Lean Leadership for Ops Managers

How do we create a culture of improvement? I’m not just talking about adding another continuous improvement tool that managers check off the list, but how do we create an environment where the team members want to achieve the same goals as leaders and know they are contributing?  In last week’s episode, we talked about the right side of the model with Purpose and Participation, which could be cons...

Wouldn’t it be great if we were able to inspire a team to be engaged and aligned? Imagine if everyone in your organization shared the same vision, had the same values, and actively participated as a result. How would this impact your culture, creativity, problem-solving, execution, and value creation?  Throughout the last few episodes, we’ve been discussing what makes an organization a “Best Place...

When team members leave their roles, what happens to all the institutional knowledge they have in their heads? How much of a disruption is it when people move positions, retire, or go on extended absences? Dr. Cynthia J. Young shares how everyone in the organization can use knowledge management to make these situations better. What You’ll Learn from this Episode What knowledge management is, and w...

It’s one thing to “keep” team members. It’s another to keep them while they’re also fully engaged and contributing their best. Creating a workplace culture that helps people thrive is the answer to the current challenge: how do we compete in the employment market.  Back in Episode 049 we talked about a model that makes organizations “best places to work” - what team members want in their workplace...

“How do we build an organization where people want to work & tell others how great it is?”  Organizations are struggling to fill open positions, and with more virtual job options available, people are no longer just looking to work at companies in their local areas. So executives are asking this question as they try to tackle the “labor shortage.” What You’ll Learn from this Episode Current Ch...

What needs to happen to transition from event-based lean to an improvement culture?  One required step is engaging the frontline, but that brings challenges as fear or resistance may show up.  Aaron Davidson, Corporate Director of Employee and Guest Experience at Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment, shares how he engages the frontline and the role lean plays in volatile industries. What You’ll Learn...

“If you had a magic wand, what is the first thing that you would fix in an organization you’re coaching?” Chris Burnham asked me this question when I recorded a guest spot on his Lean Leadership podcast . My answer was simple. “If I could wave a magic wand, I would instantly develop the capabilities and the habits of all the leaders in the plant to Leverage the Positive by giving effective reinfor...

Have you ever left a conversation and thought “Whoa - that was blown out of proportion”? Or “Whoa - that escalated quickly”?  Knowing the levels of conflict is essential since misstepping will only make things worse. But what are the levels of conflict? How can you use The Conflict Ladder to more effectively lead through conflict? In this episode, I’ll walk you through every step of The Conflict L...

You can’t have a lean culture without conflict, but so many organizations and leaders are NOT comfortable with conflict. Here’s the question: “What would be the impact to your organization if you could have less destructive conflict and more productive conflict?” What You’ll Learn from this Episode Two types of workplace conflict, and how they differ How the research behind DiSC for Productive Con...

How would you define innovation? What enables a culture of innovation? How do lean and innovation fit together (or not)? Erlin Kakkanad and Bella Englebach share their insights about innovation and frugality, the intersection of Lean and innovation, and examples of real case studies. What You’ll Learn from this Episode Perspectives on the intersection of Lean and Innovation Examples from Toyota of...

It’s one thing to become aware of thoughts that aren’t serving you. But how do you actually change them? How do you choose thoughts that will yield better results? And what’s the relevance in Lean Leadership? While this is relevant for everyone… it’s particularly on point for the CI practitioners, Lean Coaches, Problem Solving Mentors, and Kata Coaches, this one’s for you. What You’ll Learn from t...

So often leaders want to learn how to “fix other people.” To get them to do the work, to get on board, to be better. But true leadership starts with our own self awareness and self management.  You are probably keenly aware of your results. But what about your feelings? Or your underlying, automatic thoughts?  Join me as I dig into coaching techniques for self leadership. Because whether you like...

As I sat at the restaurant alone, fuming, I worked up an elaborate story in my mind of why he was late. The truth is that we all create stories in our heads. These stories then fuel our words and actions, including in the workplace. And when we’re talking about changing the way people think and work, that could lead to workplace drama. What You’ll Learn from this Episode Why I was sitting at the r...

Have you ever been in a meeting and thought that everyone was on the same page for action steps, but you go into the next week’s meeting and the tasks still aren’t done. Susan Reinhardt joins us today to discuss how the concepts of Reliable Promising or Conversation for Action that she uses in Lean Construction may help you.  In fact, you might hear some "Weasel Words" in today’s convers...

Coaching is such a critical skill and behavior for leaders, so I'm thrilled to join the lineup for Lean Frontier’s Virtual 2021 Lean Coaching Summit.  But coaching isn't one dimensional. In fact, Jim Huntzinger, Founder and President of Lean Frontiers, shares different perspectives, angles and applications of Lean coaching and how conversations with John Shook about these different dimen...

How does fact finding and problem solving work when folks on your team are stressed or frustrated or angry? When you and a team member see the same situation from different perspectives? When you're having performance problems that are turning into conflicts between people? Today, Arnout Orelio joins us from the Netherlands to share how he helps emerging leaders pursue fact-based leadership....

Back in the day, I was making good money, but I still didn’t have any. Honestly, I couldn’t explain where the money went. And it didn’t make sense.  After a virtual hunt for a digital system that will help me in managing my finances, I finally found the right one that perfectly works for me. Join me as I discuss the best budget system, why I've been using it for over six years now, and why I&...

How do you choose a leader standard work template or tool based on your specific needs?  Robert Olinger and Steve Kane share the challenges they were facing and how they selected the leader standard work tool to meet and address those challenges. We’ve already had a few episodes that tackle this topic. Back in Episode 29, we had the opportunity to talk with Mike Wroblewski where he provided a fram...

What leader standard work tool is the best? There’s not one! The leader standard work tool you should use is the method that works for your circumstances. Kara Cuzzetto shares what made her template the best for her to build transparency and accountability. Jamie Parker shares the pros and potential pitfalls of a Kamishibai card leader standard work tool. What You’ll Learn from this Episode The pr...

Let’s be real. Leadership and management can be hard. And if you’re not careful, it can become lonely, too. That’s why building your squad is an activity worth investing time and energy. What You’ll Learn from this Episode The power of a peer group or squad to help you improve Why sometimes you need to be open to things you don’t think you need Who the Lean Communicators are and how they’ve made i...

As operations executives and managers, we cannot sit on the sidelines when it comes to systemic racism. We need to lead boldly. Deondra Wardelle talks us through diversity, equity, and inclusion, the intersection between DEI and Lean continuous improvement, and specific steps ops leaders can take to foster a more inclusive environment. What You’ll from this Episode How #RootCauseRacism was born fr...

How do you develop a people-centric culture, while also sustaining your improvement efforts and growing the business? Matthew Nix shares how he successfully developed a close-knit culture among his team members while also driving significant revenue growth. You’ll discover how he sees culture not just as a nice-to-have, but as a lifeline for the inevitable challenges that arise.  What You’ll Learn...

Are you a fan of one-on-ones? Most managers aren’t. But that’s because most managers haven’t had great one-on-ones modeled for them. If you want to lead through relationships, then valuable one-on-ones are a key activity to master. What You’ll Learn from this Episode Why doing one-on-ones is one of the most critical leadership routines for managers What managers get wrong with one-on-ones Answers...

Employee engagement is an input to performance results. The relationship between a leader and employee is what drives engagement. So why do so many leaders fail to have engaging conversations? How can one-on-ones help close that gap? The engagement conversation continues with Dorsey Sherman. What You’ll Learn from this Episode The stats on employee engagement, and the impact managers have on engag...

Employee Engagement. It’s the thing we all want. We know it leads to better results. We know it means that we have a better work environment. But what really drives engagement? Dorsey Sherman joins us to answer that question and share how you can impact engagement across your team. What You’ll Learn from this Episode The biggest drivers of employee engagement How engagement and process relate with...