coaching

257 Articles

GA 392 | Using Lean on a Horse Farm with John Knotts

By Jessica Bush - October 7th, 2021

This week’s guest is John Knotts. John is our newest Gemba Academy employee, and he shed some light on engagement and change readiness. John also owns a horse farm, and he explained how lean applies to that environment. An MP3 au

GA 391 | Discovering the Power of Toyota Kata with Ron Pereira & Friends

By Jessica Bush - September 30th, 2021

This week we’re sharing a few different audio clips on the power and benefits of Toyota Kata. The videos they come from will be available to view on our website without a subscription, so be sure to check them out. An MP3 audio v

GA 390 | Exploring and Using VAVE with Valorie Hendrix

By Jessica Bush - September 23rd, 2021

This week’s guest is Valorie Hendrix. Valorie told us all about VAVE, what it stands for, and what its benefits are. Valorie also explained how VAVE can be applied in less traditional lean settings, not just manufacturing. An MP3

GA 389 | People Solve Problems with Jamie Flinchbaugh

By Jessica Bush - September 16th, 2021

This week’s guest is Jamie Flinchbaugh. Ron and Jamie discussed the contents of Jamie’s upcoming book, People Solve Problems. This episode is full of incredible insights on lean, leadership, problem solving, and more. An MP

GA 388 | Your Brain and a Parachute with Chandan Dey

By Jessica Bush - September 9th, 2021

This week’s guest is Chandan Dey. Chandan provided some valuable insight on 3P, including advice on deploying it within your organization. Chandan also explained how and why the human brain is like a parachute. An MP3 audio versi

GA 387 | The Anatomy of a Lean Leader with Rick Foreman

By Jessica Bush - September 2nd, 2021

This week’s guest is Rick Foreman. Rick shared a powerful anecdote and explained what he’s been up to. Ron and Rick also broke down the ten essential traits of a lean leader.  An MP3 audio version of this episode is availa

Don’t Change the Culture, Change the Cultural Inputs

By Steve Kane - August 27th, 2021

Company culture, loosely defined, is a set of shared beliefs, values, purpose, practices, behaviors, artifacts, language, goals, and attitudes within an organization. Changing culture continues to be a hot topic in the workplace. While

GA 386 | Navigating Your Journey to Success with Michelle Pereira

By Jessica Bush - August 26th, 2021

This week’s guest is Michelle Pereira. Michelle, who is Ron’s sister, is a VP at Habitat for Humanity Manitoba. She and Ron discussed her journey to success and the non-profit world in general. They also discussed what Ron

GA 383 | Giving and Receiving Feedback with Glade Holman

By Jessica Bush - August 5th, 2021

This week’s guest is Glade Holman. Glade has a coaching and consulting background, and he explained his work as a “feedback specialist.” Ron and Glade discussed the nuances of giving and receiving feedback, including

GA 382 | Simplifying Value Stream Mapping with Steve Pereira

By Jessica Bush - July 29th, 2021

This week’s guest is Steve Pereira. Steve and Ron discussed Steve’s minimalist approach to value stream mapping, and how it differs from other approaches. Steve doesn’t have a traditional lean background, but his pers

GA 381 | The Art of Coaching with Kelly Mallery

By Jessica Bush - July 22nd, 2021

This week’s guest is Kelly Mallery. Kelly and Ron talked all about coaching, the skills involved, and the challenges Kelly has faced. A Lead Lean Manufacturing Specialist at GE Aviation, Kelly also shared some of her coaching suc

GA 380 | The Concept of Humble Inquiry with Peter and Ed Schein

By Jessica Bush - July 15th, 2021

This week’s guests are Peter and Ed Schein, prominent figures in the leadership and organizational culture fields. A father-son team, they discussed the books they’ve written, the concept of Humble Inquiry, vulnerability in

GA 379 | Leading vs. Lagging Indicators with Tracey and Ernie Richardson

By Jessica Bush - July 8th, 2021

This week’s guests are Tracey and Ernie Richardson. Tracey and Ernie broke down leading and lagging indicators, balancing the two, and some examples of both. They also explained the role standards play in navigating these indicat

GA 378 | Lean in Construction with Robert Penney

By Jessica Bush - July 1st, 2021

This week’s guest is Robert Penney. Robert, whose background is in construction, explained how the industry uses lean, what tools they use, etc. Robert also had some great books to recommend. An MP3 audio version of this episode

GA 377 | Psychological Safety and the 5Cs with Karyn Ross and Jessica House

By Jessica Bush - June 24th, 2021

This week’s guests are Karyn Ross and Jessica House. Karyn and Jessica talked about their work with kindness, mental health, and psychological safety in the workplace. They then walked Ron through the 5Cs and how you can delibera

GA 376 | Navigating Visual Management and the Obeya Method with Greg Woods

By Jessica Bush - June 17th, 2021

This week’s guest is Greg Woods.  Ron and Greg talked about the various approaches to visual management, including physical and digital strategies. They also discussed the obeya method and what it entails. An MP3 audio version o

The Value of Lean Certifications

By Steve Kane - May 28th, 2021

It’s often argued that certifications are not required to practice Lean. This is absolutely true. Lean and other continuous improvement methods can and should be practiced by anyone in any organization without a certification or

GA 371 | Adopting a Learning-Based Approach to Lean with Scott Keenan

By Jessica Bush - May 13th, 2021

This week’s guest is Scott Keenan. Scott described his continuous improvement journey, and the work he’s been doing with Alan Wire. Ron and Scott also discussed our Toyota Kata course, and Alan Wire’s experience with

GA 367 | The Dichotomies of Continuous Improvement with Ron Pereira

By Jessica Bush - April 15th, 2021

This week’s guest is Ron Pereira. Ron discussed two books by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, specifically their teachings on dichotomies and balance. Inspired by this, Ron described three of the dichotomies he’s observed in c

The Dichotomy of Continuous Improvement

By Ron Pereira - April 2nd, 2021

Every weekday morning my 14-year-old son and I take the 25-minute drive to his school. Neither one of us are big talkers in the morning so we typically listen to audiobooks to pass the time. The topics of the books we’ve listened

GA 365 | Adopting a Growth Mindset with Nik Kottha

By Jessica Bush - April 1st, 2021

This week’s guest is Nik Kottha. Ron and Nik covered several important topics, including what Nik has learned from yoga, what excellence means to him, and where his passion comes from. Nik also stressed the importance of coaching

Did Standardized Work Originate Thousands of Years Ago?

By Steve Kane - March 26th, 2021

Armies around the world and throughout history have many common practices and traditions. One practice, in particular, started thousands of years ago and is deeply rooted in what we today would characterize as Lean practices. This prac

GA 364 | Why Continuous Improvement Programs Fail with Peter Christian

By Jessica Bush - March 25th, 2021

This week’s guest is Peter Christian. Ron and Peter talk all about why Lean & Six Sigma programs often fail. They also explain what you can do to prevent some of these pitfalls. A MP3 audio version of this episode is availabl

Coaches Have Obstacles Too

By Steve Kane - February 26th, 2021

The purpose of coaching is to help people get from where they are to where they want to be. It’s a process of inquiry that provides clear structure to thinking that, ideally, diminishes uncertainty by exposing obstacles and illum

What are Lagging & Leading Indicators? How are they related? Why are they important?

By Steve Kane - January 22nd, 2021

David Barber is CFO of Omni Industries in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  David and the rest of the senior executive team at Omni are leading a lean transformation. He wrote this article for Omni’s company newsletter to help people at

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