Productivity Archives | Page 9 of 25

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

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

Productivity

Start your improvement training today.