Lean Archives | Page 2 of 68

The Angel in the Marble

By Ron Pereira - April 29th, 2026

I recently came across a quote normally attributed to Michelangelo that I can’t stop thinking about. “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” Notice he didn’t say he built the angel. Instead,

A New Way to Look at 5S

By John Knotts - April 24th, 2026

Most people think they understand 5S. They associate it with cleaning, organizing, and maybe putting tape on the floor. In many organizations, that is exactly what it becomes. A one-time cleanup event followed by a slow return to the w

GA 629 | Why Leadership Is Like Cooking with Pete Behrens

By Jessica Bush - April 23rd, 2026

This week’s guest is Pete Behrens. Ron and Pete discussed Pete’s book, “Into the Fog,” what it means for leaders to face uncertainty, why leadership is like cooking, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episod

Whispering Names, Remembering Blessings

By Ron Pereira - April 22nd, 2026

Disclaimer: This blog article is more personal in nature. On Monday mornings at 6:00 am I spend an hour in the adoration chapel at my church. It’s a time for quiet contemplation and prayer. Normally, I find myself asking for th

Are Your Five Whys Turning into a Tangled Mess?

By John Knotts - April 17th, 2026

If your Five Whys sessions feel like they’re going in circles, you’re not alone. What starts as a simple exercise often turns into a tangled mess of guesses, side paths, and competing opinions. The problem isn’t the tool itself,

GA 628 | A Factory on Fire: How Lean Saves Lives with Brian Meyers

By Jessica Bush - April 16th, 2026

This week’s guest is Brian Meyers. Ron and Brian discussed the heart-stopping story of how Brian’s facility caught fire, the profound difference lean made in saving it, what “unwavering commitment” means, and mo

Getting to 80%

By Ron Pereira - April 15th, 2026

I recently worked my way through a fantastic podcast between Arthur Brooks, a professor at the Harvard Business School, and Tim Ferriss. Brooks studies the idea of happiness and has written many books on the subject. While there were a

GA 627 | Value Stream Mapping on University Campuses with Kristin Kielich

By Jessica Bush - April 9th, 2026

This week’s guest is Kristin Kielich. Ron and Kristin discussed Kristin’s experiences with continuous improvement in education, dealing with resistance, measuring success, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is a

Why Proper Root Cause Analysis Matters

By John Knotts - April 8th, 2026

The post below was written by Gemba Academy Master Black Belt Candidate Noah Waech. Noah was also recently on our podcast. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us, Noah! Root cause analysis can be one of the simplest and mo

Occam’s Razor and Lean Thinking

By Ron Pereira - April 8th, 2026

Occam’s Razor is a principle that dates back to the 14th century and is attributed to the English Franciscan friar and philosopher William of Ockham. It simply says: When multiple explanations exist, start with the simplest one. Not

GA 626 | Learning to See Waste with Randall Dupre

By Jessica Bush - April 2nd, 2026

This week’s guest is Randall Dupre. Ron and Randall discussed Randall’s book, “Everyday Lean,” the kinds of mistakes Randall sees people making, what good leadership looks like, his favorite lean principles, and

Why Project Management Skills Are Essential for Everyone

By John Knotts - April 1st, 2026

When people think about process improvement, they often think about approaches and tools. Things like Value Stream Mapping, Root Cause Analysis, Control Charts, DMAIC, Fishbone Diagram, etc. But here’s the truth: Process improvement

Is the Universe Working Against You, or For You?

By Ron Pereira - April 1st, 2026

I want you to imagine it’s Monday morning and you’re on your way to work. Everything’s going as well as can be expected in rush hour until, out of nowhere, some guy cuts right in front of you, causing you to slam on y

GA 625 | Dealing with Hidden Threats with Dean Svarc

By Jessica Bush - March 26th, 2026

This week’s guest is Dean Svarc. Ron and Dean discussed Dean’s book, “Trojan Horse,” navigating hidden threats, why culture matters, the mistakes leaders make, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is a

Do Buffalo Really Run Toward Storms?

By Ron Pereira - March 25th, 2026

You may have heard the story before. When a storm rolls across the plains, buffalo don’t run away from it…they run into it. The idea is that by facing the storm head-on, they get through it faster than if they tried to outrun it. I

GA 624 | The Pause, Consider, Act Framework with Ashley Herd

By Jessica Bush - March 19th, 2026

This week’s guest is Ashley Herd. Ron and Ashley discussed Ashley’s Pause, Consider, Act Framework, the concept of a career quilt, micromanagement, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download he

The Unglamorous Power of Routine

By Ron Pereira - March 18th, 2026

You might be wondering about the picture I chose for this article. Obviously, it’s nothing fancy, just a pair of shoes sitting on a gym bag. But to me, this image represents something very important: the quiet, unglamorous power

GA 623 | The Power of Entropy with Adam Lawrence

By Jessica Bush - March 12th, 2026

This week’s guest is Adam Lawrence. Ron and Adam discussed Adam’s Wheel of Sustainability, the importance of continuously improving, what his Sustainability System assessment is trying to solve, and more. An MP3 audio versi

The Hidden Enemy of Continuous Improvement

By Ron Pereira - March 11th, 2026

If you’ve been practicing continuous improvement long enough, you’ve almost certainly heard one, possibly all, of these statements: We tried that before. That won’t work here. We’re different. Management won’t approve it. Tha

GA 622 | The State of AI with Steven Remsen

By Jessica Bush - March 5th, 2026

This week’s guest is Steven Remsen. Ron and Steven discussed Steven’s time at Intel, how to make change “stick” at a large organization, what Steven sees organizations struggling with, the current state of AI, a

Why Working Longer Often Leads to Getting Less Done

By Ron Pereira - March 4th, 2026

It seems logical that if you want to accomplish more, you should work longer. More hours should equal more output, right? Interestingly enough, at least for me, I’ve often experienced the opposite. There have been times when I spend

GA 621 | The Five Habits of Hope with Dr. Julia Garcia

By Jessica Bush - February 26th, 2026

This week’s guest is Dr. Julia Garcia. Ron and Julia discussed Julia’s book, “The Five Habits of Hope,” the power of resilience, the role hope plays in problem-solving, and more. An MP3 audio version of this epi

GA 620 | Is Your Lean Operating System Talking or Singing? with Royden Johnson

By Jessica Bush - February 19th, 2026

This week’s guest is Royden Johnson. Ron and Royden discussed the concept of a lean operating system talking versus singing, the different phases of the operating system, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is availabl

GA 619 | Don’t Walk By a Mess with Chad Bareither

By Jessica Bush - February 12th, 2026

This week’s guest is Chad Bareither. Ron and Chad discussed making culture changes in the workplace, powerful aspects of Japanese culture, the importance of cleaning up, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available

GA 618 | MORE Is Better with Kathy Miller

By Jessica Bush - February 5th, 2026

This week’s guest is Kathy Miller. Ron and Kathy discussed manufacturing, Kathy’s new book “MORE Is Better,” optimism, psychological safety, and the art of making high-quality connections. An MP3 audio version o

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