Six Sigma Archives | Gemba Academy

Continuous Improvement Eliminates Excess Overtime

By Ricky Banks - October 21st, 2025

For decades, overtime has been treated in many organizations as a “badge of honor.” It signals a sign of dedication and sacrifice to “get the job done.” Leaders often view it as a necessary tool to meet deadlines and maintain b

Do Hard Things

By Ron Pereira - October 20th, 2025

There’s an ancient story about Odysseus and the island of the Lotus Eaters. When Odysseus and his men arrived there, they were offered lotus flowers that made them forget their purpose. Those who ate the lotus lost their desire t

GA 600 | Reflecting on Six Hundred Episodes with Ron Pereira

By Jessica Bush - October 2nd, 2025

This week we’re celebrating our 600th episode. Our Director of Studios Greg Nickell asked Ron about the company’s growth over the years, the challenges we’ve faced, what we hope the next generation will take away from

GA 594 | Common Failures in Modern Leadership with William C. Davis

By Jessica Bush - August 21st, 2025

This week’s guest is William C. Davis. Ron and William discussed some defining moments in William’s impressive career, what leaders are doing wrong nowadays, dealing with tricky and uncomfortable situations, and more. An MP

GA 592 | The Aha! Moment with Dexter Chan

By Jessica Bush - August 7th, 2025

This week’s guest is Dexter Chan. Ron and Dexter discussed handling resistance, other challenges he’s faced, and why the “Aha!” moment makes all the effort worth it. An MP3 audio version of this episode is avail

GA 587 | The Differences Between Six Sigma Belts with John Knotts

By Jessica Bush - July 3rd, 2025

This week’s guest is John Knotts. Ron and John, a Senior Coach at Gemba Academy, discussed cultural alignment in continuous improvement, the key differences between the various Six Sigma belts, how continuous improvement leads to

GA 575 | Continuous Improvement at Corporations vs. Startups with Christopher Lieb

By Jessica Bush - April 10th, 2025

This week’s guest is Christopher Lieb. Ron and Chris discussed Chris’s transition from practicing continuous improvement at a large company to a startup, the mentality he likes to adopt, and more. An MP3 audio version of th

GA 565 | Continuous Improvement in Higher Education with Dr. Brad Miller

By Jessica Bush - January 30th, 2025

This week’s guest is Dr. Brad Miller. Ron and Dr. Miller discussed what it’s like to teach Lean and Six Sigma at a university, the business lessons that can be learned from academia, his grocery store simulation, and more.

GA 564 | ISO 9001 and Continuous Improvement with Ridha Dhrifi

By Jessica Bush - January 23rd, 2025

This week’s guest is Ridha Dhrifi. Ron and Ridha discussed ISO 9001, how it aligns with lean manufacturing, balancing compliance with operational efficiency, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for downloa

GA 557 | Meeting Customer Demand with Gary Cihak

By Jessica Bush - December 5th, 2024

This week’s guest is Gary Cihak. Ron and Gary discussed Gary’s Six Sigma Green Belt project, what he learned from it, how he dealt with the resistance that followed, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is availab

GA 555 | The Key to Successful Daily Management with José Ferro

By Jessica Bush - November 21st, 2024

This week’s guest is José Ferro. Ron and José discussed daily management, what it is, what the main obstacles involved are, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you̵

GA 553 | The Art of Project Management with Annette Johnston

By Jessica Bush - November 7th, 2024

This week’s guest is Annette Johnston. Ron and Annette discussed project management, the role project managers play in decision making, what habits a good project manager should have, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episod

GA 552 | Identifying the Real Problems with Bill Krolicki

By Jessica Bush - October 31st, 2024

This week’s guest is Bill Krolicki. Ron and Bill discussed data analytics, automation, the PDCA cycle, knowing if you’re winning or losing, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In t

GA 548 | Using Continuous Improvement in Your Daily Life with Dhana Hanumayya

By Jessica Bush - October 3rd, 2024

This week’s guest is Dhana Hanumayya. Ron and Dhana discussed how Dhana uses continuous improvement and quality controls at home, the cause and effect matrix, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for downlo

New ways of working text on yellow notepad

Agile Process Improvement Efforts

By John Knotts - September 20th, 2024

In today’s leaner times, businesses are often forced to scrutinize their investments, and unfortunately, process improvement programs like quality initiatives are frequently among the first to be cut. These programs are often per

Man on a boat fishing for tuna fish in the North Atlantic ocean.

Are You Keeping The Line Wet?

By John Knotts - August 23rd, 2024

Last week, during a Gemba Academy Lean Bootcamp, Ron Pereira talked about “keeping the line wet” when teaching. This was a new term to me, but I found it to be an important term. “Keep the line wet” is a phrase

GA 542 | The Digitization of Work with Ron Crabtree

By Jessica Bush - August 22nd, 2024

This week’s guest is Ron Crabtree. The two Rons discussed the concept of digital transformation, or digitization, including what it entails, how to navigate these transformations, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is

Why Sigma?

By John Knotts - August 2nd, 2024

I was asked a question that I had never been asked before: “Why Sigma: Why is only Sigma in Lean Six Sigma Yellow and Green & Black belt? Why not use Alpha, etc…?” Honestly, no one had ever asked me that question befo

A Company’s Continuous Improvement Journey

By John Knotts - July 19th, 2024

Embarking on your company’s continuous improvement journey can often be frustrating. This leads to the disheartening realization that your efforts seem ineffective. In the pursuit of excellence, many companies embark on a journey

GA 537 | Standing Up a Lean and Six Sigma Program with Gary Cihak

By Jessica Bush - July 18th, 2024

This week’s guest is Gary Cihak. Ron and Gary discussed what it takes to build a Lean and Six Sigma program, the Job Instruction component of TWI, why 5S isn’t just a series of chores, and more. An MP3 audio version of this

Unlock Your Potential with Gemba Academy’s Master Black Belt Program

By John Knotts - June 21st, 2024

Are you ready to elevate your career and become a strategic leader in Lean and Six Sigma methodologies? Gemba Academy’s Master Black Belt (MBB) program is your pathway to mastering continuous improvement and driving significant b

GA 532 | Martial Arts and Continuous Improvement with Chad Senkowski

By Jessica Bush - June 13th, 2024

This week’s guest is Chad Senkowski. Ron and Chad discussed martial arts, Chad’s podcast The Journey, coaching, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll lea

GA 530 | Keeping People Engaged with Ahmed Radwan

By Jessica Bush - May 30th, 2024

This week’s guest is Ahmed Radwan. Ron and Ahmed discussed engagement, what it means to build a “lighthouse,” sustaining kaizen efforts, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. I

Aligning 5S and DMAIC for Process Improvement

By John Knotts - May 17th, 2024

All too often, process improvement coaching candidates struggle to find practical and effective process improvement ideas to use for their certification projects. I often recommend integrating two well-established methodologies: 5S and

GA 525 | Crafting a Long-Term Vision with Jennifer Drago

By Jessica Bush - April 25th, 2024

This week’s guest is Jennifer Drago. Ron and Jennifer discussed having a long-term vision, data-driven strategies, overcoming resistance to change, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In

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