Lean Blog Interviews - Healthcare, Manufacturing, Business, and Leadership

Mark Graban

Started in 2006, the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is a series of conversations with experts and thought leaders in the field of lean manufacturing and management. Hosted by Mark Graban, a Lean practitioner, consultant, and author, the podcast offers insights, experiences, and tips for implementing and improving Lean practices in various industries. The podcast has a conversational format, with Graban engaging with his guests on a wide range of topics related to Lean. The guests come from different backgrounds, including healthcare, manufacturing, and service industries, and share their unique perspectives and experiences on Lean implementation. The podcast explores different aspects of Lean, including its history, principles, and tools, as well as its application in different industries and contexts. Graban and his guests delve into topics such as continuous improvement, value stream mapping, process improvement, and culture change, and Lean Startup, among others. Particular emphasis is given to leadership and management system concepts, including the Toyota Production System and related methods. But, we don‘t talk about ”Lean Six Sigma” much around here, if that interests you... but if you agree that Lean is more than ”just a bunch of tools in the improvement toolbox,” this is the place for you. We focus more on Lean as a culture, a philosophy, and a management system. You’ll learn, and our guests will inspire you. One of the unique aspects of the podcast is its frequent focus on Lean in healthcare. Graban is a well-known advocate for Lean in healthcare, and many of his guests are experts in this field. They discuss topics such as patient safety, quality improvement, and waste reduction in healthcare settings. They also share their experiences and successes in implementing Lean in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations. Another notable feature of the podcast is its emphasis on practical advice and real-world examples. The guests share their experiences and insights into what works and what doesn’t when it comes to implementing Lean practices. They provide tips for overcoming common challenges and share success stories that can inspire others to adopt Lean principles. The podcast is also notable for its inclusivity and diversity. Graban features guests from a range of backgrounds and experiences. This diversity of perspectives enriches the discussions and provides a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges and opportunities of Lean implementation. Overall, the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Lean manufacturing and management. Whether you are new to Lean or a seasoned practitioner, the podcast offers insights, tips, and inspiration for improving your organization’s performance and achieving your Lean goals. With its engaging format, practical advice, and diverse range of guests, the podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in continuous improvement and operational excellence. Visit the blog at www.leanblog.org. For feedback, email mark@leanblog.org. All past episodes, with show notes and more, can be found at www.leancast.org. read less

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Interview with Prof. Zeynep Ton on ”The Case for Good Jobs”

Interview with Prof. Zeynep Ton on ”The Case for Good Jobs”

Episode page with video, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #478 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Zeynep Ton. She is a professor of the practice at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Previously, she was on the faculty of the Harvard Business School. Ton received numerous awards for teaching excellence at both schools. She was previously a guest in Episode 228 in 2015, discussing her first book The Good Jobs Strategy. Her new book, released in June, is The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work. In today's episode, we discuss what's meant by “good jobs” — and how it's not just about compensation. What are good jobs and what's the case for them, in both human and financial terms? Among other topics, we discuss how it's a system, the “good jobs system,” and there is risk in trying to just copy a piece or two that sounds good (which reminds us both of issues around adoption of the Toyota Production System). Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What are “good jobs”? Has this definition evolved at all?“Operate with slack”Nursing shortages — the effect of not operating with slackImproving call center jobs — reducing the need for calls to begin with HBR piece — mental models of customer-centric vs. financial-centricThe new book — “the case” for good jobs?Benefits of lower turnoverSimple thinking vs. systems thinking — 2% margin business “can't afford” higher wages… or can't afford NOT to?5 Corporate Disabilities when you have high turnoverTight labor markets — a greater need for companies to adopt “the good jobs strategy” or at least some practices? Sam's Club — competitive pressure to catch up or emulate Costco?The good jobs SYSTEM — risk of copying just one piece, such as higher pay?Cost of Poor Quality vs. Cost of Bad Jobs — not on the financial statementsOperational Indifference… vs operational excellence“There's a grave disconnect between what's happening on the front lines and what executives think is happening.”Finding balance? “standardizing processes when that makes sense and empowering employees to help customers”Obstacles to creating good jobs? The logical evidence-based case to be made vs. habits and beliefs of executives (mental models)?“Many leaders don't even consider frontline work critical to company performance.”Cost-benefit analysis — easy to calculate the cost of higher pay… predicting the benefits is seen as a leap of faith? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Interview with Prof. Zeynep Ton on ”The Case for Good Jobs”

Interview with Prof. Zeynep Ton on ”The Case for Good Jobs”

Episode page with video, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #478 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Zeynep Ton. She is a professor of the practice at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Previously, she was on the faculty of the Harvard Business School. Ton received numerous awards for teaching excellence at both schools. She was previously a guest in Episode 228 in 2015, discussing her first book The Good Jobs Strategy. Her new book, released in June, is The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work. In today's episode, we discuss what's meant by “good jobs” — and how it's not just about compensation. What are good jobs and what's the case for them, in both human and financial terms? Among other topics, we discuss how it's a system, the “good jobs system,” and there is risk in trying to just copy a piece or two that sounds good (which reminds us both of issues around adoption of the Toyota Production System). Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What are “good jobs”? Has this definition evolved at all?“Operate with slack”Nursing shortages — the effect of not operating with slackImproving call center jobs — reducing the need for calls to begin with HBR piece — mental models of customer-centric vs. financial-centricThe new book — “the case” for good jobs?Benefits of lower turnoverSimple thinking vs. systems thinking — 2% margin business “can't afford” higher wages… or can't afford NOT to?5 Corporate Disabilities when you have high turnoverTight labor markets — a greater need for companies to adopt “the good jobs strategy” or at least some practices? Sam's Club — competitive pressure to catch up or emulate Costco?The good jobs SYSTEM — risk of copying just one piece, such as higher pay?Cost of Poor Quality vs. Cost of Bad Jobs — not on the financial statementsOperational Indifference… vs operational excellence“There's a grave disconnect between what's happening on the front lines and what executives think is happening.”Finding balance? “standardizing processes when that makes sense and empowering employees to help customers”Obstacles to creating good jobs? The logical evidence-based case to be made vs. habits and beliefs of executives (mental models)?“Many leaders don't even consider frontline work critical to company performance.”Cost-benefit analysis — easy to calculate the cost of higher pay… predicting the benefits is seen as a leap of faith? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Ken Pilone on Transferring TPS & Lean to Areas Outside of Manufacturing, Including Policing and Healthcare

Ken Pilone on Transferring TPS & Lean to Areas Outside of Manufacturing, Including Policing and Healthcare

Episode page with transcript and more Joining us for Episode #476 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Ken Pilone, who has more than 30 years experience in Organization Development in Government, Retail, Automotive, Distribution, and Aerospace. He recently retired from Providence Health & Services, working most recently as the Senior Manager of Business Process Engineering at Providence Health & Services — a role that encompassed internal Lean consulting, including executive coaching, lean training, leadership development, and all functions typical of a lean promotion or PI/CI function. He's now working as an independent coach. He spent nearly 20 years with Toyota as Lean consultant within the company as well as with suppliers, vendors, partners, and community groups. He a co-creator of the University of Toyota at the company HQ. He led the work to adapt the Toyota Production System to non-production environments (warehousing, supply chain, HQ administration depts., sales, product distribution, dealer operations, etc. In addition, he led the Center for Lean Thinking. Ken has a Masters's in Industrial Psychology and Organizational Development with his Toyota experience, Ken has developed specialties in Lean consulting in non-production environments, curriculum development and delivery, leadership, and management development coaching, Toyota problem-solving method training, and public speaking. He's the author of Lean Leadership on a Napkin: An Executive's Guide to Lean Transformation in Three Proven Steps. In today's episode, we discuss the application of Lean in healthcare and Ken's experience there… and more! Questions, Notes, and Highlights: Police work? LAPDViewing work as a process… Helping people see that in healthcare? How to go about that?Not using the term “value streams”Fixing defects vs. fixing the system?Defects in policing paperwork in the fieldCorrecting the paperwork vs. why it occurredProcess is broken — Band-AidsNo time… why? How can we create time?Microexperiments vs. implementing? How to help people look at improvements as experiments?Psychological safety – removing the danger?“Never Events”? Zero Harm?JPL – process gremlins and being proactive…“Breaking the system on purpose”Adapting to healthcare… Tell us about your later transition into working in healthcare? Pulled or pushed?The importance of leading with humility? How to build that? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Joshua Kerievsky on the Joy of Agility -- It’s Not Just for Software Companies

Joshua Kerievsky on the Joy of Agility -- It’s Not Just for Software Companies

CEO of Industrial Logic, author of Joy of Agility Episode page with video, links, transcript and more Joining us for Episode #475 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Joshua Kerievsky, the founder and CEO of Industrial Logic, one of the oldest and most well-respected agile consultancies on the planet. Since 1996, Joshua and his global network of colleagues have helped people in teams across many industries leverage the wisdom and power of modern product development methods. An early pioneer and practitioner of Extreme Programming, Lean Software Development and Lean Startup, Joshua most recently crafted “Modern Agile” to help people and organizations benefit from a principle-based approach to agility. Joshua is passionate about helping people produce awesome outcomes via genuine agility. He is an international speaker and author of books including most recently, Joy of Agility: How to Solve Problems and Succeed Sooner. In today's episode, we discuss how “agility” doesn't strictly mean “Agile” in software. How was Joshua inspired by leaders including former Alcoa CEO Paul O'Neill? What can all kinds of organizations learn about the art of evaluating experiments in ways that lead to more improvement and greater innovation? Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What's your “origin story” when it comes to these methods?Agile is an adjective… “ready ability to move with quick, easy, grace” — resourceful and adaptableIt's not just about speed, but also quality?Do you recall when you were first introduced to “Lean” — was it via “Lean Startup” early days?The Industrial Logic name?“Process” sounds bad? Why is that?Toyota – enabling bureaucracy vs. limiting bureaucracySAFE experimentsPaul O'Neill admiration – safety 2012 The Power of Habit bookWhat does safety mean in software?The risk of mistakes — expensive $$ decision… small tests of change???The art of evaluating experiments? Keep going? Pivot or persevere?For those who don't know, what's “agile” vs. what you describe as “agility”?This is NOT a book about software developmentDriving out fear like Deming? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Norbert Majerus on Lean-Driven Innovation; From a Farm in Luxembourg to Factories and a Shingo Award

Norbert Majerus on Lean-Driven Innovation; From a Farm in Luxembourg to Factories and a Shingo Award

Episode page with video, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #474 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Norbert Majerus. He has his own firm now but previously worked for Goodyear, joining the company in 1978 in his home country of Luxembourg. He moved to Akron in 1983 and worked disciplines in the Goodyear innovation centers in both locations, retiring in 2018. His first book (2016) Lean-Driven Innovation: Powering Product Development at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was a Shingo Award recipient. His latest book is Winning Innovation: How Innovation Excellence Propels an Industry Icon Toward Sustained Prosperity. In today's episode, we discuss Lean and innovation — how they co-exist, how Lean Product Development drives innovation, and how to truly engage people by leading with humility and respecting people. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: What's your Lean origin story?Goodyear had tried Lean a few times in MFG – didn't work well — WHY?This was before Billy Taylor – they worked together 5 yearsGrowing up on a farm — Toyota is said to be a company of farmers… how did Lean resonate with you?Lean is Lean? – doing this in unusual places, it's all the sameDefinitions? Innovation vs. improvement?Make sure we don't stifle creativity (we can all be creative, as Norm Bodek always said)Toyota and The Innovator's DilemmaAkio Toyoda stepping aside as CEO — a new push for EVs there?Can combine lean and innovationHow best to connect “Respect for people” and “rapid problem solving and experimentation” for product development and innovation? Humility…Can you be innovative enough for long enough withOUT those lean culture concepts? Your new book is in a Business novel format – why write it this way? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

IN MEMORIAM - Ritsuo Shingo, Former Toyota Executive and Lean Teacher

IN MEMORIAM - Ritsuo Shingo, Former Toyota Executive and Lean Teacher

Blog post about Mr. Shingo's passing Today, we mourn and remember Ritsuo Shingo, who recently passed away at age 75. I am re-releasing episode 409 with him from two years ago this month, in April 2021. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and everybody who worked with him, including my friends at the Shingo Institute.

’Picture Yourself a Leader’ - Interview with Elisabeth Swan on Her New Book

’Picture Yourself a Leader’ - Interview with Elisabeth Swan on Her New Book

Author, podcaster, and consultant Episode page Joining us for Episode #473 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Elisabeth Swan, author of the new book Picture Yourself a Leader: Illustrated Micro-Lessons for Navigating Change. It's currently the #1 new release in the Amazon TQM category… Elisabeth has consulted in the business process performance industry for over 30 years. Her experience spans from helping local non-profits expand their reach to guiding Fortune 100 companies through Lean Transformations. She has trained and mentored thousands of people in improvement projects generating millions in savings. She has deep experience coaching problem solvers and facilitating leadership retreats, strategic planning sessions, process walks, and kaizen events. Elisabeth is the Co-Designer and Lead Instructor for the Lean Six Sigma Leadership Course at University of California, San Diego (UCSD). She is a co-founder, with Tracy ORourke, of the Just-in-Time Café and co-host of the Just-in-Time Café podcast. She co-authored, also with Tracy, The Problem Solver's Toolkit: A Surprisingly Simple Guide to Your Lean Six Sigma Journey. In today's episode, we discuss her new book and the process for getting there, including the role of feedback, editing, and an editorial board as inputs to iteration and improvement. Questions, Notes, and Highlights: Tell us the story behind the book? Why this book? Why this format?Sketching and drawing during the pandemic?Why illustrate each chapter?Asking people — “What have you figured out?” (PDSA) vs. “what do you know?”Who is the book written for? Lean leadership or just good “leadership” influenced by C.I.??Do some people have trouble picturing themselves a leader?“The word leader can mean many things” — tell us more about that – how can everybody be a leader?Author talk: Writing and Editing process – PDSA cycles? (Plan, Do, Study, Adjust)Iterating, asking for honest feedback?“The curse of knowledge?”Iterating on the cover design?“Heading off the head scratchers” — acronyms“Perfecting Rework” — you invited me to contribute a “wisdom of the crowd” story here… W. Edwards Deming's – American way of making toast… you burn it, I'll scrape it The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Interview with Mit Vyas: Insights on Learning from Toyota, Entrepreneurial Success, and Mindfulness Practices

Interview with Mit Vyas: Insights on Learning from Toyota, Entrepreneurial Success, and Mindfulness Practices

Managing Director of Gemba Automation Episode page with video, transcript and more Joining us for Episode #472 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Mit Vyas, managing director for Gemba Automation. He started his career at Toyota and worked for other large corporations. He founded Gemba Automation, a company that has helped customers in software, medical devices, fashion, and construction develop profitable and sustainable businesses. Mit holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. In today's episode, we discuss what Mit learned working at Toyota, how that's been applied through Lean Startup thinking, and why the practice of meditation has been so important to him. Questions, Notes, and highlights: I already gave part of the answer by mentioning Toyota… but tell us more about your Lean origin story?First job at Toyota – Process Engineer at Toyota was my first “real” job. The experience there was the springboard to the rest of my career.Inputs & outputs? — not telling you the answer?“What the actual facts” are out in the factory floor“Making your thinking visible?” – Problem Solving A3A3 coaching and questions?What do you know and how do you know it?Foundations? How can you learn problem solving if you don't know what the standard work or Takt are?What does the word “Kaizen” mean to you, to Toyota?What does “Challenge” mean at Toyota? What does it mean to you?Leading with humility?How do you apply PDCA thinking in your company? To starting a company?What's the problem statement that led to the company as a countermeasure?Lean Startup concepts?Minimum Viable Product? Minimum Viable Service?Have you found good product / market fit?Check and Adjust — pivot or persevere?Calming your nervous mind?Power of meditation – You've been meditating… what have you learned from that practice? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Discovering the Benefits of Data-Driven DEI: An Interview with Dr. Randal Pinkett on his New Book

Discovering the Benefits of Data-Driven DEI: An Interview with Dr. Randal Pinkett on his New Book

Co-founder, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners Episode page with links and more Joining us for Episode #471 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Dr. Randal Pinkett. He was a guest in Episode 380 in 2020, with Prof. Jeffrey Robinson, his co-author for the book Black Faces in White Places. Today, I'm honored to be joined by Randal again to talk about his new book, his fifth book — Data-Driven DEI: The Tools and Metrics You Need to Measure, Analyze, and Improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, released yesterday, March 14th. Randal is an entrepreneur, innovator, speaker, author, media personality and DEI expert who is leading the way in business, technology and equity for all. He is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, a global, multimillion-dollar research, training, consulting, technology, and data analytics firm whose mission is to provide insights about diverse people that lead to equity. He's a graduate of the MIT Leaders for Global Operations Program. He's a Rhodes Scholar with a PhD also from MIT. As we talked about a little bit last time, Randal was the winner of Season 4 of The Apprentice.

CEO Gary Michel on Lean for the Enterprise and the Need to Decomplify Work

CEO Gary Michel on Lean for the Enterprise and the Need to Decomplify Work

Episode page with video, transcript and more Joining us for Episode #470 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Gary Michel. He was Chairman and CEO of JELD-WEN, Inc. until August 2022 and, just after that, I saw him give an outstanding keynote talk at the AME annual conference in Dallas. Gary was previously President and CEO of Honeywell Home and Building Technologies (HBT) and President and CEO of ClubCar. He also led the Trane HVAC business, among other executive roles. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. His book, Decomplify: How Simplicity Drives Stability, Innovation, and Transformation, will be available later this year. In this episode, Gary discusses his Lean origin story and how he views and drives Lean as a CEO. He reflects on the importance of strategy deployment and Lean as an enterprise approach, and shares his approach to Lean problem solving as a CEO. Gary emphasizes the impact of taking a “fresh eyes” approach to Gemba walks, and talks about the importance of being inquisitive and taking responsibility for simplifying processes (or “decomplifying” them). Questions, Notes, and highlights: What's your Lean origin story?Lower volume business – how to make it flow? We're not Toyota?Strategy deployment… lean as an enterpriseHow to be focused on most pressing needs?Reaction to the John Toussaint quote – “you've seen one lean transformation….”“I teach problem solving a lot”Who were your teachers, guides and coaches?Shedding Old habits and old philosophiesHow did you drive Lean problem solving from the CEO seat?How to coach others away from bad habits?Culture impact of coaching leaders vs. selecting the right ones for promotion?Having a rallying cry to set directionWorking to reduce fear of speaking upGet out there… those closest to the workHow to get other leaders out to the Gemba?The impact of taking leaders out on a Gemba walk??Some are afraid of that, making mistakes?The importance of taking a “Fresh Eyes” approach??Why should leaders be inquisitive when things don't look the way they're supposed to look?What's your definition of a “great company”?Problem Solving AND communication as much as anything elseInfluencing other CEOs to take interest in Lean yet alone drive it?Gets asked – What if my CEO isn't driving this?Decomplifying annual planning and strategy cycles? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

My Many Mistakes Related to Today’s Lean Podcast Episodes – Yup, Plural

My Many Mistakes Related to Today’s Lean Podcast Episodes – Yup, Plural

I'm sorry for mistakenly releasing two episodes on the same day... now three. Blog post related to this bonus episode

What a Unicorn Knows: Interview with Authors Matt May & Pablo Dominguez

What a Unicorn Knows: Interview with Authors Matt May & Pablo Dominguez

New book, available now! For links, video, transcript, and more visit the episode page Joining us for Episode #469 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Matt May and Pablo Dominguez, the authors of the new book What a Unicorn Knows: How Leading Entrepreneurs Use Lean Principles to Drive Sustainable Growth. It's available now! Matt has been before, in episodes 67 and 103… and he was my guest for episode 39 of My Favorite Mistake. Pablo Dominguez is an Operating Partner at Insight Partners, a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software ScaleUp companies that drive transformative change in their industries. Pablo has spent his entire career as a go-to-market and sales-focused operator, working in consulting, public companies, startups, and, most recently, ScaleUps. The application of lean principles has figured centrally in driving sustainable growth in each of these ventures. Matthew E. May leads the Lean ScaleUp program at Insight Partners, with Pablo. His mastery of lean principles and methodologies comes from spending nearly a decade inside the Toyota organization, where he played an integral part in launching the University of Toyota, a corporate university dedicated to teaching, preserving, and expanding the Toyota Way. Previously the author of many great books, including The Elegant Solution and, most recently, Winning the Brain Game. In this episode, we discuss their new book and how they are both influenced by Toyota and broader Lean thinking, including the Lean Startup methodology — and we discuss the questions and topics listed below: Questions, Notes, and highlights: Pablo, since this is your first time here, it would be great to hear your “Lean origin story”Helping people cope with the discovery of waste and opportunities to improve? Feeling bad about it before moving forward?Congratulations on the release of the book… in startup circles, what's meant by the term “Unicorn”?What's a ScaleUp compared to a startup?What is product-market fit? An example?Risk of trying to scale prematurely?One of the core themes in your model is “Constant experimentation” Investors – do they want to hear about “constant experimentation”? Do they want certainty?How to prevent Big Company Syndrome (a.k.a., Big Company Disease)?What is meant by “Lean ScaleUp”?How do you react when you hear this aversion to “process” in agile or startup circles, as if process means being inflexible?What's a “lean kaizen sprint”?Applying this to the sales process?Lessons Toyota about “building team spirit”?Building teamwork across silos? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Jody Crane, MD: Lean in Emergency Medicine and Hospitals; 3 Big Issues Causing Tough Times in Healthcare

Jody Crane, MD: Lean in Emergency Medicine and Hospitals; 3 Big Issues Causing Tough Times in Healthcare

Chief Medical Officer of TeamHealth Episode page with video, transcript, and more Joining us for Episode #468 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Jody Crane, M.D. He's the Chief Medical Officer for TeamHealth, and he was previously a guest for Episode 120. As a proven leader, Dr. Jody Crane, M.D. is considered one of the leading experts in emergency department operations in the United States. Dr. Crane has taught and led healthcare and emergency department improvement efforts with hundreds of organizations in a wide variety of settings on six continents. In this role, he supports clinical quality and safety and performance improvement initiatives for all clinical service lines. We're talking today because he's a keynote speaker at the upcoming Healthcare Systems Process Improvement conference, which is brought to us by the Society for Health Systems. I'm a member, and I'll be there at the event this year as usual, February 15 to 17 in Louisville, Kentucky. See Jody's full bio and more about his keynote talk. His book, co-authored with Chuck Noon is The Definitive Guide to Emergency Department Operational Improvement: Employing Lean Principles with Current ED Best Practices to Create the “No Wait” Department. Questions, Notes, and highlights: First off, give us a bit of a preview of the core messages for your keynote talk…It's a tough time in healthcare — three big issuesThe impact of pay, culture, and working conditions?Moral Injury vs. Burnout?Fixing an imperfect system — broader value stream issues that aren't in our control?Transitions between facilities and communication across shift handoffs – process improvement opportunities?Helping people see improvement opportunity vs. “this is just the way it's meant to be”Framing the problem as “not enough nurses” or “too much waste”?The impact of Lean? The untapped potential of Lean?Two questions for executives – Have you heard of Lean? Have you been part of a Kaizen Event? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Unlocking the Power of Kata: Tracy Defoe on Adult Learning, Coaching, and Asking Questions

Unlocking the Power of Kata: Tracy Defoe on Adult Learning, Coaching, and Asking Questions

Coach at www.TheLearningFactor.ca Joining us for Episode #467 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Tracy Defoe. She is an adult education consultant and researcher specializing in workplace education. For parts of the last 10 years, she has been puzzling over the challenges of participation and leadership in continuous improvement. She has taught communication, writing, teamwork, and cross-cultural communication as well as teaching methods to adults in colleges, universities, and the workplace. A regular consultant to business, labour, and government, Tracy is also an advocate for plain language and clear design. Questions, Notes, and highlights: Her websiteYour origin story for C.I., Lean, Kata…?How to navigate the distribution of varied mix-level knowledge / experience in a room when it's not 1×1?How much can somebody absorb at once when learning?“I don't know Yeti” – the mascot for Kata School CascadiaThe benefit of making learning fun?Starter Kata questions – when is it OK to move beyond the rigid starter questions?Teaching and coaching through questionsBeing a 2nd coach? Mentor for the coachDifficult to not jump in with advice when you DO know the process — for kata coaching?Intervening vs. allowing them to make the mistake?Being heard vs. feeling heardThe power of plain language… as opposed to jargon? What example comes to mind? Kata / Kaizen?“Problem solving” sounds too definitiveKaizen Events off track… Kata goes off track how?Having a “third coach”?Tell us about Kata Girl GeeksMaster Class with Tracy and Tilo SchwarzTime in the coaching dojo and how you learn every time? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Billy Taylor, Author of ”The Winning Link”

Billy Taylor, Author of ”The Winning Link”

Episode page with video, transcript and more My guest for Episode #466 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is a returning guest, Billy Taylor. Since his last appearance, Billy has written and released a great book titled The Winning Link: A Proven Process to Define, Align, and Execute Strategy at Every Level. Billy had a long career at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, where he served as plant director for both union and non-union facilities, leading lean transformations in Goodyear's largest and most complex tire-producing sites. Billy more recently founded his firm LinkedXL, where he is CEO. He was previously a guest in Episodes 293 and 298, back in 2017. He was also a guest on Episode 5 of “My Favorite Mistake.” Questions, Notes, and highlights: Before we talk about your book, what stood out to you most at the AME conference this year?How to understand the level of trust? How do build it??“Coaching leaders on how to show up”Productive huddles – Key Performance Actions (KPA)What is “title-itis”?Best people… best processesDefining winning — why is that a challenge for some organizations? Lack of agreement on what winning means?Purpose mapping – agreeing on this first?Developing your strategy — how do we know if a strategy is the “right” strategy?? Truly differentiating??What's your CPI – critical performance indicator? “Have you defined what winning means to you?”SOAP – Strategy on a PageAligning to win — As you write — Making jobs better not making jobs go away?“America… not a hiring problem… a retention problem”Psychological Safety“Covid changed the way we do business” The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Gemba Claus is Comin’ to Town! [Song]

Gemba Claus is Comin’ to Town! [Song]

Here's a musical holiday treat for my regular Lean Blog readers and podcast listeners, a song parody, originally released in 2009... remastered a bit here in 2022. https://www.leanblog.org/2022/12/gemba-claus-comin-town-song/ Gemba Claus is Comin' to Town Lyrics by Mark Graban Performance by Steve Sholtes Oh, you'd better watch out You'd better kaizen You'd better not pout, I'm tellin' ya then Gemba Claus is comin' to town He's making a list Just checking it once Doin' it twice would waste a whole bunch Gemba Clause is comin' to town He sees you when you're waitin' He knows when your work flows He knows if changeovers are too long So do SMED for goodness sake Oh, you'd watch out You'd better not pause You'd better not pout Find the real root cause Gemba Claus is comin' to Town! For voiceover work, music, or more, you can contact Steve via his website, www.stevesholtes.com. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Tom Peters on His Compact Guide to Excellence – New Book

Tom Peters on His Compact Guide to Excellence – New Book

Episode page with transcript, video, and more My guest for Episode #465 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is the legendary (my word, not his) author, consultant, and speaker — Tom Peters. His new book is Tom Peters's Compact Guide to Excellence. Click here to enter to win a paperback copy (through December 20). He was previously a guest in Episode 382 of this podcast and My Favorite Mistake Episode 58. See previous blog posts about Tom and his ideas. Today, Tom and I talk about some core concepts from his book, but we also weave through many topics including leadership that demonstrates “extreme humanism” (and leaders who do not, such as Elon Musk). As always, it's a fun, free-wheeling, and thought-provoking conversation when Tom is involved. Note: Tom says he swears like a sailor… there are a few occasional mild curse words, so please be warned about that. Questions, Notes, and highlights: The moral bankruptcy of “maximizing shareholder value” — are we really moving away from that? Getting lip service from the Conference Board and others?“People got ‘the brand called you' all wrong — it's not about self-marketing”“Being good is good business. When you take the high moral ground it is difficult for anyone to object without sounding like a complete fool.”Caring about people… Reminds me of Paul O'Neill saying nobody should ever get hurt at work (Alcoa) — “habitual excellence“The HP Way – Management By Wandering Around (MBWA) is an “intimate act”Following up on our Aug 2020 discussion about leading during Covid… how is MBZA (management by zooming around) working out?You've been very active on Twitter — still there? Should we still be using Twitter, even the free service? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Katie Anderson Discusses Larry Culp’s AME Keynote and Their Fireside Chat

Katie Anderson Discusses Larry Culp’s AME Keynote and Their Fireside Chat

Katie Anderson, her 6th appearance Episode page with video, photos, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #464 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Katie Anderson, who is, among other things, the author of the book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn. She has previously been a guest here in Episodes 233, 275, 302, 326, and 425. Katie has also been a guest twice on “My Favorite Mistake” — once with Isao Yoshino and once on her own. Today, Katie and I talk about the recent AME annual conference that was held in Dallas. We both heard Larry Culp, CEO of General Electric (and GE Aviation) speak for 15 minutes, and we discuss that here today. We also recap highlights from (and our reflections about) the fireside chat that Katie had with Larry on stage. Notes and highlights: Listen to Katie on the internal GE podcast (named “Andon That Note”) she mentions in this episodeDiscussing the panel discussion that I moderated with Deondra Wardelle and Amy GowderGary Michel, another great CEO speaker at the eventLarry: “This is how we manage” (Lean)Going to the gemba? Why? Process and peopleTop down and bottom up – operationalizing Hoshin KanriLearning from mistakes, how a leader reacts to bad newsFrom telling to asking questions – breaking the telling habitHaving a coach as CEO… why Larry thinks that's so importantLarry: “You don't go to HBS to learn how to ask questions” The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Jim Benson on The Collaboration Equation, His New Book

Jim Benson on The Collaboration Equation, His New Book

Episode page with transcript, video, and more My guest for Episode #463 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Jim Benson, the CEO of Modus Cooperandi, and co-founder of Modus Institute. He was previously a guest on Episodes 155 and 401. He was also a guest on Lean Whiskey #25 with me and Jamie Flinchbaugh (and #31), and was guest #4 on My Favorite Mistake. A pioneer in applying Lean and Kanban to knowledge work, Jim is the creator of Personal Kanban and is co-author of Personal Kanban: Mapping Work, Navigating Life, winner of the Shingo Research and Publication Award. His other books include Why Plans Fail, Why Limit WIP, and Beyond Agile. His latest book is The Collaboration Equation: Strong Professionals, Strong Teams, Strong Delivery. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: How do you define collaboration? As an angry punk rocker? Parallels to startup software companies??The balance between “every building/patient is unique “vs. having knowledge/structure/process??Standard work for encountering complexityWhen a major problem gets solved and nobody ends up in tears – From lawsuits, yelling, and strife — to collaborative problem solving? How?Culture as it exists… culture as we are creating…??Team deciding the culture vs. the CEO or leader having a vision of what the culture should be?What the CEO says vs. what is the reality?Value Stream Mapping as a “ruse”… a way to uncover team breakdown problemsFlapping our mouths vs. information about what's really happening??Get comfortable with change happening every dayBe hard on the process, not the people? But the system is made of people…The FEELING of being respectedFear as a cause of problems — “Every real collaboration has psychological safety”What have you learned about PS, how to gauge it, and how to create it?“You can't go buy a box of psychological safety”An NBA superteam… how would YOU lead them?Getting over your damn selfThe power of team members who are more likely to talk about others than themselves“Do you feel heard…” — or are you actually heard?What readers would get the most out of this book? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Professor John Grout, a Deep Dive on Mistake Proofing and Lean

Professor John Grout, a Deep Dive on Mistake Proofing and Lean

Expert on mistakes and mistake proofing, professor and former business school dean Episode page with video, transcript, and more: https://leanblog.org/462 My guest for Episode #462 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Professor John Grout the former dean of the Campbell School of Business at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. He was recently a guest on “My Favorite Mistake” — Episode 186, so I encourage you to check that out. He's the current Chair of the Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Data Analytics Department and the David C. Garrett Jr. Professor of Business Administration. John has overseen the development, approval and implementation of Berry College's Creative Technologies program and Berry's makerspace, HackBerry Lab. Dr. Grout has researched mistake-proofing extensively and published numerous articles on mistake-proofing. In 2004, John received the Shingo Prize for his paper, “The Human Side of Mistake-Proofing” with Douglas Stewart. John has also consulted with a large variety of firms to mistake-proof their processes. He's also published “Mistake-Proofing the Design of Health Care Processes” a book that's freely available online. His Website: https://mistakeproofing.com/ Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Your origin story – how did you first get introduced to TPS, Lean, etc? Context of discovering mistake proofing?Shingo's book on Poka Yoke“Shingo was not kind to Statistical Quality Control”… use SQC and/or mistake proofing?Acceptance sampling… keeps bad product out… maybe?Field goals — Conformity to specs vs. closer to center?Successive checks and self checksSource inspections – Shingo's gold standardWhy should you react when a part's out of control but still in spec??Do you HAVE to stop the line? Don't be dogmatic??Statistics don't do well with rare eventsDo we have data on how universal the “universal protocol” is?Doctor signing vs. you signing the surgical site?ZERO – “the only way to go” in terms of goalsThe goal of “zero defects” can be controversial.. is it possible? Motivating? Demoralizing?Possible research – optimal time to stop doing final inspection??Why is it easier to error proof now? Technology“People don't like to own up to mistakes”Naida Grunden episode on aviation safetyCan't error proof everything??Preventing execution errors is easier than preventing decision errorsThe balance and benefits of examples to copy vs. developing thinking?? “Catalog or catalyst”?? BOTH The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

Gauthier Duval on Kaizen Events, Organizational Development, and ”Veryable” Labor

Gauthier Duval on Kaizen Events, Organizational Development, and ”Veryable” Labor

Video, transcript, and more: https://leanblog.org/461 My guest for Episode #461 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Gauthier Duval, the Director of the Lean Center of Excellence at Veryable. He's applied and taught Lean for over 18 years, including time with Freudenberg-NOK (an auto supplier featured in the book Lean Thinking), Simpler Consulting, and other manufacturing companies in the U.S. and Europe. Today, we discuss topics and questions including: Your Lean origin story?The next steps in your career and learning??Freudenberg-NOK — 2004 — Growtth Consulting spinoffWorking with Lean – Europe vs. US?Simpler – worked with Chris Cooper – Episode #129Your view on the role of what's often called “kaizens” (kaizen events) vs. ongoing daily kaizen improvement?Multi-day events vs. small discontinuous improvements?How should people be participating?The role of the senior leader?Kicking a company president out of a Kaizen Event??Lessons you've learned on the psychology of change?Organizational behavior and organizational development? — how do you define that? What makes an organization a “learning organization?”Chris Argyris — why should more Lean people be reading his work?Tell us about Veryable – the company, the problems you solve and how it works…How to expand “JIT” beyond just materials?Variable labor in a “lean mindset” way — including “respect for people”?? The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more. This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.