The Edges of Lean

Practicing Lean changes your brain. Do you agree? I know for me, repeating the patterns of the Plan-Do-Check-Act, or the pattern of the improvement kata, and because of using and adapting lean tools, I think very differently from the way I used to think.  This conversation with ST Rappaport illuminated what cognitive functions we are improving when we practice Lean thinking, and why that practice...

In continuous improvement, we love our numbers. Data is the bedrock of knowing what our current situation is, and whether we are improving. Kevin Palmieri is the CFO, Founder & Co-Host of Next Level University, a Global Top 100 Self-Improvement podcast with more than 1000 episodes reaching over half a million people in more than 125 countries. Kevin and his business partner are all about helping p...

Kaj Smit was a typical student with a typical life – until the day he woke up in a hospital and learned he had suffered two brain hemorrhages.  Physically he had to start over again and mentally he was in a very dark place. What does it take to recover from something like this? And what did Kaj learn that continuous improvers should take to heart? Just a note before we get started: we will be disc...

Today we're talking about knowing your priorities and achieving your goals. So often we get bogged down in the day-to-day, and we lose sight of what's important to us. In this episode, we're going to talk about how to identify your priorities and how to plan to achieve your goals with Adam J. Walker.    Adam Walker  Husband, Father of six, Wearer of fedoras, Nonprofit co-founder & CMO, Co-founder...

In this episode, Fiona Valentine joined me. We've talked a lot about what continuous improvers can learn from artists, and about how and why we can’t practice continuous improvement without building our skills for creativity.  Fiona Valentine is an artist, who works right at that important intersection of art, creativity, and business.   She helps artists learn how to sell their art – and she help...

Remote work: it's here to stay, and that impacts everything! For many remote workers, it’s still something new. But for Mari Anne Snow, who is the author of the soon-to-be-released “Remote Work Handbook," remote work has been her area of expertise for more than 20 years. That's how long she has been leading remote teams and continuously improving how to operationalize remote work. Mari Anne is the...

  What does a PhD candidate look like? What does a “Lean Six Sigma expert" look like? How about a CEO? My guest Kathryn McIver wants you to know why how we look impacts our opportunities. So, she changed the topic of her PhD dissertation to research lookism. She's here to share her research. Dr. Kathryn McIver  Dr. Kathryn McIver is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt and earned her doctorate from...

Where do we work? It is one of the biggest questions facing leaders today. It doesn't look like employees are flocking back to offices, and remote and hybrid work sure seem like they're here to stay. Does that mean we can't have the culture we want? In his book “Remote, Not Distant” Gustavo Razzetti argues leaders can design a culture for remote work. And by the way, that includes a Lean culture -...

Many of us start our continuous improvement learning in a training class. And many of us deliver CI training. How effective is that training? Does it prepare us to lead improvement?  Some training programs are more successful than others in preparing people for the real world. One way to measure the effectiveness of a training program is to look at the outcomes. Amita Sherwood joined me today to t...

As a lean leader, you take "Respect for People" very seriously.  What happens when one of your colleagues, team members or employees is going through a serious illness like cancer? How should you demonstrate "Respect for People?" And what should you not say?  Kim Hamer joined me to share her insights and learnings from her husband's journey with cancer, so tune in   Kim Hamer On April 16, 2009, Ki...

  It’s an odd thing to say, but one of the worst things that can happen to your business is to grow too fast! Marco Koeniger just happened to be in the right business at the right time, when he was suddenly faced with explosive growth.  What helped him lead successfully? His Green Belt training. Listen to hear the story!   Marco Koeniger Marco is a young professional who has been working in differ...

Do you hate get up to speak in front of people? Do you have to do it achieve your goals? Brenden Kumarasamy knows just how you fell, and he is ready to help! Brenden joins me for some surprising tips on how to not only get comfortable - but maybe even enjoy speaking in public. Brenden Kumarasamy Brenden is the founder of MasterTalk, where he coaches ambitious executives & entrepreneurs to become t...

Here at the Edges of Lean, one of my great pleasures is learning from people who practice lean thinking, but who don't think of themselves as lean practitioners. William Attaway is one of those people. In lean, we know how vital leadership is.  William joined me to talk about how we all can be better leaders, how to continually improve our leadership, and why  coaching is the best way to improve o...

Michaell Magrutsche thinks that systems get in the way of our humanity.  I believe that (good) systems are necessary for humanity to thrive.  I thought a conversation was in order!   Michaell Magrutsche Michaell is a California Multimedia Artist, writer, advisor born in Vienna-Austria, Magrutsche’s visual work has been coined Liminal Hard Edge, Reductive Pop and Antidepressant.    Key Topics in th...

. A leader is the one who steers the ship in the right direction. Direction setting is not easy - and Greg Offner has applied the benefits of root cause analysis to help leaders explore goals: Greg joins me to share this approach Root GOAL Analysis) and to talk about how it benefits lean leadership and a lean culture. He also discussed why coaching leaders is important, so tune in!  Gregory Offner...

Whatever form of continuous improvement you practice, it's all about learning through experimentation. But once you've learned something, what happens to that knowledge? Clark Shah-Nelson joined me today to talk about knowledge management, why it is essential for organizations, and how to get started managing knowledge. Clark Shah-Nelson Dr. Shah-Nelson has taught, designed & led award-winning vir...

Everyone "knows" that you can't deploy lean without engaged leadership.  So, just how do you get leadership engaged? Rebecca Snelling shares her insights at The Edges of Lean.   Rebecca Snelling, owner of RS Consulting, coaches people, teams and organizations on Leadership and Lean Transformation with an emphasis on advancing culture. She is active in the Design and Construction industry, speaking...

  EA Csolkovits joins me today to talk about his life experiences and how they've molded him into the person he is today. He also talks about the Givers University he founded, which is helping people from all walks of life to achieve their dreams. And we find out what a "Giver" is and how to find yours.   EA CSOLKOVITS E.A. was born in 1956 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a milkman (not everyone...

How many PowerPoint presentations have you seen? How many have put you to sleep? Betsy Lawson joins me to talk about how to end boring PowerPoint presentations and have engaging and fun training Listen in to this episode and learn how the stories you know by heart can help your trainees remember more and have more fun.   BETTY LAWSON  Betsy Lawson specializes in Lean edutainment for the workplace....

Innovation is the key driver of continued organizational success. In this episode, Dr. Heather Johnson joins me to discuss radical innovation and its connection to lean innovation. Dr. Johnson is an expert on innovation, and her insights will help all organizations looking to improve their innovation process.   HEATHER JOHNSON Dr. Heather Johnson is a scientist, an engineer, and a radical innovati...

Did you know that 25 to 40 percent of the people you meet are introverts? Jenny Toh joins me today to talk about coaching introverts, how to coach if you are introvert, why managers need coaching and the future of coaching. Jenny is an expert in coaching introverts and extroverts and helping her clients to find their voice. She believes that empathy is key when coaching introverts, as it helps the...

  The connection between Lean and Agile is widely misunderstood. In this podcast we will answer all your questions about these two different approaches. Join us as Samuel Gregory explains when an agile approach is needed and what's really behind the word.     SAMUEL GREGORY Samuel Gregory is the founder of Jupiter and the Giraffe, a website design consultancy as well as hosting the weekly That Tec...

If you want to be an effective leader, then character is key. Skills and knowledge are necessary, but self-knowledge and clarity on core values are what separate the great leaders from the rest of the pack. Brad Smith joined me to talk about how constant self-improvement of our own character can help us help other leaders to have a better leadership style.   BRAD SMITH Stellar Insight founder, Bra...

Many small businesses are franchises.  What is franchising, and how can lean thinking improve franchised businesses? Or Steve Taylor and I delve into the franchise world in this episode of the The Edges of Lean.   STEVE TAYLOR Steve Taylor has an extensive background working in large businesses and small, in both sales and operations roles.  In addition, he has owned and been partners in several b...

The need for change is an inevitable part of life today and change demands leadership.  Art Bierschbach joins me today; he's been working on leading change his whole career! We'll discuss diverse types of leadership and what they mean when it comes time to lead change of every kind – whether in environment, culture, or a physical change. A successful leader can't just hope that things will go smoo...