Quality Time With MoreSteam

Darren Walsh, a Lean leadership coach and author with 30+ years transforming industries from medical devices to video games, joins to talk about making Lean stick. He shares stories from Sega, how frontline managers shape continuous improvement, building visual management with PDCA, and what daily management should actually achieve. The conversation mixes practical frameworks with a bit of nostalgia and humor.

Quality Time with MoreSteam is starting 2026 by bringing back one of the most popular episodes from 2025. Host Dan Swartwout opens the show with a look back at the amazing lineup of guests who joined the show last year, from Shingo Prize winners to Lean Enterprise Institute board members to college professors and healthcare leaders. Then, Dan introduces one of his favorite interviews from last year, the conversation with Thomas Paider. Tom is the co-author of The Lean IT Field Guide and Vice President for Technology Infrastructure and Computing at Nationwide. He also serves on the Board of Directors for LEI. Think about this. Why do so many people think Lean is just about cutting costs? In reality, Lean is so much more. Tom talks about the misconceptions that hold technology teams back and what really changes when leaders focus on moving people to more valuable work. He explains how Lean, Agile, and DevOps actually fit together. He also talks about why leaders should initially focus on changing their own management system. Tom talks about what thriving IT cultures look like. He also explains why visual management matters in the IT sector and how going to see different industries sparks creativity. Tom's profound words are worth hearing again in 2026 as Quality Time with MoreSteam kicks off the new year. In this episode, you will hear about: 0:15 - Dan looks back on 2025 5:53 - Introducing Thomas Paider 7:20 - Tom's Background 10:34 - Working on Y2K 12:11 - Key Messages from the Lean It Field Guide 14:05 - The Operational Definition of IT 15:45 - The First Steps in a Lean IT Journey 19:39 - Misconceptions About Lean in the Technology Space 22:05 - Moving People to More Valuable Activities 24:38 - Agile in IT 28:08 - The Early Days of the Lean IT Transformation at Nationwide 30:12 - Advice for IT Teams Starting Their Lean Journeys 32:51 - Learning from Other Industries 35:24 - Overcoming Resistance 37:55 - Lean, Agile, and DevOps 42:18 - Tom's Proudest Moments at Nationwide 44:00 - Peyton Manning 45:02 - The Future of Lean Technology 48:19 - Tom's Experiences as a Runner Additional Resources: Thomas Paider on LinkedIn The Lean IT Field Guide: A Roadmap for Your Transformation MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube iHeart

Grant Gemberson just wanted to push that year-end Kaizen event into January and get on with his holiday to-do list. Instead, Gemberson received an unexpected visit from three ghosts: the Ghost of Projects Past, the Ghost of Present Performance, and the Ghost of Future States. (You know where this is going, right?) In this special holiday edition of Quality Time with MoreSteam, host Dan Swartwout shares a Lean Six Sigma twist on a seasonal classic. During this episode, you will follow Grant through conference rooms, Gemba walks, and two very different futures as he confronts his own "we tried that once" mindset. MoreSteam's own Josh Cantie narrates the action. This episode is fun and festive, but it also deals with some important questions. Why do improvements sometimes fade? What counts as real support from leaders? And what does it look like when Kaizen is a daily habit, not just an event on the calendar? It's holiday fun and continuous improvement in one short, special episode. Happy holidays from MoreSteam!! In this episode, you will hear about: 1:37 - Meet Grant Gemberson 2:31 - The Ghost of Project's Past 6:33 - The Ghost of Present Performance 8:54 - The Ghost of Future States 11:54 - The Closing Scene Additional Resources: MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, host Dan Swartwout shares highlights from a recent MoreSteam webinar with company president Peg Pennington. That webinar was titled "Driving Strategic Alignment with the Lean Management System." It was one of MoreSteam's most anticipated (and successful) webinars of the year. During her presentation, Peg focused on a familiar problem. The strategy seems clear at the top, but the daily work does not match that strategy. In response, Peg explained what it means to treat Lean management as a real system instead of a set of projects. In her view, Lean management is four connected systems. First, the strategy system: setting a true north and choosing the few "big rocks" that really matter. Second, the problem-solving system: using value stream thinking and methods like A3 or DMAIC to turn strategy into real change. Third, the daily management system: leader standard work, huddles, and the daily routines that keep your team from backsliding. And finally, the people system: Go See, Ask Why, Show Respect. In this episode, Peg describes the leadership behaviors that create more problem solvers. Between clips from Peg's webinar, Dan jumps in to recap key takeaways from what you just heard and to set the table for the next clip. Together, they'll show you what it takes to keep strategy, operations, and people moving in the same direction. In this episode, you will hear about: :22 - Introducing the Lean Management System 4:19 - The Strategy System 9:52 - The Problem Solving System 14:10 - Where to start with the Lean Management System 16:42 - Understand, simplify, automate 21:20 - The Daily Management System 28:35 - The People System 32:21 - Process Improvement in action Additional Resources: The Full Webinar: Driving Strategic Alignment with the Lean Management System MoreSteam's Library of Webinars MoreSteam's Library of Case Studies MoreSteam's Library of Blogs MoreSteam's Lean Six Sigma Toolbox MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

Steve Adams brings decades of real experience to Quality Time with MoreSteam. He graduated from West Point and served in the Army Corps of Engineers. Eventually, Steve spent thirty years at Procter & Gamble, where he drove improvement on a global scale. Along the way, Steve even got Deming's autograph. Yes, the W. Edwards Deming! Host Dan Swartwout talks to Steve about solving problems and the commitment to quality. With Steve, you get 30 years of real stories from the plant floor. And one more thing… you'll never guess what classic TV show is referenced in this episode. After the interview, Dan shares the audio from a recent episode of MoreSteam's Street Stats YouTube series. Street Stats focuses on making business statistics useful and practical. After you're done listening to this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, go check out more Street Stats! In this episode, you will hear about: 1:40 - Steve's background 2:27 - Going to Proctor & Gamble 3:41 - Steve's role in the Total Quality Movement 4:37 - Analytical problem solving 6:45 - Centerlines in manufacturing 12:22 - Meeting W. Edwards Deming 14:21 - Deming's 14 Points 15:40 - Quality products require quality components 16:52 - Steve's time as a consultant 20:05 - Peter Falk, Columbo, and continuous improvement 24:32 - Street Stats on Quality Time With MoreSteam Additional Resources: The Street Stats Playlist on YouTube MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Dave Harry joins the show. Dave is well known throughout the world of continuous improvement as "The Process Whisperer." Before becoming a Lean Six Sigma legend, Dave spent years as a US Navy helicopter pilot. He even gave Paul Newman a helicopter ride! (Yes, the Paul Newman.) As Dave explains, helicopter pilots understand Six Sigma better than most people. When you're flying a million parts in formation and 99.9% success won't cut it, you learn to work for perfection. In his conversation with host Dan Swartwout, Dave walks through his journey from military aviation to major OpEx roles with Northrop Grumman and Rolls-Royce. Toyota Kata also gets serious attention in this conversation. Dave is a self-proclaimed "Kata Geek" who has attended 10 Toyota Kata summits. Additionally, Dave shares what he learned from 15 years of judging ASQ's International Team Excellence Awards. Learn what separates breakthrough teams from box checkers. Want to keep your virtual team engaged? Dave has plenty of tips. Yes, he's having fun and keeping things silly. But when it comes to teamwork and process improvement, Dave is dead serious about getting results. The Process Whisperer makes friends for life wherever he goes. Now it's your turn to become friends with Dave Harry. In this episode, you will hear about: 1:42 - What it means to be a Process Whisperer 3:13 - Dave's background as a US Navy helicopter pilot 5:32 - The Paul Newman story 7:16 - Dave's academic background 8:46 - Moving to the corporate world 10:02 - Becoming the Process Whisperer 12:59 - Projects that generated big cost savings 16:01 - Opening Process Whisperer Consultants 18:10 - Toyota Kata 24:25 - Post-pandemic challenges for Lean leadership 29:09 - Judging the ASQ International Team Excellence Awards 35:50 - Making friends for life Additional Resources: Dave Harry on LinkedIn Process Whisperer Consultants The Process Whisperer in Space? MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Kim Scibelli joins the show. Kim is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt who leads supply chain and operations at AVS Bio. And after coaching teams through transformations for years, Kim has learned that you can't "pizza party" your way to culture change. Why do people say they want things to get better but resist when changes actually happen? Kim talks about identifying blockers at every level and developing strategies to help them get on board. She also discusses the importance of giving teams the freedom to experiment. For example, Kim describes the time she gave a terrified team permission to try something new. That one act of trust led to a new cart design that rolled out across 23 distribution centers. Kim explains the difference between agreement and alignment and why confusing the two can derail change efforts. She also talks about vulnerability in operational excellence and what self-reflection actually looks like for leaders. Of course, host Dan Swartwout once again manages to weave some classic TV into the show. This time, it's Dragnet and The Price is Right. The episode ends with Kim explaining why she stays in change management. Her answer about making work better for people and helping them feel seen and heard is the perfect way to end this conversation. And that's just the facts. In this episode, you will hear about: 1:52 - Change management is hard 3:17 - Resistance to change 9:10 - Mistakes leaders make when leading change 10:25 - Being self-aware 11:59 - Giving your team the freedom to try something new 15:02 - Change management and being vulnerable 18:12 - You can't "pizza party" your way to culture change, 24:31 - The difference between agreement and alignment 27:05 - Doing things differently 33:02 - The lasting impact of successful change management Additional Resources: Kim Scibelli on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Dr. Lars Maaseidvaag joins the show to talk about one of his areas of expertise, process modeling and discrete event simulation. Lars has worked in continuous improvement for over 30 years. He's also from Ann Arbor, Michigan, which creates some good natured tension when he talks to Ohio State graduate (and your host) Dan Swartwout. In easy-to-understand terms, Lars explains discrete event simulation and why it matters. For example, he tells us about helping a large hospital during the pandemic. The hospital had a thousand people backed up in the parking lot trying to get screened. Lars and his team quickly built a simulation model to address the situation. As a result, they found solutions that saved the hospital thousands of dollars per day, with no new equipment required. Most Lean Six Sigma tools handle stable processes just fine. But what happens when you've got fluctuating demand and everything depends on everything else? Lars walks us through how simulation helps with these messy situations. He also talks about MoreSteam's own Process Playground, which lets you run simulations without learning to code or buying expensive software. Lars and Dan bond over bratwurst and argue about the Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry. They also discuss George Box's line that all models are wrong but some are useful. As this episode shows, some podcasts are useful, too. In this episode, you will hear about: 1:16 - Meet Lars 5:20 - What is discrete event simulation? 8:02 - The process at a coffee shop 11:58 - How process modeling helped reduce wait times at a hospital 15:39 - How simulation reveals solutions that other Lean tools might miss 20:10 - Interdependencies and interactions in simulation modeling 23:04 - Examples of interdependencies in blackjack 25:15 - Using Process Playground in EngineRoom 28:45 - The building blocks analogy 32:27 - Pitfalls to avoid: analysis paralysis 36:22 - Process modeling and roller coasters 42:09 - All models are wrong, some are useful Additional Resources: Lars Maaseidvaag on LinkedIn The Impact of Process Modeling: Reducing Queue Times for COVID Testing MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn QTWM Episode 31: Solving Healthcare Bottlenecks with Process Modeling MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, April Thomas joins the show. Most Lean Six Sigma professionals didn't start their careers as hospice social workers. April did. April is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt whose mission is to be an advocate, a catalyst, and a coach for transformational change. Being a hospice social worker taught her about empathy and helping people through difficult transitions. Those skills transfer directly to April's work in continuous improvement and organizational change. During her conversation with host Dan Swartwout, April explains her grief-informed approach to change management and how leaders can support teams through major workplace changes. April also discusses why psychological safety affects data quality and how to recognize change fatigue before it becomes a problem. Also, April recently got her motorcycle license. Does riding a motorcycle apply to continuous improvement? You know it! This episode is perfect for both business leaders and cool riders. In this episode, you will hear about: :57 - From hospice social worker to Lean Six Sigma Black Belt 4:56 - Learning to ride a motorcycle 6:53 - How riding a motorcycle applies to continuous improvement 10:16 - Looking at resistance and change through the lens of grief and loss 12:29 - Continuous improvement, change fatigue, and employee wellbeing 14:54 - Leadership and empathy 17:58 - Psychological safety and continuous improvement 20:34 - Being an advocate, a catalyst, and a coach for transformational change Additional Resources: April Thomas on LinkedIn April's PSA from MADD Mid-Atlantic The Kaytlyn Madison Thomas Memorial Foundation MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

Brent Godwin of The Lubrizol Corporation steps into the spotlight on this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam. Earlier this year, Brent attended MoreSteam's Best Practices for Operational Excellence Conference (BP4OpX) for the very first time. At the conference, leaders in operational excellence and continuous improvement share best practices during keynote presentations, workshops, and peer-to-peer discussions. Now, Brent joins the show to talk about his experiences at the conference. Brent and Dan talk about networking opportunities, fresh ideas for speeding up Lean Six Sigma projects, and what makes BP4OpX genuinely different. Lindsay Van Dyne, MoreSteam's Vice President of Marketing, also joins the show to share how the design and programming of the conference play a vital role in MoreSteam's mission. Join Brent, Dan, and Lindsay as they discuss how bringing people together makes important things work better for the whole wide world. Yes, the whole wide world! In this episode, you will hear about: 1:57 - Meet Brent 3:39 - MoreSteam's mission and BP4OpX 4:45 - Brent's expectations and experiences 6:13 - The design of the conference 7:43 - Leaders from different industries at BP4OpX 10:22 - Two presentations that made a big impression on Brent 13:10 - Networking opportunities at the conference 18:08 - The "icebreaker" that opened BP4OpX 20:38 - Insights and strategies to take back to the team 21:19 - Advice for leaders attending in the future 23:51 - Working with Wendy's and Stephanie Chen Additional Resources: Brent Godwin on LinkedIn The Lubrizol Corporation Meredith Brody from Constellation on Quality Time with MoreSteam Reflections on the 2024 BP4OpX MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Lindsay Van Dyne on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube