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

For Today’s Special check out Elisabeth’s interview with Lean Sensei Mohamed Saleh of Hartford Healthcare in Connecticut. Aside from being a great guy, he shares rare wisdom on how smart leaders drive successful Lean Transformation. For Survey Says we’re looking for your feedback on our Just-In-Time Cafe podcast. For our In the News segment we go to Ventura California and discover what they plan to do with the millions they saved through Lean Six Sigma. And this month’s Q&A is a timely discussion from our Go-Getter’s Forum about what not to do when building a Lean Culture. It’s a new year so get a fresh cup of coffee and come hang with Tracy and Elisabeth! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:06 Survey Says * 3:27 In the News * Ventura County Attributes $4 Million In Savings to Lean Six Sigma * 6:37 Q&A * Can you share some examples of approaches that we should not follow when building a Lean Culture? * 10:56 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 12:40 Today’s Special * Interview with Mohamed Saleh, Executive Director of the Lean Office and Senior Sensei at Hartford Healthcare * 44:41 This Just In * Webinar: How to Use Control Charts * Wonder Women of Quality: Tracey Richardson Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Come join us as we host Lean thought leader Mark Graban and discuss his new ebook Measures of Success on Today’s Special. It’s data, display and how they drive decisions for our last episode of the year. For the Appetizer we’ll address the second in our series on software packages that analyze and display data. For our In the News segment, we’ll find out how Google Cafeterias used data to avoid millions of pounds of food waste and for The Printed Page, we’ll give you our take on Mark Graban’s new book since it highlights the power of Control Charts. Come hang out at the cafe for our last meal of the year! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:32 Appetizer of the Day * SigmaXL * 6:20 In the News * Google Cafes Prevent 4 Million Pounds of Food Waste * 10:02 The Printed Page * Measures of Success: React Less, Lead Better, Improve More by Mark Graban * Best Books to Buy (Book Review): Measures of Success by Mark Graban * 14:23 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 15:32 Today’s Special * Interview with Mark Graban, author of Measures of Success * 48:09 This Just In * Webinar: How to Use Control Charts * Project Storyboard: Reducing Cycle Time for Natural Disaster Response by 50% * UC San Diego Green Belt Training & Certification – Winter Session Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

For Today’s Special, Elisabeth got to ask Kamaljit Jackson, Senior Accountability and Efficiency Officer at Racine Unified School District, how blame-free Kaizen workshops are helping her school district. For Survey Says we’ll share the results of our latest poll on how people like to learn. This week In the News we’ll highlight a Shingo-Prize winning manufacturer that could impact your next hospital stay. For Q&A, we’ll answer a listener’s question about how to account for soft savings and we’ll do it all with a hot beverage. Join us! Also Listen On:   Timeline * 2:10 Survey Says * 5:30 In the News * Cardiva Medical Uses Continuous Improvement to Grow by 183% * 9:00 Q&A * What is the best method to help show how various areas that are saving time are actually using that time for other work? * 12:41 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 14:20 Today’s Special * Interview with Kamaljit Jackson, Senior Accountability and Efficiency Officer at Racine Unified School District * 37:47 This Just In * Webinar: 4 Components for Building a Lean Culture * Wonder Women of Quality: Sally Toister * Project Storyboard: Reducing Learning Curve Ramp for Temp Employees by 2 Weeks Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

For those of you in the U.S., have you had it with turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce? Even those of you who didn’t just experience a food coma, you’ll appreciate the all-new menu here at the cafe. Today’s Special is a rare treat. Tracy interviewed organizational scholar Edgar Schein and his son Peter, a former Silicon Valley executive. They discuss their new book Humble Leadership and you do not want to miss that! For the Appetizer we’ll discuss the first in a series of software programs that create charts and analyze your data — something essential to process improvement. For our In the News segment we’ll discuss how GoLeanSixSigma.com ended up in the news and for the Printed Page, we’ll provide our own take on Edgar and Peter Schein’s new book, Humble Leadership. This is a great episode and we’re happy to have you join us! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:14 Appetizer of the Day * Excel * 6:06 In the News * KushCo Seeks out New Process Improvement System With Help From GoLeanSixSigma.com * 9:27 The Printed Page * Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust by Edgar and Peter Schein * Best Books to Buy (Book Review): Humble Leadership by Edgar and Peter Schein * 14:17 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 15:32 Today’s Special * Interview with Edgar and Peter Schein, co-authors of Humble Leadership * 40:44 This Just In * Webinar: 4 Components for Building a Lean Culture * Recap: AME Inspires Innovation at Their 2018 San Diego International Conference Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

For Today’s Special Tracy interviews Alicia Saake of Feeding San Diego – a great organization applying process improvement to help people in need. Next we’ll discuss the results of our latest poll and get some insight about how organizations view problems. For our In The News segment we’ll find out what happens when an ex-military leader applies Lean Six Sigma to a pet shelter and for Q&A, we’ve got a listener who would like a description of typical Black Belt Projects. The focus is on leaders using the tools of continuous improvement to help both people and pets which is great to see. Head on down to the cafe and we’ll see you there! Also Listen On:   Timeline * 2:08 Survey Says * 4:28 In the News * Humane Society for Greater Savannah Boosts Adoption Rates Using Lean Six Sigma * 8:15 Q&A * Could you share examples of Black Belt level projects? * 11:36 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 12:54 Today’s Special * Interview with Alicia Saake, Chief Operations Officer of Feeding San Diego * 33:06 This Just In * Wonder Women of Quality: Irene Longoria * Webinar: How to Use Improv Basics to Up Your Problem-Solving Game * *NEW!* Go-Getter Membership Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

We’ve got a great menu brimming with brain food! In Today’s Special, it’s Tracy’s interview with Jeff Konstanzer and Carlos Vallejo of Costco. For this episode’s Appetizer we’ll cover an app that lets you know if anyone is paying attention to your emails. In The News, we find out how the State of Ohio made it 96% easier for nurses to renew their licenses and for The Printed Page, we’ll discuss a book that gives you 12 ways to take advantage of your brain to do better at work, at school and at home. We’re sure it involves coffee, so grab some and let’s talk! Also Listen On:   Timeline * 2:04 Appetizer of the Day * Boomerang for GMail * 7:31 In the News * Ohio Board of Nursing Uses Lean Six Sigma to Cut Costs and Reduce Lead Time * 11:16 The Printed Page * Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina * Best Books to Buy (Book Review): Brain Rules by John Medina * 15:19 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 16:45 Today’s Special * Interview with Jeff Konstanzer (Director of Operations, Costco Optical) and Carlos Vallejo (Continuous Improvement Manager, Costco Wholesale Industries) * 37:46 This Just In * Webinar: How to Use Improv Basics to Up Your Problem-Solving Game * Wonder Women of Quality: Crystal Davis * Success Story: Increasing Enrollment in Teen Parent Program by 50% Featuring Laura D’Angelo Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

In this awesome episode, Elisabeth interviews Kelly Hardee Wheeler, the trombone-playing Lean Six Sigma Black Belt who’s helping to make Army hospitals safer, better and more accessible. In this month’s poll we find out how long it takes Green Belts to complete a process improvement project and we launch a new poll about whether our culture allows us to see problems. In The News, we’ll talk about an upcoming gathering that makes Washington State Government stand apart from every other state in the U.S. – in a good way! Then we’ll answer a listener’s question about how to work with people who think their ideas are the only good ideas. Put a cup of coffee in your hot little hands and come to the cafe! Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:23 Survey Says * 8:20 In the News * Washington State Government Lean Transformation Conference * 11:43 Q&A * How would you go about dealing with people who think all ideas are bad ideas unless they came up with it? * 15:11 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 16:32 Today’s Special * Interview with Kelly Hardee Wheeler, Process Improvement Specialist at Army Regional Health Command-Pacific * 41:11 This Just In * Webinar: 2 Easy Ways to Quantify Project Savings * Wonder Women of Quality: Leslie Henckler Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Today’s Special highlights our southern friends Tracey and Ernie Richardson — The couple who started their work life at the first Toyota Plant in North America and wrote a book about it. Today’s Appetizer is the opposite of an app — It is a massive, integrated process collaboration platform for the ultimate process performance management. In the News, Harvard’s Ash Center just recognized an agency in the State of Colorado for an Innovation Award and for The Printed Page, we’ll review Tracey and Ernie’s book about their time at the Kentucky plant called The Toyota Engagement Equation — A Shingo-Prize-winning history that takes the reader on a journey of learning. Packed with cafe goodies! Also Listen On:   Timeline * 2:16 Appetizer of the Day * iGrafx * 5:53 In the News * 569 Transportation Ideas Wins Innovation Award from Harvard * 8:42 The Printed Page * The Toyota Engagement Equation by Tracey & Ernie Richardson * Best Books to Buy: The Toyota Engagement Equation (Book Review) * 11:02 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 12:16 Today’s Special * Interview with Tracey & Richardson, Shingo-Prize-winning authors of The Toyota Engagement Equation * 46:32 This Just In * Webinar: 2 Easy Ways to Quantify Project Savings * Wonder Women of Quality: Leslie Henckler * Event: AME San Diego 2018 International Conference Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

This month at the cafe we got a visit from the wonderful Aisha Ahmad of MemorialCare who discusses her efforts to keep desperately needed nurses on staff by developing mentoring programs. In this month’s Poll, we find out exactly how long it takes people to complete Black Belt Projects. For our “In the News” segment, we discover how data collection is going to help save the planet – a truly inspiring article about restaurants and food waste. For Q&A we’ll answer a question about “Analysis Paralysis.” Come join us – all you’ll need is a “go-cup!” Also Listen On: Timeline * 1:48 Survey Says * 3:19 In the News * Eliminating 20M Pounds of Food Waste With LeanPath * 7:00 Q&A * What if the team comes into “analysis paralysis” mode and is “frozen” to make a decision – Any tips to get past that? * 9:24 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 10:35 Today’s Special * Interview with Aisha Ahmad – Operations and Performance Improvement Leader, MemorialCare * Expert Excerpts: Aisha Ahmad on Performance Improvement in Healthcare * 30:30 This Just In * Webinar: 3 Ways Groups Make Better Decisions Together * Wonder Women of Quality: Dana Wilson * Success Story: Increasing Timely Discharge of Early Intervention Children From 35% to 50% With Linda Stiles Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

No one sent you a Zingerman’s Cheesecake? We’ve got the next best thing – an interview with Tom Root, the Managing Partner for Zingerman’s Mail Order and Chief Operating Officer for the larger community of Zingerman’s Businesses. Listen to the lessons he learned that paved the way to a phenomenal company culture. For our Appetizer we’ll cover a presentation app with zing. In the News we’ll tell you all about the upcoming Lean Frontiers Conferences in gorgeous Jekyll Island, GA, and this month’s book, “Understanding A3 Thinking,” is a go-to reference for this iconic one-page problem solver. Park your car and come hang with Tracy and Elisabeth for a fantastic day at the Cafe. Also Listen On: Timeline * 1:55 Appetizer of the Day * Prezi * 5:24 In the News * Lean Accounting & Management Summit and Lean HR & People Development Summit presented by Lean Frontiers * 7:08 The Printed Page * Understanding A3 Thinking: A Critical Component of Toyota’s PDCA Management System by Durward K. Sobek II and Art Smalley * 8:56 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 10:18 Today’s Special * Interview with Tom Root, Managing Partner at Zingerman’s Mail Order * 47:44 This Just In * Wonder Women of Quality: Dana Wilson * Success Story: Increasing Preschool Enrollment From 75% to 85% With Jennelle Klun * Expert Excerpts: Aisha Ahmad on Performance Improvement in Healthcare Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Got cable? Use Comcast? Tune in to hear VP of Customer Experience Assurance Dana Wilson reveal how to get not just the voice, but the look of the customer! In this month’s poll we find out what our listeners value most in a coach. In the News we’ve got a nonprofit offering Lean Six Sigma training and although they’ve got “C4” in the title, they do not make dynamite. And we’ve got a question from an avid Just-In-Time Cafe Podcast listener about whether you can have any impact if you’re the only Black Belt in a company. Also Listen On: Timeline * 2:04 Survey Says * 4:13 In the News * Apply for the Fall 2018 Center For Nonprofit Resources (C4NPR) Lean Six Sigma Certification Program * 5:57 Q&A * Can you have any impact if you’re the only Black Belt in the company? * 10:42 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 11:45 Today’s Special * Interview with Dana Wilson, Comcast VP of Customer Experience Assurance * 33:12 This Just In * OPEX Summer Business Transformation Leaders Summit 2018 * eBook: The Problem-Solver’s Toolkit: A Surprisingly Simple Guide to Your Lean Six Sigma Journey * Webinar: Introduction to A3 Problem Solving Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

Grab your favorite thermos for a commute with Tracy and Elisabeth – there is much to discuss! Check out Today’s Special to hear Hollie Jensen describe the Lean Fellowship program for the State of Washington – a first-class mentoring program for Leaders. Today’s Appetizer, Zoom, is an app that can host hundreds on a video conference. In the News we’ll go to an LA hospital and find out how they improved patient admittance flow by 22% and finally, for The Printed Page we’ll discuss Humble Inquiry by Edgar Schein. It’s time to revisit this classic treatise on the art of asking as opposed to telling. Good company today! Also Listen On:   Timeline * 2:15 Appetizer of the Day * Zoom * 4:15 In the News * Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital Improves Patient Admittance Flow by 22% * 6:08 The Printed Page * Humble Inquiry: The Gentle Art of Asking Instead of Telling by Edgar Schein * 8:57 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 10:26 Today’s Special * Interview with Hollie Jensen * 31:08 This Just In * Webinar: Introduction to A3 Problem Solving * Wonder Women of Quality: Tanja Fessell Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

This week we discover the benefits of adding agony to the hiring process. Get the back story from Elisabeth’s interview with Gary Peterson, VP of Operations for the Shingo Prize-winning O.C. Tanner Company. We’ll cover the surprising results of this month’s poll about continuous improvement coaching. In the News we highlight the journey of a trombone player who helped save the Army $10M in one year and finally, we’ve got a question from a listener who wants to know if organizations have to have Black Belts. Join us at the cafe as we do a deep dive on the role of leadership and mentorship in this month’s episodes! Also Listen On: Timeline * 1:52 Survey Says * 4:18 In the News * Kelly Wheeler Saves RHC-P Over $10M Through Process Improvement Projects * 7:26 Q&A * Does there have to be a Black Belt at the company that I work for? * 8:32 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 9:52 Today’s Special * Interview with Gary Peterson, VP of Operations at O.C. Tanner * 35:36 This Just In * Webinar: How to Coach Problem-Solvers to Build Their Soft Skills * Success Story: Improving In-Kind Reporting Accuracy by 100% With Brenda MacIsaac Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

This week Elisabeth interviews Richard Sheridan, a man who reimagined the way people could design and develop software. If you have not heard of his company, Menlo Innovations, you do not want to miss this interview! For our In The News segment we’ll tell you you some of the highlights of our recent tour of Menlo Innovations, and for The Printed Page, we’ll review Richard Sheridan’s book, Joy Inc., cataloguing his journey from despair to inspiration in the software industry. We’ll also cover an App that lets you transfer huge files for free. If you’re looking for a little more joy in your life, you’ve come to the right place! Also Listen On: Timeline * 1:55 Appetizer of the Day * WeTransfer * 4:01 In the News * Menlo Innovations * 6:56 The Printed Page * Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love by Richard Sheridan * Best Books to Buy: Joy, Inc. (Book Review) * 11:04 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 12:07 Today’s Special * Interview with Richard Sheridan * 39:23 This Just In * Wonder Women of Quality: Karen Martin * Best Books to Buy: Clarity First by Karen Martin (Book Review) * Bahama Bistro Bitstrip: Worst Practices – The Joys of Interviewing Thanks for Listening! Listen to more podcasts.

In this episode, Tracy finds out how Renaissance man Kevin Limbach of TaylorMade Golf helped “infect the organization with great problem solvers.” For Survey Says, we’ll find out the results of our poll addressing the biggest challenge to completing online training and certification. In the News we’ll tell you all about our tour of Zingerman’s Mail Order business (and their famous cheesecake) and for Q&A, we’ll answer a user’s question about Rapid Improvement or Kaizen Events. Great stuff! Also Listen On: Timeline * 1:58 Survey Says * 4:46 In the News * Zingerman’s Mail Order – The Online Shop for Food Lovers! * 10:00 Q&A * What are some good examples of Kaizen Events? * 11:55 Coupon Code * Special coupon code for all of our awesome listeners: 20% discount on all of our online training! * 13:07 Today’s Special * Interview with Kevin Limbach – Vice President, US Operations & Service, TaylorMade Golf Company * 38:03 This Just In * Webinar: 5 Ways to Engage Yellow Belts in Applying Their Skills After Certification * Wonder Women of Quality: Cecilia Martinez * Success Story: Repurposing 2,600 Hours of Transportation Waste Toward Value-add Work With Hampton Sublett * GoLeanSixSigma.com Partners With UC San Diego Extension to Offer Green Belt Certification Podcast Transcript “One of the things that we learned is that if all you’re looking for is compliance, you’re not going to get sustainability. The way to get sustainability is engage the people doing the work and get commitment from them to the change and they’ll make sure it sustains and actually continue improving.” – Kevin Limbach Tracy O’Rourke: Hi, everyone. I’m Tracy O’Rourke. Elisabeth Swan: And I’m Elisabeth Swan. Tracy O’Rourke: And we are from GoLeanSixSigma.com and you’re listening to the Just-In-Time Café Podcast where we bring you fabulous apps, polls, news, books, and people so you can build your problem-solving muscles. Elisabeth Swan: Tracy, do you play golf? Tracy O’Rourke: No. Do you? Elisabeth Swan: No, and even though this episode has golf in the title, it’s not really about golf, is it? Tracy O’Rourke: No, it isn’t. But wouldn’t it be cool if you could Six Sigma a golf swing?