Productivity

607 Articles

GA 331 | Leading and Learning at Toyota with Katie Anderson

By Jessica Bush - August 6th, 2020

This week’s guest is Katie Anderson. Ron and Katie discussed Katie’s new book, the roles of a leader,  joy versus happiness, and much more. Katie also shared some special stories about esteemed Toyota leaders like Isao Yos

GA 330 | The Power of 3P with Adam Lawrence

By Jessica Bush - July 30th, 2020

This week’s guest is Adam Lawrence. Ron and Adam talked all about 3P, including the steps involved and how it can be used for product innovation. Adam also shared a very interesting anecdote involving cat litter, corn flakes, and

Team Learning vs. Individual Learning

By Steve Kane - July 24th, 2020

Gemba Academy has been helping people gain proficiency in Lean and Six Sigma through Green Belt and Black Belt certification courses for several years. These certification courses have always included one-on-one coaching via phone or v

GA 329 | Gathering Lean Stories with Dewey Mauldin

By Jessica Bush - July 23rd, 2020

This week’s guest is Dewey Mauldin. Dewey, who works for Daimler Trucks, shared some of the experiences that have stuck with him over the years. Dewey specifically touches on takt time, purchase processes, and more. A MP3 audio v

GA 328 | Lean in Hospitality with Aaron Davidson

By Jessica Bush - July 16th, 2020

This week’s guest is Aaron Davidson. Aaron explained how he and his team use lean in the hospitality industry, including some unique examples involving cleaning hotel rooms, gambling, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode

GA 327 | Continuous Improvement and Humanitarianism with Andrew Parris

By Jessica Bush - July 9th, 2020

This week’s guest is Andrew Parris. Andrew, who works for an NGO called Medair, explained how continuous improvement can be used in a humanitarian context. The global component Andrew discusses proves how versatile these principl

GA 326 | Lean and Law in the UK with Adam Marsland

By Jessica Bush - July 2nd, 2020

This week’s guest is Adam Marsland. Adam, a Continuous Improvement Expert at a law firm, explained how lean is being leveraged in the legal industry in the UK. Adam also gave an overall “state of the union address” on

GA 325 | Lean in the Non-Profit Sector with Lauren Wisniewski

By Jessica Bush - June 25th, 2020

This week’s guest is Lauren Wisniewski. Lauren shared her experiences helping non-profits incorporate lean, including the benefits and barriers they encounter. This episode is a great example of how lean applies to more than just

GA 324 | From Software Engineers to Face Shield Manufacturers with Radek Pietruszewski

By Jessica Bush - June 18th, 2020

This week’s guest is Radek Pietruszewski. To help fight COVID-19 in Poland, Radek and his software engineering colleagues figured out how to quickly manufacture thousands of face shields. He and Ron discussed the details of this

GA 323 | Pivoting From Furniture to Personal Protective Equipment with Jeff Kaas

By Jessica Bush - June 11th, 2020

This week’s guest is Jeff Kaas. Jeff explained how Kaas Tailored went from making furniture to making PPE in response to COVID-19. Jeff also shared some of the mistakes they’ve made, including reverting to batch production.

GA 322 | Tailoring the Kata Model with James Newell

By Jessica Bush - June 4th, 2020

This week’s guest is James Newell. Ron and James explored the ways James has tailored the kata model to better suit different teams and industries. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episo

GA 320 | Lean in the Legal Profession with Jaclyn Harder

By Jessica Bush - May 21st, 2020

This week’s guest is Jaclyn Harder. Ron and Jaclyn discussed how lean applies to practicing law, as well as the power of taking action. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’

GA 319 | The Danger of Expertise with Audie Penn

By Jessica Bush - May 14th, 2020

This week’s guest is Audie Penn. Ron and Audie talked about the ways that lean can be used to help teams solve unique problems. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll lear

GA 318 | Structuring Your Continuous Improvement Efforts with Calvin Williams

By Jessica Bush - May 7th, 2020

This week’s guest is Calvin Williams. Ron and Calvin discussed leadership standard work and how continuous improvement could be used to navigate the global COVID-19 pandemic. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for d

GA 317 | Implementing Lean at Starbucks with Karen Gaudet

By Jessica Bush - April 30th, 2020

This week’s guest is Karen Gaudet. Before becoming Team Leader of Operations and Personnel at LEI, she worked for Starbucks, and she shared the story of their powerful lean transformation with us. A MP3 audio version of this epis

GA 316 | Leading During a Crisis with Sam MacPherson

By Jessica Bush - April 23rd, 2020

This week we’re sharing the audio of a webinar by Sam MacPherson. Sam discussed leading and communicating during a crisis, preparing for a crisis, applying SMED in a crisis, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is availa

GA 315 | Dealing With Uncertainty with Steve Kane

By Jessica Bush - April 16th, 2020

This week we’re sharing the audio of a presentation on coaching, leader standard work, and uncertainty by our own Steve Kane. Steve’s advice on uncertainty is particularly relevant to today. A MP3 audio version of this epis

How to Manage Chaos & Uncertainty

By Ron Pereira - April 3rd, 2020

One of the most efficient ways to work through an obstacle, or uncertainty, is to learn as fast as possible through experimentation. I think it’s safe to say that most of us have been facing lots of change and uncertainty over the la

GA 313 | The Eight Pillars of Total Productive Maintenance with Balaji Chandrasekar

By Jessica Bush - April 2nd, 2020

This week’s guest is Balaji Chandrasekar. Ron and Balaji reviewed the pillars of TPM, the challenges involved, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:  Th

Give People a Sense of Certainty Through New Routines

By Steve Kane - March 27th, 2020

The Power of Routine So much of our daily activity is performing routines, even though we may not be aware of it. Getting out bed and ready for work; picking up the phone, wallet, and keys on the way out the door; stopping for coffee;

GA 312 | Practicing Kata in Secret with Tracy Defoe

By Jessica Bush - March 26th, 2020

This week’s guest is Tracy Defoe. Ron and Tracy discussed why people practice Toyota Kata and continuous improvement in secret, and why it’s problematic. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. I

GA 311 | The Lean Construction Movement with Hal Macomber

By Jessica Bush - March 19th, 2020

This week’s guest is Hal Macomber. Ron and Hal discussed the lean construction movement, the Last Planner System, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn: 

GA 310 | The Role of Motivation in Continuous Improvement with Brad Miller

By Jessica Bush - March 12th, 2020

This week’s guest is Brad Miller. Ron and Brad discussed how motivation factors into continuous improvement, and a modern motivation framework that could be useful to managers. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for

GA 309 | Lean and Self-Development with Pete Kuehn

By Jessica Bush - March 5th, 2020

This week’s guest is Pete Kuehn. Ron and Pete discussed Pete’s lean journey, including the effect lean has had on his personal life. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you

GA 308 | Lessons Learned at Toyota with Andy Reith

By Jessica Bush - February 27th, 2020

This week’s guest is Andy Reith. Ron and Andy discussed working at Toyota, the challenges small businesses face, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn: 

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