GA 220 | How to Ensure the Longevity of Your Lean Success with Mohamed Aref

This week’s guest is Mohamed Aref. Mohamed shared his lean journey with us, including his take on what makes a lean initiative stick, and what lean is like in Egypt. An MP3 version of this episode is available for download here.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Mohamed’s background (2:18)
• His introduction to lean (4:10)
• How his company began using lean  (5:44)
• The skepticism he encountered (6:52)
• The first thing Mohamed did with lean (7:38)
• The reduced lead time (11:34)
• Cultural challenges they faced (12:25)
• How attitudes changed over time (13:58)
• What lean is like at the company now (15:05)
• Lean in Egypt (18:11)
• The main success factors (19:13)
• What “Respect for People” means to Mohamed (22:08)
• The advice Mohamed would give his younger self (23:11)
• Some of the best advice Mohamed has received (24:27)
• How Mohamed practices lean outside of work (26:48)
• Mohamed’s book recommendations (27:40)
• Mohamed’s final words of wisdom (29:31)

Podcast Resources

• Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3
• Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com
• Mohamed on LinkedIn
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People 
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things
• The Lean Startup

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What Do You Think?

What else can help make sure that lean efforts last?

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