Jason Schroeder reveals the 'secret' to minimizing workplace conflict by avoiding overlapping responsibilities. He discusses how unclear ownership leads to friction both in professional and personal realms. Emphasizing lean principles, he advocates for defining clear roles to boost productivity and team harmony. With practical examples, he highlights the importance of planning and verifying improvements with the PDCA cycle. Leaders are encouraged to model continuous improvement, starting with small, deliberate changes.
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insights INSIGHT
Kaizen As Continuous Small Improvements
Kaizen means 'to make better' and is a continual, often small, improvement mindset.
Its purpose is to improve customer value, product quality, and people’s pride at work.
insights INSIGHT
Kaizen As Cultural Nourishment
Kaizen combines love of the customer, pride in work, and honoring people as its core.
Framing Kaizen as cultural nourishment (water/fertilizer) helps embed continuous improvement.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Improve Small Things First
Start with small, targeted improvements rather than tackling a whole system at once.
Evaluate whether something needs improvement and whether it can realistically be improved before acting.
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In this episode, Jason Schroeder shares a simple "secret" that prevents a ton of workplace (and relationship) conflict: if two people are doing the same things, they'll step on each other's toes and contention is guaranteed. He ties that lesson to real examples from project teams, business partnerships, and home life, then connects it to a key Lean idea: when multiple people are responsible for something, it often doesn't happen so clear ownership and clear role boundaries matter.
What you'll learn in this episode:
Why overlapping responsibilities create friction, frustration, and constant conflict.
How to define clear work assignments while still staying "shared-responsibility" as a team.
Why PM/Super pairs (and leadership partners) fight when they're both trying to run the same lane.
The Lean takeaway: one clear owner is often the difference between "done" and "never happens".
A practical mindset shift to reduce drama and increase production: clarify roles before you escalate emotions.
Where are you "stepping on toes" right now and what would change if you clearly owned separate lanes?
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