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

This week's guest is Alen Ganic. Ron and Alen discussed Alen's work with the City of Grand Rapids, process improvement from the customer perspective, and the importance of celebrating quick wins. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  Alen's favorite quotes (2:02) His background (5:21) How the mayor discovered lean (9:12) An anecdote about the water department (10:47) What you can do to introduce and sustain a lean initiative (15:03) Focusing on process improvement from the customer's perspective (21:27) The importance of measuring (22:50) Approaching those "in the middle" (24:10) Alen's advice for those getting started (29:23) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Alen on LinkedIn Gemba Academy Live City of Grand Rapids 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 celebrate quick wins?

Exploring scientific thinking in non-traditional contexts like homeschooling and youth soccer. Discussing deliberate practice, using the Toyota Kata approach, and balancing methods. From CEO transition to personalized education, the guests share unique experiences and insights.

This week's guest is Robb Holman. Ron and Robb discussed Robb's new book, "Lessons from Abdul," navigating crises, filtering out the "noise" in our lives, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote that inspires Robb (3:30) About his new book, Lessons from Abdul (4:47) Who Abdul is (8:29) Robb's basketball career (14:01) What Robb learned from Abdul (14:53) Receiving well with so much "noise" (19:06) Practical tips for being better at receiving (24:47) Where you can get Robb's book (29:22) What else is going on in Robb's life (30:22) A story about Robb's wife's cancer treatment (32:52) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Robb's Website Lessons from Abdul Robb on LinkedIn Robb on Facebook Robb on Twitter 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? Who in your life have you learned some unexpected lessons from?

Explore building a culture of continuous improvement with Jim Huntzinger. Discuss the future of continuous improvement, the importance of having a hypothesis, foundational skills needed, and the relevance of sharing knowledge. Learn about upcoming events like KataCon 2024 and TWI Summit. Discover the integration of scientific thinking and lean activities in creating a culture of improvement.

This week's guest is Carlos Pereyra. Ron and Carlos discussed Carlos's recent graduation from our Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt program, what it means to create psychological safety, measuring success, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote Carlos likes (3:31) His background (4:16) Failing faster (7:20) How we can encourage a culture of experimentation (11:21) Some personal examples (12:31) Getting people excited about lean (17:03) Advice for leaders (19:12) Why it is so difficult for leaders to create psychological safety (21:10) Measuring success (23:01) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Carlos 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? How do you get people excited about lean?

This week's guest is Jim Vaselopulos. Ron and Jim discussed business distractions, AI, and the lean parallels in Jim's book on clarity. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote that inspires Jim (2:41) His background (3:45) Why he wrote a book (5:10) What "clarity" means to Jim (8:03) What he means by "business distractions" (13:39) The lean parallels in this book (18:14) Ron's fear regarding AI (21:52) What it means to "leave folks one inch taller" (25:27) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Jim on LinkedIn Jim's Book 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? What does "clarity" mean to you?

Nikhil Joshi, an expert in software and continuous improvement, discusses the role of software in continuous improvement and the future of AI. Topics include practical tips for using technology, the impact of AI on critical thinking, and the need to upskill in the latest trends.

This week's guest is Clint West. Clint "turned the tables" this week by interviewing our host, Ron Pereira instead. Together they covered everything from lean in the office, to DMAIC, resistance, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote Clint likes (6:35) His background (7:26) The "calmness" at certain facilities (15:38) Dealing with resistance (21:05) A story about Clint's family (25:08) What Ron has seen about eliminating waste in an office environment (26:27) Ron's pet peeve regarding DMAIC (33:22) About our Gemba Academy teleprompter evolution (39:57) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Clint on LinkedIn Get All the Latest News from Gemba AcademyOur newsletter is a great way to receive updates on new courses, blog posts, and more. Sign up here. What Do You Think?What is one of your lean "pet peeves"?

This week's guest is Sam Morgan. Ron and Sam discussed Sam's journey with live coaching, including who he typically works with and what these sessions look like. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote Sam loves (3:04) His background (4:31) How he started doing live coaching (5:34) Who his clients are (9:50) What one of these sessions looks like (10:33) What Ron is working on at Gemba Academy (15:10) An experiment Ron could run on this obstacle (18:37) Sam's plan for the future (26:40) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 The Practice by Seth Godin GA 461 | Scientific Thinking and Confidence with Sam Morgan GA 477 | Building a Diverse Continuous Improvement Community with Sam Morgan and Andres Alamillo Sam on LinkedIn Illuminate Coach 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? Share what your experience with lean coaching has been like.

This week's guest is Bill Leahy. Ron and Bill discussed Bill's critically important initiative to support veterans as they transition back into civilian life, and his documentary "Unturning Steel." An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote that inspires Bill (3:04) His background (3:45) Unturning Steel's mission (8:28) About Renaissance Reliability (12:50) What the film is about (15:06) About SkillBridge (21:30) The role that lean plays (26:59) What society can do to support veterans (30:15) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 The Unturning Steel Website Unturning Steel on Facebook Unturning Steel on LinkedIn Unturning Steel on Instagram Bill 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? How else could the principles of lean support and add value to this cause?