Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Six Sigma | Toyota Kata | Productivity | Leadership

This week’s guest is Gui Costin. Ron and Gui discuss fostering a calm company culture, bringing out the best in people, dealing with different generations and personality types in the workplace, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:  Gui’s favorite quote (2:49) His background (4:22) The concept of continuous improvement culture (5:45) The definition of kindness (10:46) Gui’s take on personality types (13:53) The culture of calm (18:01) Managing employees of a younger generation (21:04) Some actionable steps you can take to improve your company’s culture (30:50) Gui’s final words of wisdom (36:44) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Gui on LinkedIn The Dakota Way Gui’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 deal with generational differences at work?

This week’s guest is George Pesansky. Ron and George discussed taking gemba walks, what we can learn from factory parking lots, the Kano model, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:  George’s quote (2:51) His background (4:39) His take on gemba walks (6:33) Leadership and setting expectations (9:28) The idea of failure (11:37) Clues from the factory parking lot (14:03) The Kano model (15:43) How George uses A3s (21:09) His final words of wisdom (27:18) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 George’s Website “Superperformance” on Amazon 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 could the Kano model be used in continuous improvement?

This week’s guests are Josh Davis and Greg Prosmushkin. Ron, Josh, and Greg discussed NLP, or Neuro-Linguistic Programming, why it matters, how it can help in difficult situations, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:  Their favorite quotes (3:07) Their backgrounds (4:21) What NLP is and why we should care (7:38) What a well-formed outcome means (10:47) Whether or not NLP is manipulative (15:38) Examples of when NLP has helped others (17:59) The techniques of NLP (20:27) How NLP can help in difficult situations (24:17) What NLP helps (29:29) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 The Difference That Makes the Difference 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 heard of NLP before?

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 our videos, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:  Ron’s favorite quote (1:07) His background (1:32) How Gemba Academy began (3:24) The role of timing in Gemba Academy’s success (7:30) Some of our early challenges (10:20) What our library looks like now (12:45) Our focus on helping people solve problems (14:36) An anecdocte about a particularly powerful transformation (16:30) Whether or not Ron practices continuous improvement at home (18:39) The famous dishwasher video (20:11) What Ron hopes the next generation will take from Gemba Academy (21:30) What Ron would tell his younger self (22:47) About the power of showing up (23:43) Ron’s words of wisdom (24:55) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 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? Do you have a favorite episode or moment from the first 600 episodes of the podcast?

This week’s guest is Melissa Sherman. Ron and Melissa discussed misconceptions about continuous improvement, navigating different personalities, the role coaching plays in change management, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quote that inspires Melissa (2:25) Her background (3:13) A misconception about continuous improvement (5:35) Lean being done “to” people (7:27) The role of communication (8:32) An anecdote about change management (11:58) How Melissa coaches different personalities (15:40) Dealing with “CAVE” people (17:01) The role of coaching in continuous improvement and change management (24:53) Melissa’s take on AI (27:52) Her final words of wisdom (29:17) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Melissa on LinkedIn Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath 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 deal with different personalities?

This week’s guest is Darren Walsh, an experienced Lean practitioner and author of 'Making Lean Work'. He shares insights on common pitfalls in continuous improvement and effective countermeasures. Darren emphasizes the importance of starting with daily management practices and offers actionable advice like using progress boards. He also discusses five key leadership routines to foster sustainable improvement. The conversation is packed with practical wisdom for transforming organizations through Lean principles.

This week’s guest is Robin Hills. Robin and Ron discussed emotional intelligence, unconscious bias, the importance of empathy and active listening, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:  Robin’s quote (2:55) How Robin defines emotional intelligence (4:43) How it plays into righteous anger (7:03) Avoiding manipulative behavior (9:38) Robin’s thoughts on unconscious bias (10:42) Practicing empathy (13:42) The importance of pausing after listening (14:50) How Robin practices this (17:38) The future of emotional intelligence (20:03) Robin’s final words of wisdom (23:31) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 GA 554 | Leveraging Emotional Intelligence Robin on LinkedIn Robin’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 practice empathy at work?

Grace Gavin shares insights on fostering honesty and accountability in the workplace. The conversation explores how company hierarchies impact open communication. It delves into the primal fears that hinder authentic interactions and emphasizes the need for empathetic leadership. Grace also provides practical tips for personal career growth and stresses the importance of building meaningful connections. Overall, the discussion encourages leaders to reflect on their own style and continuously improve for the benefit of their teams.

This week’s guest is Don Kieffer. Ron and Don discussed the concept of dynamic work design, their individual takes on AI, Don’s book, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:  Don’s quotes (2:13) His background (5:23) Why Don wrote his book (9:35) What a dynamic work design is (13:46) Don’s process (16:34) Some example situations (18:45) What has surprised Don (22:10) Don’s take on AI (24:59) Achieving the right balance using dynamic work design (30:02) How it compares to TWI (32:46) Don’s final words of wisdom (34:22) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 There’s Got to Be a Better Way The Most Underrated Skill in Management 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 used dynamic work design before?

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 MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you’ll learn:  The quotes William likes (2:24) His background (3:25) Some of the common failures of modern leadership (8:51) William’s take on the status quo (13:32) The most common failures in leadership (15:31) His outlook on the future (19:40) Some practical solutions (20:46) Dealing with difficult situations (25:52) His final words of wisdom (30:22) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 William’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? What are some other issues you’ve noticed in leadership today?