Lean Leadership for Ops Managers

Are you communicating your purpose and strategic vision in a way that engages all of your team members? You may have your values printed as posters on the wall and talk about them at your quarterly meetings, but is everyone on the team actually connecting with them?  In today's episode, Justin Woodard joins us to discuss how creating a Cultural Framework has revolutionized the way he communic...

With the challenges over the last two years, how are you setting your team up for success in the future? Developing leaders to be adaptable and resilient is crucial given how many organizations face shortages, supply chain issues, and rapidly changing markets.  In today's episode, Kerry Siggins joins shares how she has expanded her team's skills and how this type of development has resul...

How do you prepare as you start a new year? Do you reflect on your past accomplishments to determine your next steps? In this episode, Jamie shares why reflection is critical and what you can expect in 2022 from the podcast.  What You’ll Learn from this Episode Jamie’s Favorite Podcast Episodes The Purpose of Reflection What to Expect in 2022 Get full show notes and more information here: https://...

What caused the labor shortage, and what is the solution for the future? Almost every business has been affected by the labor shortage, and business leaders want to make sure that they’re not late to the game figuring out how to overcome it.  In today's episode, Jeff Korzenik explains what is causing the labor shortage and provides an answer with second-chance hiring. Jeff is a regular guest...

Do you have a never-ending to-do list? Do you have a hard time prioritizing important tasks or get overwhelmed by the items you need to accomplish?  In today's episode, Kyle Kumpf joins us to talk about utilizing a visual management board. He believes that when we have simple visual systems in place, we can accomplish great things at work while having more time with our families, hobbies, and...

How do you improve sustainability? We have all experienced a change that people eventually started to go back to the old way of doing things even though it was beneficial and improved processes.  In today's episode, Adam Lawrence joins us to discuss his book, the Wheel of Sustainability, and shares how engaging the entire team during a Kaizen event can create long-term improvements.  Get full...

What is the best way to make a Toyota Kata Storyboard? When I created my first storyboard, it felt like an obvious decision to have a digital board. I travel for work, to see family, and my coaching calls are all done virtually. To me, it made the most sense; however, that changed over time. It's Kata time again, and I'm talking about storyboards in this episode. I'm sharing some of...

How do you grow the leaders that you need? Whether you are expanding into new locations or your current leaders have been promoted, it can be challenging to find the right talent and develop them quickly. In today’s episode, Chris Chippindale joins us to talk about how Ent Credit Union has grown leaders fast even in the middle of the labor shortages that organizations have been experiencing for th...

Have you ever said this statement, 'HR is getting in the way and won't let me do this?' As Operations Leaders, we don't always see Human Resources as partners that enable us to do our jobs better and more efficiently.  In today's episode, Jasmine Gorie, a VP of HR at Sunland Logistics Solutions, breaks down the relationship between HR and Operations and shares her recruitm...

I am very thankful for the community of Operations Leaders and Lean Practitioners who constantly support each other. That is why I am bringing this special Thanksgiving episode live from the Iowa Lean Consortium Annual Conference. In today’s episode, I am talking directly with Lean Leaders who share their perspectives on two major topics: sustaining and staffing. What You’ll Learn from this Episod...

Don't you hate it when you have back-to-back meetings? Inevitably, one meeting runs over, and there is not enough time to catch your breath, prepare for the next meeting, or even go to the bathroom. In today's episode, I share a passion project that has allowed meetings to be scheduled more efficiently and respectful of people's time. What You’ll Learn in this Episode: How my Passio...

Many organizations have been focused on filling positions and hiring new team members in the current employment market because of the staffing shortages. But how do you retain the team members you already have and keep them engaged?  In today’s episode, David Pender joins us to share how the “people come first” culture at Sage Glass has helped to retain employees, keep them engaged, and refer othe...

COVID has brought challenges to everyone throughout the last several months resulting in burnout to team members and leaders alike. How do we as leaders know when our team becomes overwhelmed, and what do we do when that happens? In today's episode, Kelli Ogunsanya shares the truth about leading through COVID burnout and how she focuses on meeting people where they are while leading organizat...

What does it mean to be a leader? People often come in with their own understanding and assumptions, causing disconnect and an unaligned purpose across the organization. In today's episode, Dave Conner joins us to share the role of a leader and how they have developed people to lead with meaning. What You’ll Learn from this Episode Gaining purpose through servant leadership Sharpening process...

We all solve problems in our organizations every day. There are so many tools and resources available to help us through those processes, but do we as leaders focus more on the methodology or on our people when it comes to problem-solving? In today’s episode, Jamie Flinchbaugh, author of People Solve Problems, joins us to what organizations are doing with learning and problem-solving as part of th...

What do you do when faced with a challenging learning experience that is, well, challenging? How do you respond when you are trying to grasp a concept that is beyond your learning threshold? In today's episode, Jamie discusses the lessons she learned in her Kata Girl Geek Learning Group when striving toward but did not achieve the Next Target Condition.  What You’ll Learn from this Episode Wh...

What do you mean when you say the word coaching? Do you think of an iconic sports coach yelling plays from the sideline or giving an inspirational speech in the locker room? As leaders, we coach our team members to help them learn and grow, but I’ve discovered that coaching is used incorrectly in many instances. In today’s episode, we are diving into what I mean by coaching, how it’s different fro...

What would happen if the doors to your organization had to close tomorrow? Most everyone experienced this at some point during the pandemic, but what would you do if you lost 80 percent of your business overnight?  In today's episode, Scott Post discusses the challenges of leading a buffet restaurant enterprise during a pandemic and their steps to be successful during that crisis.  What You’l...

How would your organization perform if you were no longer there? Most people only stay in one position for two to five years before moving on, so how do you start preparing for that transition? In today’s episode, Marc Braun joins us to discuss the steps he has made as he transitions out of his position of President at Cambridge Air Solutions and how continuously developing other leaders have help...

Is leadership development part of your strategy for business growth? If your business is growing or if you want to grow, it is important to consider how you're developing your leaders.  In today's episode, Kristin Ogo joins us to discuss how Kenmore Envelope Company focused on leadership expansion and how they continue to develop their leaders as their company has continued to grow.  Wha...

As Ops Leaders, how do you collaborate with internal business partners to better know your customers? Operations Managers are uniquely positioned to understand what is important to the customer and what they value. In today’s episode, Javan Lapp joins us to discuss how Key-Link Fencing and Railing has kept a customer-focused mindset through their innovation processes and encourages Ops Managers to...

How does your organization respond when a crisis occurs? Many times, the focus shifts to production lines and getting done "what we can," shoving innovation and improvement to the side. In today's episode, Gary Peterson joins us to discuss how they have used improvement thinking as a strategic advantage and have woven those strategies into the foundation of their culture so that the...

Our podcast is now one year old! And I’m featuring a special edition anniversary episode time for all of you. But first, let me extend my sincere gratitude for being along with me on this ride over the last year. Thank you for tuning in, for taking action, for providing feedback or reviews and ratings, and for sharing the episode every single Wednesday of the year. Thank you so much for your conti...

Grasp the Current Condition. It sounds easy enough. Turns out, there are some nuances that can make a big difference in how effectively the step aids you in your improvement kata practice. Explore four key lessons I discovered when in the role of learner in my Kata Girl Geek Learning Group experience. What You’ll Learn from this Episode The starter kata within Step 2: Grasp the Current Condition t...

Do you remember a time when you were learning something new? What about a time when you had to retrain your brain because you were learning new ways of problem-solving or new ways of thinking? Think back to that experience. How did you respond?  In today’s episode, Jamie shares her experience as she faces a challenging learning experience in her Kata Girl Geeks-Learning Group. As a leader, being i...