words and Links: Lean in Ireland Tony Corrigan Institute for Lean Systems If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the “Lean Line” at (817) 993-0630 or contact me via Skype id “mgraban”. Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/54  Remastered August 2021 Our guest for Episode #54 is John S. Toussaint, MD, the CEO emeritus of ThedaCare, and CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. Dr. Toussaint is very well known for his leadership of the Lean efforts in the ThedaCare system, done under the heading of the ThedaCare Improvement System. ThedaCare has been profiled in the WSJ and many other articles about the quality and cost improvements they have achieved. This is the first of two podcast discussions we recorded, so check back for the second by visiting and coming back to www.leanpodcast.org. In this podcast Dr. Toussaint looks back at ThedaCare's accomplishments, reflects on their journey, and shares his advice for other hospitals. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. Episode #54 Key Words and Links: ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value Blog The importance of going to the “gemba“

LeanBlog Podcast Episode #53 is a conversation with Patrick M. Anderson, the Executive Director of Chugachmiut, the Tribal consortium created to promote self-determination to the seven Native communities of the Chugach Region. I met Patrick at a Lean conference where he shared their experiences with applying Lean principles to healthcare delivery in Alaska. I am happy to bring their story to you, here in the first part of a two-part Podcast discussion. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/52 Remastered July 2021   Podcast Episode #52 is a discussion with a good friend (and sometimes contributor) to the Lean Blog, Dan Markovitz, founder and President of Markovitz Consulting. Markovitz Consulting is a corporate efficiency-training firm specializing in the application of Lean manufacturing principles to business processes. The company's WorkLean program helps knowledge workers reduce the hidden waste in the way they manage information and improves the flow of value to the customer. As such, the WorkLean program supports companies in their Lean journey. In this podcast episode, we talk about applications of Lean and 5S principles in office and administrative settings. Episode 52 Key Points and Links: How to address situations where the activity in your workday adds no value to customers or clients? Identifying and removing waste from business processes Lean in a legal/law firm setting Office 5S and Visual Management Bad Office 5S example from the UK Tips for managing email

Podcast Episode #51 is the first part of a two-parter with retired Lt. Randy Russell of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, an innovator in the use of Lean methods for improving law enforcement. Starting in 2004, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office began using Lean as a continuous improvement program. In the podcast, Randy describes their journey and the improvements that have greatly contributed to providing more time and resources for the officers to use in protecting the community. As in healthcare, the real opportunity for Lean is not using isolated tools in a trivial way, but rather in ways that save lives and provide more time for officers to be out on the streets adding value, instead of dealing with waste. It sounds like a nearly direct parallel to using Lean in hospitals to free up time for nurses to care for patients. Randy’s company, Hyperformance Enterprises, LLC, operates a Lean consulting and training division that can be found online at www.improvementors.com. Randy's interests include waste identification and elimination, process improvement, transactional systems, and strategic alignment. His hands-on experience with Lean in a broad array of settings as the former Chairman of the (47+ member) Jacksonville Lean Consortium and his two decade career as a law enforcement commander and lead security planner for a Super Bowl provides valuable added experience and insights when it comes to dealing with sensitive and complex projects. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

https://leanblog.org/50  To celebrate the 50th LeanBlog Podcast, the tables are turned. Guest host Jamie Flinchbaugh chats with me, Mark Graban, about the history of my blog, my podcasts, and how this led into my new book, Lean Hospitals. This was Jamie's idea (thanks). I normally try not to be the center of attention on the podcasts, letting my guests do most of the talking (so I can learn), so I'm a bit uncomfortable talking about myself… but here it is. Topics include why I started the blog, what I've learned along the way, how I got started with Lean, and how I transitioned into healthcare. You won't learn as much in this as a typical podcast with Jamie, Jeff Liker, or Norm Bodek. But, if you're interested… here you go! We get to the meat of the healthcare discussion and about the book about 20 minutes in. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts.

Episode #49 is another conversation with Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth, who you might remember from Episode #26 last year and Episode #45, which was the first part of this conversation. In this episode, we talk about "Visual Displays," a topic from her Shingo Prize-winning book Visual Workplace, Visual Thinking: Creating Enterprise Excellence Through the Technologies of the Visual Workplace. Gwendolyn established Quality Methods International (QMI) in 1991 as a consulting, training and research firm, specializing in the Visual Workplace. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode Page A returning guest (episodes #30 and #38), Bob Emiliani is again featured in episode #48 of the LeanBlog Podcast.  He has, since 1995, focused his efforts on what he describes as de-mystifying the “black art” of Lean leadership. In this episode, we talk about his “Real Lean” series of books. A returning guest (episodes #30 and #38), Bob Emiliani is again featured in episode #48 of the LeanBlog Podcast.  He has, since 1995, focused his efforts on what he describes as de-mystifying the “black art” of Lean leadership. In this episode, we talk about his “Real Lean” series of books.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/47 Remastered audio June 2021 Norman Bodek is once again back for episode #47 of the LeanBlog Podcast, talking about his most recent trip to Japan (his 68th trip!). He poses the question, "What can we do to leapfrog Toyota?" Norman asks important questions about how we can help people, in any role, enjoy their work, rather than dreading Mondays. Why does Norman think the Canon photocopier plant he just toured is the best he's ever seen? Why does Norman disagree with the phrase, "Work smarter, not harder"?? If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Episode #47 Key Words and Links: Ideas Are Free: How the Idea Revolution Is Liberating People and Transforming Organizations, by Alan Robinson Do 60 or 80% of people “hate” their job? How can we help people enjoy their work? What is a “supermeister” in a Canon factory?

Episode #46 is a chat with a good friend of the Lean Blog, Dean Bliss, a Lean Improvement Specialist with the Iowa Health System. Like myself, Dean made a transition in from manufacturing into health care a few years back, he'll share some of his experiences and recommendations for how to use Lean in a hospital and how to make that transition. He will also share some stories about how his hospital prioritized what problems to solve with the Lean methodology. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail  via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode #45 is another conversation with Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth, who you might remember from Episode #26 last year. In this episode, we talk about “Visual Displays,” a topic from her Shingo Award-winning book Visual Workplace, Visual Thinking: Creating Enterprise Excellence Through the Technologies of the Visual Workplace. Gwendolyn established Quality Methods International (QMI) in 1991 as a consulting, training and research firm, specializing in the Visual Workplace.

Episode #44 of the LeanBlog Podcast is a conversation with Ralph Keller, the President of AME, the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. Today, we're discussing AME and their upcoming regional conference in San Diego, to be held June 9 to 11, 2008. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode #43 of LeanBlog Podcast is a very special one. My guest is Mike Mickleright, writer, consultant, and performer -- most interesting to me is his impersonation of Dr. W. Edwards Deming. As I wrote about before, I've seen his DVD and Mike agreed to create this podcast with me. We start off talking with Mike about his background with Dr. Deming and how he created the impersonation. Then, we shift into me interviewing Mike as Dr. Deming, asking him some questions on modern quality approaches including Lean and Six Sigma. His website is www.mikemick.com. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

This is LeanBlog Podcast episode #42 with Dr. C. Martin Hinckley, of the firm Assured Quality. He is the author of the book "Make No Mistake!: An Outcome-Based Approach to Mistake-Proofing," available through Productivity Press. We'll talk about his book and approaches for teaching people how to develop mistake proofing in processes. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

Episode page Here is LeanBlog Podcast #41 with Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liker is most recently the co-author (with Michael Hoseus) of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way and many other books, which can be found here on Amazon.com. This is part 3 of our recent series. Today, we talk about the development of managers within a Lean organization. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. LeanBlog Podcast #41 Key Points & Links From a listener: Many companies shift managers around almost constantly. How does Toyota develop their managers in a way that helps encourage “respect for people?” Other companies where Toyota can find similar leaders: NUMMI, Subaru Developing vs hiring leaders — does your culture just evolve or do you teach the culture? 3 years is typically the rule of thumb for how long a manager should be in place, more important, though, is who is there in the workgroup who provides leadership? Is there someone to pick up the leadership gap if one person leavfes? Toyota does rotate leaders to develop people With the “quality people value stream,” you should be developing people every day Dr. Liker talks about his firm Optiprise

Episode page: leanblog.org/40 Here is LeanBlog Podcast #40, an interview with a retired UAW/GM employee who wishes to remain anonymous, at this point. We have traded many emails over the past year, about Lean, and I'm impressed with this individual's true passion for Lean and Toyota Production System concepts. We both agree that the “root cause” of many Lean struggles comes back to management's inability to create trust and to give up some control to the employees who actually do the work. The intent here, from my perspective, is not “management bashing,” but rather to illustrate that there are some on the UAW side who “get it” and success is going to require true cooperation and sacrifices on both sides. LeanBlog Podcast #40 Key Points & Key Words “Quality Network” – GM and the UAW GM had been working with Lean methods since the early 1990's, but not associating it with “Lean” (Toyota) until this decade The need for trust and culture change — changing the “them vs. us” attitude

Episode page Here is LeanBlog Podcast #39, once again featuring Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liker is most recently the co-author (with Michael Hoseus) of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way and many other books, which can be found here on amazon.com. This is part 2 of what will be a 3-part podcast series, so be sure to check back. Today, we talk about some of the challenges that organizations face in trying to adopt a Lean Culture. Click for the entire series with Prof. Liker. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. LeanBlog Podcast #39 Key Points & Links Will Dr. Liker be writing more about companies who have gone through the Lean culture transformation, examples other than Toyota, ala his earlier book, Becoming Lean: Inside Stories of U.S. Manufacturers? Bob Emiliani's book on Wiremold: Better Thinking, Better Results Case Study and Analysis of an Enterprise-Wide Lean Transformation Why is it so hard to find examples of companies that have really adopted a Lean culture? Thoughts on the impact of top American leaders departing Toyota (Jim Press and Gary Convis)

Episode page Here is LeanBlog Podcast #38, our guest today is Bob Emiliani, the author of Practical Lean Leadership: A Strategic Leadership Guide For Executives. It's a workbook-style guide that forces you to think through your own leadership approach and your own situation. In this podcast, we talk about “lean leadership,” “value added behaviors,” and some pitfalls to avoid in lean implementations. LeanBlog Podcast #38 Key Points & Key Words How Bob first got involved with Lean and, especially, the leadership component. What's different about this new Lean book? What are some examples of “non-value-added” management activities or behaviors? A definition of kaizen that emphasizes that kaizen cannot be sub-optimizing, you must look at the whole Some errors to avoid in Lean implementation, avoiding “fake Lean”    

Episode page Here is LeanBlog Podcast #37, once again featuring Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liker is most recently the co-author (with Michael Hoseus) of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way and many other books, which can be found here on amazon.com. This is part 1 of what will be a 3-part podcast series. Listen to part 2 and part 3. For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. LeanBlog Podcast #37 Key Points Overview of the book, how it builds on the previous books. The people part is such a foundation of the Toyota Way, had to expand upon it. Looking at the cultural assumptions in the 14 principles. In the book, seeing a “day in the life” of a Toyota supervisor. Get a clearer picture of the “respect for people” principle throughout the book Thoughts on implementing Lean the “wrong way.”

Episode page: https://leanblog.org/36  LeanBlog Podcast #36 once again features our friend and frequent guest, Norman Bodek, noted lean author, consultant, and President of PCS Press. In this episode, Norman talks about his most recent publication, a text by the legendary Shigeo Shingo, called Kaizen and the Art of Creative Thinking – The Scientific Thinking Mechanism, as well as future publications he is working on. This was recorded back in 2007, before the book was published (it has now been out in publication for a few months, I apologize for the delay in getting this podcast released). If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog podcast main page. Keywords and Main Points, Episode #36 You can find the book here via enna.com, or amazon.com.

Episode Page LeanBlog Podcast #35 is another discussion with David Meier, co-author of the book Toyota Talent, written with Dr. Jeffrey Liker. In this podcast, we follow up our previous discussion (Podcast #31) to talk about the upcoming Toyota books, as well as some of the leadership challenges that companies face with working with Lean. If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog podcast main page at http://www.leanpodcast.org/. Keywords and Main Points, Episode #35 The next books coming in the series – Toyota Culture, Toyota Process, Toyota Problem Solving Hearing comments about how companies have trouble sustaining Lean after 3 or 5 years — why is that happening and what's missing? Talking about the LEI survey on why companies struggle with Lean How is the Toyota San Antonio plant creating a system of systematic continuous improvement? Following the stand problem solving methodology to find out why a company is struggling with Lean… Instead of being punitive, leaders need to be more inspirational Need to move away from blaming Leadership has to communicate the message His website: http://www.thetoyotaway.org/

Episode page LeanBlog Podcast #34 is a discussion with Chris Harris, from Harris Lean Systems, and co-author of the book Developing a Lean Workforce: A Guide for Human Resources, Plant Managers and Lean Coordinators. If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog podcast main page. Now that my book manuscript is done, I'm going to get back into regular podcasting, with episodes in the coming weeks featuring Norman Bodek, David Meier, and Jeffrey Liker. Let me know if you have questions for Dr. Liker, using the contact info at the bottom of this post. Keywords and Main Points, Episode #34 Chris started working the assembly line at Toyota, then became a production supervisor at both Toyota and a different Tier 1 auto supplier. Focusing on the people is key, assuming most people want to do a good job. What's the proper role of a “Lean Coordinator”? What's the right role for a supervisor or a team leader? How do you make that transition? “The same reason Lean succeeds is the same reason it fails…. leadership.”

Episode Page Here is LeanBlog Podcast #33, a new interview with Jim Huntzinger, the President of the Lean Accounting Summit. In this Podcast, Jim gives us an update on the recent Summit and talks about some of the latest trends in Lean Accounting.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/32 Remastered audio June 2021 LeanBlog Podcast #32 once again features our friend and frequent guest, Norman Bodek, noted lean author, consultant, and President of PCS Press. In this episode, Norman talks about his recent study trip to Japan and what he saw there. If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog podcast main page.   Keywords and Main Points, Episode #32 Trip to Japan The use of videotape to analyze the process to look for waste, with the employees The purpose of standard work (and kaizen) Going after waste relentlessly People writing down that they make mistakes Shingo said, “we make mistakes, but we don't want defects” “Poka yoke” and error proofing The use of automation and temporary labor Norman — “how ROI, short-term thinking is killing America” Norman is going on another study mission in April 2008 — go with him! Contact Norman through his website at pcspress.com about that

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/31 Remastered July 2021 LeanBlog Podcast #31 is a discussion with David Meier, most recently the co-author of the book Toyota Talent, written with Dr. Jeffrey Liker. In this podcast, we discuss the topics from Toyota Talent, including standardized work and how to use the methodology correctly. We also talk briefly about Toyota's new San Antonio plant. I love David's quote, “Standardization of work doesn't mean that everybody does it exactly the same way.” There will be an upcoming Part 2 of this discussion with David where we talk about upcoming books in the Toyota series, so stay tuned. If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog podcast main page at http://www.leanpodcast.org/. Keywords and Main Points, Episode #31 How does Toyota turn the cliche of “people are our most important asset” into reality? How to avoid standardizing for the sake of standardizing — how to decide WHAT to standardize and why How did Toyota build upon the Training Within Industry program? Why does Toyota look at work in such minute detail, breaking jobs down? What are “key points” in a job breakdown sheet? Why is it important to explain why the key points are necessary? Does this tie to “respect for people”? How does this process apply to jobs, such as nursing, that aren't repeatable 45 second assembly line cycles? Does Toyota invest more time and effort into training new employees than other companies? Blog post about Toyota, “frugal” versus “cheap” “Standardiziaton of work doesn't mean that everybody does it exactly the same way.” Talking about the new Toyota plant in San Antonio

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/30 Remastered July 2021 LeanBlog Podcast #30 is an interview with Bob Emiliani, author of the books Better Thinking, Better Results and Real Lean: Understanding the Lean Management System (Volume One) (and Volume Two). Bob had a long career at United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney and also has degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, as well as a PhD in engineering from Brown University. Better Thinking, Better Results, which is now out in a 2nd revised edition, has a new epilogue about Wiremold, the subject of the book, and how they have moved away from Lean after their acquisition by another company. In this podcast, we'll talk about why that happened and what others can learn from the story, in efforts to prevent the dismantling of even the most successful of Lean transformations. You can visit the page for this podcast at leanpodcast.org for links to Bob and his books, including the “Real Lean” series. Keywords and Main Points, Episode #30 Why did you update the Wiremold story and produce a second edition of your book Better Thinking, Better Results? So what happened? Why didn't Legrand value the Lean transformation that Art, his team, and the people of Wiremold did? So it looks like Legrand made some mistakes. What can we learn from what happened to Wiremold?

* Remastered audio June 2021 Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/29 LeanBlog Podcast #29 features a very special guest, Dr. Sami Bahri, “The World's First Lean Dentist.” If you're thinking “what can I learn about lean from a Dentist?”, please listen in. I think you'll be amazed and will learn a ton. I've really enjoyed the two chances I've had to talk with Dr Bahri, including this podcast session and I've been very impressed with his approach to lean. He's gone back to all of the source texts, including Shingo and Ohno and has really had to figure it out for himself, as opposed to following some sort of cookbook approach. I particularly appreciate how he involves his employees and staff… it's a great example we can all learn from. If you have questions or comments for Dr. Bahri, he's agreed to a follow on podcast. You can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or visit leanpodcast.org to leave a comment or read some linked articles about Dr. Bahri. Keywords and Main Points, Episode #29 Learning about Lean and figuring out, over time, how to apply it to a dental office. How Dr. Bahri is able to take care of patient needs all in a single visit (not coming back for separate follow on appointments). How Dr. Bahri has engaged his workforce, through Lean, to improve productivity, job satisfaction, and employee engagement. Lean as a never-ending journey toward perfection, an experimental process. Learn how Dr. Bahri's office creating an innovative “flow manager” position.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/28 Remastered audio June 2021 LeanBlog Podcast #28 features our friend and frequent guest, Norman Bodek, noted lean author, consultant, and President of PCS Press. This also celebrates the 1 year anniversary of the Podcast, which featured Norman as our first guest. As I've given him credit for previously, the Podcast really was Norman's idea when he said I should do "radio interviews" with him. Thankfully, this has turned into a series of interviews with others that I have enjoyed immensely.    Summary of Norman's talk at the TWI Summit and the "pledge of continuous improvement." Gantt's book "Organizing Work" (via Google Books) -- the stakeholder groups that a business must serve (including community) Lifetime employment and the obligation for good management Can you have a workplace with no bosses? Example of a Skippy peanut butter plant Is the ultimate goal automation? Norman's thoughts on that Managers' resistance to change as a separate type of waste? Being on the floor all the time as a manager Norman talking about "conscious learning" (his next book)

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/27 Remastered July 2021 LeanBlog Podcast #27 is the second part of two with Jim Baran, the Owner of Value Stream Leadership, a leading recruiting firm that specializes in Lean talent. In this part of the discussion, we focus more on Lean career paths for Lean leaders and practitioners, how to differentiate yourself and how to progress in your Lean career.  Keywords and Main Points, Episode #27 Advice for lean job seekers When should you move on? How can a recruiter tell if the xlack of lean success was due to lack of lean understanding versus the failings of the organization they were a part of? Lean accounting and lean product development experience, “transactional lean” Lean in a smaller company provides many opportunities The importance of selling yourself (and selling lean ideas), keeping track of your accomplishments and what happened How can Jim try to tell if a client would be (or is) a good lean company? Walking the shopfloor… Lean Certification value? Lean recruiting, Value Stream Leadership, career management

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/26 Remastered July 2021 Episode #26 of the LeanBlog Podcast brings us Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth, of the Visual Lean Institute. She is the author, most recently of the book Visual Workplace, Visual Thinking: Creating Enterprise Excellence Through the Technologies of the Visual Workplace. Ironically enough, we will be using this audio-only format to discuss visual methods in the workplace and how that ties into Lean and the Toyota Production System. Her book has hundreds of color photos and illustrations of effective visual methods, so if you find this discussion helpful, I hope will follow up with the book. The book is an inventive and unique approach to visual management and helping people work more effectively. One small thing I really appreciate is how her case studies and examples from factories always have a photo of one of the value-adding associates who was involved in the work. Show Notes, Links, and Keywords Episode #26 Norman Bodek, visual workplace, poka yoke, visual guarantees, visual order, visual inventiveness, visuality “I-Driven”: Knowing what information that individual needs to work well Borders, home addresses, ID labels Right angles aren't necessarily the best for workplace layouts “Information deficits” are the symptom, deficits cause waste and “motion without working” Six categories of missing information: the missing “where,” the missing “what,” etc. Video training system The counter productive 5S initiative that we discussed (previous blog link) “The obedience paradigm” versus empowering people The older, existing website Forum on the new website

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/25 Remastered July 2021 For Episode #25, I'm pleased to have Dr. Mark Spearman, Founder and President/CEO of Factory Physics, Inc. (www.factoryphysics.com). You may know Dr. Spearman from his book, co-authored with Dr. Wally Hopp, Factory Physics. If there is ONE operations management textbook to own, this is it (it's well worth the cost). I was fortunate, as an Industrial Engineering undergrad at Northwestern, to take Dr. Spearman's operations course. The introduction given about Lean and the Factory Physics / Little's Law concepts (among others) have served me very well during my career. In the Podcast, we talk about his company, Factory Physics, and the work he is doing today in the manufacturing world. Show Notes, Links, and Keywords Episode #25 Keywords: Throughput, Lean Six Sigma, Lean, WIP, work in process, continuous improvement, variation, flow, Dell Computer Dr. Spearman explains The 3 Buffers: Inventory, Time, and Capacity

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/24 Remastered July 2021 Episode #24 of the LeanBlog Podcast is the 2nd part of my recent conversation with Jim Womack, of the Lean Enterprise Institute. In this episode, we talk about the state of the auto industry, from the time of The Machine That Changed the World through today. Who does Jim think is in the best shape among the "Detroit Three?" Jim also answers some questions from Lean Blog readers. If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at podcast@leanblog.org or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast. Please visit our websites, www.leanpodcast.org and the Lean Blog main page at www.leanblog.org. Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #24 1:50 “We had some brief hopes for Ford in ‘Machine'” 2:20 “Mind of Toyota” book is a Womack must-read: “it's a great book, harder than heck to read” Inside the Mind of Toyota: Management Principles for Enduring Growth 3:00 Womack on GM's decline 4:15 What about the Ford Atlanta plant going from most efficient to shut down? The Taurus story, original development took 7 years when Toyota was taking only 3. At least it was what the public wanted and was easier to put together than the comparable GM product. 7:00 GM's political footprint is shrinking as factories are closed outside of Michigan and Ohio, while Toyota's is growing with factory expansion. 9:15 BBC series on the auto industry and lean production, pulling the cord much more at Toyota, and how people were scared at the Ford plant to pull the cord (mistrust between workers and management). 10:15 “If it were just a plant-on-plant competition, they [Ford] would be OK, they've learned enough… all over the company, the managers are not pulling the andon cords.” 10:40 More on Ford management and the “corrupt” Ford culture 12:10 How things stand with GM today, according to Jim 12:50 “Ford and Chrysler have a different magnitude of problem than GM.” If not for the legacy problems, GM would be OK, not a world-beater… “not as good as they should be.” 14:30 “Ford and Chrysler's problem is management.” 14:45 Question from the blog, from John Hunter, “What 3 publicly traded companies have the deepest understanding and execution of Lean?” Danaher, “can't vouch for it personally….” Tried to put them in the Lean Thinking, but was escorted off the property because the President declared they had deep secrets…. 16:15 Article about Danaher from Business Week 17:00 G.E. has been a “make the numbers” company as opposed to a “fix the company” company, says Jim. But now GE is saying they have to be like Toyota… “is there anything beyond Six Sigma or even to Six Sigma?” 18:25 Lots of other little guys out there, privately held. “Wish I could point to other examples of large companies…” 19:00 LEI is doing some research for how to take a traditional mass production mentality company and transition them to a lean management approach, what methods do you have to implement? 20:00 “The world is pretty Dilbert-like.” 20:30 “I wish I could rattle off the 14 companies who have actually done it…. No stock tips.” 20:50 From Joe Wilson, what about “Lean and Mean? Do you wish you had picked a different word than Lean? 21:15 “It also rhymes with green…. A word is a word, you have to pick something.” Jim meant it to describe “how to do more with less” but many have spun it into “how to do less with a whole lot less, including people.” 22:00 “If lean is taken on by managers who are clueless to the real meaning, well then over time, the meaning becomes the meaning that people deduce from the behavior of those managers. I can't do anything about that.” 23:00 “Lean got us out of the nationalism and ethnic focus,” that it had something to do with Japan. “Lean” was designed to focus on an objective measure of performance. (the term coined by Jon Krafcik) 24:40 “Sorry that so many clueless people [made lean “mean”]… it's a lot of stupid meanness, where you try to hurt others and end up hurting yourself.” Toyota was about growth, not trying to get rid of people. “Where you get into the problem with Lean is when you have these big behemoths that are fading fast…” 26:10 Jim spent a week in Australia looking at healthcare organizations… “How would Toyota run healthcare?” “Toyota treats car parts better than a hospital treats its patients, and treat people better than hospitals treat their staffs.” 26:45 “We're going to bankrupt every company with our healthcare practices.” 27:45 Far more than half of the visitors to the LEI website and those signing up for workshops have nothing to do with manufacturing… “How would Toyota run Starbucks?”

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/23 Remastered July 2021 pisode #23 of the LeanBlog Podcast features a panel of Lean leaders from the Group Health Cooperative, a consumer-governed, nonprofit health care system that coordinates care and coverage. Based in Seattle, Group Health and its subsidiary health carriers, Group Health Options, Inc. and KPS Health Plans, serve over 500,000 members in Washington and Idaho. GHC has been on a Lean journey, as documented on their “Daily Kaizen” blog. Joining us on the Podcast are three of their Lean Leaders: James Hereford, Executive Vice President, Strategic Services and Quality Dr. Ted Eyan, Medical Director of Health Informatics and Web Services Lee Fried, Manager of the Strategic Consulting team at Group Health In this Podcast, they discuss how GHC got started with Lean, their early “point improvement” successes, and their transition to a more systemic approach to a Lean management system through their “model line” efforts. Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #23 Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #23 1:15 James: Overview of the Group Health Cooperative (GHC) 2:00 Lee: How GHC got started on their Lean Journey in 2004, initial drivers 3:05 “RPIW” = Rapid Process Improvement Workshop (like a kaizen event) 3:30 Improved cost, quality, and delivery at the same time, in the lab, “wasn't believed possible in healthcare” and got senior management attention 3:55 Started with “point improvements” 4:15 Brought in some external consultants, education for the senior leadership team 4:30 Then moved from point improvements to large cross-departmental projects (e.g., health plan and delivery) 6:12 Looked at how to optimize the Electronic Medical Record system (involving IT and caregiver teams) 7:30 The model line, moving beyond point improvements and into cultural change –claims processing and customer service center (700 employees), HPA = Health Plan Administration 8:30 Had to make sure they weren't losing gains from earlier lean efforts — started doing more to fully ingrain lean concepts into the management practices and culture 9:15 Three components to the “Model Line” 1) Standard work of the daily management system 2) Value Streams and RPIW's to “turn the organization on it's side,” from functional organization to process organization and 3) hoshin kanri (policy deployment), building discipline around planning (goals and the means) 10:40 Ted: Have you had to adapt the lean management model to fit into a healthcare environment? 11:00 “Copy the thinking and the philosophy, not the tools”…. “What's the tool you can use? Your Brain!” 11:30 Focused on providing the right care at the right time, rather than relying on technology (or relying on “tried and true” technology) 12:15 “Lean Thinking blew my mind, everything had a corollary in medical care.” 12:30 “Toyota puts a lot of care and compassion into building cars, and so do we in taking care of people.” 12:48 “There things we don't want flexibility around” – certain medical situations that call for standard care 13:20 How did GHC try to get physicians on board and participating with Lean? “Patient at the center of care” is easy to get agreement with 14:00 “We want to take care of patients, and this helps you do it better… the system is more responsive.” 14:42 James: Are there advantages to being an integrated delivery system? “Our opportunity is so much greater…” 16:30 Ted: “If it can't be done at Group Health, it can't be done anywhere.” 16:50 Can GHC create more value through proactive or preventative health measures, ala TPM? 17:20 The goal is “lifelong health for our members… working with patients before they get sick.” 17:45 James: What have the benefits and results of the Model Line area been? 18:35 ThedaCare and John Touissant showed great humbleness even with their success 19:00 Doing as many kaizen events as you can wasn't enough.” Wanted to fundamentally change the leadership model, not the “all knowing and all doing” with the staff “checking their brain at the parking lot.” 20:00 The VP over the HPA area fully embraced Lean and change himself20:45 Had a rigorous, step-by-step method of teaching the skills and doing daily practice. The biggest change was getting the middle managers and VP to change the way they interacted with supervisors, that was the foundation for the operational changes (workcells, etc.) 22:00 Lee: RPIW's changed the thinking of a lot of folks, but it didn't get high enough to change the behavior of the leaders 22:50 Changing core thinking before changing core processes has led to better sustainment 23:10 James: Where GHC hopes this goes… the Model Line needs to be a model to learn from, applied in other areas, forcing the organization to think more about value streams and less about traditional budgeting processes 24:00 GHC now has a place in GHC to see lean (as opposed to continued visits to Genie or Virginia Mason Medical Center) 27:00 What kind of feedback are you getting from employees about Lean? (lab example)”This is the most amazing experience I have ever had in all of my experience at Group Health” 29:00 Ted on helping doctors and professionals meeting their goals 30:00 Lee: it can be hardest on the middle managers, having to change their ways

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/22  Remastered July 2021 Episode #22 of the Podcast is a discussion with Allan Wilson, CEO of Factory Logic, a software company that was acquired by SAP late last year. Allan is now the VP of Lean Manufacturing Operations for SAP. We talk about the role of technology and software in a Lean implementation. In the interest of full disclosure, I worked for Factory Logic a few years back, including time under Allan's leadership, but I have no financial interest in the company or products. Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #22 0:20 Background and history on Factory Logic 2:00 Using software to help standardize processes in a Lean factory, including Johnson Controls, a key customer 5:20 Value proposition for the software on the factory floor (now known as SAP's XLPO product, or “Lean Planning and Operations”) 6:00 CONWIP (constant work in process) 6:20 POLCA (not the dance!) 7:30 The SAP acqusition of Factory Logic, what will the impact be? 12,000 manufacturing companies use SAP 12:20 The XLPO/Factory Logic applications will still integrate to other ERP systems 13:00 What about the mindset of having a choice between Lean and technology, that many Lean folks are against technology/software. What about the Toyota Way principle of using technology “that supports your people and processes”? 16:30 XMII definition 19:00 Are Lean people becoming more accepting of technology? 22:00 What are some of the examples where a large company struggles to roll out Lean in a consistent way across plants? 22:30 BTR = Build to Replenishment 24:00 Building a consistent Lean model throughout your global company

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/21  Remastered June 2021 LeanBlog Podcast Episode #21 features our friend and frequent guest, Norman Bodek, noted lean author, consultant, and President of PCS Press. In this Podcast, we talk about how Lean should be good for a company's employees, that Lean and the Toyota Production System are really about building people and investing in them rather than laying people off. Norman's previous Podcast episodes can be found on the Podcast main page. Here is a link to Norman's books via Amazon.com. Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #21 2:00 Question from a blog reader: Is lean good for employees in the long term, or is it just good for the company and for management? 2:40 “Unfortunately, many companies are implementing lean to make more money, only…. without understanding the full power of the Toyota model” 3:00 Toyota not only builds cars, it builds people 4:45 Toyota has one team leader for every 4 to 7 people (as opposed to companies that often have a 100 to 1 ratio) 5:20 Toyota's Gary Convis 6:30 Toyota's two pillars: 1) Just-in-Time and 2) Respect for People — the second pillar is now this instead of “Jidoka” (quality at the source)?? 8:30 As Deming said, you have to root out fear from the organization, it's a form of waste that comes from viewing people as expendable 10:15 Examples of how Toyota has invested in people over time, made use of their talents 11:20 When has the “mass production” system ever been good for people? 12:15 Norman's Quick and Easy Kaizen , making work exciting by getting ideas and suggestions from employees 16:50 “I want you to come up with ideas to make your work easier, to make your work more interesting…” that empowers people, as opposed to all decisions coming from the top down 18:15 “What's the ROI of bringing in Norman Bodek?” 19:30 “There's nothing magical that Toyota's doing that American companies can't do!” 19:40 The book Norman likes, Getting the Right Things Done and the Hoshin Kanri process 20:30 Norman, Gary Convis, and the A3 report

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/20  Remastered July 2021 The LeanBlog Podcast is back with episode #20, our guest is Kevin Meyer, the founder of Superfactory Ventures, which can be found at Superfactory.com. You may know Kevin from his popular blog, Evolving Excellence. We'll be talking about a number of lean topics including his upcoming panel moderation at the Kellogg Manufacturing Business Conference, being held in Evanston IL in May. If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog Podcast main page. Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #20 1:30 How Kevin got started with Lean 3:00 About the Evolving Excellence Blog 5:00 Blogging as a learning experience 6:00 Kevin will be speaking at Northwestern University, moderating a panel discussion on in-sourcing on on-shoring at their Manufacturing Business Conference 6:20 Companies that have been able to build manufacturing competencies in the U.S., rather than running overseas, looking at total cost, rather than just labor cost 8:00 The conference is May 12, open to registration by the public (main conference page) 8:15 A list of companies Kevin has talked about on the blog 9:10 How can we spread the word and fight the perception that you can't do manufacturing here? 9:45 Kevin's example of a custom ski manufacturer who imports very small quantities from China rather than doing it here 10:30 Danaher as a good example of lean and U.S. competitiveness 10:50 American Leather, building furniture here in Texas 12:20 Kevin's example of Avery Dennison 13:30 Are retailers encouraging lean practices or pushing suppliers overseas? 14:30 Are there some valid reasons for building in China? 15:40 Kevin's example of American Apparel 16:30 New Zealand manufacturing and off-shoring pressures 17:30 Kevin talks about lean and the value of experience in the workforce, Whirlpool example of moving to Mexico and throwing away that experience 20:30 The book from the blog, written by Kevin and Bill Waddell : Evolving Excellence: Thoughts on Lean Enterprise Leadership

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/19 Remastered June 2021 Episode #19 of the Lean Blog Podcast brings the return of Jim Womack. Jim was sitting in Melbourne Australia, where he had been speaking about lean healthcare, a topic that we will discuss in a future podcast. In this podcast, we talk about Jim's reflections on the book The Machine That Changed the World and its recent reissuing by the publisher (with updates). In the podcast, Jim not only talks about Toyota's success, but ways in which Toyota could fail or falter in the future. This is the first part of our discussion, I will release the second part in the upcoming weeks. If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog Podcast main page. Earlier podcasts with Jim can be found here (#12) and here (#13). Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #19 1:30 Jim's thoughts on “Machine,” written about “why the teams [GM, Ford, Chrysler] can't win the away games” 1:55 The book before “Machine” was “The Future of the Automobile” (1984) 2:15 The job of “Machine” was to describe a complete business system… “the biggest disappointment… was to have people tell me it was a great book about factories.” 3:00 “You get the feeling that a lot of people read the book, but just that one chapter [on manufacturing].” 3:50 Probably about a million copies sold so far 4:00 The publisher said that 2007 is the year when Toyota is probably going to pass GM, so why don't we re-issue it? 4:20 The new subtitle is “Why Toyota Won” 4:45 “We've learned a lot since then… some of what we told you in the book is not exactly right, so we're thinking of it not exactly as a product recall, but as a model line enhancement. This is what might have been the 1991 model if we had done annual model changes.” 5:30 Is there risk of a backlash with Toyota becoming #1? Jim talks about “ways in which Toyota could lose,” starting with manufacturing 10:50 “They could go native” 10:05 How Toyota could lose with the product development system (book by Al Ward) 10:40 The Jeff Liker book on product development (“they are complements to each other,” Jim says): The Toyota Product Development System: Integrating People, Process And Technology 14:30 How Toyota could fail with their dealer system 15:45 Jim's essay on farmers and hunters 22:40 GM and the X-cars (info here and here) 24:10 Jim asks, “Can Toyota screw up? For the short term, the answer is no, for the long term, absolutely!” 24:30 “Most any other company would be fat, dumb, and happy.” 24:50 What about the excuses the Big 3 make about currency factors, etc.? 25:30 How the Big 3 are like the Detroit Lions

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/18  Remastered July 2021 Here is Episode #18 of the LeanBlog Podcast. My guest today is Eric Christiansen, the President of a translation services company, OmniLingua (more can be found here on their philosophy as a company, being a self-described “Deming Company.”) I was interested in talking with Eric about what it means to be a “Deming Company” and about their implementation of “wiki” tools (ala Wikipedia) for managing their standard work and process documentation. If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog podcast main page. Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #18 1:30 Introducing Eric and his company 3:15 What does it mean to be a “Deming company?” 3:40 The Deming System of Profound Knowledge 4:00 The owner of OmniLingua had worked directly with Deming and appreciated the people aspects of his philosophy, how do you treat people with respect? 4:40 Has the annual review been abolished? Sales commissions were abolished, as well as production bonus plans. OmniLingua has a company-wide profit sharing plan instead. 5:15 More examples of the Deming philosophy in day-to-day life, including long-term sole-source supplier relationships 7:00 Is there still internal competition? 7:45 “Are we hiring salespeople who can't sell?” by not having commissions 8:40 How have lean methods evolved at OmniLingua? 10:15 Standard work within the company and the evolution into the use of “Wiki” technology for standard work 13:30 How they modified the process to allow some additional revision and ownership control (after an ISO audit) 15:00 How did it work when everybody had access to modify the standard work documentation? 17:00 How many people have access to the different standard work documents? 19:00 With a Word-document based standard work, people wanted to fancy them up, Wiki keeps people focused on the content 21:30 Deployment started last November (2005)

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/17 Remastered July 2021 LeanBlog Podcast #17 is a discussion with a good friend of the Lean Blog, David Meier, a former Toyota Georgetown Group Leader, founder of Lean Associates, and the co-author of the excellent book, The Toyota Way Fieldbook, and the upcoming Toyota Talent, due out in April (both co-authored with Jeff Liker, check out my Podcasts with him here and here). In this podcast, we talk about David's recent first hand experiences with factories in China. Are there labor shortages? Is there a lot of waste in Chinese factories? Do the Chinese have good management skills at this point? What lean methods did David see in China? We'll cover all this and more. If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog podcast main page. Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #17 2:00 Overall, pretty surprised, Chinese factories are in good condition, but there are some real labor shortages growing, intense cost pressures from other countries (India, Vietnam, Turkey, etc.) 3:00 Lots of struggles from the supply chain side and total cost, “China isn't as great a deal as they anticipated in the beginning” (inbound supply chains) 4:00 “One company had 160% turnover last year” 4:15 Local management isn't that strong, so companies bring in their own management(which is costly to bring in foreigners) 4:45 David was frustrated to see the same challenges and problems in China that are typical here, including the “kaizen blitz” mindset (companies aren't getting long-term satisfaction or a sustainable process) 5:50 Saw one company (a clothing manufacturer in China) that took “one piece flow” to such an extreme that it was costing them in other ways, companies are missing the point of what Lean really is 6:30 More on the single piece flow situation – are you implementing single piece flow or are you improving performance? 10:00 What about Chinese factories and their metrics and goals? David was surprised to hear how everyone was focused on efficiency and labor cost 11:00 David saw a lot of Non Value Added activity (20-30% of people's activity) because ofthe way work was structured 11:40 “Big shortage of Industrial Engineers in China” 12:45 Chinese managers learn “mass production management” or lean management methods? 13:45 “I didn't see any factories that would be a model of lean” and David was visiting companies who had expressed some interest in being lean 14:15 What lean methods did David see at Chinese factories? 15:20 David says there is a general lack of understanding about how to use “Value Stream Mapping” 17:15 David and Jeff Liker are working on a new book about systems and how to develop the system properly, how to use the system (such as Kanban) to drive continuous improvement 17:45 An earlier new book, “Toyota Talent” is coming out in April 18:30 After the Fieldbook, David and Jeff realized there were some topics they could really expand on, Toyota Talent, lean systems, and problem solving. 20:15 A preview of Toyota Talent... didn't see much “Standardized Work” in China, the depth of lean there isn't as great as in the U.S. The book looks at how you break down jobs and train people. 22:00 People look at Toyota and assume that standardized work only applies in repetitive, highly cyclical jobs (but Toyota has a lot of jobs that don't fit that mold) 24:30 David comparing the high turnover in China with the high turnover in fast food and how McDonald's simplifies things, uses standard work, makes it visual, etc. But why do they accept the turnover? 25:45 The NPR piece on In-N-Out Burger and how they value employees. 26:45 David points out how you have to look at total cost, not just the low hourly labor cost 27:30 Is everything going to inevitably move to China? We're trying to compete against that with Lean, reducing costs through Lean methods and improved/faster response.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/16 Remastered July 2021 LeanBlog Podcast #16 is the first part of two with Jim Baran, the Owner of Value Stream Leadership, a leading recruiting firm that specializes in Lean talent. I've known Jim for a few years now and he's helped me and some colleagues in the past. He's a great recruiter who really takes some interest in you and your career. If you're looking to make a career change or if you're looking for lean talent, I can personally recommend him. In our discussion, we talk about the state of the job market for folks with lean experience and what helps a lean candidate stand out in the marketplace. If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you'll check out the rest of the series by visiting the LeanBlog podcast main page. Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #16 1:30 About Jim, his background with lean, about his firm 2:50 What does it mean, “retained search firm”? 4:40 Jim's firm defines lean as “Toyota Way leadership” — Toyota Production System AND the Toyota Product Development System 5:00 How is the job market for lean talent, generally speaking? 6:30 People “used to hire forktruck operators out of Toyota” because they thought they knew the secret sauce 7:40 Jim Womack's email about the end of “the lean tool age” 8:00 How do you consider someone's individual or local lean accomplishments versus a good candidate having been in a prototypical lean company? 9:30 What are Jim's 5 profiles for excellent lean candidates? 10:30 Been in the Toyota Product Development System market very heavily lately, the talent with experience there has been slim 12:30 The market for lean in services areas 16:00 What about recruitment for executive level positions? 21:45 Harder to find people who can use lean to drive growth or revenue rather than only reducing costs/waste

Show notes: https://leanblog.org/15 Remastered July 2021  eanBlog Podcast #15 is a new discussion with a previous Podcast guest, Jim Huntzinger. Last time, we talked about the Lean Accounting Summit. This time, we're talking about the renaissance of the “Training Within Industry” program. We'll talk about the origins of this program, the impact it had on Toyota and the Toyota Production System, and why the program is being bought back in the United States and in lean circles. Jim is also organizing a Training Within Industry Summit, June 5-6 of 2007. Check the Show Notes, down below, for more links to TWI resources and information. Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #15 Background: Copies of the original TWI manuals Background: Wikipedia page on TWI 2:30 Background of the TWI program prior to the U.S. entry into WWII 3:15 How did TWI get promoted in Japan during the U.S. occupation? 4:15 How did TWI get incorporated into the Toyota Production System? “It is an excellent industrial training program on its own” but Toyota also built upon the system 6:00 What were some of the motivations behind TWI? What did they hope to achieve? 7:15 What are the different components of the TWI approach… Job Methods and Job Instruction, the focus on training people HOW to train, etc. 9:15 At Toyota, Ohno thought “Job Methods” was a little too “point focused” and he wanted to look more at the “value stream” 9:45 “Job Relations” focuses on how to be a supervisor, how to drive kaizen, etc. 11:00 How did TWI get “rediscovered” recently? Mentioned in the book Becoming Lean: Inside Stories of U.S. Manufacturers 13:45 What are the unique things Toyota was able to do with the TWI program? 14:15 TWI was focused on training NEW employees, how does TWI apply when you have long time employees who never had standard work or standard methods? 15:45 Toyota still uses Job Instruction today for training their experienced people 16:15 TWI says you have to “get the employee motivated to learn” – how do you do this? 17:45 Why did American companies move away from TWI after the war? 19:00 Early challenges with getting management focused on sustaining TWI methods 19:30 To learn more about TWI: Training Within Industry: The Foundation Of Lean (Don Dinero, history of TWI) The Twi Workbook: Essential Skills for Supervisors (Bob Wrona, hos to use TWI today) Jim's article “The Roots of Lean” Plenty of articles and references through Google

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/14 Remastered July 2021 LeanBlog Podcast #14 is a discussion with Dave Gleditsch, the Chief Technology Officer for Pelion Systems, a leading provider of software for lean manufacturing applications. I first met Dave after I read his Industry Week columns and traded some emails with him. He has a great background in manufacturing and lean, so I think he has an interesting perspective to share on lean and technology. Don't worry, this podcast isn't a sales pitch for Pelion's software. I think you'll enjoy the discussion. Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #14 2:00 What prompted you to write your first column? 2:30 The real issue was a poor definition of what lean really is, lean has some very concrete things for improving and innovating. 3:30 It's not just cost cutting, it's about maximizing customer value with the minimum required resources. 4:20 At American Standard, lean helped save the company, but it also became a platform for growth 5:00 Do traditionally cost driven people automatically focus on lean as only a cost cutting tool? 6:00 In the boardrooms, the real cost is gross margin expansion — impacting the top line AND the bottom line (lean and six sigma are great tools for that). You can't just cut costs on the path to growth. 7:00 How first introduced to lean concepts? 9:20 Had a lot of lean experience at HP in the 1980's, worked with Shingo, Hall, Schonberger, etc. Had to try to interpret the original Shingo “Green Book.” (A Study of the Toyota Production System from an Industrial Engineering Viewpoint) 10:40 Hall's book Zero Inventories 11:00 Dave working with Shigeo Shingo 12:00 More about Dave's experiences with lean at American Standard 15:20 What is Pelion Systems? What services and technology do they offer? 18:40 Pelion had the first web kanban portal 19:10 What business problem is Pelion helping to solve? 20:45 Can technology help speed up or further a culture change? 24:00 You have to look at more than manufacturing, but also at how different parts of the companies work together. 25:20 What about The Toyota Way principle about technology? “Use only reliable, thoroughly tested technology that serves your people and processes.” What about the anti-technology bias that tends to exist in the lean world? 30:15 What about companies who have been burned by ERP or technology promises in the past? Does that make it challenging for a software company today? What about technology vendors who seem to promise a “silver bullet” solution for manufacturers? 35:00 Is the software industry learning from past rollout mistakes? Are companies using the technology evolving? 35:25 How Pelion operates with a clear customer charter, business case, etc.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/13 Remastered June 2021 LeanBlog Podcast #13 brings us part 2 of our discussion with James P. Womack of the Lean Enterprise Institute, the author of many books including the classic (published 10 years ago) Lean Thinking and the more recent Lean Solutions. Part 1 can be found here. In the second podcast, Jim discusses the state of manufacturing in China, including some factors to consider when competing with China, or setting up shop in China. Jim talks about the tradeoffs between manufacturing for export versus manufacturing in China for the local market. Show Notes and Approximate Time, Episode #13 1:00 Are Chinese companies focusing on the short term, as they transition to market practices, or can they focus on the long term? 2:10 How Chinese companies are often getting rid of headcount as fast as they can, as opposed to being rewarded for finding something for people to do 3:20 “Had two years to become a modern mass producer”   4:00 Smart ones are building for the long term and for the Chinese domestic market 4:37 “If you're just coming in as an exporter, a lot of things could happen,” referring to instability or political risk over time with China 5:00 “Iron rice bowl” — the idea that your job came with housing, education etc., a social control mechanism, everything came with your job… “the last thing you want to do is get anybody upset at Widget Factory #9.” 6:00 The amount of dislocation in people's lives in China 7:00 What about “sweatshop” conditions alleged at the iPod factory? 7:30 Womack says the plants run by multinationals are, generally, run right (for safety, cleanliness, etc.)… “they don't know how to run a sweatshop” 8:30 “Corner cutting doesn't really save you any money… stupid meanness.” Those factories not directly run by multinationals might be tempted to cut corners because they just don't know any better 9:50 “… what kind of doorknobs are you?” 10:10 What if we had a campaign to enforce safe work practices? Cost might actually go down. 10:40 Lots of people just moving material or sorting product in the Chinese pencil factory, lots of waste, “what a sad thing”… some minimal quality processes could save a lot of cost 11:30 “Quality is free, safety ought to be free, if you know what you're doing…” 12:00 Many Chinese factory managers “just don't any better, it's better here than the old factory” 12:30 What about the environment (air, water) in China? 14:45 China is facing the same demographic problems as Japan, Europe, the U.S. with a large older retired population (with the one-child policy) 16:00 Has the “lean math” that Jim talks about changed? If you're going to set up in China just for exporting back to the West, you have to really stop and evaluate the risk factors (political, etc.) 18:30 “What's wrong with Mexico? It's a truck location, not a boat location.” 19:00 What about reports of cars being imported from China? 20:30 Chinese car companies are a long way off from being able to compete here, quality wise. 23:20 There are 12 Lean Institutes around the world, “we are equal opportunity educators.”

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/12  Remastered June 2021 LeanBlog Podcast #12 brings us a special guest, James P. Womack of the Lean Enterprise Institute, the author of many books including the classic (published 10 years ago) Lean Thinking and the more recent Lean Solutions. We ended up talking for about 40 minutes, so I'm going to split the discussion into two podcasts. In this first part, we focus more on China's adoption (or lack of adoption) of lean practices. In the second episode, Jim talks more about general trends for China and for those considering doing business in China. LeanBlog Podcast #12 Show Notes and Approximate Timeline 1:45: Womack's trips to China started in the 1980's… on his honeymoon 2:15: http://www.leanchina.org/ is the Lean Enterprise Institute in China 2:45: The Chinese have gone from being “not even mass producers” (staggering, mindboggling inefficiency) where the goal was job creation and control (20 years ago) to where now they are trying to be globally competitive in a serious way (but with a LONG history of doing things the wrong way) 4:10 :     “Management is hard” – what is modern management (or even lean management) for the Chinese? 5:00: Chinese learned management from multinationals, entrepreneurs (including “Andre the Pencil King”) 6:00: No real Toyota presence in China (other than a few joint ventures) 6:30: Any evidence of lean practices or lean thinking in China's shopfloors? 8:00  :     333Stories of waste from China 9:45: It's hard, from a cultural standpoint, for the Chinese to hear they should be like the Japanese (due to long standing animosity) 11:45: Lean can be a universal way of doing things, just as mass production can be a universal way 12:50: Does China have more hope for lean if they don't have such a long history with mass production? Womack says “why put in place the wrong thing (mass production)?” We can be General Motors or we can be Toyota… let's be Toyota. 14:30  : “They sense this low-wage thing is time limited…. They can't go on building cheap goods for Americans forever.” 17:30  : Womack's recent lean e-letter 19:10  : Wages are rising on the coast, but for commodity stuff, manufacturers will just move inland. We won't see the cost of labor really going up. The price of management is really going up though – seeing what ex-pats are being paid is putting upward pressure on management wages (folks with education) 22:30  : “I saw nobody at all working to improve the process… it looked like nothing had changed in 40 years.”Big big leap from there to everyone thinking its part of their job to improve. A complete list of Jim's books can be found here.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/11  Remastered June 2021 Here is LeanBlog Podcast #11, once again with Norman Bodek of PCS Press and the author of many books, including Kaikaku: The Power and Magic of Lean. In this Podcast, we discuss a topic posed by a podcast listener, Bruce from Akron Ohio: how do you educate your top leadership about lean? Norman and I discuss the perspectives of CEOs and executives toward lean, change, and their organizations and some examples of lean problem solving approaches. LeanBlog Podcast #11 Show Notes and Approximate Timeline 1:20 Question from Bruce in Akron again, how do you educate your top leadership about lean? 2:00 Norman spoke at the Lean Accounting Summit, even many CFO's were asking how to get their leadership on board, as if they were powerless 3:50 Norman tells a story about a President of a $2B company asking him, “how can I get my people to deliver quality?” After two weeks in Japan, he said, “Now I understand, it's not them, it's me.” 6:15 Developing a Quality and Productivity Plan, getting input from multiple company presidents within a corporation 9:00 Building consensus among 12 company presidents 11:00 Long-term strategic plans for Japanese companies 13:30 How do we educate our top leadership? Should we buy them books like Norman's “Kaikaku“? 13:50 Norman likes to ask, “If not me, who?” Who is going to do it? How are we going to empower people to work “bottom up” If you're a middle manager, you have take charge, quit living with fear 15:30 Is the boss necessarily smarter than you?16:20 A great story about convincing a boss to NOT outsource to Asia by asking him “what do you really want?” and working toward the cost reduction targets. How many companies go to China just to join that bandwagon? 17:50 “At this rate, we'd all better learn to speak Chinese,” Norman says 18:10 Schwinn bicycle outsourced to Taiwan, then the company learned and took over design, etc. and became a big brand, Giant bicycles. They didn't need Schwinn anymore. 19:20 People at all levels of the organization point fingers up and down about why we can't do lean 20:30 The waste of not utilizing human talent, that provides the most opportunity 20:45 Why do we outsource to China before we've reduced waste and made the most of people here, instead of re-organizing our plants to avoid outsourcing? 21:40 A lot of companies say they want to empower employees, but do they know how? 23:50 Should every employee be their own boss? Norman gives an example of employees and the boss working together in a problem solving example 26:10 Norman got chewed out by a client for telling a worker what to do to solve some defects, he was told “that's not what you're here for…” It's a lesson Norman forgets sometimes, you have to ask employees, not tell. 30:30 Toyota still has a hierarchy of leadership and “bosses” within the factory, how does that fit with Norman's idea of everyone “being their own boss?” 31:30 Why are front line employees typically powerless? 33:45 Why do some bosses think that information = power, so they withhold information? 34:45 Ohno set a goal of “remove this warehouse in one year” and didn't tell people how (other than “retrain people as mechanics”), he expected them to figure out the solution    

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/10  Remastered June 2021 Here is LeanBlog Podcast #10, again with Jamie Flinchbaugh, Founder of and Partner, co-author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean. In this Podcast, we respond to an audio question from blog listener Bruce from Akron OH. The topic is how to educate your organization's leadership about lean and how to get them excited about your lean efforts. If you're a regular Lean Blog reader, you should recognize Jamie as a valued contributor to the blog. Click here for a link to some of his blog posts. You can read more about his background here on Jamie's web site. LeanBlog Podcast #10 Show Notes and Approximate Timeline 3:20 Question from Bruce, Akron OH… how do you educate the organization's leadership about lean, that it isn't about reducing headcount or just about 5S? 4:20 Jamie asks about some people's perspectives on their leaders, are they “knuckleheads”? Do some people think that? (Not saying that Bruce did) 5:05 The phrase “boss hater” from Jack Welch and GE 5:50 Even if your boss is a “knucklehead”, it's unproductive to treat them as if they “can't” get it, you should care more about the lean outcomes 6:26 “I can't move lean forward because my executive team doesn't have a clue” — some common finger pointing 6:53 Does lean have to start at the top, as in “top down?” Jamie says it's not true, unless you really want to become Toyota. Very few companies start off by someone at the top saying we're going to become lean (didn't even happen at Toyota… Ohno was not sitting in the executive suite, he was in the machine shop). 7:15 You can still work on lean within your span of control instead of complaining 8:15 What about executive level training? Jamie says you need to connect lean to the business strategy and results 12:15 Need to focus more on principles rather than tools 12:30 For 5S, the execs need to know “why” and what good looks like, the executives need to understand more about driving the lean culture 14:55 The reasons for doing lean depend on the context… are you in bankruptcy or do you have record profits? 15:15 Lean is about changing how people do their work, not just the results 16:30 How can you avoid the conflict that might come up if management wants to lay off employees after lean improvements? 17:30 Jamie says “waste equals layoffs” — you often resort to layoffs just to survive 18:50 If you have to do layoffs, take the hit upfront and educate people about the financials of the business 23:00 When convincing leadership, find out what convinces them… examples from other companies, from results… and use that method

Show notes: http://www.leanblog.org/9 Remastered June 2021 LeanBlog Podcast Episode #9, is a discussion with David Mann, the author of the excellent book Creating A Lean Culture: Tools To Sustain Lean Conversions. In this episode, we will talk about Steelcase's experience with their lean efforts and the realization that they required a “Lean Management System” for supervisors, managers, and leaders. We'll talk about what that means, why it's a critical feature of their Lean System and how to start making the transition to being a “lean leader.” 2:10 Started with lean, being asked to help with communications at Steelcase about 10 years ago 2:50 Steelcase's original “case for change” regarding lean 4:45 How do you prepare people for change? 5:15 Changing away from an old established piecework system (80 years of history) 7:20 Had worked with Toyota-trained consultants, had “technically perfectly fine lean designs” but they were falling apart when project teams left 8:28 “The Toyota guys were like fish and we were asking them ‘what's it like to be able to breathe underwater?'” 8:55 Baseball great Ted Williams 10:15 “Needed a different behavioral recipe”…. for leaders and supervisors, what do you need to do to sustain lean conversions? After 30 value stream conversions. 11:00 Concluded they needed a “Lean Management System” (how to manage) to complement the “Lean Production System” (the arrangement of the floor, material flow, etc.) 12:45 Needed to focus more on the process, not just results 13:00 Need to see how actual measures up to expected… and ask “why?” 13:40 “If you take care of your process, your process will take care of you.” 14:00 How do you work to transition traditional supervisors into lean supervisors, being a coach, being a leader? What about resistance to standard work for supervisors? 15:00 “It requires a leap of faith” and then small steps (e.g., visual controls, like a production control chart — put your initials on the hour-by-hour chart 4x per day and ask why when you see a chart not being filled out). 17:00 At first lean was more work for the supervisors, but they tried convincing them that it will eventually make their lives easier (if they take care of the system) 18:25 “Lean system are more high maintenance than mass production systems” (for the superivors and team leaders) — it made sense to create standard work for them (80% of their time is accounted for by standard work). 19:25 Tell me more about the hierarchy of checks within the organization… 20:30 Managers at different levels are spending a certain amount of their time checking the standard work of the manager below them 21:45 David tells a story about letting a manager lapse back into the old fire-fighting mode instead of following his standard work 24:50 Being a hero versus proper planning 26:30 What kind of timeframe would you use for evaluating whether or not a supervisor can make the transition to the lean way? 30:00 It becomes easier to see faster in a process-driven management environment that mirrors the discipline of the production environment. It becomes clear in a matter of weeks… can't do it or won't do it 31:20 Steelcase and the industry went into a historic recession after the dot com bubble and 9/11… demand fell 45%, so many people left, but those still left in management positions were the ones who had really embraced lean

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/8 Remastered June 2021 Here is LeanBlog Podcast #8, an interview with Jim Huntzinger, the President of the Lean Accounting Summit.  In this Podcast, we will talk about the notion of “Lean Accounting” and some of the ways that traditional cost accounting and managerial accounting can come into conflict with our lean transformation efforts. You might think, “I'm an engineer, what do I need to know about accounting?” But trust me, you need to learn about this topic so you can understand what drives some of the decisions your management might make and how they might need to change their approach to be more compatible with lean. 1:45 Jim gives an intro to lean accounting: leaning out accounting versus “accounting for lean”. 3:20 First experiences with inaccurate standard costing systems and how that was driving bad business decisions, distortions through overhead allocation. 6:20 What bad decisions were being made through the lean journey – make/buy decisions. 6:30 How can you know how inaccurate your costing is without knowing exactly what the cost is? 7:15 The fundamental math of most accounting systems is wrong, so you're automating a bad calculation. 7:50 What about the impact of inventory reductions being treated as a reduction in assets on the balance sheet? We still need to educate companies about this even after all this time working with lean. 9:00 Prof. Tom Johnson and his books 9:15 Some warnings about accounting go back to the start of the Industrial Revolution, that it could be used for incorrect decision making… you need to make decisions based on an intimate knowledge of the product. 9:35 What is the impact of having many large major manufacturers being run by “finance people”? 11:25 Again, accounting should be a support function for decisions you've made, rather than being the driving function of decisions. 13:30 Is it easier as a private company if you can ignore Wall Street and your stock price? 14:50 Some public companies have been successful with the long-term thinking… it comes down to leadership and leadership educating their boards and why the changes are good in the long term. 15:33 Who are the success stories heard about at the Lean Accounting Summit? Almost anyone working with lean accounting is on the cutting edge. 17:20 Over 500 attendees at the Summit this year, more than doubled from 2005. 18:15 “Thought leaders” or “Learning leaders”? 19:10 There's a good mix of very large public companies down to very small privately held companies attending the Summit, a variety of industries (manufacturing and healthcare),not just the U.S. 20:15 Plans for the 2007 Summit 20:50 Will also have a “TWI” summit (Training Within Industry) – a topic for a future podcast, maybe 21:42 Training Within Industry: The Foundation Of Lean 22:50 Other lean accounting resources are on Jim's website, as well as the AME website.

Audio remastered June 2021 Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/7  Here is LeanBlog Podcast #7, a new discussion with our friend Norman Bodek, President of PCS Press and the author of many books, including Kaikaku: The Power and Magic of Lean. In this Podcast, we discuss Toyota's response to recent quality problems and recalls along with other Lean leadership topics. LeanBlog Podcast #7 Show Notes and Approximate Timeline 1:40 What are Norman's thoughts on Toyota's recalls and their response of adding time back into the product development process to build in quality? 2:08 “When your model is being attacked, it's unnerving. Very often, people are looking for an excuse to not do something.” 2:50 Yes, Norman buys Toyota 2:57 The book 40 Years, 20 Million Ideas: The Toyota Suggestion System 3:50 How Toyota invests in people, their training and development and how “lifetime employment was a brilliant concept” because that investment in people is an investment in the company. 5:45 A few years ago, Norman visited Toyota Georgetown, why was the number of suggestions dropping? Employees had been getting $20 per suggestion, no matter how small and so employees “played the game and played it well.” So, Toyota stopped the program. 7:55 “The greatest respect you can show somebody is asking their opinion and listening to their ideas.” 8:10 Norman suggests that Toyota should have just changed their system to pay $20 for an idea “if it was worth $20.” 8:40 “Lifetime employment” or “lifetime improvement?” 9:10 As employees, do we learn and improve for the sake of “me” and “my career” or for “the company?” Norman says it's “sad” that I don't want to improve for the company's sake. 10:00 Although Toyota Georgetown does not have “lifetime improvement,” they have never laid off a worker. 10:10 Are Toyota “temp” workers treated differently? Do they get a similar sense of commitment for ideas and suggestions? 11:15 How “Quick and Easy Kaizen” focuses on what's good for the worker? How do you make your work more interesting and easier? Norman says, “The result will be better quality, safety, customer service, productivity…” 12:30 Back to Toyota's product development and quality 13:10 Motorola and product development engineers improving the process 14:00 “How can you ask employees to be innovative rather than needing to have everything controlled by management, as we do in America?” 14:55 Norman says, “Management is not trained extensively, as they should be” 16:10 Working every day to improve, as employee, in a highly competitive world 16:30 Sending work to China for cheaper labor to do non-value added work versus eliminating waste? Why? 17:40 What about Toyota describing product development problems as “bonehead mistakes?” Is that not showing “respect for people?” 18:00Toyota tries to take waste development out of the development process without working them too hard. 20:20 Why Norman likes the theme of “respect for people”

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/6 Remastered June 2021 Here is LeanBlog Podcast #6, the second part of my discussion with Jamie Flinchbaugh, co-author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean. You can find the first part of the podcast here. In this Podcast, we talk about how leadership needs to apply the ideas of waste to reduction to their own jobs and how leaders really “lead” rather than being merely “behind” lean efforts. 0:50 How do you teach people how to see waste? What is the role of leaders in eliminating waste? 1:10 More about the “language of waste” and specific waste terminology, why is that important? 2:10 How leaders can eliminate waste from their own role and your own work 4:20 How can leaders get people to move to action? Does fear get in the way? 4:55 “Be visible” – being visible versus being a “showman” 5:10 “Great leaders ask great questions” but it's also important to make suggestions as a leader, to help drive action 5:30 “The management support myth” — being “behind” lean versus being a leader 6:35 Asking questions versus pointing out things to do 8:30 Doing lean “with” someone versus “for” them Jamie's most recent column in Assembly Magazine can be found here. Click here for an archive of Jamie's columns.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/5  Remastered June 2021 Here is LeanBlog Podcast #5, with a new guest: Jamie Flinchbaugh, co-author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean. In this Podcast, we talk about the “language of waste” and how waste reduction is a critical tool in the implementation of lean manufacturing and the Toyota Production System. There will be a second Podcast to follow, where we focus more on the role of leadership in driving waste out of your processes. If you're a regular Lean Blog reader, you should recognize Jamie as a valued contributor to the blog. Click here for a link to some of his blog posts. Prior to starting the Lean Learning Center, Jamie was part of the development, training and implementation of the Chrysler Operating System. Jamie also worked at DTE Energy, parent to Detroit Edison, as a lean thought leader to help transform the operations, leadership and thinking of the utility industry towards a philosophy of lean systems. You can read more about his background here on Jamie's web site.   LeanBlog Podcast #5 Show Notes and Approximate Timeline 1:15 Why does Jamie use the terminology “hatred for waste” in the book? 2:00 We need to not just identify waste, we need to be compelled to fix it, to take action.2:20 Do companies get hung up in the “analysis” phase? 3:10 Waste elimination is a “tool” and should be a daily activity 4:00 Do some companies waste three months by analyzing things, because they're afraid of doing the wrong thing? 4:40 Is there a risk of focusing on waste so much that you ignore your customer needs and value creation? 5:15 Jamie says “waste elimination should be an act unto itself” as opposed to just being the end goal of a different lean activity 5:40 Jamie talks about the value of “waste walks” 6:45 The “language of lean” and the types of waste 9:00 Discussion about “Waste” and “value,” the balance between the two — can you eliminate waste, but become irrelevant to your customer? 11:00 Can insourcing steps of the value stream help add more value in certain cases? 12:30 Most lean efforts are still manufacturing-centric and the amount of value you can provide is limited Jamie's most recent column in Assembly Magazine can be found here. Click here for an archive of Jamie's columns.  

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/4 Remastered June 2021 This is the second part of my discussion (started in Episode #3) with Dr. Jeff Liker of the University of Michigan and his books, including "The Toyota Way." This time, we focus on "lean healthcare" or the applications of lean in hospital settings, waste elimination, and problem solving. Please visit www.leanblog.org for show notes, links and more information. 1:28 Dr. Liker's comments on lean healthcare at the University of Michigan and their 5-day certificate program 2:03 Dr. Liker visited Toyota's own hospital last year and they are just starting to implement lean and the “Toyota Way” at “Toyota Memorial Hospital“ 2:53 “Hospitals are often a complete mess, lack of organization.” 3:50 “A lot of a hospital is just a huge material flow system… and it's done really badly.” 5:08 Can also look at patient “value streams” 5:15 Can eliminate 80-90% of the waste (waiting) from a patient perspective 5:48 How the American Heart Association used the Toyota Product Development System 6:28 Why doctors are afraid that “standardized work” might stifle their actual work, “it's really about becoming a learning organization” 7:48 How healthcare professionals can be open to principles (lean principles) rather than being told what to do 9:33 Why Toyota has “mechanized the routine tasks” — to free people up for problem solving 10:48 Workarounds and problem solving in healthcare 13:03 How simple, visual tools helped 13:28 What kind of consulting or advising does Dr. Liker do for those who might want to contact him? Keynote speeches, conferences, leadership workshops and vision setting. His firm, Optiprise, does more detailed consulting work. 15:29 The Toyota Product Development System (with Jim Morgan) is a new book that came out a few months back. Currently working on a new book with David Meier (co-author of the Toyota Way Fieldbook), called Toyota Talent, about how Toyota develops their people. It is part of what will be a series of books. The book will come out next year.

Author of "The Toyota Way" Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/3 Remastered June 2021 Here is the third LeanBlog Podcast, featuring Dr. Jeffrey Liker, Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineerring at the University of Michigan. Dr. Liker is very well known in the lean world and is a leader in studying Toyota's own practices and management approaches. More information about Dr. Liker and his books can be found in the show notes, below. LeanBlog Podcast #3 Show Notes and Approximate Timeline 1:45 What originally got Liker into studying Toyota — product development and supplier interaction. 3:58 Liker: “What do you see when you go on a tour? You see the factories. The see the factory's cleaner, it's better organized, the workers seem to be working hard a very engaged… so what Americans saw was really on the surface, so what they copied was on the surface.” 5:06 Are people working on less surfacy issues now? Liker talks about the move toward “lean enterprise.” 6:08 Back in 2000, Liker was quoted as saying “50% of auto suppliers are talking lean, 2% are actually doing it.” How do you think those numbers have changed today? 7:18 Liker: “What they've done is used individual tools.” 8:02 What about companies who claim to “implement” lean in 13 weeks? 8:33 Liker discusses how Toyota develops leaders in advance of opening a new plant. How long will it take the new San Antonio plant to become a true lean factory? 10:58 Can you pick and choose which of the Toyota Way 14 points that you use? 11:08 Liker discusses mixed feelings about “creating your own system,” good in theory, but the risk is you just pick and choose isolated practices. The goal really is to become a learning organization. 13:18 Liker: “We're not putting in the kanban system to eliminate inventory.” Liker discusses the balance between short-term gains and building a lean learning culture 16:03 Liker uses the phrase “Genchi Genbutsu” (or “go and see”) 16:08 Do you sometimes have to drag senior management out to the shopfloor? 17:22 Liker discusses how finance-driven companies drive metrics that interfere with lean. How has Toyota worked to set up an accounting system that supports the Toyota Production System? 20:28 Are there other Toyota Way Principles that companies struggle with? 22:33 Liker uses the phrase “hansei” (or “reflection”). 24:03 Why Toyota thinks you can't “implement a perfect lean system.”  

Remastered audio June 2021 Show notes https://www.leanblog.org/2   Here is the second LeanBlog Podcast, featuring author and consultant Norman Bodek, President of PCS Press. The first one can be found here and you can visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple Podcasts. LeanBlog Podcast #2 Show Notes and Timeline More on airport near misses here and here 2:55 Respect for people, the key difference between Toyota and American companies who aren't maximizing lean 4:45 Why managers are responsible — not setting up the process properly and not giving power to the people who are in contact with the customer 6:00 Toyota realized that to give people respect, you have to give them power 6:30 In his first trip to Japan in 1981, Norman didn't see people waiting in the factories 6:55 How “jidoka” and the separation of man and machines allowed one person to run seven machines 8:21 Why it's OK to have the machine wait instead of having people wait 8:31 Norman is speaking at the Lean Accounting Conference 9:30 “The machine should be no bigger than five times the size of the part.” 10:45 How do we get managers to take responsibility for the design of the system? 11:55 How Fujio Cho changed the “line stop” by adding time buffers, so the whole factory doesn't shut down — why Taiichi Ohno wouldn't have liked that 12:20 Ohno liked the whole plant to shut down because it forces you to find the root cause 13:32 Why you don't criticize people as a manager, how to bring out creative ideas 14:54 “Toyota was the most ruthless organization in Japan… Ohno was a terror… but from this comes the most humanistic management system.” 15:34 “A Toyota manager is told to ask, not tell.” 16:55 “Blame closes people up like an oyster.” 18:39 Why we should want people to make their own work easier and more interesting 19:25 “If we want to compete with the Toyotas of the world, we have to learn how to bring out the best of our people.” 19:38 “We send work to China and Toyota comes here to make cars.” 19:50 Discussion of Toyota's hiring approach and selectivity 22:10 Our management system is broken… 23:00 How healthcare is better about no layoff pledges along with lean and how that helps

Author & President of PCS Press Remastered June 2021 (the best I could do with a 2006 recording) Show notes: HTTP://www.leanblog.org/1  Here is my first LeanBlog Podcast, featuring author and consultant Norman Bodek, President of PCS Press. I have to give credit for the idea to Norman, as he approached me about doing a series of audio interviews as a follow up to and continuation of our Q&A that I posted here on the blog earlier this year. I'll take credit for turning it into a Podcast, something that I plan on making a regular feature, every month or so. There will be additional conversations with Norman and I also plan on interviewing other lean leaders and innovators. Visit the main page for all episodes and information about how to subscribe. LeanBlog Podcast #1 Show Notes and Timeline: Introduction to the Podcast (until 2:22) The difference between kaizen and kaizen events, early history of bringing the kaizen blitz (“kaikaku”) to America (starting at 3:18) Early development of employee suggestion systems (4:18) Difference between suggestion systems and “cost savings systems” (5:00) How Toyota started their suggestion system of “small, little ideas” (5:26) There is a point where the audio is poor, Norman says at 6:00, “…ideas per employee per year, one per month, one per month implemented idea per employee. So, that represented millions of ideas. In fact, I published a book once…” Norman mentions an early book, 40 Years, 20 Million Ideas: The Toyota Suggestion System, now out of print, but available used through amazon.com, albeit at a rare book price. Then, the audio improves again. How do you “manage 1800 ideas” per month? (6:40) Norman's experiences with Gulfstream and employee suggestions (8:30) How kaizen is not a bureaucratic system (10:40) What are the proper incentives for employee suggestions? (11:40) What are the two pillars of TPS? (13:05) How do you “keep score” with employee suggestions? (14:15) How do you balance between kaizen and standard work? (14:40) What is your role as a supervisor with employee suggestions? (15:40 and 22:30) How has Toyota changed their suggestion system over time? (16:50) Why giving $20 an idea was a problem (18:15) Proof that Toyota sometimes makes mistakes – but improves! (18:50) Focusing on “implementations” as opposed to “suggestions” (21:05) What happens when you criticize a suggestion? (23:00) Here is a blog entry that Norman wrote about the podcast, with additional thoughts: “Mark Graban interviewed me this past week for his first Podcast.  We talk about my discovery of Quick and Easy Kaizen, how it was the heart of the Toyota system – getting all employees involved in continuous improvement.  The puzzle to me is why every company doesn't add this most valuable process to their management lexicon.  We say that “People are our most valuable asset.” but we do very little to develop that asset to its fullest.    China does represent short-term labor savings but in the long term we are giving away our companies to them.   This week I was watching parts of the  Tour de France bicycle race on television and saw one of the leaders on a Giant bike. At one time over fifteen years ago, Schwinn was probably America's leading bicycle company.  They went to Taiwan to manufacture their bikes to take advantage of the low labor cost.  The company in Taiwan was Giant.  Initially, Schwinn wanted to reduce their assembly costs but Giant convinced them to also save money on engineering and every other phase of manufacturing and design.  After ten years or so when the initial contract was over, Giant told Schwinn, “We don't need you anymore.  We know how to make great bikes, you taught us how.”  All we have to do is learn how to market the bikes.  “Shortly, thereafter Schwinn went bankrupt and sold their “name,” to another American company. Unfortunately, we are great in short term thinking.  Toyota recognizes the threat from China but they are building more and more automobiles in America.  If they can do it why can't other American companies do it?  To me, the only difference in Toyota and American manufacturers is that Toyota develops their people and the best way to develop people is from their own creative ideas. Please do listen to the podcast… And give me some feedback, Thank you” Here is an amazon.com link to Norman Bodek's Books. My announcer is my old friend, Steve Sholtes, a musician from Michigan.