Lean Archives | Page 37 of 67

TWI Job Instruction Course – Behind the Scenes

By Ron Pereira - February 3rd, 2017

We’re breaking new ground at Gemba Academy this week as we run our first “live” training class. Specifically, 10 students (9 after the flu took one out of commission on Tuesday) have come together here in the DFW ar

GA 148 | How to Create Your Vision with Paul Hill

By Jessica Bush - February 2nd, 2017

This week’s guest is Paul Hill, a longtime lean thinker with a diverse background. Ron and Paul discussed implementing lean from different angles and the challenges that can arise. An MP3 version of this episode is available for

Three Management Lessons from the 2016 NFL Season

By Jon Miller - January 30th, 2017

After about a 20 year hiatus, I have enjoyed following the game of American football closely over the past two years. Go Hawks! Watching how teams hire and fire coaches, build their rosters and manage their seasons is almost more int

GA 147 | How to Succeed at Value Stream Mapping with Beau Keyte

By Jessica Bush - January 26th, 2017

This week’s guest is Beau Keyte, an author and performance improvement coach with an impressive background. Ron and Beau discussed both editions of The Complete Lean Enterprise, the evolution of Value Stream Mapping, and more. An

Amps, Watts, Volts, Ohms and Lean Effectiveness

By Jon Miller - January 23rd, 2017

The most thoughtful questions that I have received from senior leaders regarding the health of their organization’s lean transformation have little to do with the methods, tools and lean practices themselves. Nor are these ques

How Do I Teach My Team?

By Steve Kane - January 20th, 2017

I like to think that a large part of a leader’s job is to teach, coach, mentor and inspire. And, working for people who do this well is often a great experience. The trouble is that there is typically little, if any, training

GA 146 | How to Innovate with Geoff Cox

By Jessica Bush - January 19th, 2017

This week’s guest is Geoff Cox, a Production Manager for a high-tech laser measurement company. Ron and Geoff talked about innovation, specifically how Geoff and his team go about generating and implementing new ideas. An MP3 ver

To Close an Engagement Gap, Bust Out a Myth

By Jon Miller - January 16th, 2017

We think of myths as commonly-held ideas or beliefs that are in fact not true. We even watch as Myth-busters test out and disprove popular myths. Why then would myths be the key to saving the world? Before myths were false, they were�

A Time to Read and Reflect

By Kevin Meyer - January 13th, 2017

It’s that time of the year when we reflect on the past and plan for the future. An arbitrary time, which has always bothered me. We should really be doing this in a continual fashion. I try, with daily, monthly, and quarter

GA 145 | How to Grow as a Lean Leader with Edward Gemin

By Jessica Bush - January 12th, 2017

This week’s guest is Edward Gemin, a lean consultant with a background in the automotive and appliance industries. Ron and Edward discussed Edward’s lean journey, including past projects and other lean experiences. An MP3 v

The Political Economy of Fitness

By Jon Miller - January 9th, 2017

As often happens this time of year, the Wall Street Journal editorialized on the physical fitness (or lack thereof) of Americans with a brief history of humankind’s desperate attempts to stay fit. In essence, the article demonst

The Obstacle is the Way

By Ron Pereira - January 6th, 2017

Our actions may be impeded, but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advanc

How to Convince Someone, or Not

By Jon Miller - January 2nd, 2017

Have you ever noticed that when you present people with facts that are contrary to their deepest held beliefs they always change their minds? Me neither. So begins a Scientific American article on how to convince someone when facts fa

GA 143 | Embracing the Fear of Failure with Ron Pereira

By Jessica Bush - December 29th, 2016

This week is our last episode of 2016. Join Ron as he discusses failure, specifically our fear of it. Featuring an empowering message from Jocko Willink, a retired US Navy SEAL, this episode is a great way to kick off the new year. An

GA 142 | How to Engage People with Jess Orr

By Jessica Bush - December 22nd, 2016

This week’s guest is Jess Orr, a Six Sigma Black Belt at WestRock, a large packaging company. Ron and Jess discussed Jess’s Toyota background and the importance of employee engagement. An MP3 version of this episode is a

Lean Practices to Counter Cognitive Biases

By Jon Miller - December 19th, 2016

The Knowledge@Wharton interview with Michael Lewis, the author of The Undoing Project, was interesting for several reasons. First, it covered cognitive biases, one of my favorite topics. Second, the book is about Amos Tversky and Dani

Facing the Firing Squad

By Steve Kane - December 16th, 2016

By Steve Kane I recently had the opportunity to watch a value stream mapping training event in an administrative process. These types of events are enjoyable for me because I always learn something new. The lesson learned th

GA 141 | Practicing Continuous Improvement in Japan with Zuhara Chavez

By Jessica Bush - December 15th, 2016

This week’s guest is Zuhara Chavez, an Industrial Engineer and PhD student. Zuhara is currently living in Japan, researching mapping tools and other continuous improvement concepts. Ron and Zuhara discussed her work, what cont

Coming Soon: The Toyota Engagement Equation

By Jon Miller - December 12th, 2016

I’ve always loved hearing stories and insights from the early days of Toyota’s building their lean culture. Tracey and Ernie Richardson were there in 1986 when Toyota started up the first US factory in Georgetown, Kentucky

GA 140 | How to Use Your Lean Skill Set in Different Settings with John Chacon

By Jessica Bush - December 8th, 2016

This week’s guest is John Chacon, Continuous Improvement Advisor at Black & Veatch and a former U.S. Marine. Ron and John discussed John’s lean journey, specifically how he has applied his skills to the different phas

How Children Can Help Us Become Better Lean Leaders

By Jon Miller - December 5th, 2016

Lean thinking as a concept has been around for two decades since the publication of Lean Thinking by Womack & Jones. In practice, it existed before publication in a few parts of the world, and still does not exist in vast parts o

A Change of Pace

By Kevin Meyer - December 2nd, 2016

One of my favorite habits is a nice slow kinhin – walking meditation – on the beach a couple blocks from my house. One step per breath, slow and deliberate. It’s amazing what you notice – both about your surroundings and your

GA 139 | How to Use Job Breakdowns with Kyle House

By Jessica Bush - December 1st, 2016

This week’s guest is Kyle House, a lean practitioner with a TWI background. Ron and Kyle explored the Job Breakdown aspect of Job Instruction, specifically how to use the breakdowns and why they’re helpful. An MP3 version

Gratitude is the Heart of Respect

By Jon Miller - November 28th, 2016

Those of us who model our approach to lean management on the Toyota Way recognize that there are two core elements: continuous improvement and respect for people. Each of these elements breaks down into more detailed principles and pra

GA 138 | How to Use Kata to Create Service Excellence with Karyn Ross

By Jessica Bush - November 24th, 2016

This week’s guest is Karyn Ross, an author and lean practitioner who specializes in applying continuous improvement in a service context. Ron and Karyn discussed Coaching Kata, the role of creativity, her book, and much more.

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