Six Sigma

266 Articles

GA 397 | Lean Leadership, Respect for People, and the Military with Michael Austin Giles

By Jessica Bush - November 11th, 2021

This week’s guest is Michael “Austin” Giles. Austin explained what it’s like to practice continuous improvement in the military and how military leadership is similar to lean leadership. He also shared a great 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 385 | Transcending the Artifacts of Lean with Robert Stone

By Jessica Bush - August 19th, 2021

This week’s guest is Robert Stone. Robert has worked at organizations with varying degrees of lean experience, and he shared what that’s been like. Ron and Robert also discussed why you can’t do lean “to”

what problem are you trying to solve

What Problem Are You Trying to Solve?

By Ron Pereira - July 2nd, 2021

One of my responsibilities here at Gemba Academy is to coach our Black Belt and Master Black Belt candidates. And, without question, the most common question I ask during the project selection phase of the journey is “What proble

GA 368 | The Balance of Tools and Culture with Jonathan Jones

By Jessica Bush - April 22nd, 2021

This week’s guest is Jonathan Jones. Jonathan shared his background in the culinary, hospitality, and manufacturing industries. Jonathan also described his continuous improvement journey at Moog, his favorite continuous improveme

GA 367 | The Dichotomies of Continuous Improvement with Ron Pereira

By Jessica Bush - April 15th, 2021

This week’s guest is Ron Pereira. Ron discussed two books by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin, specifically their teachings on dichotomies and balance. Inspired by this, Ron described three of the dichotomies he’s observed in c

GA 366 | Implementing a Lean Daily Management System with Liam O’Malley

By Jessica Bush - April 8th, 2021

This week’s guest is Liam O’Malley. Liam shared his continuous improvement journey with us, specifically his experience with Lean Daily Management Systems. Liam explained the benefits and offered some great advice for those

GA 364 | Why Continuous Improvement Programs Fail with Peter Christian

By Jessica Bush - March 25th, 2021

This week’s guest is Peter Christian. Ron and Peter talk all about why Lean & Six Sigma programs often fail. They also explain what you can do to prevent some of these pitfalls. A MP3 audio version of this episode is availabl

GA 362 | Ethos, Logos, and Pathos in Continuous Improvement with David Larsen

By Jessica Bush - March 11th, 2021

This week’s guest is David Larsen. Ron and David had a great discussion about continuous improvement in both manufacturing and in healthcare. David also shared an interesting case study he worked on to improve employee safety. A

GA 360 | The Importance of Being Intentional with Brandon Bartel

By Jessica Bush - February 25th, 2021

This week’s guest is Brandon Bartel. Ron and Brandon discussed setting intentions and the role intention plays. Brandon also shared his aspirations to incorporate more Toyota Kata into his lean journey. A MP3 audio version of thi

GA 358 | Lean in Higher Education with Thomas Lencki and Dagmar Vlahos

By Jessica Bush - February 11th, 2021

This week’s guests are Thomas Lencki and Dagmar Vlahos. They explained all the powerful ways they use lean in higher education in New Hampshire. Thomas and Dagmar also touched on increasing engagement, navigating Covid-era challe

GA 351 | The Biggest Truth and Lie in Life with Lili Boyanova

By Jessica Bush - December 24th, 2020

This week’s guest is Lili Boyanova. Lili shared some of what she’s learned about lean so far and her vision for the future. Lili also asked Ron some pretty profound questions about life and lean. A MP3 audio version of this

GA 339 | Applying Lean and Six Sigma to Human Resources with Michael Parent

By Jessica Bush - October 1st, 2020

This week’s guest is Michael Parent. Ron and Michael discussed the role of continuous improvement in HR and the challenges Michael faces. Michael also shared his take on applying these principles in untraditional contexts. A MP3

Lean Certification

5 Tips for Choosing a Lean Certification Course

By Steve Kane - September 25th, 2020

There are many Lean certification courses available from a wide variety of organizations. Choosing the right one to suit your specific needs can be a bit tricky. Here are some tips and considerations to help you find the right one for

GA 336 | The Process of Process Improvement with Karen Friedenberg

By Jessica Bush - September 10th, 2020

This week’s guest is Karen Friedenberg. Karen, who has a diverse career background, broke down all the different ways she approaches process improvement. From DMAIC to change management, this episode is full of practical knowledg

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 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 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 304 | The Different Approaches to Training Leaders with Brent Weichers

By Jessica Bush - January 30th, 2020

This week’s guest is Brent Weichers of The Lighthouse for the Blind. Ron and Brent discussed the various approaches to training leaders, including the different hard and soft skills involved. A MP3 audio version of this episode i

Remain Detached from the Outcome

By Steve Kane - December 27th, 2019

I’ve been working on my Black Belt certification for several months. The past few have been devoted to a project related to understanding how improvements over the years have impacted business performance. Many of the improvement

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 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 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 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 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

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