Lean

1700 Articles

GA 172 | How to Apply Lean Through Virtual Coaching with Karyn Ross and EKemp

By Jessica Bush - July 20th, 2017

This week we have three guests: Karyn Ross, Elaine Camm, and Oliver Thompson. Karyn, a past podcast guest, provides virtual coaching to Elaine and Oliver, who are UK-based. The group discussed their lean journeys and the nature of virt

The Horse, the Carriage and the Carriage Fee

By Jon Miller - July 17th, 2017

The automobile has been with us for approximately a century. For the millennia prior to that, we had horses. Because horses were an important part of lives and civilizations for so long, they generated many idioms and proverbs. You can

GA 171 | How to Combat Fear with Ron Pereira

By Jessica Bush - July 13th, 2017

In this week’s episode, Ron talks all about fear and why it’s so problematic. He also shares his own three strategies for driving fear out of your organization. An MP3 version of this episode is available for download here.

Practicing Lean Repairs a Leader’s Brain Damage

By Jon Miller - July 10th, 2017

It’s a sign of how little power I pretend to enjoy these days when an Atlantic Magazine article’s  alarming title Power Causes Brain Damage made me more curious than concerned. In it studies suggest that given power, lead

Drive Out Fear

By Ron Pereira - July 7th, 2017

Drive out fear.  Dr. Deming told us this many years ago when he published his famous 14 Principles. Most of us have heard these words. Most of us probably think we understand these words. And, I bet, most “actively practicing

GA 170 | How to See Past the Numbers with Bill Waddell

By Jessica Bush - July 6th, 2017

This week we’re sharing an inspiring keynote by Bill Waddell from the 2015 Lean Leadership Week. Bill explains how the concepts of fuzzy logic, globalization, and basic morality intersect, and why lean is ultimately all about peo

GA 169 | How to Develop Lean Leaders into Coaches with Elizabeth Fingado

By Jessica Bush - June 29th, 2017

This week’s guest is Elizabeth Fingado, the Director of Strategic Support Services at Denver Health. Ron and Beth discussed what it takes to turn lean leaders into coaches, including specific strategies and obstacles you might en

Orchestra

Advanced Lean is Paying Due Respect to Basic Lean

By Jon Miller - June 26th, 2017

I used to believe there was such a thing as advanced lean. Many people probably still believe this today. How about you? There are several ways “advanced lean” is used. In an educational context it means “not for be

“I Didn’t Teach the Dog Anything”

By Steve Kane - June 23rd, 2017

The Dog is a Handful I have a Jack Russell Terrier named Kirby.  Kirby has some–how should I put it–less than desirable behavioral traits.  He’s a great dog most of the time.  Other times, he can be a handful.  Fo

GA 168 | How to Leverage Change Intelligence with Barbara Trautlein

By Jessica Bush - June 22nd, 2017

This week’s guest is Barbara Trautlein, the founder of Change Catalysts. Barbara and Ron discussed change management, specifically why change fails and how people define failure. Barbara also explained the concept of Change Intel

Lean is a Floor

By Jon Miller - June 19th, 2017

American football is in its preseason. Teams have been holding training events for veterans and new players. Sports media commentators often speak or write about a players “floor” or “ceiling.” A rookie with

Scalable Learning, with a Lean Twist

By Kevin Meyer - June 16th, 2017

Last week John Haley and John Brown penned an interesting piece in the Harvard Business Review titled Great Businesses Scale Their Learning, Not Just Their Operations.  They began with a bit of history on how scalable efficiency used

GA 167 | How to Be Vulnerable with Debbie McAllister

By Jessica Bush - June 15th, 2017

This week’s guest is Debbie McAllister, a lean consultant in the healthcare industry. Debbie and Ron discussed vulnerability, and why it’s so important for leaders to be vulnerable from time to time. An MP3 version of this

Headwinds, Tailwinds, Continuous Improvement and Respect for Humanity

By Jon Miller - June 12th, 2017

A Freakonomics Radio episode from March of this year titled Why is My Life So Hard? reminds us of the importance of gratitude, introduces the notion and Headwinds/Tailwinds Asymmetry, and offers a new way to understand Lean management

GA 166 | How to “Win” at Lean with Paul Critchley

By Jessica Bush - June 8th, 2017

This week’s guest is Paul Critchley, a lean consultant with a diverse background. Paul and Ron discussed some of the roadblocks organizations typically experience on their lean journeys, as well as what it means to be “win

Lean Thinking from Itchy Toes to NASA

By Jon Miller - June 5th, 2017

About a month ago I consulted a physician about itchy toes, for the third time in about a year.  Through this process, I was able to reflect on Lean thinking, organizational culture, how we present problems, and what this means for th

Get the Facts

By Ron Pereira - June 2nd, 2017

Without sounding overly dramatic I’m fairly certain my content development team and I are working on the most important Gemba Academy course we’ve ever produced. This new course will be focused on the Job Relations (JR) as

GA 165 | Lean in the Auto Collision Industry with Chris Norris

By Jessica Bush - June 1st, 2017

This week’s guest is Chris Norris, a lean practitioner in the auto collision industry. Chris explained how he’s applied lean at several different companies, and what he’s learned over the years. An MP3 version of thi

Purpose for Asking “Why?”

By Jon Miller - May 29th, 2017

At its heart, Lean is about problem solving. Closing gaps. Overcoming obstacles. Making things better. The basic difference between organizations that succeed long-term with Lean and those who don’t can be gauged by how well they

Lean Outside of Manufacturing

By Steve Kane - May 26th, 2017

There are so many examples of lean in manufacturing that it can be easy to understand how well-suited the methodology is for that industry.  Folks in other types of organizations and roles often comment that it is difficult to transla

GA 164 | The Lean Pilot with Todd Abshire

By Jessica Bush - May 25th, 2017

This week’s guest is Todd Abshire, an Instructor Pilot and Continuous Improvement Manager in the U.S. Air Force. Ron and Todd discussed how continuous improvement applies to aviation, and to the U.S. Air Force overall. An MP3

Brain Science on How Lean Works

By Jon Miller - May 22nd, 2017

How does Lean work? There are rational, that is to say scientific, explanations. It works because when outputs are increase and inputs decreased, profit follows. Lean works because flow, pull and visualization remove waste and expos

trash cans

Waste Whack-a-Mole

By Kevin Meyer - May 19th, 2017

Today is garbage day in my neighborhood, and like most people in California and probably most of the U.S. if not the world, our trash is neatly segregated into green, blue, and gray containers for pickup – yard waste, recyclables

GA 163 | Addressing the Human Side of Lean with Rick Timlick

By Jessica Bush - May 18th, 2017

This week’s guest is lean consultant Rick Timlick. Rick shared how he helps organizations with their lean journeys, with a specific emphasis on the human component. An MP3 version of this episode is available for download here.

Visual Management Mind Trick

By Jon Miller - May 15th, 2017

Talk about thinking outside of the box. Each spring crows entered the abandoned lower floors of the research center. They stripped away pipe insulation for their nests. They left behind feathers and droppings. What did the researcher

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