Productivity

607 Articles

GA 439 | Collecting and Interpreting Data with John Knotts

By Jessica Bush - September 1st, 2022

  This week’s guest is John Knotts. Ron and John talked all about data, how to approach it, and what tools John recommends. John also expanded on the concept of “being the rock.”  An MP3 audio version of this ep

GA 438 | The Importance of Understanding People with Brent Weichers

By Jessica Bush - August 25th, 2022

This week’s guest is Brent Weichers. Brent explained how his organization has made real changes to improve the lives of the employees. He also shared what he’ll be presenting at this year’s AME conference. An MP3 audi

GA 437 | Virtual Training with Steve Kane

By Jessica Bush - August 18th, 2022

This week’s guest is Steve Kane. Ron and Steve discussed the benefits and challenges of virtual training. Steve also explained the trends in virtual training he’s observed recently. An MP3 audio version of this episode is a

GA 436 | Work Design and Intrinsic Motivation with Thomas Bertels

By Jessica Bush - August 11th, 2022

This week’s guest is Thomas Bertels. Ron and Thomas discussed how Thomas got into work design, how it relates to lean, and why intrinsic motivation is so critical. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download he

GA 435 | Golf, Coaching, and Intentional Leadership with Wendy Posillico

By Jessica Bush - August 4th, 2022

This week’s guest is Wendy Posillico. Ron and Wendy discussed her golf career, her company Live Your June, and the role of ethos and pathos in leadership. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In th

GA 434 | All About TPM with Ron Pereira

By Jessica Bush - July 28th, 2022

This week’s guest is Ron Pereira. Ron talked about our TPM, or Total Productive Maintenance, content, and then shared a previous episode on TPM by Balaji Chandrasekar. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for downloa

GA 433 | Being a Scientific Leader with Calvin Williams

By Jessica Bush - July 21st, 2022

This week’s guest is Calvin Williams. Ron and Calvin discussed his company Impruver, scientific thinking, and what it means to be a scientific leader. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this e

GA 431 | Implementing a Quality Management System with Dereck Williams

By Jessica Bush - July 7th, 2022

This week’s guest is Dereck Williams. Ron and Dereck discussed Quality Management Systems, what they entail, and how to ensure your efforts are successful and sustainable. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for dow

GA 430 | The Importance of Empathetic Leadership with Bhavana Bartholf

By Jessica Bush - June 30th, 2022

This week’s guest is Bhavana Bartholf. Bhavana is the Global Head of Digital & Sales Strategy at Microsoft and a keynote speaker at this year’s AME International Conference. Ron and Bhavana discussed empathy, culture, t

GA 429 | Driving Excellence and Creating Value with Michael Lamach

By Jessica Bush - June 23rd, 2022

This week’s guest is Michael Lamach. A keynote presenter at this year’s AME International Conference, Ron and Michael talked about everything from his time at Trane Technologies, to promoting engagement, cycle time, and mor

Three Most Important Metrics in a Continuous Improvement Culture

By John Knotts - June 17th, 2022

How many things do you measure in order to tell you how you are doing in business?  I have seen organizations that measure everything and anything.  Many times, what is being measured is not something the business can do anything abo

GA 428 | The Power of Discovery with Colin Baird

By Jessica Bush - June 16th, 2022

This week’s guest is Colin Baird. Ron and Colin discussed the role of discovery and the importance of being appreciated. Colin also shared how his relationship with his father shaped the way he views continuous improvement. An MP

GA 427 | The Hierarchy of Action with Ryan McCall

By Jessica Bush - June 9th, 2022

This week’s guest is Ryan McCall. Ron and Ryan explored the Hierarchy of Action, and what it means to “Start with Why.” Ryan also shared some advice for what to do when your “Why?” isn’t embraced by

GA 426 | Deciding When to Use Technology with Lauren Hisey

By Jessica Bush - June 2nd, 2022

This week’s guest is Lauren Hisey. Ron and Lauren discussed the dangers of jumping straight into technology before exploring other options. They also covered value stream mapping, gemba walks, and more. An MP3 audio version of th

GA 425 | Lean and Racing with Beau Briggs

By Jessica Bush - May 26th, 2022

This week’s guest is Beau Briggs. Beau described his racing career and his family business, and how lean has been a part of both journeys. This is a particularly unique episode you won’t want to miss. An MP3 audio version o

GA 423 | Lean and Human-Centered Design with Michael Parent

By Jessica Bush - May 12th, 2022

This week’s guest is Michael Parent. Ron and Michael discussed human-centered design and how it intersects with lean. Michael also talked about his book, The Lean Innovation Cycle.  An MP3 audio version of this episode is availa

GA 422 | Getting Lean Buy-In with Adam Marsland

By Jessica Bush - May 5th, 2022

This week’s guest is Adam Marsland. Adam, who works in the legal industry, explained how his firm uses continuous improvement and what problems they’re solving. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download

GA 421 | What Employees Want with Dan Johnston

By Jessica Bush - April 28th, 2022

This week’s guest is Dan Johnston.  Dan explained how his company WorkStep approaches hiring and retaining employees and what employees truly want, with clear parallels to lean, PDCA, and Respect for People. An MP3 audio version

Engaging Partners and Suppliers on Your CI Journey

By John Knotts - April 15th, 2022

In my first blog on the subject of Continuous Improvement, I highlighted the proverb, “many hands, make light work.”  The concept of a culture of continuous improvement is to orient everyone in the organization toward one common g

GA 419 | Lean in Venture Capital with Bryan Bauw

By Jessica Bush - April 14th, 2022

This week’s guest is Bryan Bauw. Bryan explained how he uses lean and continuous improvement in his role at a startup venture capital firm. Ron and Bryan also explored what we could learn from the world of venture capital. An MP3

GA 418 | Value Stream Management in Software Delivery with Lance Knight

By Jessica Bush - April 7th, 2022

This week’s guest is Lance Knight. Lance explained how lean and value stream management work in the software delivery field. He also shed some light on what they’re doing that traditional manufacturers could benefit from. A

GA 417 | Steel Toes and Stilettos with Kathy Miller and Shannon Karels

By Jessica Bush - March 31st, 2022

This week’s guests are Kathy Miller and Shannon Karels. They shared what it’s like being women in manufacturing, their experiences leading lean transformations, and the inspiration behind their book Steel Toes and Stilettos

GA 416 | JELD-WEN’s Lean Journey with Gregg Miner

By Jessica Bush - March 24th, 2022

This week’s guest is Gregg Miner. Ron asked Gregg about his personal lean journey and JELD-WEN’s lean journey. Gregg also shared some great advice on goal setting. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for downl

GA 415 | Reacting vs. Responding with Sumit Gupta

By Jessica Bush - March 17th, 2022

This week’s guest is Sumit Gupta. Ron and Sumit discussed various aspects of leadership, including what it means to be a leader, dealing with different personality types, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is availabl

GA 413 | Understanding the Constraint with Hezi Korn

By Jessica Bush - March 3rd, 2022

This week’s guest is Hezi Korn. Ron and Hezi discussed TOC and how to identify and evaluate your constraints before automating anything. They also touched on some other important lean tools. An MP3 audio version of this episode i

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