KPI Fireside: A Continuous Improvement Podcast

What happens when teams deliver everything they were asked for—but still miss what the customer actually wanted? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Francine Bejarano , a program and product delivery leader who has led major technology and transformation initiatives at companies like T-Mobile, IBM, and Verizon. 🔻 The difference between output metrics and outcome-driv...

In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Stan Bryant , a senior project management professional and principal of Strategic Initiative Solutions. With a career spanning large-scale technology integration, operations leadership, and PMO development, Stan shares what it takes to lead complex projects, build PMOs that prove their value, and help organizations connect project e...

In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Lyndsay MacLeod , an award-winning continuous improvement professional with more than 20 years of experience leading transformational change across engineering, manufacturing, and financial services. With a background spanning Lean Six Sigma, process improvement, Agile, and operational excellence, Lyndsay shares how Lean principles...

In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Chris Roser, a worldwide renowned expert for lean production; Toyota, McKinsey, and Bosch Alumni, and professor for Production Management at the Karlsruhe University of applied sciences.. Drawing on decades of experience in manufacturing, supply chain management, bottleneck detection, and Lean research, Chris explains why improvemen...

What separates short-term Lean initiatives from lasting Lean cultures? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Nick Belcher , a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and Lean Culture Architect who has spent decades helping organizations move beyond Lean tools and build people-first improvement cultures. Nick shares why lasting transformation happens when leaders focus on devel...

Why do Lean tools fade away in so many organizations? And what actually makes improvement stick? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Marcial Portillo , a global operations and continuous improvement leader with more than 30 years of experience improving manufacturing and supply chain performance across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Marcial currently leads deployment...

What separates organizations that struggle from those that truly win? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Jennifer Ralston . As CEO & Founder of HKPO and the HKPO Veterans Academy, she empowers organizations to innovate, execute, and sustain excellence. From Lean Six Sigma transformations at the American Red Cross to global strategic planning and culture assessmen...

Is AI coming for your job—or just the parts of it you never liked doing in the first place? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Reed Shell , a project management leader with more than 30 years of experience in enterprise delivery and transformation. Reed teaches project management and artificial intelligence at the University of Utah and advises organizations on apply...

Why does Agile fail even when teams are trained and processes are in place? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris talks with Dean Kynaston , co-author of Agile Project Management for Dummies and Scrum for Dummies , about the leadership gaps that quietly derail Agile. 🔻 Why Agile is about adaptability, not process compliance 🔻 The difference between Agile values and the Scrum framewo...

Why do large organizations invest heavily in technology and still fail to deliver real value? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Chris Gunderson , a former oceanographic officer who spent decades working inside U.S. defense programs. 🔻 Why “technology without value is worthless” and how organizations confuse output with impact 🔻 How Porter’s value chain connects up...

How do leaders unknowingly create cultures of compliance instead of commitment? In this episode of KPI Fireside , host Keith Norris sits down with Michael Stevens, Presidential Professor of Leadership Studies and a global expert on the people side of performance, to explore what truly separates management from leadership and why respect, not authority, is the real driver of execution. 🔻 Why leade...

How do bad meetings quietly destroy culture, morale, and execution? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Evan Unger , a leadership and culture expert with more than 30 years of experience helping organizations improve how decisions actually get made. 🔻 Why meetings are where leadership actually shows up—and why people judge leaders based on how meetings feel 🔻 The re...

In this episode of KPI Fireside , host Keith Norris sits down with Bryan Schmidt , a CPA, author, and finance transformation leader who spent more than two decades turning manual, paper-heavy finance processes into streamlined, automated systems. 🔻 Why ERP systems are the foundation of any successful finance transformation 🔻 The simple ROI math executives expect and how to frame improvement idea...

How do you make innovation and transformation actually stick instead of stalling out in planning decks and dashboards? In this episode, Keith Norris talks with Claire Quigley , founder of Tech Team Whisperer. With more than 20 years of experience spanning strategy, innovation, digital transformation, and people leadership across startups and global organizations, Claire explains why most transform...

How do you build a continuous improvement system that works across industries, scales with growth, and actually changes how people think and act? In this episode, Keith Norris talks with Keshawn Cupid , CEO of Modern Kaizen. Drawing on his journey from the U.S. Navy to consulting across manufacturing, healthcare, food service, government contracting, and more, Keshawn shares why mindset comes befo...

How often do organizations say they are “doing Lean” while quietly undermining it through everyday leadership behaviors? In this episode of KPI Fireside , host Keith Norris sits down with Bob Emiliani , a respected author, researcher, and longtime critic of superficial Lean implementations. Bob shares candid insights on why most Lean transformations fail, the difference between tools and true Lean...

How do you build a continuous improvement culture that actually sticks, especially across large, complex organizations? In this episode, Keith Norris talks with Dan Barata , Corporate Director of Continuous Improvement at East Penn Manufacturing. With decades of experience across manufacturing, healthcare, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals, Dan shares why CI must start with people, not tools, a...

How do you build resilience and continuous improvement into your life and work, no matter the challenge? In this episode, Keith Norris talks with Janine LeaBarrett , a governance and engineering leader whose career spans mining, construction, local government, and five seasons in Antarctica. From surviving a life-changing accident to leading teams in some of the harshest conditions on earth, Janin...

What if the key to sustaining improvement has less to do with tools and more to do with the brain itself? In this episode, Keith Norris sits down with Chris Hayes , CEO of Impact Performance Solutions, Shingo Licensed Affiliate, ASQ Fellow, and author of Wired for Excellence: Harnessing Brain Science for Organizational Success . 🔻 Why improvement wins fade and how the Shingo Model strengthens sus...

What actually makes projects succeed — and why do so many fail before they even begin? In this episode, Keith sits down with Adriana Girdler , President & Chief Efficiency Officer at CornerStone Dynamics, Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, PMP, productivity expert, and one of the top project management voices in North America. With over 260K YouTube subscribers and 20+ years leading organizatio...

What does it really take to build a culture of excellence? In this episode, Keith Norris sits down with Tina Agustiady , award-winning continuous improvement leader, author, and Vice President at J.P. Morgan Chase . With decades of experience leading Lean and Six Sigma transformations across major organizations, Tina shares what it means to create lasting improvement by putting people first. 🔻 Wh...

How can sustainability become more than a buzzword and drive real improvement? In this episode, Keith Norris sits down with Lorenzo Long , Sustainability Coordinator for Ogden City , to explore how cities can turn environmental goals into practical, measurable change. From energy efficiency to policy design, Lorenzo shares how small wins and smart framing create lasting impact. 🔻 How Ogden City i...

What does it take to build a culture where improvement sticks? In this episode, Keith Norris sits down with Pete Gough , retired transformation leader and former head of Business Improvement at major mining organizations including Rio Tinto, Newcrest, and Goldfields. Over his decades-long career, Pete helped shape hundreds of improvement projects, mentored future leaders, and proved that true tran...

What makes improvement efforts succeed or fail? In this episode, Keith Norris sits down with Steve Burkle , Global Director of Operational Excellence, to explore the real factors that determine whether continuous improvement takes root or fades away. With more than 30 years leading OpEx transformations, Steve shares lessons learned from the front lines, what it takes to sustain change, develop pro...

What separates companies that try Lean from those that live it? In this episode, Keith Norris sits down with Darren Dolcemascolo , co-founder and managing partner of EMS Consulting Group, to talk about what it really takes to create sustainable improvement. From his early career in operations to helping hundreds of organizations transform through Lean, Darren shares hard-earned lessons on leadersh...