Productivity

607 Articles

GA 307 | The Role of Automation and AI in Continuous Improvement with Lauren Hisey

By Jessica Bush - February 20th, 2020

This week’s guest is Lauren Hisey. Ron and Lauren talked all about automation and artificial intelligence, what the future holds as far as continuous improvement goes, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available fo

GA 306 | Practicing Kindness with Karyn Ross

By Jessica Bush - February 13th, 2020

This week’s guest is Karyn Ross. Ron and Karyn talked all about practicing kindness, why it’s important, and how it’s relevant to continuous improvement. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download h

GA 305 | Building Trust and Leveraging Conflict with Robb Holman

By Jessica Bush - February 6th, 2020

This week’s guest is Robb Holman. Ron and Rob discussed the importance of building trust in the workplace, the concept of Inside Out Leadership, and why conflict can be a powerful tool.  A MP3 audio version of this episode is av

GA 303 | Running a Successful Kaizen Event with Adam Lawrence

By Jessica Bush - January 23rd, 2020

This week’s guest is Adam Lawrence. Ron and Adam discussed everything that goes into running a successful kaizen event, including team selection, engagement, and increasing the chances of “winning.” A MP3 audio versio

GA 302 | Continuous Improvement at Halliburton with Chris Rodriguez

By Jessica Bush - January 16th, 2020

This week’s guest is Chris Rodriguez, Continuous Improvement Lead at Halliburton. Chris described their journey, including some of the lessons they’ve learned. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download h

GA 301 | Navigating Lean Trends with Karen Martin

By Jessica Bush - January 9th, 2020

This week’s guest is Karen Martin. Karen described some of the lean trends she’s observed, and how we can best prepare for and learn from them. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this epi

GA 300 | Leadership, Teamwork, and Taking Flight with Richard Sheridan

By Jessica Bush - January 2nd, 2020

We’re celebrating our 300th episode by sitting down with Richard Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations. Ron and Richard discussed the company’s unique culture, the similarities between flying an airplane and running a business

GA 299 | Lean and Strategy in the U.S. Air Force with Reza Zeinalpour

By Jessica Bush - December 26th, 2019

This week’s guest is Reza Zeinalpour. Ron and Reza talked about applying continuous improvement in the U.S. Air Force, including how they integrate performance metrics, innovation, and virtual reality. A MP3 audio version of this

GA 298 | Defining Standardized Work with Mike Thelen

By Jessica Bush - December 19th, 2019

This week’s guest is Mike Thelen. Ron and Mike explored all things standardized work, including the components, how often it should be improved, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In thi

GA 297 | The Importance of Hansei and Revitalization with Katie Anderson

By Jessica Bush - December 12th, 2019

This week’s guest is Katie Anderson. Katie described what it’s like working with former Toyota leader Mr. Isao Yoshino, and why the practices of reflection and revitalization are so critical. A MP3 audio version of this epi

GA 296 | How Toyota Uses Agile with Nigel Thurlow

By Jessica Bush - December 5th, 2019

This week’s guest is Nigel Thurlow.  At the time of this recording Nigel was Chief of Agile at Toyota Connected. He has since moved on from Toyota Connected.  Nigel explained how Toyota has used agile, and why it’s so imp

GA 295 | What’s New at LEI with Jean Cunningham

By Jessica Bush - November 28th, 2019

This week’s guest is Jean Cunningham. Recorded at AME Chicago, Ron and Jean discussed what’s happening at LEI, some of Jean’s book recommendations, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for downlo

GA 293 | Approaching the Certification Process with Craig Johnson

By Jessica Bush - November 14th, 2019

This week’s guest is Craig Johnson. Ron and Craig discussed the learning and development realm of continuous improvement, as well as the pros and cons to various certification approaches. A MP3 audio version of this episode is av

GA 292 | The Financial Impact of Continuous Improvement with Ron Pereira

By Jessica Bush - November 7th, 2019

This week, Ron Pereira reflects on a blog post by fellow Gemba Academy Co-Founder Jon Miller. Ron reads the blog post, which centers on the financial benefits of continuous improvement, and then adds some thoughts of his own. A MP3 aud

GA 291 | Understanding Your Suppliers with Denise Meredith

By Jessica Bush - October 31st, 2019

This week’s guest is Denise Meredith. Ron and Denise discussed everything from working with suppliers, to casket manufacturing, to automation. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode yo

GA 290 | The Danger of Being Right with Thomas Frase

By Jessica Bush - October 24th, 2019

This week’s guest is Thomas Frase. Ron and Thomas discussed why you should be careful being right, and some of the best ways to positively influence and connect with people. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for do

GA 289 | Combining TWI and Process Behavior Analysis with Panos Efsta

By Jessica Bush - October 17th, 2019

This week’s guest is Panos Efsta. Ron and Panos discussed how TWI and process behavior analysis can be integrated to create a powerful, holistic approach to continuous improvement. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available

GA 288 | Adapting to Industry 4.0 with Luke Mullins

By Jessica Bush - October 10th, 2019

This week’s guest is Luke Mullins. Ron and Luke discussed the concept of Industry 4.0, including the challenges both current and future leaders may face as lean evolves. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for downlo

GA 287 | The Wheel of Sustainability with Adam Lawrence

By Jessica Bush - October 3rd, 2019

This week’s guest is Adam Lawrence. Adam explained the Wheel of Sustainability model he developed to help individuals and organizations sustain their improvement efforts. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for downl

GA 286 | Lean and Robotic Process Automation with Saif Arshad

By Jessica Bush - September 26th, 2019

This week’s guest is Saif Arshad. Saif works for S&P Global, and he shared how they use lean thinking to improve their processes. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’l

GA 285 | Learning Four Languages in One Year with Scott Young

By Jessica Bush - September 19th, 2019

This week’s guest is Ultralearning author Scott Young. Ron and Scott discussed the concept of ultralearning, and how Scott has used its principles to accomplish some truly impressive goals. A MP3 audio version of this episode is

GA 284 | Continuous Improvement in the Fast Food Industry with David Reid

By Jessica Bush - September 12th, 2019

This week’s guest is David Reid. David is a Principal Team Leader at Chick-fil-A, and he shared some of the many ways they’ve incorporated lean into their day-to-day operations.  A MP3 audio version of this episode is avai

GA 283 | Leveraging the Spirit of Learning with Ryan McCall

By Jessica Bush - September 5th, 2019

This week’s guest is Ryan McCall. Ryan shared some of what he’s learned so far on his lean journey and got Ron to weigh in on some of the interpersonal issues that can arise when experimenting with new lean approaches. A MP

GA 282 | Toyota Kata and Scientific Thinking with Mike Rother

By Jessica Bush - August 29th, 2019

This week we’re sharing a keynote by Mike Rother. Recorded at KataCon5, Mike stresses the value of scientific thinking and Toyota Kata, touching on specific tools like deliberate practice as well. A MP3 audio version of this epis

Reframe Your Thinking

By Steve Kane - August 23rd, 2019

Part of my role at Gemba Academy is to coach customers along their continuous improvement journey.  Coaching sessions are typically brief phone conversations that help clients continually realign their efforts with organizational goal

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