The New England Lean Podcast

This week welcome Jamie Flinchbaugh to the show!

As founder of JFlinch, Jamie has helped purpose-driven leaders craft effective, resilient organizations at over 300 companies. Leveraging more than 30-years of experience and helping build over 20 companies, Jamie collaborates with leaders and their teams to bridge capability, strategic, cultural, and systems gaps so that they can safely span potential pitfalls and have a purposeful impact on their organizations.

Jamie has helped leaders across a wide spectrum of industries including healthcare, utilities, technology, consumer products, and professional services, including Harley-Davidson, Intel, Mars, Amazon, Crayola, Fidelity, Whirlpool, among many others.

Jamie is the author of a new book, People Solve Problems and co-author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean. He is also the co-host of the podcasts Lean Whiskey and Happy Heuristics.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Jamie’s contact info:

This week welcome Kyle Kumpf to the show!

In Kyle’s own words; here’s who he is:

“I get out of bed in the morning to end human suffering as it relates to process.

Problems are a direct result of process; however:

• People are often the first to get blamed

• Little to no support is provided to uncover why problems occur

• Processes are often made more complex in response to problems

We spend most of our lives at work. Our talents and ideas shouldn’t be inhibited by draconian management behavior and poor processes.

When we have simple, visible systems in place, we can accomplish great things at work while having more time with our families, hobbies and interests.” Amen Kyle!

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Kyle’s contact info:

This week welcome Steve Spear to the show – LIVE! From the GBMP Northeast Lean Conference!!

Steven J. Spear is Senior Lecturer at MIT's Sloan School of Management and Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. His book, The High Velocity Edge, has won the Philip Crosby Medal from the American Society for Quality (ASQ) in 2011.

Spear's research has been acknowledged with five Shingo Prizes and a McKinsey award from Harvard Business Review. His “Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System” and “Learning to Lead at Toyota,” are part of the lean manufacturing canon. His “Fixing Healthcare from the Inside, Today” and articles in Annals of Internal Medicine and Academic Medicine have been on the forefront in healthcare improvement. He's contributed to the Boston Globe and New York Times and has appeared on Bloomberg and CBS. Clients have included Intel, Lockheed Martin, Intuit, Novelis, Alcoa, Memorial Sloan Kettering, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the US Army's Rapid Equipping Force, and the US Navy.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Steve’s contact info:

This week welcome Dr. Mohamed Saleh to the show – LIVE! From the GBMP Northeast Lean Conference!!

Dr. Saleh has been a practitioner in Lean & Six Sigma transformations for the past several years, in both manufacturing and service sectors. Mohamed was directly mentored by one of the country’s foremost experts on enterprise-wide Lean transformation and the Toyota Production System (TPS). He has extensive experience in hands-on healthcare, manufacturing, supply chain, network optimization and enterprise information systems. Mohamed’s academic credentials include a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt from Kaplan University, a Masters in Technology Management & Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Central Connecticut State University and a PhD in Business Administration from Northcentral University.

He's also a close personal friend of mine, and one of the best humans I know.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Mohamed’s contact info:

Mohamed’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohamed-saleh-phd/

This week welcome Lisa Boisvert to the show – LIVE! From the GBMP Northeast Lean Conference!!

Lisa is a trusted executive advisor, excelling at building consensus across multiple departments and disciplines. Organizational effectiveness consultant guiding leadership teams to business results through the application of Hoshin Planning and Continuous Improvement tools and practices.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Lisa’s contact info:

Lisa’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-boisvert-1a6ab89/

This week welcome Bob Wallner to the show – recorded LIVE from the GBMP Northeast Lean Conference!!

Bob is a good friend of mine. He’s a Lean thinker & one of the most self-reflective people I know.

After graduating from Westfield State University in Massachusetts in 1993, Bob became heavily involved with Supply Chain Management in plastics manufacturing. From 1994 – 2006 his focus was end-to-end Supply Chain Management including purchasing, warehousing, distribution, logistics, production control, and scheduling. In 2000, Bob achieved his CPIM certification from APICS.

Bob also has a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, a Shingo Bronze Certification, as well as a master’s degree in Lean Manufacturing from Kettering University. He’s also:

• a leader who tries to incorporate the wisdom of TOC, Lean & Six Sigma into his everyday life;

• a teacher and a student of continuous improvement;

• a role model for respectfully treating people;

• a believer in true Kaizen – tiny changes for the better;

• an audiobook and podcast junkie;

• a lover of philosophy, biographies, travel, cooking, music, and comedy;

• a backpacker, hiker, and general outdoor enthusiast;

• a "Papa" grandfather, father, step-father, husband, son, brother & uncle!

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Bob’s contact info:

This week welcome Lauren Hisey to the show!

​​Lauren is a Continuous Business Process Improvement consultant, coach, trainer, and speaker. She specializes in helping business owners and leaders from mid-size organizations uncover and solve their business problems with Continuous Business Process Improvement (Lean, Six Sigma, etc.). Like us, she works with clients to help their businesses and organizations become simpler...faster... and BETTER!

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Lauren’s contact info:

This week welcome Amy Bouchard to the show!

​​Amy Bouchard was a stay-at-home mom of two hen she got the idea to start her Whoopie Pie baking business. She made $1,900 in her first year, and was ecstatic.

Flash forward to today, and Wicked Whoopie’s sales are into the millions. Wicked Whoopie Pies have been featured on:

The Oprah Show, Oprah Magazine, Good Morning America, Food Network's "Unwrapped", "Road Tasted", "Roker on the Road", Rachael Ray Show, New York Times, DownEast Magazine & Food Network Magazine – among LOTS of others!

Amy walks us through some of the growing pains that came with growing her business – something that we Lean practitioners can relate to!

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Amy’s contact info:

This week welcome Katie Anderson BACK to the show!

​​For our first repeat guest episode, Katie and I talk about her book Learning to LEAD, Leading to LEARN; what the last year has been like for both of us, and what we’re both up to now.

We will be recording our podcast live at the upcoming GBMP conference, as well as live-streaming, so please take a moment and subscribe to our social media channels so you can join in!

Katie likewise has very exciting news to share: she is hosting her second round of Leading to Learn Accelerator! Coming up in mid-October, it lasts 10 weeks. Part book study, part facilitated course, part group coaching ... take the lessons off the page and into your life.

DON’T FORGET: Listeners of this podcast can use a special promo code for $100 off registration – code is in the podcast, so you have to listen!

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Katie's contact info:

This week welcome Paul Dunlop to the show!

​​Paul brings with him over 20 years of management and manufacturing experience in a broad range of industries. In his operational management and consultancy roles Paul has led successful Lean implementation and transformations using the principles of the Toyota Production System. Paul’s “people centered” approach is to engage the ongoing support and commitment of both shop floor staff and senior management through effective Lean leadership and to facilitate inclusive problem solving cultures.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Paul’s contact info:

This week welcome Karen Martin to the show!

​​Karen Martin is the President of the global consulting firm TKMG, Inc. and President and Founder of TKMG Academy, Inc. Karen is a leading authority on business performance improvement, problem solving, and Lean management systems. She’s a two-time Shingo Award-winning author of The Outstanding Organization and coauthor of Value Stream Mapping, and coauthor of two other titles on business performance improvement. Her latest book, Clarity First, was a finalist for 800-CEO-READ’s Business Book of the Year.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Karen’s contact info:

This week welcome Dan Horwitz to the show!

​​Dan is a former collegiate basketball player, coach, author, and speaker. While playing college basketball, he was the recipient of the scholar athlete award in Athletics, 2-year team captain and honored with the sportsmanship award for 3 years. After college he went on to help coach at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, NY, which is where he developed his appreciation for team building, and leveraged his B.S. in Sport Management and a minor in psychology. Dan believes in a coaching style that emphasizes building relationships, empowering others and encouraging positivity, so much so that he went on to write a book about it entitled “HELP THEM UP: 14 PRINCIPLES TO EDUCATE ENERGIZE AND EMPOWER YOUR TEAM TO BUILD A CHAMPIONSHIP BASKETBALL CULTURE”. It’s a great read, especially for summer, so give it a look!

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Dan’s contact info:

This week welcome my friend Adrienne Gil to the show!

​​Adrienne is a Visionary Leader, Strategic Thinker and Solutions Focused Entrepreneur with a Master’s Degree in Public Health coupled with 20 years’ experience building local, state and national programs. An enthusiastic, creative, and strategic thinker, mentor, and adviser who believes everyone can learn and thrive in a healthy and positive learning environment that is stimulating, comforting and appropriate to their unique talents and abilities.

In this episode, Adrienne and I talk about Culture, Customs and what it takes to get through The Groan Zone. It was a super fun conversation with a truly authentic person.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Adrienne’s contact info:

This week welcome Karyn Ross to the show!

Karyn is an internationally acclaimed consultant, coach and lean practitioner who has taught organizations of all sizes, in sectors as diverse as insurance, HR, transportation and retail. She’s also the author of several books, How to Coach for Creativity , Service Excellence: A Lean Coaching Workbook, and she’s the coauthor of the very popular, Shingo-award winning The Toyota Way to Service Excellence: Lean Transformation in Service Organizations.

Karyn teaches people how to combine creativity with Toyota Way principles, practices and tools which enables organizations to create better, more effective and efficient ways to work.

She has a new book coming out entitled “The Kind Leader: A Practical Guide to Eliminating Fear, Creating Trust and Leading with Kindness”, and I’m honored that she chose my show to make a very special announcement about it.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Karyn’s contact info:

This week welcome my good friend John Dyer to the show!

​​John Dyer is president of the JD&A – Process Innovation Co. and has 32 years of experience in the field of improving processes. He started his career with General Electric and then worked for Ingersoll-Rand before starting his own consulting company.

John graduated in 1985 with an Electrical Engineering degree from Tennessee Tech University.

He has also been a Contributing Editor for IndustryWeek magazine, and has written over 25 articles, several of which have been included in the list of “most read”. John has also served as a judge in the past five IndustryWeek "Best Plants" annual competitions.

In this episode, we delve deep into Real Lean versus Fake Lean, Lean Leadership and what it takes to Sustain the Gains made from engaging the workforce with Lean methods and principles. All of this is covered in his groundbreaking book, The Façade of Excellence!

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

John’s contact info:

This week welcome Ken Eakin and Craig Szelestowski to the show!

Ken Eakin is author of Office Lean: Understanding and Implementing Flow in Administrative and Professional Environments (CRC Press, 2020). He currently works as a Lean coach, facilitator and trainer on behalf of Lean Agility Inc. Prior to becoming a consultant, he worked as a Senior Advisor of Operational Excellence at Export Development Canada (EDC) and as a Process Improvement Manager with the global container shipping company Maersk Line.

Craig Szelestowski is a Lean transformation specialist with close to two decades of experience implementing dramatic turnarounds in both the public and private sectors. He founded Lean Agility Inc. in 2010 to apply Lean exclusively to government organizations. Based on his success, he has since expanded his business to work with knowledge work organizations in the private sector. In his public service career, Craig led the Royal Canadian Mint’s Lean transformation as VP of Human Resources, Lean and Quality. 

In this episode, we delve deep into Lean Office – how Lean/TPS translates into an office environment, how we can make workflow visual in a place where it’s typically very hard to see, and methods to sustain the changes over time. It was a wicked fun conversation!

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Ken’s contact info:

This week welcome Kevin Meyer to the show!

​​Kevin Meyer is a co-founder of Gemba Academy, which provides over 2,000 lean and six sigma videos to thousands of organizations worldwide. After receiving a degree in chemical engineering from Rensselaer in the early 80s, he worked in automotive lighting for a few years before spending most of the rest of his career in medical devices at Abbott Laboratories and then president of Specialty Silicone Fabricators before starting Gemba Academy. Kevin has been heavily involved with lean organizations such as AME, and is the author of The Simple Leader: Personal and Professional Leadership at the Nexus of Lean and Zen. He lives in the small fishing village of Morro Bay, on the Pacific Coast Highway halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

In this episode, we talk about being a “Tool Head”, how the term “Transformation” is kind of a bogus way to measure Lean, and how Mission and Vision Statements pale in comparison to Principles and Values.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Kevin’s contact info:

This week welcome Paul Serafino to the show!

​​Paul is the creator and CEO of Accelerated Journey. He coaches managers and executives from all industries to redefine their professional vision, rediscover their purpose, and build their dream leadership careers. In his 20 years in leadership strategy and continuous improvement, Paul has helped hundreds of smart, driven professionals get unstuck and get on a path to having greater impact, exciting growth, and better balance throughout their lives. He follows a very simple philosophy: transformation doesn't take a long time, it only takes a decision and commitment to become the very best version of yourself.

In this episode, we talk about developing sincere connections, meeting people where they are, and how leaders need to balance their power in order to maintain Respect for People.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Paul’s contact info:

This week welcome Colleen DelVecchio to the show!

​​Colleen believes that everyone can be wildly successful if only they focused on being pointy instead of well-rounded. Curious about what that means? So was I!

With over twenty years of experience in higher education leadership, constituent engagement, women's leadership, organizational change, strategic management, career counseling, and staff development, Colleen has always used a strengths-based leadership model to guide her work. She’s a Gallup certified Clifton Strengths Coach, and holds a BA in Psychology and an MS in Organizational Management & Philanthropy.

In this episode, we talk about focusing on and supporting what we’re good at, versus always getting stressed about trying to be good at everything (i.e. “well-rounded”). I think you’ll see the parallels with RFP and what Colleen does to help people find their best selves at work. It was an amazing conversation!

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Colleen’s contact info:

This week welcome our first international guest to the show – Lee Houghton!

Lee spent a good amount of his career as a Lean practitioner, working for other people (companies). But, when his best friend Chris was given a terminal cancer prognosis, that all changed.

In this episode, we talk about making connections with people, meeting them where they are, and finding common ground. Lee also shares with us the 3 Lessons that Chris taught him before he passed away. They are meaningful, powerful and put things into immediate perspective.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Lee’s contact info:

This week we again welcome 2 guests to the show: Jonathon Andell & John Thacker!

Jonathon is an accomplished leader, a hands-on achiever, and an exceptional instructor, coach, and mentor in Continuous Improvement. Jonathon holds a BS in Metallurgical Engineering from Purdue and an MS in Metallurgy from Penn State.

John is a Continuous improvement specialist, with an emphasis on employee engagement, culture building, and cross-functional team building and collaboration. John holds a BA in Liberal Arts and Sciences and an MBA from the University of Louisville.

In this episode, we talk about their personal Lean journeys which I found really interesting since they’re so different from each other. We talked about personal bias, and what it takes to overcome it in order to practice Respect for People.

We also talked about the Toyota Guiding Philosophy and how it compares/contrasts to Taylorism.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Jonathon and John’s contact info:

This week we welcome Brett Greene to the show!

Brett is the President of Willington Nameplate, a small manufacturer located in Stafford Springs, CT. Brett holds a BS in Accounting from UCONN, an MS in Finance and an MBA from RPI-Hartford, and a MS in Manufacturing Operations from Kettering University.

In this episode, we talk about what steps Willington Nameplate has taken over the years to grow and mature their Lean operations. Brett shares his insights regarding hiring/training, which are very forward-thinking! Instead of hiring for a specific job, WNP simply hires team members, and helps them develop their skills so that WNP can leverage a cross-functionally skilled workforce.

We also discuss the importance of sharing “The Why” with team members, versus hiring people and giving them a certain job to do. We talk about how Standard Work reinforces and supports this, because sometimes SW gets interpreted as too restrictive/prescriptive.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Brett’s contact info:

This week we again welcome 2 guests to the show – Sean Fields and Dr. Michael Sanders!

Sean Fields, P.E., LSSBB, MSIE, has over 30 years of experience in a wide variety of industries, including oil field equipment manufacturing, food processing, and job shops. He is also a columnist for the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, a licensed professional engineer in the state of Texas, a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and a certified QMS auditor.

Michael Sanders, Ph.D., LSSBB, MBA, is the co-founder of BeehiveFund, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting industry. Michael has worked in every phase of the supply chain at a wide variety of companies, including serving as CEO and president of food, energy, distribution, and high-tech firms. Michael has a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from Texas Tech University.

In this episode, we talk about their new book, Quantum Lean, what it is and how it came to be. After decades of seeing Lean misapplied, and sometimes outright avoided by high mix, low volume (HMLV) companies, Sean and Michael decided that they’d take a different approach – one that was simpler, easy to convey and that made sense to people in an effort to drive engagement. It was an amazing chat!

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Sean and Michael’s contact info:

This week we welcome Lean Legend Art Byrne to the show!

Art Byrne is an Operating Partner with J.W. Childs Associates, a private equity firm specializing in leveraged buyouts and recapitalizations of middle-market growth companies.

Art has implemented Lean principles in more than 30 companies (including subsidiaries) and 14 countries during the past 30 years, giving him a matchless knowledge of how to turn around companies using a Lean strategy. Art began his Lean journey as general manager at the General Electric Company. Later, as group executive, he helped introduce Lean to the Danaher Corporation. As CEO of The Wiremold Company he quadrupled the company size and increased its enterprise value by 2,500% in less than 10 years. He's also a 2012 Industry Week Manufacturing Hall fo Fame inductee.

Byrne holds a bachelor's in economics from Boston College and an master's from Babson College. He also serves as a board member of the Shingo Prize.

In this episode, we talk about the power of Lean; as a Transformational tool, and Engagement tool, and as a business philosophy. Art's career knows no limits; he's seen and done it all, and it was an honor to host him on the show.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Art's contact info:

This week we welcome my good friend Isaac Mitchell to the show!

Isaac is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, a Project Management Professional, and a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality. He specializes in implementing lean techniques that transform work cultures to improve processes and outcomes. He has an extensive background in training, coaching, and empowering employees in daily continuous improvement, and collaborates with all levels of the organization in a caring and compassionate way to understand the current condition and develop solutions to complex problems.

In this episode, we talk about the importance of including everyone when enacting and implementing change, and ensuring that everyone feels heard. We also talk about 3P as a Lean tool, and how underrated it is. Finally, we talk about Isaac's latest role and how the technology his company uses in their product is furthering the adoption of Lean into healthcare.

As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Isaac's contact info:

This week we welcome my friend and former coworker Jonna Gerken to the show!

Jonna is a highly qualified, process oriented Engineering & Project Manager with 25 years experience in the defense and aerospace industry. Leader of high profile, diverse teams in emerging technologies as well as established products. Strong background in both manufacturing and business process improvements. Champion of diversity & inclusion initiatives throughout industry and respected leader of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). 

Jonna holds a B.S. in Industrial and Management Engineering, as well as a MBA in technology development from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is a life member of SWE, a senior member of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, and an associate value specialist with SAVE International. She received the 2016 Petit Family Foundation Women in Science Leadership Award from the Connecticut Science Center, the 2014 STEP Award from the Manufacturing Institute, the 2011 Pratt & Whitney Diversity and Inclusion Award, the 2006 SWE Distinguished New Engineer Award, and was a 2004 New Faces of Engineering Finalist for IIE.

Jonna is also a good friend of mine. In this episode, we talk about her experiences being a woman in a male-dominated industry, and how she's been working hard to advocate for changes to help make their paths easier. A big part of Lean is helping to challenge "this is the way we've always done it", which Jonna does on a grand scale for great reasons. She's an inspiration, and one fo the smartest people I know or have ever worked with. As always - I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Jonna's contact info:

This week we welcome Panos Efsta to the show!

Panos Efsta is a forward-looking strategist and industry thought leader with an extraordinary history of optimizing operations to significantly outpace initial improvement forecasts, building strong relations with staff, providers, and key referral resources. Extensive success in developing and leading teams on both inpatient and outpatient care centers across the continuum of care. Known for capitalizing on opportunities to maximize operational effectiveness, financial performance, and brand prestige. Consistent track record of developing leaders and achieving ambitious goals. Fiscally minded with a focus on top-line growth, implementing and monitoring practices that optimize margins without sacrificing quality.

Panos is also a good friend of mine, and he's also one of my role models for what I believe Lean to really be about - People. Panos' passion for using Lean to engage with people to help them become exceptional is palpable, and it really comes through in this episode. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope you get something from it! Make it a great week!

Panos' contact info:

On this special episode, we've got TWO guests!

Dagmar Vlahos is a Six Sigma Black Belt and a Lean Black Belt; receiving her Six Sigma Black Belt training from Fidelity Investments focusing on operational excellence and customer quality.  She continued her Lean training with the State of New Hampshire and in 2015 she received her Lean Black Belt through the State of NH Bureau of Education.  Dagmar is a member of the Lean Executive Committee (LEC) at the State of NH, participates in the State of NH Lean Network and in partnership with the State of NH organized NH Lean Summit at UNH.  

Thomas Lencki, Jr. was employed with the NH State Police for over 20 years. Tom worked on creating a positive Lean culture in the State Police and developed a staff engagement plan for all State Police employees with the Lean White Belt Course. Tom is passionate about Lean and what it brings to the workplace. He believes building teams are critical for a successful project outcome.  Tom received his Lean Black Belt, Green Belt and Yellow Belt through the NH Bureau of Education and Training. Tom has also completed advanced trainings as both a Certified Public Supervisor and Certified Public Manager. Prior to the State Police, Tom was enlisted in the United States Marine Corps for 4 years.

Tom & Dagmar are Senior Process Engineers for the University System of New Hampshire. They provide Lean services across the entire University System as well as instructs Lean for University employees.

Contact info:

This week we welcome Adam Lawrence to the show!  

Adam Lawrence is the Managing Partner of Process Improvement Partners, LLC. He has 30+ years of experience in process improvement activities, targeted at manufacturing and business processes. Having facilitated 300+ Kaizen events in multiple industries around the world, Adam aligns with leadership, engages teams, and creates sustainable results. Adam received his BS in Industrial Engineering from Virginia Tech and has earned Lean certifications from the University of Michigan.  

In this episode, Adam and I talk about #Lean, #Kaizen and #ContinuousImprovement at length. He also walks us through The Wheel of Sustainability - a system he designed after 30 years of experience facilitating Kaizen events! Adam also has a book coming out this month of the same title.  

Adam's contact info: 

This week I got to welcome Elisabeth Swan to the show! 

Elisabeth is the co-author of the Problem-Solver’s Toolkit, co-host of the Just-in-Time Cafe Podcast and Co-Founder of the Just-In-Time Café, a consulting firm specializing in operational excellence and cultural transformation. She’s been a Continuous Improvement consultant, trainer and coach for over 30 years and she’s currently teaching a course called the Lean Six Sigma Leader at UC San Diego. In this episode, Elisabeth and I talk about #Lean, #Brainstorming and #ContinuousImprovement at length. She also walks us through The Swan Cycle, which is an amazing tool that consists of 4 steps: CTSA - Clarify, Think, Share, & Assemble. Grounded in psychological studies of how our brains work best, this new idea is pretty amazing!  

Elisabeth's contact info: 

This week our guest is Adam Bernard!

Adam Bernard is a music industry veteran, and lifelong martial artist, who has been working in media since 2000. He’s also a cancer survivor, and his memoir, ChemBro: Embracing Beastmode to Beat Cancer, was released this fall via Dreaming Big Publications.

Adam's contact info:

For the first episode of Season 2 our guest is Patrick Adams!

Patrick is an internationally recognized leadership coach, consultant, and professional speaker, best known for his unique human approach to sound team-building practices; creating consensus and enabling empowerment. Patrick has been delivering bottom-line results through specialized process improvement solutions for over 20 years. He's worked with all types of businesses from private, nonprofit, government, and manufacturing ranging from small business to billion-dollar corporations. And, he is the author of the new book, Avoiding the Continuous Appearance Trap.

Patrick's contact info:

This week our guest is BusinessWest "Difference Maker" award-winner Ira Bryck!

Ira Bryck helps leaders grow. He ran, for 26 years, the Family Business Center of Pioneer Valley, that provided expert and peer learning through forums, workshops, consulting and roundtables. His new work includes coaching business owners, personality assessments for professional and personal development, and facilitating executive peer groups.

Ira is the author of three plays about life in family business, presented as “edu-tainment” at conferences worldwide. His third play, A Tough Nut to Crack, is based on his years in his family's 4th generation childrens wear business. He is the host of the Western Mass Business Show on WHMP, so far having interviewed over 300 entrepreneurs. He has created a blended format of strategic questioning and role playing that assists entrepreneurs in finding new solutions.

In this episode, Ira and I chat about some of the nuances of family-owned businesses; what baggage they come with, how to navigate them and when you may need a coach/facilitator.

Ira's contact info:

This week I am VERY excited to be welcoming Kristin Carlson to the show!

Kristin Carlson is President of Peerless Precision, Inc., in Westfield, MA; a small precision machine shop specializing in the manufacture of small, complex mechanical components mainly for the Aerospace and Defense Industries.  Kristin is also currently the President of the Western MA Chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Association (WMNTMA), a member of NTMA’s AMPED (Advanced Manufacturing Practices and Education Development) Board and sits on Advisory/Steering Committees for Westfield Technical Academy’s Manufacturing Program, West Springfield High School’s Pathways to Prosperity Program and Agawam High School’s Manufacturing Program .

Kristin has been with Peerless Precision, Inc. since 1997, and has held a variety of positions with the company since then.  She assumed the role of President from her late father in 2012.  Kristin has extensive experience in purchasing, sales, supply chain management and operations management.  She is extremely passionate when it comes to changing the outdated narrative that encompasses Manufacturing, bringing more women in to Manufacturing and educating students on the many career paths and opportunities that are available in Advanced Manufacturing.

In this episode, Kristin and I chat about how the manufacturing industry can go about filling the skills gap, how important a strong, collaborative  supply chain is to large manufacturers, and some of the parallels we both deal with in misconceptions about our respective industries. Oh - and we also discuss how robots are NOT taking over the world! ;)

Kristin's contact info:

This week I am truly humbled to be welcoming Kevin Hancock to the show!

Kevin is an award-winning author, speaker, and CEO.  Hancock Lumber Company, one of America’s oldest family businesses, is fully integrated across the forest products and building materials industries.  Headquartered in Casco, Maine since 1848, the company is represented by its 565 employees who lead the activity of the business across 9 retail stores, 3 sawmills and a truss plant. The company also grows trees on 12,000 acres of timberland.

Hancock Lumber is a seven-time consecutive recipient of the ‘Best Places to Work in Maine’ award. The company is also a recipient of the Maine Family Business of the Year Award, the Governor’s Award for Business Excellence, the MITC ‘Exporter of the Year’ award, and the Pro-Sales National Dealer of the Year Award.

In this episode, Kevin and I chat about how important organizational culture is. At his company, it's their mission to maximize the employee experience, which in turn ensures that the customer has a good experience. He makes it a point that "Organizations get what they prioritize" (note: that's different than "what they measure"), and proposes that perhaps the reason 67% of employees report feeling disengaged is because their organizations don't prioritize making their work experience enjoyable. Kevin also outlines his philosophy of ensuring people feel trusted, respected, valued, and heard... which may be my first tattoo! :)

Kevin's contact info:

This week our guest is the one and only Bob Rush!

Bob's a good friend, and someone whom I consider a benchmark for myself and other Lean practitioners. I wish there were more folks like him in this world. His blog series; "Lean Observations from and Old Guy" are a must-read for anyone interested in Lean, CI, or OpEx. Told from the perspective that only someone with experience can have; they're pure lean gold.

In this episode, Bob and I chat about culture changes, the importance of mentoring and really break down what Respect for People is all about. Bob's an amazing person, inside and out and I'm so glad I got to have him on the show. To me, Bob epitomizes what a Sensei is, and although he'd never call himself that; I sure would.

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This week our guest is Alan Robinson: Author, Speaker and Professor at UMASS Amherst's Isenburg School of Management.

As Alan says: "Roughly 80 percent of any organization’s improvement potential lies in front-line ideas. If your organization is not set up to tap these, you are operating with, at best, one fifth of your capability."

In this episode, Alan and I chat about the shortcomings of MBA programs in the 80's and 90's and what that's gotten us into now, how the learning process should never stop, what (negative) effects on the psyche power has, as well as the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment. Perhaps the biggest "a-ha" moment for me was when Alan makes the very poignant point that continuous improvement is a "bottom up" endeavor. Alan's research, and his stories, prove this to be true, and he's helped numerous organizations around the world achieve ever-greater levels of attainment. It was a thought-provoking and insightful chat; I hope you like it! 

Alan's contact info:

This week our guest is the amazing Sabrina Moon!.

Sabrina is the founder and CEO of the Problem Solving Institute and a certified Dare to Lead facilitator, based upon the research by Dr. Brene Brown.

In this episode, Sabrina and I chat about moving from "Shame & Blame" to "Vulnerability and Bravery" in Leadership, and share stories from our pasts that closely mimic each other, which has lead each of us to take our careers, and leadership beliefs, in similar directions. It was a fantastic conversation with a good-hearted person; I hope you enjoy it!

Sabrina's contact info:

Welcome back for Part 2 of our podcast with Deerfield, Massachusetts native, former Navy SEAL and Bonefrog OCR founder Brian Carney!  Brian enlisted in the United States Navy in 1999, and upon graduating high school in 2000, joined at age 17. He achieved the rank of Special Operations Chief (SEAL) and fulfilled seven combat deployments, while being honored with the Bronze Star with Valor three times.  After leaving the Navy in 2013, Carney founded the BoneFrog Challenge, the world’s only Obstacle Course Race (OCR) that is fully owned and operated by U.S. Navy SEALs. Having grown over the years since then, the challenge now features three different lengths (Sprint, Challenge and Tier-1) and 6 different race options. Depending upon length, each race features 20-50+ Navy-SEAL like obstacles, many of which are designed with inspiration from the exact obstacles that Navy SEALs use for training.  In this episode (Part 2) we talk about Complacency, adapting to constant Change, and how to deal with Adversity and Overwhelm. Brian continues to educate us not only on how SEAL's train, but what life on a SEAL team is like. There are loads of correlations to be had between what he says and how we got about managing change. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Brian's contact info:

A native of Deerfield, Massachusetts, our guest this week is former Navy SEAL and Bonefrog OCR founder Brian Carney.  

Brian enlisted in the United States Navy in 1999, and upon graduating high school in 2000, joined at age 17. He achieved the rank of Special Operations Chief (SEAL) and fulfilled seven combat deployments, while being honored with the Bronze Star with Valor three times.  After leaving the Navy in 2013, Carney founded the BoneFrog Challenge, the world’s only Obstacle Course Race (OCR) that is fully owned and operated by U.S. Navy SEALs. Having grown over the years since then, the challenge now features three different lengths (Sprint, Challenge and Tier-1) and 6 different race options. Depending upon length, each race features 20-50+ Navy-SEAL like obstacles, many of which are designed with inspiration from the exact obstacles that Navy SEALs use for training.  In this episode (Part 1) we talk about Trust, Respect, and how each plays into Leadership. We also discuss Adaptability and dealing with change. You'll hear Brian talk about how a big part of SEAL training is designed to make the recruits get used to dealing with constant change. As Brian says in this episode: "No plan ever survives its first contact with the enemy".

Brian's contact info:

This week our guest is Bruce Hamilton, the President of GBMP and my friend.   

Bruce is also Director Emeritus for the Shingo Institute, home of the Shingo Prize, and is a Senior Examiner for the Shingo Prize and a Certified Shingo Institute workshops Facilitator.  Bruce is a past recipient of the Shingo Prize in both the business and academic categories and Inductee to the Shingo Academy (with five awards in all). 

In 2015 he was inducted into the AME Manufacturing Hall of Fame. 

In this episode, Bruce and I chat about pivoting the business due to COVID 19, the effects of short-term versus long-term thinking when practicing Lean, and what we (the Lean community) get right and what we get (or got) wrong. It was a fantastic conversation; I hope you enjoy it!

Bruce's contact info:

This week I'm super excited to welcome Heather Stagl to the show! 

After having a couple people reach out to seek clarification about comments I've made on the podcast, I thought recording a Bonus episode would be a good idea to help present my thoughts...

You see, I don't believe in a high percentage of "Lean Transformation Failure". Those who claim such things are often employing the Illusory Truth Effect - meaning they've heard the wrong thing so many times, they've come to believe that it's true. Social Media is littered with non-sited articles that claim 75%+ Lean failure rates, and it's simply not true. Based on anecdotal data (at best), I think it's disrespectful to be throwing out percentages like this, especially by those who, in the next breath, claim to uphold the Scientific Method.

To claim a high failure rate percentage is to also say that that same percentage of all of our efforts, all of time in Kaizen events, all of the group meetings, team building activities, etc. were all (mostly) a failure. As my dad says, "They're full of what makes the grass grow green".

And thus, I present to you my thoughts on the subject. After doing this for more than 20 years, I'll say that what I see, in copious amounts, are people who are still figuring it out. Still trying to get it right. Not giving up. THAT'S Lean. THAT'S Respect For People. Ignore the naysayers and people yelling from the cheap seats. Keep moving forward... that's what Continuous Improvement is! 

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This week we chat with someone I really admire; Mark C. Crowley. His approach to, and views on, leadership are paradigm-shifting. I have so much respect for Mark, and I was beyond honored that he agreed to come on the podcast. He truly embodies what it means to "Lead From the Heart".

Mark C. Crowley is the author of “Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21stCentury,” and his mission is to fundamentally change how we lead people in workplaces around the globe.

Mark is a regular contributor to Fast Company Magazine and has been published by USA Today, Reuters, The Huffington Post, Gallup, CEO Magazine, Great Britain, and the Seattle Times. His two recent LinkedIn Pulse articles on employee engagement and managing millennials have been read well over a million times. His book is now being taught in nine American universities, including the educational PhD program at Brandman University in California & the MBA program at the University of Iowa. His “Lead From The Heart” podcast now has an audience in 142 countries.

Before writing his book, Mark spent over 20 years in the dog-eat-dog world of Financial Services. He held two national level positions at one of America’s largest financial institutions where he was named leader of the year. Quite untraditionally, Mark proved that deeply caring about and supporting people, and thereby positively affecting employee’s hearts, had a remarkable affect on driving sustained engagement, loyalty and productivity.

New and breakthrough medical research Mark draws upon in his book now proves that the heart is actually the driver of optimal human performance. A leadership pioneer, Mark shows us that leading from the heart is the most informed and enlightened thing a manager or organization can do.

Mark is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego and the University of Washington’s Pacific Coast Banking School. A business person at heart, he holds a California Real Estate Broker’s license and several investment securities licenses. He speaks and consults around the world.

Mark's contact info:

This week we chat with my friend, Dan Markovitz. 

Dan is the author of three books – "A Factory of One" & "Building the Fit Organization" have both won Shingo Prizes, and his recently released third book, "The Conclusion Trap", will likely win a third.

In this episode, Dan and I have a TON of fun. We talk about his new book & laugh - a lot - as we poke fun at ourselves... but Dan also shares what I think are invaluable insights into how organizational cultures are built and sustained. Dan is a self-described “Lean guy”, but he comes at it from a much different perspective than most. 

I think Dan’s outlook and approach to Lean are really interesting, which is why I wanted him as a guest on the show so badly. He’s got lots of really cool ideas that I know you’ll all enjoy listening to. Fair warning: there is some mild adult language in this episode. Please enjoy the conversation that I had with my good friend, Dan Markovitz.

Dan's contact info: