Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Manufacturing | Lean O 5d3r1c

This week’s guest is Alen Ganic. Ron and Alen discussed how Alen simplifies complicated topics, the powers of lean beyond manufacturing, dealing with “CAVE” people, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Alen likes (2:20) His background (3:15) How Alen explains complicated things (11:50) How he handles CAVE people (15:13) Why people come back (21:47) How lean is being applied beyond manufacturing (25:48) Alen’s advice and final words of wisdom (29:35) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 GA 521 | Celebrating Quick Wins GA 544 | Flow Efficiency vs. Resource Efficiency GA 566 | Managing With Your Eyes  Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? What are some other misconceptions about lean?

This week’s guest is Andy Crocker. Ron and Andy discussed Andy’s book, “The Unconditionals,” what it was like working on a project for NASA, the importance of stability, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Andy likes (3:18) His background (4:27) Competing for a NASA project (6:19) How he felt after it ended (10:08) The key takeaways (11:50) Living conditionally vs. unconditionally (13:50) What it means to “love” unconditionally (16:29) Comparing and contrasting unconditional values and leadership (21:54) The importance of stability (27:12) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 The Unconditionals Andy’s Website Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? How do you “love” unconditionally in a work environment? What does that look like?

This week’s guest is James Turk. Ron and James discussed James’ book “The Giving Game,” choosing between leadership styles, dealing with personality conflicts, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote James likes (2:37) His background (3:36) Why he wrote the book (6:59) The human side of leadership (8:11) Dealing with personality conflicts (15:55) Strategies for leadership instead of “command and control” (18:47) James’s parting thoughts (27:02) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Drive by Daniel Pink The Giving Game by James Turk The Turk Group James on LinkedIn Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? What leadership style do you resonate with the most?

This week’s guest is Dr. Adil Dalal. Ron and Adil discussed the rapid evolution of AI and technology, how it affects lean and operational excellence, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Adil likes (2:51) His background (3:13) His thoughts on lean and AI (8:13) AI and value stream maps (11:44) What operational excellence will look like in the future (18:20) The transformation Adil is most proud of (29:21) His final words of wisdom (40:25) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Adil on LinkedIn Adil’s Website Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? How do you envision the future of lean and operational excellence in of technology and AI?

This week’s guest is Brian DeVries. Ron and Brian discussed Brian’s new book “The Big Thinking of a Small Knight,” the roles storytelling and leadership play in continuous improvement, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Brian likes (2:39) What to do when someone is struggling (4:18) His background (6:01) The roles leadership and storytelling play in continuous improvement (9:55) About his book (13:29) His “knight’s hat” (18:39) The biggest takeaway from the book (19:22) What Brian learned from writing it (20:24) The role his kids played in writing the book (21:38) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 GA 222 | How to Sustain Improvements with Brian DeVries Brian on LinkedIn The Big Thinking of a Small Knight Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? How else can storytelling be used in continuous improvement?

This week’s guest is Eric Recker. Ron and Eric discussed Eric’s mental health struggles, how he handled having panic attacks, “winning the now,” and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Eric likes (3:21) Eric’s background (4:08) His burnout journey (5:51) How Eric handled his panic attacks (14:53) How he “wins the now” (26:07) What Eric is excited about (29:50) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Eric’s Website Eric on LinkedIn Eric on Facebook Eric on Instagram GA 511 | Winning the Now with Eric Recker Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? Have you ever dealt with burnout?

This week’s guest is Patrick Adams. Ron and Patrick had an extremely profound conversation about Patrick’s childhood, the personal transformation he’s gone through, and how he now helps others do the same. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Patrick likes (3:10) His background (4:34) What it means to equip and empower people for positive change (6:24) His personal transformation (8:25) Patrick’s high school years (15:49) Why gratitude matters to him (22:38) The role faith has played in his transformation (25:15) How involved he is with Remembrance Ranch today (31:17) His advice for parents with struggling teens (34:33) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Patrick’s Website Patrick on LinkedIn Remembrance Ranch GA 354 | Avoiding the Continuous Appearance Trap Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? Have you ever undergone a significant personal transformation?

This week’s guest is Tony Hayes. Ron and Tony discussed the meaning behind authentic leadership, the importance of humility and vulnerability, dealing with poor leadership, and more. MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Tony likes (2:33) His background (3:19) What “Authentic Leadership” means (5:05) Handling not having the answers (7:18) What humility really means (10:48) Why vulnerability is scary for a leader (13:45) Misconceptions about leadership (15:45) Tony’s advice for when you’re dealing with bad leadership (17:50) Practical examples of the positive impacts of Respect for People (25:10) Tony’s final words of wisdom (31:13) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Tony on LinkedIn Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? What are some misconceptions you’ve heard or noticed about leadership?

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 this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The “mentality” Chris likes (2:45) What happens when someone has a bad attitude or doesn’t care (4:49) His background (5:59) Using SPC and other tools in a startup environment (11:52) The fact that no one else had continuous improvement knowledge (14:39) How it’s impacted the supply chain (18:35) How Chris avoided being the “annoying” guy (21:51) His final words of wisdom (30:48) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Christopher on LinkedIn Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? Have you practiced continuous improvement at different sized organizations?

This week’s guest is Tanner McClure. Ron and Tanner discussed Tanner’s introduction to lean, dealing with resistance from management and supervisors, the “paper doll” tool, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote that inspires Tanner (2:53) Tanner’s background (3:50) How his background affected his introduction to lean (6:29) Dealing with resistance from management or from supervisors (7:52) How to reassure employees who are new to lean (13:31) The “paper doll” tool (19:34) Tanner’s advice for those just getting started (25:57) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Tanner on LinkedIn Tanner McClure Consulting on LinkedIn Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? Have you ever been met with resistance from management or supervisors? How did you handle it?

This week’s guest is Jackey Lin. Ron and Jackey discussed Jackey’s diverse career background, deploying operational excellence on a global scale, overcoming communication barriers, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  Jackey’s favorite quote (2:43) His background (4:52) Initiating operational excellence on a global scale (7:36) Jackey’s advice on dealing with resistance (15:55) Examples of how they communicate (21:35) How these improvements lead to operational results (24:34) What Jackey is most proud of (29:45) His final words of wisdom (34:03) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Jackey on LinkedIn Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? Have you ever worked on continuous improvement in multiple countries?

This week’s guest is Steven Langer. Ron and Steven discussed what it means to optimize workplace culture, what a strong organizational culture looks like, dealing with burnout, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Steven likes (2:51) His background (3:42) What he means by “healthy” (5:15) How to know whether you’re winning or losing (7:07) How the size of the company factors in (9:40) What a strong organizational culture looks like (11:18) Balancing taking care of people with revenue (12:57) His experience with burnout (17:12) How to tell when you’re burnt out (19:23) Steven’s final words of wisdom (25:10) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Steven’s Website Steven on LinkedIn Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? Have you ever suffered from burnout? How did you remedy it?

This week’s guest is Craig Coyle. Ron and Craig discussed Craig’s experience as an Apache pilot, what employee engagement is and isn’t, why new leaders quit, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  Craig’s favorite quote (2:37) His background (3:26) The first time Craig flew an Apache on his own (7:01) Why employee engagement is critical (8:40) What engagement looks like (12:29) Craig’s advice he gives to senior leaders (17:26) Why new leaders quit (21:21) His advice for finding community (27:25) Mentorship versus community or fellowship (30:32) Empowering people on the frontlines (31:45) What Craig would recommend to people who are struggling (35:35) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Craig on LinkedIn Operation Lead Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? What is employee engagement and what is it not?

This week’s guest is Uriel Eisen. Ron and Uriel discussed the importance of kanban, why increasing your inventory isn’t always a bad thing, Uriel’s background and projects, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Uriel likes (2:33) His background (5:14) What “tripling production” means (9:03) How he increased their inventory (14:01) How it’s measured (19:13) Uriel’s advice on how to get started (22:14) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Austere Manufacturing Austere Manufacturing on Instagram Arda on Instagram Arda Uriel on LinkedIn Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? Why is kanban so powerful?

This week’s guest is Adam Lawrence. Ron and Adam discussed reliability kaizen, what it means, how it relates to the Wheel of Sustainability, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Adam likes (2:25) His background (3:17) What reliability kaizen means to Adam (4:52) About OEE (8:59) The steps he and his team follow (10:12) What this has to do with reliability (14:38) The resistance he’s seen teams face (16:58) About the Wheel of Sustainability (22:28) How he and his teams have applied it to reliability kaizen (28:15) Adam’s final words of wisdom (33:05) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Adam’s Website Adam on LinkedIn Adam’s Past GA Podcasts  Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? What does reliability kaizen mean to you?

This week’s guest is Sarah Tilkens. Ron and Sarah discussed The KPI Lab (which Sarah founded), why talent development is critical, what leaders can do to help, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Sarah likes (2:14) Her background (3:19) About the KPI lab (4:27) Why talent development is critical (5:23) What leaders can do (8:38) Combining lean and talent development (12:18) What it’s been like working on the KPI lab (17:01) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Sarah on LinkedIn GA 275 | Leading vs. Serving with Sarah Tilkens GA 408 | Lean and Life Coaches with Sarah Tilkens GA 474 | Integrating Coaching and Lean with Sarah Tilkens Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? What does it mean to combine lean and talent development?

This week’s guest is Thomas Gelmi. Ron and Thomas discussed Thomas’s unique background, how he helps leaders develop their “human” skills, navigating different personalities at work, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Thomas likes (2:48) His background (4:16) What “human skills” refers to (7:33) Why how we feel about ourselves matters (10:29) Navigating personality differences (16:36) His opinion on why developing human skills is good for business (21:38) A leader’s ability and willingness to be vulnerable (27:48) Thomas’s final words of wisdom (32:53) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Thomas on LinkedIn Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? Why is it important to develop human skills (aka soft skills)?

This week’s guest is Alen Ganic. Ron and Alen discussed visual management, examples of visual management they have seen and created, dealing with any resistance you might meet, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote Alen likes (2:46) His background (3:12) What visual management is (5:28) Examples he’s seen and created (6:20) A story about Ron’s time at FlowServe (11:08) Alen’s story about how he helped saved a company (15:35) Dealing with resistance (20:23) The practical mistakes people make (25:26) Tips for getting started (27:26) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Alen on LinkedIn Lean Case Study: The City of Grand Rapids GA 521 | Celebrating Quick Wins GA 544 | Flow Efficiency vs. Resource Efficiency Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? How do you describe visual management?

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. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote that inspires Dr. Miller (3:01) His background (4:29) How he started working at a university (6:51) What students are like these days (9:07) How he structures his classes (13:53) About his grocery store checkout simulation (18:37) How mixing different personalities works (21:39) Balancing “getting it right” with experimenting (32:38) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Brad on LinkedIn Brad on YouTube Brad on the University of Houston Site Inside Brad’s Classroom GA 111 | How to Teach Continuous Improvement GA 310 | The Role of Motivation in Continuous Improvement Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? What else can we learn from the way continuous improvement is taught at the university level?

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 here. In this episode you’ll learn:  Ridha’s favorite quote (3:01) His background (4:29) The alignment between ISO 9001 and lean manufacturing (5:49) About ISO 9001 (7:09) Industries interested in ISO 9001 (8:31) Making sure it’s an authentic certification adding real value (10:42) How lean thinking can help and harmonize (12:45) How current and future state works in ISO (14:16) Combining ISO and lean (16:30) Advice for a quality manager on balancing compliance and operational efficiency (20:03) How long it takes to realize ISO 9001 certification (22:49) The order of operations (25:44) Podcast Resources Right Click to this Podcast as an MP3 Ridha on LinkedIn Integration of the Lean in ISO 9001 Integration of the Lean in Chemical Industry Get All the Latest News from Gemba Academy Our newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think? What are the upsides to combining lean and ISO? The downsides?