October 2016 | Gemba Academy

A Five-letter Recipe for a Non-Fail Presidency

By Jon Miller - October 31st, 2016

Barely eight days remain until the American voters elects the adult human who will serve as the next President of the United States. It has been an ugly process to narrow it down to the two major candidates, with all due respect to th

GA 134 | How to Apply Lean to Finance with Tiago Salgado

By Jessica Bush - October 27th, 2016

Today’s guest is Tiago Salgado, a lean practitioner from Portugal. Ron and Tiago talked about the intersection of lean and finance, and about Tiago’s personal lean journey. An MP3 version of this episode is available for d

For Continuous Improvement, Think Like a Child

By Jon Miller - October 24th, 2016

Listening to a Freakonomics Radio episode titled Think Like a Child reminded me of the words of a TPS sensei. When a kaizen team was faced with puzzling process failures, complex problems, or a need for innovative designs, sensei

Lean Lessons from Tough Mudder

By Steve Kane - October 21st, 2016

By Steve Kane May 2016 I had the bright idea that I’d register for the Michigan Tough Mudder Mud Run, then find a way to get in shape (ready, fire, aim). I had seen ads and social media posts from finishers and thought t

New Videos: Lean at the City of Grand Rapids

By Kevin Meyer - October 20th, 2016

Steve Kane, Director of Customer Success at Gemba Academy, visits a Gemba Academy customer, the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Steve had the opportunity to talk with decision makers, city executives, as well as as other city employees

GA 133 | How to Create a Visual Workplace with Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth

By Jessica Bush - October 20th, 2016

Today’s guest is Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth, an author and consultant who specializes in the visual workplace. Gwendolyn shared her fascinating background with us and explained the importance of visuality. This in-depth conversati

How Lean Thinking Can Relieve Traffic Jams

By Jon Miller - October 17th, 2016

Seattle owns the dubious distinction of having one of the 10 worst traffic experiences in the United States. This is due to a combination of geography, lack of long-term transportation planning, population growth, and driver behavi

Designing a Lean Home

By Kevin Meyer - October 14th, 2016

I’ve received several comments on The Simple Leader, with some of the most unexpected having to do with the section where I discuss my desire to design and build a home with Lean principles in mind. If I hadn’t studied chem

GA 132 | How to Apply Lean to Puzzle Manufacturing with Don Scott

By Jessica Bush - October 13th, 2016

Today’s guest is Don Scott of Buffalo Games, a puzzle and board game company. Don described his take on continuous improvement as well as the challenges that pertain to this unique industry. An MP3 version of this episode is

Five Thoreau Quotes to Reflect on Continuous Improvement

By Jon Miller - October 10th, 2016

Nineteenth century American poet, agitator for social change and champion of simple living Henry David Thoreau had a lot to say about continuous improvement. Here are five quotes that will help us reflect on how we improve. “Man

Month: October 2016