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

This week’s guest is Andy Olrich. Ron and Andy discussed the roles of people and tools in continuous improvement, what NOT to do when building a lean culture, teaching younger generations, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.

In this episode you’ll learn:

The quote Andy likes (3:40)

His background (4:25)

Andy’s “Aha” moment when it comes to lean (13:33)

How his perspective has changed (16:58)

What not to do when building a culture of lean (22:47)

Andy’s work with younger generations (29:28)

His advice for those just getting started (39:08)

Podcast Resources

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Andy on LinkedIn

The Lean Solutions Podcast

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What Do You Think?

What was your lean “Aha” moment?

This week’s guest is Chris Libutti. Ron and Chris discussed Chris and his wife Yamila’s book, “Performance Unleashed,” his time in the military, the importance of self-discipline, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.

In this episode you’ll learn: 

The quote Chris likes (2:29)

His background (4:08)

About his time in the military (8:46)

What Chris is most proud of (12:42)

His transition to college (14:01)

About Chris’s book (18:42)

The importance of self-discipline (26:39)

Chris’s final words of wisdom (32:43)

Podcast Resources

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Performance Unleashed

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What Do You Think?

How do you practice self-discipline?

This week’s guest is Michael Parent. Ron and Michael discussed an interesting AI conundrum, the impact that systems and design have on performance, Michael’s Tetris experiment, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.

In this episode you’ll learn: 

Michael’s quote (3:03)

Ron’s LinkedIn poll on AI (4:32)

About Michael’s background (8:11)

His thoughts on system and design (10:58)

What’s happening with high performers (14:09)

How Michael uses Tetris (17:40)

What the lessons learned were/are (22:18)

How often Michael sees these design problems (24:52)

His final words of wisdom (27:52)

Podcast Resources

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Michael’s Substack

Michael on LinkedIn

Ron’s LinkedIn Poll on AI

GA 339 | Applying Lean and Six Sigma to Human Resources

GA 423 | Lean and Human-Centered Design

The Red Bead Experiment

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What Do You Think?

What are your thoughts on Michael’s Tetris experiment?

This week’s guest is Shahab Shah. Ron and Shahab discussed the importance of balancing human empathy with the demands of reality, why tone matters, first steps for making improvements, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.

In this episode you’ll learn: 

Shahab’s favorite quote (2:25)

His background (4:17)

What was the most influential (6:23)

What Shahab is looking for when first entering a manufacturing plant (8:26)

His first steps for making improvements (13:50)

Balancing human empathy with reality (16:01)

Why tone matters (25:08)

How Shahab handles expectations (31:06)

Shahab’s final words of wisdom (42:46)

Podcast Resources

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Shahab on LinkedIn

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What Do You Think?

Why else does tone matter?

This week’s guest is Pete Behrens. Ron and Pete discussed Pete’s book, “Into the Fog,” what it means for leaders to face uncertainty, why leadership is like cooking, and more. An MP3 audio version of this episode is available for download here.

In this episode you’ll learn: 

Pete’s quote (2:10)

His background (3:15)

Why people are the biggest source of variability (6:57)

What Pete means by “into the fog” (9:50)

Pete’s approach (14:14)

What’s better than sitting still (17:59)

Why leadership is like cooking (22:07)

The constraints Pete is seeing (28:41)

Pete’s final words of wisdom (32:32)

Podcast Resources

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Into the Fog

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What Do You Think?

What does venturing “into the fog” look or feel like for you?