Uncommon Sense - Tools to Improve your Work Forever

We’re on the same page…  Or are we? In improvement work, misaligned understanding around simple terms like ‘on time’ or ‘complete’ can derail progress before it begins. But PMI Consultant Damion Albinson explains how you can cut through the noise with clear operational definitions. Discover how to turn vague expectations into measurable clarity, avoid costly misunderstandings, and build trust with...

Does data collection feel like a tedious, time-consuming hurdle in your improvement projects? It doesn’t have to be. Join Niall Coney, Consultant at PMI, for a 15-minute masterclass in smarter data collection that delivers reliable insights without wasting time or resources. Learn how to choose the right sampling strategy, ensure accuracy with the right measurement systems, and leverage data simul...

Your improvement team is assembled, the project is underway, but something’s off. Misalignment keeps surfacing, engagement is lacking, and stalled progress feels inevitable. Join PMI Consultant and improvement project expert Mark Allison, as he shares the essential steps for setting your team up for success, with practical techniques to build clarity, confidence, and collaboration from day one. Ta...

When you spot a difference in your data, is it because something has genuinely changed, or is it just chance? Join Niall Coney, Consultant at PMI, as he demystifies hypothesis testing: one of the most misunderstood tools in improvement. From p-values to t-tests, Niall breaks it down in practical terms, showing how the right statistical ‘screwdriver’ can give you the confidence to act on your data....

If you’re making decisions based on assumptions, this episode could change everything. Join PMI Consultant Dennis Crommentuijn-Marsh for a real-world case study where Capability Analysis exposed a costly blind spot for an unsuspecting organisation. As he shares valuable lessons learned from the experience, discover why process stability is just the beginning, how to avoid misleading conclusions, a...

Struggling with team dynamics? When it comes to building a successful improvement team, skills matter, but the right people are everything. Join PMI Consultant and improvement project expert Mark Allison as he shares his proven approach to assembling a team that delivers. He explains why passion and intrinsic motivation are more important than expertise, and why at least half your team should cons...

How confident are you that the processes you rely on can delight your customers?  Capability studies will provide the answer by revealing whether your processes are delivering what your customers truly want or simply what they’re willing to tolerate. Join PMI Director Consultant Warren Knight as he shares the principles, practices, and real-world insights that will empower your teams to move beyon...

The patterns in your data can hold the key to better business decisions. Histograms go beyond simple bar charts, offering a clear view of data distribution to uncover trends, probabilities, and hidden opportunities in your processes. Join PMI Director Consultant, Warren Knight, as he shares real-world examples and actionable tips to help you use histograms to uncover issues, enhance performance an...

Stop chasing symptoms and start driving sustainable performance gains. PMI Director Consultant Warren Knight shares how SPC Charts can unlock powerful insights into any metric, whether it’s sales conversion rates, recruitment timelines, or customer response times. This versatile tool goes beyond short-term results, revealing long-term trends that help distinguish normal variation from real perform...

Are sales up this month? Have we produced more product this week than last week? Did we exceed our KPIs? Understanding how we’re performing against targets is a fundamental measure and is often reported using visual signals – green for ‘we’re doing great’, red for ‘we have a problem’. But what this system doesn’t tell us is how our performance is varying over time. Join PMI Director Consultant War...

Your Quality Improvement activity isn’t delivering the value you want. Business is fast-paced and complex, but your success can’t be sustained if you’re not focusing on what’s important. PMI Partner Consultant Des Kelly invites you to rethink your approach to Quality with insights from over four decades of industry transformation. We explore how organisations have moved from a product-centric to a...

Quality and Agile thrive together by putting your customer at the centre of what you do. Join PMI Senior Consultant Anthony Richardson as he reveals how Agile tools like Empathy Maps, User Stories, and Retrospectives enhance both flexibility and customer satisfaction, debunking the myth that Agile improvement sacrifices quality for speed. With insights into the crucial role of the Product Owner an...

What’s stopping you from visualising your workflow? Join us as we delve into Agile Visual Management, sharing how integrating Agile principles with visual management techniques can help you tackle backlogs and maintain a steady workflow while boosting team morale. PMI Director Consultant Sean Buckland explains how tools like Kanban boards can simplify complex projects, providing clarity on tasks t...

What would happen if you integrated Agile into your improvement activity? In this episode, we explore how Lean Six Sigma and Agile methodologies work together. PMI Director Consultant Sean Buckland shares a case study about an internal development team, initially hesitant to adopt Agile practices. By integrating Lean Six Sigma principles and embedding developers within the improvement team, they f...

Do you ever wonder how some organisations adapt to change so effortlessly? PMI Director Consultant Sean Buckland describes how Agile methodologies, rooted in the Agile Manifesto, combine with Lean principles to drive sustainable, customer-focused improvements. Tune in to hear why Agile Improvement isn’t a trend, but a powerful approach that can help organisations just like yours implement solution...

Think you already know how to unlock a team’s potential? Then you need to join Mark Allison; PMI Senior Consultant and experienced improvement team leader, for an engaging exploration that will reveal how you can truly optimise the performance of your team.  Learn more about the delicate art of building strong relationships, how to uncover hidden strengths, and tips for navigating resistance to ch...

Your process data today is different from yesterday.  But is an investigation worthy of your time? As an Improvement Practitioner, you already know that understanding variation is crucial and that Statistical Process Control (SPC) charts offer profound insights into process stability and performance – so what gets in the way of adopting SPC across your wider organisation? Whether you're facin...

“Does Lean apply to me?  It’s fine for manufacturing, but I work in the service industry.” Join Niall Coney, Consultant at PMI, as he challenges widespread misconceptions about Lean practices, exploring the origins and core principles, and highlighting their broader applicability. By emphasising the critical importance of understanding the "why" behind these tools, he offers compelling,...

The way you present your project achievements could be the difference between driving impactful change and losing your audience entirely. Delve into the critical art of effectively communicating results with PMI Director Consultant Dennis Crommentuijn-Marsh. Drawing from his extensive experience and lessons learned, he offers practical advice on structuring presentations for maximum impact. Gain v...

How do you deploy a strategy effectively and ensure it makes the impact that will elevate your organisation? In the final episode of our strategy-focused mini-series, PMI Partner Consultant Des Kelly shares how you can transform your organisation's strategy into a clear, actionable roadmap that everyone can follow using the X matrix.  This powerful visual management tool forms part of the Hos...

How will you know that your reinvigorated strategy is an improvement?  Join PMI Partner Consultant Des Kelly in the next episode of our strategy-focused mini-series as he delves into the art of defining clear, actionable objectives.  Discover how to harness the power of the 3 Question Model from Nolan and Provost to sharpen your strategy, as Des guides you through the essential questions: ‘What ar...

Developing a successful strategy requires the transformation of abstract ideas into actionable plans, and this is where the Affinity Diagram and the Interrelationship Diagraph are invaluable. Join us for the sixth episode of our strategy-focused mini-series as we move on to top tools for establishing the end goals and objectives.  PMI Partner Consultant Des Kelly reveals how AD and ID can foster c...

Are you aware of the invisible forces shaping the success or failure of your organisation's strategic goals? PMI Partner Consultant Des Kelly delves into the transformative power of the Force Field Analysis tool as our strategy-focused mini-series continues.  The conversation illuminates how this tool can uncover the driving and hindering forces that can significantly impact your organisation...

The business landscape can make or break your strategy.  So you need to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing your organisation in order to make informed decisions, identify potential risks, and leverage your competitive advantages. In the fourth episode of our strategy-focused mini-series, PMI Partner Consultant Des Kelly continues his exploration of top tools fo...

Understanding the macro environment is crucial for effective strategic decision-making, and PESTEL is a tool for helping you do this. Join us for the next episode in our strategy-focused mini-series as PMI Partner Consultant Des Kelly discusses this comprehensive framework for analysing changes to the status quo, underscoring the necessity of using unbiased data to guide strategic choices. Are you...