Just-In-Time Cafe: Lean Six Sigma, Leadership, Change Management

Beware the Advice Monster! That’s good coaching advice from this month’s guest—best-selling author Michael Bungay Stanier. Elisabeth interviews the king of wit and clarity, while sneaking a peek at his upcoming book, The Advice Trap. Tune in for some saucy pearls of wisdom! For Survey Says, we’ll discover where our listeners focus their 5S efforts—their own desk?—the dreaded shared drive? We’ll find out. For Q&A we’ll answer a learner’s question about how to handle a mentoring dilemma: If you’re coaching someone, and you know you can stop them from making a mistake, should you do it? And for The Printed Page, we reveal a few nuggets from Japan-Study-Trip Leader Katie Anderson’s forthcoming book. We got an advance copy of Katie’s manuscript, and it’s full of enlightening stories from her collaborator, Toyota Leader Isao Yoshino. We are chockfull of inside scoops right now. This is our final episode so sadly, this is a good-bye party, but it’s still a party so put something special in your mug and let’s hang out! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:56 Survey Says * 7:00 Q&A * “If you’re coaching someone, and you know you can stop them from making a mistake, should you do it?” * Webinar: The Joy of Tidying Up With 5S & Lean Six Sigma * 5S: An Easy Way to Eliminate Waste * 13:15 The Printed Page * Hansei Practice by Katie Anderson * 17:03 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 18:48 Today’s Special * Interview with Michael Bungay Stanier, Author of The Advice Trap * 45:49 This Just In * Product: Green Belt Training & Certification With Project Completion * Webinar: How to Deploy Lean Six Sigma in Your Organization Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Today’s guest is Joshua Beaudry, a philanthropic skateboarder who is unleashing robots for good! Automation is all the buzz these days, and we had the honor of speaking with someone at the forefront of the growing field. Joshua also heads Lipstick Skateboards, a non-profit with a mission of empowering youth of impoverished areas by providing better access to skateboarding. We’ve also got the results of our latest poll. “Survey Says” we’ve got Fishbone trouble! For our “In the News” segment, Tracy will tell you all about her participation in a sustainable food event. And for Q&A, we’ll address the question of why you cannot have more than one goal for a project. We’ve got a great episode for you here at the Cafe! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:52 Survey Says * 11:23 In the News * WASTED: A Celebration of Sustainable Food * 14:55 Q&A * “Why can’t I have more than one goal for my project?” * 19:06 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 20:14 Today’s Special * Interview with Joshua Beaudry, President & Automation Director at Lipstick Skateboards * 36:30 This Just In * Product: White Belt Training & Certification * Wonder Women of Quality: Erika Westbay * Webinar: How to Harness the Power of Visual Management Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

In this episode, Tracy and Elisabeth dip into their incredible experiences in Nagoya and Tokyo in their interview with Laurie Fiorica and Hilary Hellman—two amazing leaders they met on Katie Anderson’s Japan Study Trip. Great takes on Continuous Improvement culture in Japan through the eyes of two Healthcare experts! For our In the News segment, we’ll tell you about the upcoming conferences where you might run into the GoLeanSixSigma.com Team! For Q&A we answer a listener’s question about whether you can break the rules when using time-honored Lean Six Sigma tools. Stay tuned to find out how to stay out of “Improvement Infraction Jail.” And for the Printed Page, Tracy and Elisabeth reflect on tips from the book, Accidental Instructional Designer. Part of everyone’s job in the Continuous Improvement world is to teach others, but there are secrets and tips to doing that effectively. Stay tuned for some highlights from Cammy Bean’s plainspoken (slightly sassy) book about how to deliver content in a way people actually learn from it. Open a bag of that Candy Corn and join us for a Pre-Halloween Episode! Also Listen On: Timeline * 3:24 In the News * PMI Instant Impact 2019 Conference * AME Chicago 2019 International Conference * 7:04 Q&A * “Is it okay to change and adapt tools like 5S, 8 Wastes or PDCA?” * 14:21 The Printed Page * The Accidental Instructional Designer: Learning Design for the Digital Age by Cammy Bean * Brain Rules by John Medina * 21:24 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 22:30 Today’s Special * Interview with Laurie Fiorica & Hilary Hellman * 52:45 This Just In * Product: Green Belt Training & Certification (with Project Completion) * Product: 1-on-1 Project Coaching * Webinar: Introduction to Process Management Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Today’s guest is a school-teacher-turned-home-builder who has upended the way this country responds to disasters. As we anxiously tune into the advance of Hurricane Dorian, this interview provides key insights into how the Toyota Production System helped CEO and Author Liz McCartney shorten the timeframe from disaster to recovery. We’ve also got the results of our latest poll. “Survey Says” there are some thriving organizational cultures out there. For our “In the News” segment, Tracy and Elisabeth will tell you all about their participation in the OPEX Business Transformation Leader’s Summit in San Diego where they met amazing leaders and sat in on inspirational presentations. And for Q&A, we’ll address the question of whether a certain process improvement method has “flat-lined.” It’s September, so use your morning commute to go “back to school” with us here at the Cafe! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:25 Survey Says * 6:29 In the News * Skateboards, Robots and “GovRebels” Dominate the OPEX Conference in San Diego * 15:13 Q&A * “Is Six Sigma dead?” * 19:08 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 20:28 Today’s Special * Interview with Liz McCartney, Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer at SBP * Best Books to Buy: Getting Home by Liz McCartney and Zack Rosenburg * 55:34 This Just In * Product: Lean Training & Certification * Wonder Women of Quality: Hollie Jensen * Webinar: How to Use a Fishbone Diagram (ENCORE!) Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Today at the Cafe we’ll give you great things to contemplate while you get in a few more days at the beach. Our featured guest is Ekta Vyas, the director of Human Resources for Stanford Children’s Health / Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. Tracy and Ekta discuss great tips for transforming Human Resources—and every organization has HR processes that need work. In the News, we’ll let you in on behind-the-scenes prep for our Women in Leadership discussion, “Advocating for Ourselves,” at the upcoming OPEX Conference. For Q&A we’ll answer our own question, “What did we learn while participating in Katie Anderson and Karyn Ross’s Coaching Community?” And for our latest Book Review, we’ll give you highlights from the new book, Getting Home, by Liz McCartney and Zack Rosenburg of SBP (Saint Bernard Project). It’s an amazing journey of improving the way we recover from disasters—their work has impacted our entire country. Grab an Iced Mocha, put your earbuds in and hit “Play!” Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:23 In the News * Women Leaders in OPEX and Business Transformation Focus Day * 5:42 Q&A * K2C2 Coaching Community * 12:44 The Printed Page * Getting Home by Liz McCartney and Zack Rosenburg * 17:41 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 18:53 Today’s Special * Interview with Ekta Vyas, Director of Human Resources for Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital in the Stanford University System * 44:44 This Just In * Project of the Month: How King County Treasury Reduced Taxpayer Late Fees by 62%, Featuring Ana Schoenecker & Laura Wilson * Wonder Women of Quality: Katie Anderson * Event: OPEX Summer Business Transformation Leaders Summit 2019 * Product: Go-Getter Membership Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Check out Elisabeth’s interview with the head of Lean Cultural Transformation for Exeter Health Systems, MaryBeth Jermyn. She’s got surprising insights around achieving mandated Lean Healthcare certification in a Lean way. We also have the results of our latest survey where we’ll find out where people stand on the different phases of DMAIC. Spoiler alert—the Improve Phase is not the big winner! For the In The News segment we’re going on the road, and we’ll let you in on where we’re headed so you can meet up with us! And for Q&A we’ll answer a learner’s question about whether Lean means doctors spend less time with patients. It is a great day at the cafe! Also Listen On: Timeline * 1:56 Survey Says * 6:24 In the News * Event: OPEX Summer Business Transformation Leaders Summit 2019 * Event: Women Leaders in OPEX and Business Transformation Focus Day * Event: AME Chicago 2019 International Conference * Lean Frontiers Summer Webinar Series: 3 Improv Secrets That Will Up Your Problem-Solving Game * GoLeanSixSigma.com Recognized As One of Hawaii’s Fastest Growing Companies for Fourth Year in a Row * 12:14 Q&A * “Is efficiency working faster and/or better?” * 15:42 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 17:26 Today’s Special * Interview with MaryBeth Jermyn * 43:27 This Just In * Contest: Quarterly Free Green Belt Giveaway * CPE – Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training & Certification * Green Belt Training & Certification (with Project Completion) * Webinar: How to Build Best Practices With Standard Work Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Today’s Special features Tracy’s interview with the phenomenal Billy Taylor, the Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. For In the News, Tracy and Elisabeth describe their recent Japan Study Trip – fascinating, stunning, wonderful! For Q&A we’ll tackle a learner’s question about leaders who think data collection is a waste of time, and for the Printed Page, we’ll cover a book who’s author believes the output of a business is…crap. And Tracy and Elisabeth met the 83-year-old author in Japan! The Just-In-Time Cafe is offering free miso soup and rice crackers so come join us! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:22 In the News * Japan Study Trip * 15:24 Q&A * “How do you gain the support of a project leader?” * 19:20 The Printed Page * Tree-Ring Management: Take the Long View and Grow Your Business Slowly by Kiroshi Tsukakoshi * 25:30 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 27:08 Today’s Special * Interview with Billy Taylor, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company * 1:04:54 This Just In * Product: Black Belt Training & Certification featuring 1-on-1 Project Coaching * Webinar: Executive Overview: The Power of Lean Six Sigma * Blog: Wonder Women of Quality Reflections Roundup * Event: OPEX Summer Business Transformation Leaders Summit 2019 Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Today’s special features a woman who left a job at MIT and used big data to launch a farm-to-table food delivery service. Tune in to hear Elisabeth’s interview with Erin Baumgartner, CEO of Family Dinner! For our Survey Says segment, we get some unexpected results from our “invisible process” poll and for the Printed Page, we’re going back to a Malcolm Gladwell classic to appreciate his techniques for digging to root cause. And for Q&A we’ll answer a forum question about the need for software changes. All this from the GoLeanSixSigma.com Farm to your table! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:00 Survey Says * 6:12 The Printed Page * Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell * 14:42 Q&A * “If my process is invisible, does that mean that all improvements would be system/software changes?” * 16:24 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 17:44 Today’s Special * Interview with Erin Baumgartner, Co-Founder and CEO of Family Dinner * 42:29 This Just In * Success Story: Improving Position Eligibility by Identifying & Eliminating Waste With Kimberly Fleming * Event: K2C2 Coaching Community Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Today’s Special features Elisabeth’s interview with author and customer service thought leader Jeff Toister who gives a behind-the-scenes look at overcoming the obstacles to providing excellent customer service. Jeff is a great storyteller so stay tuned for that! We’ll start you off with our appetizer, Clockify – an integrated time tracker app with super powers. For today’s Q&A we’ll answer a Go-Getter Forum question from a leader who’s worried that online training is not enough to sustain a culture of continuous improvement, and for the Printed Page, Tracy and Elisabeth review Jeff Toister’s latest book, Getting Service Right, which is packed with practical advice to overcoming the obstacles to providing excellent customer service. Grab your mug and join us for helpful hints and a bounty of opinions! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:11 Appetizer of the Day * Clockify * 4:19 Q&A * “Online training alone is not enough to sustain our continuous improvement effort but if we don’t have a travel budget for onsite training, what are our alternatives?” * 8:35 The Printed Page * Getting Service Right: Overcoming the Hidden Obstacles to Outstanding Customer Service by Jeff Toister * 15:37 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 16:42 Today’s Special * Interview with Jeff Toister, author of Getting Service Right: Overcoming the Hidden Obstacles to Outstanding Customer Service * 48:35 This Just In * Webinar: How to Set Up and Run Hypothesis Tests (ENCORE!) Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

In this episode of the Just-In-Time Cafe, we’ll feature a candid conversation with Senior Sensei Mohamed Saleh and Lean Sensei Heather Pierzchala of Hartford Healthcare as they discuss the journey of their mentoring relationship. In our Survey Says segment, we’ll reveal the results of our 8 Wastes poll to let you in on the most prevalent waste. In the News we’ll cover the upcoming OPEX Summer Business Transformation Leaders Summit and this fall’s Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) International Conference in Chicago. Tracy and Elisabeth are going to both of these and they’ll tell you why. For Q&A, we’ll answer a Forum question about how to conduct a Waste Walk in a virtual environment. Grab your go-to mug and listen in! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:15 Survey Says * 6:23 In the News * OPEX Summer Business Transformation Leaders Summit * Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) Chicago 2019 International Conference * 10:29 Q&A * “How do you do a waste walk in a complete virtual environment?” * 14:24 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 15:43 Today’s Special * Interview with Mohamed Saleh and Heather Pierzchala * 44:26 This Just In * Webinar: The Joy of Tidying Up With 5S & Lean Six Sigma * Expert Excerpts: Heather Barto on Lean Six Sigma in Government Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

The highlight of this episode is Elisabeth’s interview Richard Sheridan of Menlo Innovations. Richard returns to the cafe having just published his second book, Chief Joy Officer. He is proving that joy and success can coexist in corporate work life, so don’t miss the conversation! For an Appetizer, we cover a Chrome extension that is changing the game for switching between websites. For Q&A we entertain a Forum question asking for tips on Waste Walks, and for the Printed Page, we take an in-depth look at Richard Sheridan’s new book that provides guidance for leaders looking to elevate human energy and eliminate fear in the workplace. It’s a great day at the cafe! Also Listen On: Timeline * 1:52 Appetizer of the Day * Toby for Chrome * 5:42 Q&A * “What goes into a “good” Waste Walk?” * 10:28 The Printed Page * Chief Joy Officer: How Great Leaders Elevate Human Energy and Eliminate Fear by Richard Sheridan * 17:04 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 18:24 Today’s Special * Interview with Richard Sheridan, author of Chief Joy Officer: How Great Leaders Elevate Human Energy and Eliminate Fear * 46:14 This Just In * Webinar: The Joy of Tidying Up With 5S & Lean Six Sigma * Webinar: How to Conduct an 8 Wastes “Waste Walk” * Event: Japan Lean Study Trip Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

In this episode of the Just-In-Time Cafe, Tracy interviews PEX Conference Award Winner Shane Wentz, former Global Director of Continuous Improvement at Radial! In our Survey Says segment, we’ll discuss the results of this-month’s poll and the answer is… “Take a Walk.” For In the News we’ll discuss a recent article by Charles Duhigg, the author of the best-selling The Power of Habit, about the source of misery amongst the working elite. And for Q&A we’ll answer a Go-Getter Forum question about what makes a good Waste Walk. Don’t waste your coffee – have it with us! Also Listen On: Timeline * 1:47 Survey Says * 5:13 In the News * America’s Professional Elite: Wealthy, Successful and Miserable * 11:56 Q&A * What goes into a “good” Waste Walk? * 14:32 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 16:00 Today’s Special * Interview with Shane Wentz, Co-Owner at A Change in Latitude Consulting (ACIL) * 35:50 This Just In * Webinar: How to Conduct an 8 Wastes “Waste Walk” * Event: Japan Lean Study Trip Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

For Today’s Special we’ve got Elisabeth’s interview with Karyn Ross to discuss her new bold new book, How to Coach for Creativity and Service Excellence! With our Appetizer of the Day, QIMacros, we’re continuing our series where we review popular charting, graphing and statistical software. For Q&A we’ve got a Go-Getter Forum question about the different types Control Charts people can use, and for the Printed Page, we’ll give an in depth look at Karyn’s new book and how she is busting assumptions about coaching and Lean. It’s a great day at the cafe! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:22 Appetizer of the Day * QIMacros * 6:53 Q&A * “What are the different types of Control Charts?” * Webinar: How to Use Control Charts * Template: Control Chart * 10:19 The Printed Page * How to Coach for Creativity and Service Excellence by Karyn Ross * 17:03 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 18:13 Today’s Special * Interview with Karyn Ross, author of How to Coach for Creativity and Service Excellence * 42:44 This Just In * Webinar: How Leaders Support and Build a Culture of Process Improvement * Event: Japan Lean Study Trip Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Check out Today’s Special to hear Tracy’s interview with Mojgan Amini, the Director of Process Management & Continuous Improvement at UC San Diego! For Survey Says, we’ll reveal what listeners like about the podcast and launch a poll to find out what works on the people side of Continuous Improvement. For our In the News segment we’ll tell you all about our upcoming trip to Japan, the birthplace of Lean! And for Q&A we’ll wrestle with a question about how to bring process improvement into a non-Lean-Six-Sigma organization. It’s a great day at the Cafe! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:00 Survey Says * 5:58 In the News * Event: Japan Lean Study Trip * 9:08 Q&A * “Do you have suggestions on enlightening/engaging other management team members to utilize Lean Six Sigma in a non-LSS culture?” * 14:38 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 16:06 Today’s Special * Interview with Mojgan Amini, Director of Process Management & Continuous Improvement at UC San Diego * 47:00 This Just In * Webinar: How Leaders Support and Build a Culture of Process Improvement * Wonder Women of Quality: Kamaljit Jackson Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Today’s Special is Tracy’s interview with David Umstot who wrote the Lean Playbook for the Construction Industry! For our Appetizer we’ll continue our series about charting, graphing and statistical software by reviewing Minitab, the Cadillac of stats packages. For our In the News segment we’ll cover an article about how Google’s top two programmers got to be two of the world’s best problem solvers and the implications for the rest of us. And for the Printed Page we’ll review David Umstot’s book, Lean Project Delivery: Building Championship Project Teams. It’s a great day at the Cafe! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:26 Appetizer of the Day * Minitab * 7:50 In the News * The Friendship That Made Google Huge * 14:34 The Printed Page * Lean Project Delivery: Building Championship Project Teams by David Umstot and Dan Fauchier * 18:06 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 19:14 Today’s Special * Interview with David Umstot, President of Umstot Project and Facilities Solutions * 46:33 This Just In * Webinar: How Leaders Support and Build a Culture of Process Improvement * Event: Japan Lean Study Trip Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.