May 2019 | Gemba Academy

GA 269 | Establishing a Standard Behavior with Skip Steward

By Jessica Bush - May 30th, 2019

This week’s guest is Skip Steward. Ron and Skip had a long conversation all about healthcare and the transformative powers of TWI, Toyota Kata, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In thi

Lessons Learned as a Kata Coach

By Steve Kane - May 24th, 2019

I first learned about Toyota Kata many years ago by attending a one-day workshop presented by Beth Carrington. A short time later, I read Toyota Kata and I began practicing. The practice as a new kata coach was difficult for me.

GA 268 | Breaking Down the Seven Wastes with Jeff Kaas

By Jessica Bush - May 23rd, 2019

This week’s guest is Jeff Kaas. We’re sharing the audio from an upcoming course that features Jeff’s company, Kaas Tailored. Using real life examples, Jeff explains each of the seven wastes in a unique and dynamic way

First, Make a Human Connection

By Jon Miller - May 20th, 2019

A recent conversation with a friend of mine who is a continuous improvement director at a sizable North American corporation yielded some personal insights for him and general ones about being a technical change leader. This story is s

GA 267 | The Nature of Coaching with Steve Kane

By Jessica Bush - May 16th, 2019

This week’s guest is our Director of Customer Success, Steve Kane. Ron and Steve talked all about Steve’s coaching journey, including using kata, the power of the right mindset, what it means to be a coach, and more. An MP3

An Introduction to Kaizen

By Jon Miller - May 13th, 2019

Kaizen (改善) is a Japanese word meaning “improvement”. The symbol kai means to change, to renew, to correct something that is wrong, and zen means “good” – there is no relation to Zen Buddhism. The w

Businessman with vampire fangs in the office

The Problem of Profit as a Purpose

By Kevin Meyer - May 10th, 2019

Just yesterday the Harvard Business Review presented an article by a London Business School professor suggesting that companies don’t always need a purpose beyond profit. I had to take a walk on the beach to get my blood pressure

GA 266 | The True Value of Cost Reduction with Amery Williams

By Jessica Bush - May 9th, 2019

This week’s guest is Amery Williams. Ron and Amery discussed cost reduction and its role in continuous improvement, which can sometimes be controversial. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In thi

The Pursuit of True Pull

By Jon Miller - May 6th, 2019

A couple of weeks ago I spent the day with Jeff Kaas at his company Kaas Tailored. We discussed their approach to hoshin kanri, gemba walks, visual management, creating flow in a high-mix low-volume environment, and how they are adapti

Ask These 4 Questions During Your Next Coaching Call

By Ron Pereira - May 3rd, 2019

A critical component of our Green Belt and Black Belt certification program are weekly coaching calls. We’ve learned that staying in close contact with our candidates is vital to their success. We’ve also learned that fou

Month: May 2019