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

This week's guest is Ultralearning author Scott Young. Ron and Scott discussed the concept of ultralearning, and how Scott has used its principles to accomplish some truly impressive goals. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  Scott's background (2:29) The MIT Challenge (7:09) How it felt at the end (13:49) Learning four languages in one year (18:07) How Scott applied the nine principles (22:17) About the Polgar sisters (32:14) Scott's message for those looking to become better learners (37:03) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com Scott's Website Ultralearning  Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast please be sure to subscribe on iTunes. Once you're a subscriber all new episodes will be downloaded to your iTunes account and smartphone. The easiest way for iPhone users to listen to the show is via t

This week's guest is David Reid. David is a Principal Team Leader at Chick-fil-A, and he shared some of the many ways they've incorporated lean into their day-to-day operations.  A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quotes that inspire David (3:55) Who Chick-fil-A is (5:20) David's background (11:09) Chick-fil-A's lean origin story (14:28) How lean is being applied (17:15) Their team facebook group (20:28) The pull system for their lean training (24:01) The sandbox concept (27:14) A cool improvement example (31:51) What David is excited about (37:01) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com David on LinkedIn David's Website Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast please be sure to subscribe on iTunes. Once you're a subscriber all new episodes will be downloaded to your iTunes account and smart

This week's guest is Ryan McCall. Ryan shared some of what he's learned so far on his lean journey and got Ron to weigh in on some of the interpersonal issues that can arise when experimenting with new lean approaches. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote that inspires Ryan (3:17) Ryan's background and his introduction to lean (3:54) What Ryan is currently working on (6:18) Ryan's book recommendations (9:16) His favorite part of the journey so far (11:29) The obstacles Ryan has faced (12:26) Balancing discipline, listening, and service (13:34) Leveraging the spirit of learning and experimentation (18:20) How to approach employees about new techniques (23:14) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com The Goal The Gold Mine Learning to See 2 Second Lean Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this pod

This week we're sharing a keynote by Mike Rother. Recorded at KataCon5, Mike stresses the value of scientific thinking and Toyota Kata, touching on specific tools like deliberate practice as well. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  What Toyota Kata is all about (1:32) The research findings (4:01) The four basic steps (7:55) The power of scientific thinking (9:19) The cross exercise (16:45) Making the plan (23:06) Acquiring this way of thinking (24:15) Using deliberate practice (26:10) Transforming your culture from a neuroscience perspective (30:36) Starter kata (33:01) The two errors they see with kata (35:28) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com Mike's Keynote on Youtube Our New KataCon5 Course Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast please be sure to subscribe on iTunes. Once you're a s

This week our guests are Katie Anderson and Karyn Ross. Katie and Karyn explained how they've developed their K2C2 initiative, which seeks to build collaborative online communities of practice. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote that inspires Katie and Karyn (2:39) How communities of practice manifested in the past (4:53) About K2C2 (5:44) What they've learned and the best practices they suggest (6:26) How many people should connect (9:19) Having a good format (10:15) The length of each session (11:34) Their curriculum (12:54) The challenges involved (15:48) The difference between online communities and the AME consortia (19:01) What has surprised them (23:22) What they've learned from each other (25:23) More about their online community (28:04) Their individual projects (31:19) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com K2C2 Eventbrite

This week's guest is Samuel Parra. Ron and Samuel delved into all things Agile, including how it overlaps with lean. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote that inspires Samuel (2:55) How Samuel got into continuous improvement (4:37) Samuel's elevator pitch for Agile (10:11) How he discovered it (17:12) The values of Agile (19:44) The principles of Agile (28:45) What lean concepts are applied in Agile (33:44) How we can keep Agile and Industry 4.0 in mind (38:42) Samuel's advice for using Agile (42:06) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com Samuel on LinkedIn Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast please be sure to subscribe on iTunes. Once you're a subscriber all new episodes will be downloaded to your iTunes account and smartphone. The easiest way for iPhone users to listen to the show is

This week's guest is Olu Amodeni. Ron and Olu discussed the future of lean, including the roles robots and humans play in manufacturing. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote that inspires Olu (4:12) How Olu discovered lean (6:29) About "Lean 2.0" (9:30) Why people will always be needed (14:20) The projects Olu has worked on (22:37) The state of lean in the UK (27:17) Olu's hopes for the future of lean (29:22) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com Olu on LinkedIn GA 152 | TWI, Kata, and Respect for People with Skip Steward and Brandon Brown GA 269 | Establishing a Standard Behavior with Skip Steward GA 273 | Lean as a Management System with Brandon Brown  GA 275 | Leading vs. Serving with Sarah Tilkens  Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast please be sure to subscribe on iTunes. Once

This week's guest is Mark Smeets. Mark shared some of the lessons he's learned about lean over his career thus far, and how it's inspired him to make changes in his personal life. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The two quotes that resonate with Mark (3:16) Mark's background (3:57) How Mark got into lean (5:10) The end result (14:31) The main takeaway from Mark's story (15:39) Mark's journey to better health (18:29) An anecdote about his son (22:17) What's next for Mark (26:50) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com GA 173 | How to Use A3 Thinking with Katie Anderson  Lean Health by Paul Akers Mark on LinkedIn  Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast please be sure to subscribe on iTunes. Once you're a subscriber all new episodes will be downloaded to your iTunes account and smartphone. The e

This week's guest is Randy Matusky. Ron and Randy analyzed a change management model called Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model, which addresses six different factors that influence human performance. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote that inspires Randy (1:52) Randy's background (3:24) About Gilbert's model (5:31) Expectations and feedback (7:42) Tools and resources (8:13) Incentives (8:35) Skills and knowledge (9:00) Capacity or capability (9:25) Motives (10:14) Ron's thoughts on this model (13:05) The relationship between incentives and motives (14:15) The frequency of feedback (20:35) The dangers of rewarding firefighting (22:05) The tools and resources Ron recommends (29:20) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com Lean Whiskey Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast pleas

This week's guest is Ben van Asselt. Ron and Ben discussed the inspiring ways Ben and his team use lean at Lunet Zorg, an organization that provides services for people with intellectual disabilities. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quotes that inspire Ben (2:03) Ben's background (4:01) About Lunet Zorg (7:36) Ben's role at Lunet Zorg (11:28) An example of how they use lean (13:52) What happened when they asked for data (16:44) An anecdote about dining options at their facility (24:19) Teaching lean to clients (27:07) How lean has personally impacted Ben (28:42) An anecdote about one of their clients (30:25) Ben's advice for those who work with people with disabilities (33:25) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com Ben on LinkedIn Lunet Zorg Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast ple

This week's guest is Sarah Tilkens. A Lean Manufacturing Leader at GE Healthcare, Sarah and Ron discussed the differences between mentoring, coaching, leading, and serving. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote that inspires Sarah (1:53) Sarah's background (2:33) How her mentors have impacted her (5:37) What makes a good mentor (8:06) The subtle differences in leadership relationships (11:10) About the lean construction movement (13:15) Sarah's role at GE Healthcare (15:18) About their lean daily management system (17:27) Finding your rhythm of leading and coaching (19:03) Leading vs. serving others (20:49) The importance of communicating the "Why?" (25:15) What's next for Sarah (27:34) Sarah's advice (30:31) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com Sarah on LinkedIn Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If yo

This week's guest is George Saiz. George walked Ron through his career and the observations he's made over the years, including during his time as President of AME. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The sports quote that inspires George (3:37) How George's career started (4:30) The emotions involved in the layoff process (10:28) George's "lightbulb moment" (16:13) What he and his team did to fix their problems (19:57) George's time at AME (24:13) His advice on living life to the fullest (30:28) About AME Chicago (33:45) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com GA 121 | Leading AME with George Saiz AME Chicago Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast please be sure to subscribe on iTunes. Once you're a subscriber all new episodes will be downloaded to your iTunes account and smartphone. The easiest w

This week's guest is Skip Steward. Ron and Skip continued their conversation from Episode 269, diving deeper into scientific thinking, Toyota Kata, management systems, and more. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  A quote that inspires Skip (3:16) What the word "meta" means (8:57) What makes Toyota Kata and scientific thinking so powerful (12:17) About Get Better Jump Start (17:12) Understanding the current condition (22:58) How scientific thinking fosters idea generation (27:21) How their shepherding groups work (32:37) Why challenges have to mean something (38:53) About the Baptist Memorial review process (42:51) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com GA 269 | Establishing a Standard Behavior with Skip Steward Skip on LinkedIn Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast please be sure to subscribe

This week's guest is Brent Weichers of The Lighthouse for the Blind, a non-profit that employs people who are blind, DeafBlind, and blind with other disabilities. He explained the inner workings of this unique organization, and how lean factors in. A MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  Two of Brent's favorite quotes (2:11) Brent's background (3:23) About The Lighthouse for the Blind (6:45) The type of work their employees do (9:43) Training and safety (11:21) The initial employee resistance to lean (16:25) How they create their own version of a visual workplace (18:34) How they use legos (21:117) Their "Why?" (24:27) What Brent has learned (26:13) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com Brent on LinkedIn The Lighthouse for the Blind  Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast please be sure to subscr

This week's guest is Panos Efsta. Ron and Panos discussed the value of scientific thinking, confirmation bias, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  A quote that inspires Panos (1:46) Panos's background (2:30) About Seeing to Understand (4:37) What has been hard as it relates to scientific thinking (7:11) Fighting confirmation bias (10:14) Getting the facts (12:32) Scientific thinking as a lifestyle (14:05) Building a chicken "mansion" (16:55) Why scientific thinking isn't a tool (19:57) An example involving JI (24:51) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com Panos on LinkedIn Panos's Website Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast please be sure to subscribe on iTunes. Once you're a subscriber all new episodes will be downloaded to your iTunes account and smartphone. The easiest way for

This week's guest is Philip Holt. Philip discussed the books he's written, the concept of "mosquito leadership," and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The quote that inspires Philip (2:17) Philip's background (3:31) Philip's favorite Jon Miller story (6:18) What Philip is up to (7:28) About Leading with Lean (8:55) The four different leadership styles (10:30) The problem he was trying to solve by writing it (16:02) About Simplicity of Lean (18:07) The elements of changing culture (20:17) How you know whether you're "winning" or "losing" (23:36) Measuring engagement (26:35) The main takeaways from the book (28:25) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com GA 55 | Being a Visible Leader with Philip Holt Leading with Lean The Simplicity of Lean Philip Holt on LinkedIn Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If

This week's guest is Skip Steward. Ron and Skip had a long conversation all about healthcare and the transformative powers of TWI, Toyota Kata, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  The two quotes that inspire Skip (3:31) Why it's so hard to listen (4:37) Skip's background and what he's up to these days (6:38) Their evolution (8:34) About the Job Instruction component of TWI (11:41) The emotional nature of the journey (16:33) Where they store their Job Instruction Breakdowns (24:39) How they share (26:37) Their journey with Toyota Kata (27:50) How they use Strategic A3s (30:06) Setting the target condition (33:19) Writing obstacles (36:04) Making Job Methods appropriate for healthcare (43:29) How the "Eliminate" component works (46:41) Skip's advice (51:49) About Skip's new book (1:01:01) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com TWI

This week's guest is Jeff Kaas. We're sharing the audio from an upcoming course that features Jeff's company, Kaas Tailored. Using real life examples, Jeff explains each of the seven wastes in a unique and dynamic way. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  An overview of the seven wastes (1:49) How Jeff evaluates leaders (3:53) The impact of anxiety on your health (4:37) How a nine-year-old would describe a defect (5:17) About inventory and finished goods (9:44) Cookies and work in progress (12:36) Processing (16:48) Underprocessing (20:11) Poor processing (21:49) The waste of waiting (23:33) The waste of motion (24:18) The waste of transport (27:16) The waste of overproduction (28:51) About truth (30:56) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com GA 211 | How to Navigate a Kaizen Journey with Jeff Kaas  Kaas Tailored Subscribe & Never Miss New

This week's guest is our Director of Customer Success, Steve Kane. Ron and Steve talked all about Steve's coaching journey, including using kata, the power of the right mindset, what it means to be a coach, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  Steve's background in medical device manufacturing (3:29) His role at Gemba Academy (4:12) Why Steve is so passionate about coaching (7:46) His realization about kata (10:59) How Steve is applying what he learned from his coaching training (23:21) The difference between a coach and a consultant (27:25) The difference between a coach and a mentor (28:45) Whether or not a combination of the roles is possible (31:17) How Steve knows if he's being successful as a coach (37:15) Steve's final words of wisdom (40:01) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com Mindset by Carol Dweck  Coach U Subscribe & Never M

This week's guest is Amery Williams. Ron and Amery discussed cost reduction and its role in continuous improvement, which can sometimes be controversial. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here. In this episode you'll learn:  Amery's favorite quote (1:28) How Amery got started with lean (3:12) What Amery is up to these days (4:57) How cost reduction makes a difference (6:01) How Amery identifies where to cut costs (9:10) Achieving a balance (11:05) Quantifying the cost of poor quality (13:15) The lean tools Amery finds helpful (16:46) Practical tips for unearthing areas of financial waste (18:06) About fishbone diagrams (19:41) The value of video work instructions (21:44) Podcast Resources Right Click to Download this Podcast as an MP3 Download a Free Audio Book at Audible.com Amery on LinkedIn Kaizen Collab Subscribe & Never Miss New Episodes! Click to Subscribe in iTunes If you enjoyed this podcast please be sure to subscribe on iTunes. Once yo