The Lean Solutions Podcast

What You'll Learn in This Episode:
In this episode, Patrick Adams is joined by Brett Lesiewicz, Judd VanBergen, and Phil Ranck for a preview of their sessions at the 2026 Lean Solutions Summit. Together, they explore how stronger relationships, proactive planning, and better communication help organizations succeed in uncertain environments.
The conversation highlights how Lean tools like the Last Planner System, takt planning, and visual management are transforming the construction industry by creating alignment, improving collaboration, and reducing uncertainty before work even begins. Phil also introduces the Seven Thinking Gears, a structured communication framework designed to make meetings more productive, uncover innovative ideas, and empower every team member to contribute to continuous improvement.
Whether you're in construction, manufacturing, healthcare, or another industry, this episode offers practical insights into building stronger teams, improving communication, and creating more predictable results through Lean thinking.
Key Takeaways:
1. Strong relationships create certainty in uncertain environments
2. Proactive planning prevents costly rework
3. Better communication unlocks innovation
4. Lean principles apply far beyond manufacturing
Links: 
https://www.findleansolutions.com/
https://www.findleansolutions.com/lean-summit/

What You'll Learn in This Episode:
In this episode, Andy Olrich and Catherine McDonald sit down with Andrew Kettner to discuss why one of the most overlooked leadership skills, eye contact, can have a profound impact on trust, communication, and continuous improvement.
Andrew explains how effective leaders must look beyond reports, dashboards, and data by practicing Lean's "go and see" mindset. Through genuine face-to-face interactions, leaders gain valuable insights into emotions, engagement, and the real challenges their teams face. The conversation also explores the connection between eye contact, empathy, emotional intelligence, and building stronger workplace relationships. Andrew shares personal stories from his military leadership experience and cancer journey that demonstrate how meaningful human connections can influence both leadership and life.
Whether you're leading a Lean transformation or simply looking to become a more effective leader, this episode offers practical ways to strengthen your leadership presence by learning to truly see the people you lead.
Key Takeaways:
Great leaders practice "go and see" by engaging directly with people—not just data.
Eye contact builds trust, empathy, and stronger workplace relationships.
Emotional intelligence helps leaders better understand both people and processes.
Small, intentional interactions create stronger Lean cultures and better leadership.
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewkettner
https://www.findleansolutions.com/
https://www.findleansolutions.com/lean-summit/

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

In this episode, Patrick Adams sits down with John Dyer to explore the thinking behind the Lean Excellence World Championship and why it has become one of the most engaging learning experiences at the Lean Solutions Summit.

The conversation dives into how the competition gives participants and observers the opportunity to see Lean in action. From process mapping and visual management to problem-solving, teamwork, and customer focus. John explains why process mapping is the foundation of every successful improvement effort, how it helps teams visualize workflows, uncover hidden waste, identify bottlenecks before implementation, and create stronger future-state processes. He also shares why every organization, regardless of industry, can benefit from making process mapping a core part of its continuous improvement strategy.

Whether you're new to Lean or looking to strengthen your continuous improvement efforts, this episode provides practical insights into learning Lean through hands-on experience and applying process mapping to improve any process.

Key Takeaways:

1. Process mapping is the foundation of improvement
2. Lean is learned best through hands-on experience
3. Customer focus drives better decisions
4. Great Lean cultures embrace problems
Links:
https://www.findleansolutions.com/
https://www.findleansolutions.com/lean-summit/

What You'll Learn in This Episode:
In this episode of the Lean Solutions Podcast, Catherine McDonald sits down with Kathy Miller to explore why successful transformations are driven by people, not just processes.

You'll learn how trust, meaningful work, optimism, and strong relationships create lasting cultural change, why consistency is essential for leaders, and how simple daily leadership habits can increase engagement and continuous improvement across any organization.

Whether you're leading a Lean transformation, managing a manufacturing team, or looking to build a stronger workplace culture, this episode offers practical insights for creating lasting change through people-first leadership.

Key Takeaways:
1. Great transformations begin with trust
2. People need purpose—not just processes
3. Culture changes through consistent leadership
4. Positive psychology strengthens Lean
Links:
https://more4leaders.com/
linkedin.com/in/kathy-miller-mapp-mba-acc
https://www.findleansolutions.com/
https://www.findleansolutions.com/lean-summit/

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

In this episode, Catherine McDonald and Shayne Daughenbaugh welcome Michael Parent to discuss SIPOC, one of the most effective tools for understanding and improving business processes. Michael explains how SIPOC (Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers) helps teams define process boundaries, identify stakeholders, and maintain focus on delivering customer value.

The conversation explores different approaches to building a SIPOC, including why Michael prefers starting with the customer before mapping the process itself. They also discuss how SIPOC fits into Lean and Six Sigma problem-solving, how it helps prevent scope creep, and why it serves as a strong foundation for process mapping, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement efforts.

Whether you're leading a process improvement project or trying to better understand how work flows through your organization, this episode provides practical guidance on using SIPOC to create clarity and alignment from the start.

Key Takeaways:
1. SIPOC provides a high-level view of a process and helps clearly define project scope and boundaries.
2. Keeping the customer at the center of the discussion ensures improvement efforts remain focused on delivering value.
3. SIPOC serves as a powerful starting point for process mapping, stakeholder analysis, and continuous improvement initiatives.
4. The most effective SIPOCs involve the right mix of stakeholders and subject matter experts while avoiding unnecessary complexity and scope creep.
Links:
mparent@sixsigma-consulting.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/parent-michael/
https://www.findleansolutions.com/summit-2026/
https://www.findleansolutions.com/