My guest for Episode #514 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Hugh Alley, an author and consultant. He divides his time between coaching senior operational leaders in continuous improvement, training front-line leaders in core supervisory skills, and designing industrial facilities.

An industrial engineer, he has run three manufacturing and distribution firms, and a department in a government agency, teaching skills to over 1,000 front-line leaders.

He has written two books: Becoming the Supervisor: Achieving Your Company's Mission and Building Your Team, and The TWI Memory Jogger.

He frequently speaks about supervision, quality, lean manufacturing, and Toyota Kata. From his home near Vancouver, Canada, he helps clients across North America.

In today's episode, we explore the power of TWI (Training Within Industry), its impact on building trust and improving workplace culture, and stories of real-world applications in manufacturing and sports. From reducing cycle times to fostering better leadership, this episode covers key lessons in Lean methodology. Tune in to hear about Hugh's Lean origin story and his experiences in applying Lean principles across various industries. Don't miss out on a thoughtful discussion that blends Lean, leadership, and even hockey!

• What kind of government agency did you work for?
• How did you reduce lead times for occupational disease claims?
• What is your lean origin story? Where, when, and why were you introduced to lean?
• Was the word "Kaizen" used in your early lean experiences?
• Is job relations typically the starting point in TWI, or does it depend on the culture?
• What parallels do you see between sports coaching and leadership in the workplace?
• How can you tell if a workplace problem is due to tactics, teamwork, or culture?
• What role does continuous improvement play in sports teams' success, and can it happen game to game?
• How do you see the role of fear in leadership and coaching, and what impact does removing a "bully" leader have on a team?
• How can job instruction and job relations contribute to better workplace culture and performance?
• How do you approach the challenge of hiring the right people and fitting them into a lean system?
• How did TWI help one of your clients shorten training times and reduce bad product?
• What opportunities do you see for companies to create "practice days" similar to sports teams?
• How do you convince leaders to care about improving their supervisors' skills?
• What role does a coach or leader play in creating the right context for their team to succeed?
• What do you think makes a great player transition into a great coach?
• How do you use the TWI model to break down jobs and help people learn faster?
• What's your take on benchmarking against others in the industry?
• How did you help reduce patient waiting times in a medical lab by aligning priorities?
• Was Wayne Gretzky's coaching career unsuccessful, or did he just pick the wrong job?
• How do you translate great skills into effective coaching, and how does TWI help with that?

The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.

This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

My guests for Episode #512 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are two of three co-authors of the upcoming book “Leading Excellence: 5 Hats of the Adaptive Leader” - Brad Jeavons and Stephen Dargan.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more

Stephen Dargan

A diverse and inclusive, customer-centric, driven transformational leader with 20+ years of leadership experience spanning Australia and Europe. Stephen is a Shingo Institute Alumni, Shingo Facilitator and Examiner. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

Brad Jeavons

Brad Jeavons is a senior leadership coach focused on helping improve themselves and their organisations to create a better future economically, socially and environmentally for future generations. He is host of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast and Community and author of the book Agile Sales: Delivering Customer Journeys of Value and Delight. Brad was a guest back in episode 416, June 2021.

In this episode, Brade and Steve share insights into the key concepts of adaptive leadership, including the importance of understanding individual team members, cultivating psychological safety, and the five essential leadership hats: Inspire, Train, Support, Coach, and Direct. Brad and Stephen also discuss real-life applications, the significance of leadership shadow, and the critical role of serving the growth of others to drive organizational excellence.

• What are some factors contributing to low employee engagement?
• Can you elaborate on the concept of the leadership shadow and its impact?
• What behaviors help cultivate psychological safety and engagement?
• What does it mean to be a leader who serves, and why is it important?
• How can leaders develop the ability to be adaptive or situational?
• What are the five hats referenced in the subtitle of your book?
• Why is controlling emotions crucial for leaders, and how can they improve this skill?

The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.

This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

My guests for Episode #512 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Steve Pereira and Andrew Davis, authors of the new book Flow Engineering: From Value Stream Mapping to Effective Action.

Blog post with video, transcript, and more

Steve Pereira has spent over two decades improving workflow across various organizations. His experience spans tech support, IT management, platform and infrastructure engineering, product management, and serving as a founding CTO for an enterprise SaaS company. Currently, he is the CEO of Visible Consulting, COO of the Value Stream Management Consortium, and co-founder of the Flow Collective.

Andrew Davis is the Chief Product Officer at AutoRABIT and the author of "Mastering Salesforce DevOps." With a background as a Salesforce architect, developer, and product leader, Andrew focuses on the human side of software development. He spent 15 years as a Buddhist monk, teaching meditation and personal transformation, and now studies the intersection of business, technology, and psychology through systems thinking.

In this episode, we discuss the principles of flow engineering, the importance of psychological safety in process improvement, and their experiences in writing the book. We also dive into their personal journeys, inspirations from industry giants like Deming and Goldratt, and the challenges and lessons learned in collaborative work. Stay tuned for a deep, insightful conversation on enhancing workflows and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

• Can you discuss the relationship between making mistakes and learning from a Buddhist perspective, Andrew?
• Why do you resonate with figures like Deming, Goldratt, and Ackoff in your improvement work, Steve?
• How did you two end up collaborating on the book?
• Did you apply flow engineering concepts to the development and writing of the book together?
• How did the process of writing the book evolve over time?
• What lessons did you learn about collaboration and flow from writing this book?
• How does psychological safety impact value stream mapping and flow engineering?
• How do you involve workers in process design to avoid negative perceptions of imposed processes?
• What challenges did you face in maintaining a regular cadence of work while writing the book?

The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.

This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

In this special live-streamed bonus episode of the Lean Blog Interviews podcast, host Mark Graban is joined by Paul Critchley for an impromptu experiment in recording a live podcast. The episode begins with a brief introduction and a discussion about the decision to try a live format.

Paul Critchley, a seasoned Lean consultant, shares his background, detailing his journey from a mechanical engineer in the automotive industry to his current role as a Lean practitioner and consultant. He highlights his experiences working with Toyota and Pratt & Whitney, emphasizing the practical application of Lean principles in various industries, including aerospace.

Summit info: https://newenglandleanconsulting.com/summit/

The conversation then shifts to Paul's upcoming event, the New England Lean Summit, scheduled for September 12-13, 2024, in Cromwell, Connecticut. Paul discusses the summit's agenda, which includes workshops, sessions, and a Lean Happy Hour. He expresses his excitement about bringing together Lean professionals from diverse industries to foster learning and networking in a fun and engaging environment.

Paul also introduces the New England Lean Collaborative, a member-based organization aimed at building a community of Lean practitioners in the New England region. He explains the collaborative's activities, such as book clubs, site tours, and resource sharing, designed to facilitate continuous learning and improvement.

The collaborative: https://newenglandleanconsulting.com/the-nelc/

The episode wraps up with Mark and Paul addressing a viewer's question about implementing Lean practices in small companies with limited resources. Paul advises starting small, focusing on incremental improvements, and maintaining momentum through continuous, manageable changes.

Throughout the episode, Paul emphasizes the importance of creating a psychologically safe environment for learning and experimenting with Lean practices, highlighting the benefits of fun and engagement in the process. The episode concludes with a reminder of the event details and an invitation for listeners to join the New England Lean Summit and Collaborative.

00:01:24: Guest Introduction - Paul Critchley

00:03:00: Paul's Career Background

00:03:39: Discussion on Practicing Lean - https://practicinglean.com/

00:05:02: New Projects and Endeavors

00:05:29: New England Lean Summit Introduction

00:06:08: Details about the New England Lean Summit

00:07:04: Summit Logistics and Activities

00:09:02: Lean Happy Hour Concept

00:10:00: Hope for Future Annual Events

00:10:19: Overview of the New England Lean Collaborative

00:11:00: Functioning of the Collaborative

00:11:42: Membership Benefits and Activities

00:12:48: Discussion about Industry Participation

00:14:23: Lean Tools and Concepts

00:15:23: Connection with Bob Rush and Workshop Details

00:16:36: Fun Activities Planned for the Summit

00:17:01: Emphasizing fun and networking at the summit

00:17:39: Lessons from Pascal Dennis at Toyota

00:18:31: Incorporating a DJ at the conference

00:19:48: Creating a relaxed and engaging atmosphere

00:21:02: Unique conference experiences

00:22:00: Opportunities for

My guest for Episode #510 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Karen Martin, Founder and CEO of TKMG and TKMG Academy, appearing for the fifth time.

Episode page with video, transcript, and more

She is the author of books including The Outstanding Organization, Clarity First, and Value Stream Mapping.

In this episode, we discuss mistake-proofing in lean practices, exploring its significance in various industries. The conversation begins with a light-hearted discussion about the "five-timers club" and Mark's "ZERO hat" from the Patient Safety Movement Foundation, which symbolizes the goal of zero harm in healthcare.

Karen shares her extensive background in quality improvement and lean management systems, emphasizing the importance of building quality at the source. Drawing on the teachings of Dr. W. Edwards Deming and the Toyota Production System, Karen and Mark discuss the psychological impact of striving for zero harm, debating whether it is an inspiring goal or potentially demotivating.

The episode also explores real-world examples of organizations achieving zero harm and the cultural shifts required to reduce errors. Karen introduces the TKMG Academy and its comprehensive courses designed to enhance lean practices, including the new mistake-proofing course co-developed with Mark. Her passion for quality improvement and continuous learning shines through, offering listeners valuable insights into achieving operational excellence.

• Why is quality such a passion for you?
• Why did you want to add the mistake-proofing course to the TKMG Academy catalog?
• What are some common barriers to achieving zero harm in healthcare?
• How do you differentiate between mistakes and errors?
• How do you handle situations where the work system isn't at fault, but the individual continues to make mistakes?
• Can you tell us more about the "slow work" movement?
• What are your thoughts on final inspection versus quality at the source?
• How do you address the challenge of maintaining standards in training and process design?
• Could you elaborate on the spectrum of mistake-proofing from 100% prevention to error reduction?
• How does the TKMG Academy help organizations with continuous improvement?

The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.

This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

I'm very happy to be participating in Jared Thatcher‘s “Global Lean Summit” event this September in Indiana.

I'll be there to network and learn, which includes time visiting a Toyota Material Handling factory (an entire day!)

I'll be speaking and facilitating:

• A workshop on Psychological Safety as a Foundation for continuous improvement
• A learning session featuring Dr. Deming's “Red Bead Game“
• A fun keynote talk on warning signs and mistake-proofing

Learn more and register

Here's a 13-minute conversation that I had with Jared about the event.