Productivity

607 Articles

GA 412 | Lean and Design with Andy Switky

By Jessica Bush - February 24th, 2022

This week’s guest is Andy Switky. Ron and Andy discussed lean thinking versus design thinking, and what the two worlds could learn from each other. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this epis

GA 411 | Practicing Lean in High School with David Tuttle

By Jessica Bush - February 17th, 2022

This week’s guest is David Tuttle. David is the head of Precision Machining Technology at Platt Technical High School, and he explained how the program works and how it can be life-changing for students. An MP3 audio version of t

GA 410 | Are You Winning or Losing? with Max Krug and Pavel Kuviarzin

By Jessica Bush - February 10th, 2022

This week’s guests are Max Krug and Pavel Kuviarzin. Part Two of a recent episode, Max and Pavel discuss everything from root cause analysis and problem-solving, to sustaining success. They also stressed the importance of visual

GA 409 | Continuous Improvement at Douglas Dynamics with Shannan Vlieger

By Jessica Bush - February 3rd, 2022

This week’s guest is Shannan Vlieger. Ron and Shannan talked all about Douglas Dynamics and their management system, DDMS. Shannan explained the five levers of DDMS and why they’re important. An MP3 audio version of this ep

Building A Culture Of Continuous Improvement Part Two

By Steve Kane - January 28th, 2022

This article was written by John Knotts, a Senior Coach here at Gemba Academy. This is the fourth in a series of five articles written by John.  The previous three are hyperlinked below: Over the last three months, we have covered th

GA 408 | Lean and Life Coaches with Sarah Tilkens

By Jessica Bush - January 27th, 2022

This week’s guest is Sarah Tilkens.  Sarah talked about her journey as a leader at GE and how she has embraced her true self in the process. Sarah also explained her interest in becoming a life coach. An MP3 audio version of thi

GA 407 | Choosing an Approach to Lean and Six Sigma with John Knotts

By Jessica Bush - January 20th, 2022

This week’s guest is John Knotts, Senior Coach at Gemba Academy. Ron and John took a deep dive into process improvement versus project-based approaches, and why the two can and should coexist. An MP3 audio version of this episode

GA 405 | Elevating Constraints with Max Krug and Pavel Kuviarzin

By Jessica Bush - January 6th, 2022

This week’s guests are Max Krug and Pavel Kuviarzin. Max and Pavel gave us their take on the relationship between lean, processes, and The Theory of Constraints. They also touched on the dangers of falling too far into one partic

GA 404 | Leading in a VUCA Environment with James Newell

By Jessica Bush - December 30th, 2021

This week’s guest is James Newell. Ron and James talked all about what VUCA means, how James introduced his team to lean, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll

GA 403 | Moving the Needle with Robb Holman

By Jessica Bush - December 23rd, 2021

This week’s guest is Robb Holman. Ron and Robb talked about Robb’s most recent book, Move the Needle. Robb also shared some of the most powerful stories we’ve had on the podcast to date. Don’t skip this one. An

GA 402 | Leading From the Jumpseat with Peter Docker

By Jessica Bush - December 16th, 2021

This week’s guest is Peter Docker. Speaker, author, and former member of the Royal Air Force, Peter had a lot of very powerful leadership advice to share. He and Ron also specifically discussed Peter’s book, Leading From th

GA 401 | Continuous Improvement and the Future of Industry 4.0 with Juan Gomez

By Jessica Bush - December 9th, 2021

This week’s guest is Juan Gomez. Juan has an impressive continuous improvement background and a real passion for Industry 4.0. He and Ron talked about the history of industrialization, how we’ll adapt moving forwards, and m

GA 400 | The Gemba Academy Journey with Ron Pereira, Kevin Meyer, and Jon Miller

By Jessica Bush - December 2nd, 2021

This week we’re celebrating our 400th episode with some very special guests, the Gemba Academy Co-Founders. Joined by Jennifer, one of our Business Development Managers,  Ron, Jon, and Kevin reflect on our journey as a company t

GA 399 | Practicing Lean Accounting with Mike De Luca and Nick Katko

By Jessica Bush - November 25th, 2021

This week’s guests are Mike De Luca and Nick Katko. Together with Ron they discussed the concept of lean accounting, and what its advantages are over traditional cost accounting. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available

GA 398 | Lean Storytelling Part Two with Adam Lawrence

By Jessica Bush - November 18th, 2021

This week’s guest is Adam Lawrence. Adam is back this week to tell a few more inspiring lean stories we didn’t get to last time. Be sure to check out Episode 393 for Part One! An MP3 audio version of this episode is availab

GA 396 | The Barriers to Developing a Lean Culture with Sara Ann Todd

By Jessica Bush - November 4th, 2021

This week’s guest is Sara Ann Todd. Sara shared her thoughts on continuous improvement and organizational culture, specifically creating a culture of lean. She and Ron also discussed Respect for People, dealing with self-doubt, a

GA 395 | Implementing Tiered Huddles with Sarah Cook

By Jessica Bush - October 28th, 2021

This week’s guest is Sarah Cook. Sarah broke down the concept of tiered huddles, why they’re worth doing, and how to get started. Be sure to check out our Lean Daily Management series for more on this topic. An MP3 audio ve

GA 394 | Practicing Kind Leadership with Karyn Ross

By Jessica Bush - October 21st, 2021

This week’s guest is Karyn Ross. Karyn has been on the show quite a few times and each conversation is packed full of lean insights. This time, Karyn discussed her new book, The Kind Leader, and what it means to practice kind lea

GA 393 | Lean Storytelling with Adam Lawrence

By Jessica Bush - October 14th, 2021

This week’s guest is Adam Lawrence. We’ve had Adam on the show a few times before and have come to love his engaging and thought-provoking stories. This week Adam shared several different ones, each with a different message

GA 392 | Using Lean on a Horse Farm with John Knotts

By Jessica Bush - October 7th, 2021

This week’s guest is John Knotts. John is our newest Gemba Academy employee, and he shed some light on engagement and change readiness. John also owns a horse farm, and he explained how lean applies to that environment. An MP3 au

GA 391 | Discovering the Power of Toyota Kata with Ron Pereira & Friends

By Jessica Bush - September 30th, 2021

This week we’re sharing a few different audio clips on the power and benefits of Toyota Kata. The videos they come from will be available to view on our website without a subscription, so be sure to check them out. An MP3 audio v

GA 390 | Exploring and Using VAVE with Valorie Hendrix

By Jessica Bush - September 23rd, 2021

This week’s guest is Valorie Hendrix. Valorie told us all about VAVE, what it stands for, and what its benefits are. Valorie also explained how VAVE can be applied in less traditional lean settings, not just manufacturing. An MP3

GA 389 | People Solve Problems with Jamie Flinchbaugh

By Jessica Bush - September 16th, 2021

This week’s guest is Jamie Flinchbaugh. Ron and Jamie discussed the contents of Jamie’s upcoming book, People Solve Problems. This episode is full of incredible insights on lean, leadership, problem solving, and more. An MP

GA 388 | Your Brain and a Parachute with Chandan Dey

By Jessica Bush - September 9th, 2021

This week’s guest is Chandan Dey. Chandan provided some valuable insight on 3P, including advice on deploying it within your organization. Chandan also explained how and why the human brain is like a parachute. An MP3 audio versi

GA 387 | The Anatomy of a Lean Leader with Rick Foreman

By Jessica Bush - September 2nd, 2021

This week’s guest is Rick Foreman. Rick shared a powerful anecdote and explained what he’s been up to. Ron and Rick also broke down the ten essential traits of a lean leader.  An MP3 audio version of this episode is availa

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