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

Jim Womack's Observations and Reflections on the Evolution of Lean

My guest for Episode #499 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is James P. Womack. Jim really needs no introduction for this audience, he's the founder of the Lean Enterprise Institute (in 1987) and remains a senior advisor to them.
Episode page with transcript and more
In the late eighties, he and Dan Jones led MIT's International Motor Vehicle Research Program (IMVP), which introduced the term “lean” to describe Toyota's revolutionary management system.
Based on that research, Womack coauthored The Machine That Changed the World (Macmillan/Rawson Associates, 1990), Lean Thinking (Simon & Schuster, 1996), Lean Solutions (Simon & Schuster, 2005), and Seeing the Whole Value Stream (Lean Enterprise Institute, 2011).  
Jim was really gracious and helpful to me in being an early guest on this podcast, going back to Episode 12 in late 2006 when we talked about Lean in China. Today is his 8th appearance on the podcast: 7 times solo and once last September as part of a group that did a post-game show with me after the GE Lean Mindset event.
I've seen and talked with Jim many times over the past decade, so it's totally my fault that I haven't had him on since 2011. When I asked him to come back to help celebrate 500 episodes, he quickly agreed — and I'll have him back again much sooner than this last gap between appearances.
In today's episode, Jim shares reflections and stories on a number of companies, countries, and topics, including:
China and Vietnam
GM, Toyota, Boeing, Danaher, Rivian, and Tesa
And he answers some questions that were suggested by LinkedIn commenters.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
I think listeners would love to know what keeps you busy these days in the world of Lean?
Planet Lean – celebrating 10 years
A few people asked: How can we influence a union to start embracing Lean, when the union at our company has been actively against it from the start?
Lean in China – almost 18 years ago episode – Ep 12 — Thoughts on how things have evolved?
Has Tesla ever invited you to visit their gemba?
Which companies does he consider to be Lean exemplars in the United States?
What do you think we, as a Lean community, could/should do better?
Read Ed Schein's Organizational Culture and Leadership
Did you ever meet Dr. Deming?
The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.
This episode is also brought to you by “The Optimistic Outlook,” hosted by Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens USA. This podcast is a hub for those passionate about transformative concepts that shape both our workplaces and our world. Find it in your favorite podcast app.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 

The Toyota Way: Responding to, Preventing and Learning from Mistakes with Jeff Liker

My guest for Episode #498 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Jeffrey K. Liker. Jeff is Professor Emeritus from the University of Michigan, President of Liker Lean Advisors, and author of the great books in the Toyota Way series.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
He was previously a guest here in Episodes 3, 4, 37, 39, 41, 111, and 400.
Today, we have a discussion centered around learning from mistakes in the context of Toyota and lean methodologies. The episode delves into the significance of recognizing, reacting to, and learning from mistakes within organizations that employ Toyota Production System (TPS) or lean strategies. Jeff shares his insights on how Toyota's culture of continuous improvement and learning from errors fundamentally drives its success. The conversation touches on Toyota's approach to leadership and problem-solving, emphasizing the structured response to mistakes at different levels of the organization, from the factory floor to top management.
The episode further explores the Toyota leadership model, illustrating how leaders at various levels are expected to react when mistakes occur. Liker explains the role of the andon cord system in facilitating immediate problem identification and resolution, showcasing Toyota's commitment to quality and efficiency. He elaborates on the multi-layered leadership response to errors, detailing the responsibilities of team leaders, group leaders, and higher management in fostering a culture of learning and improvement. The discussion underscores the importance of a systemic approach to problem-solving, where the focus is on understanding and addressing the root causes of mistakes rather than attributing blame to individuals. This episode offers valuable insights into the principles of lean leadership and the critical role of acknowledging and learning from mistakes in achieving organizational excellence and innovation.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
How you'd expect Toyota leaders to react to a mistake on the factory floor?
Less likely to blame an individual? 
Root cause vs. controllable cause?
That can be a tough lesson to teach other companies?
Hardest habit to break is the blame habit?
Mistakes people make in trying to help change behavior
What's necessary, in another company's workplace culture, for people to feel safe pulling the andon cord or speaking up?
Article about the Ford plant and andon cords in 2007
Jeff insights on that Dearborn plant
The mention of psychological safety in “Toyota Culture”?
What do you think of the phrase “psychological safety”? Or just the concept of it?
Fujio Cho – biggest surprise was that TMMK workers were afraid to pull the andon cord
New book: Engaging the Team at Zingerman's Mail Order
The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.
This episode is also brought to you by “The Optimistic Outlook,” hosted by Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens USA. This podcast is a hub for those passionate about transformative concepts that shape both our workplaces and our world. Find it in your favorite podcast app.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 

Improving MRI Safety for Patients and Staff: Tobias Gilk

My guest for Episode #497 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Tobias Gilk, the founder of Gilk Radiology Consulting (GRC). He is an architect by training, but has spent 20+ years focusing on MRI safety... initially through the architecture and planning of MRI facilities, but quickly growing into the technology, clinical practice, regulation, and economics of MRI safety.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
He is recognized by both state and federal courts as an expert in MRI safety issues. Tobias has published dozens of papers and articles on MRI safety. He is also twice a member of the American College of Radiology's MRI Safety Committee (twice named co-author of ACR MRI safety standard guidance).
In this episode, we dive deep into the complexities of MRI technology, acknowledging its transformative role in health care but equally highlighting the overlooked dangers that require meticulous handling. Delving into safety protocols, process failures, and the risks associated with projectiles and thermal injuries, they underscore the need for stricter adherence to safety protocols.
We not only discuss the intrinsic risks associated with MRI but also explore the regulatory landscape, identifying key gaps that permit inconsistency in safety practices. The narrative is a pointed reminder that safety is of paramount importance, and mitigating risks requires thorough screening, careful positioning, and a collective commitment to safety-first processes.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
Give us a quick MRI technology overview... 
"The safe modality"
What causes danger to staff and patients??
Machine malfunctions are very rare -- possible burns?
A typical safety story?
Clinically safe but with inherent process-related dangers?
Why aren't there better access controls and checks about what and who comes near the magnet?
Couldn't we cheaply brute force this by posting an educated "MRI Guard" outside the danger zone? Is patient safety really the top priority??
Staffing cost vs. risks of harm or machine damage...
How common / frequent are incidents that harm or kill?
"If you've been told that MRI safety only comes at the expense of throughput, you've been lied to."
"Absolutely, Lean is essential to MRI safety..."
The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.
This episode is also brought to you by "The Optimistic Outlook," hosted by Barbara Humpton, CEO of Siemens USA. This podcast is a hub for those passionate about transformative concepts that shape both our workplaces and our world. Find it in your favorite podcast app.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 

Learning and Leading Lean as the CEO: Randy Carr, CEO of World Emblem

My guest for Episode #496 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Randy Carr, the CEO of South Florida-based World Emblem – one of the largest embroidery companies in the world with plants in the U.S. and Mexico. 
Episode page with transcript, video, and more
Since 1993, the family-owned business has been the “go to” for emblems and patches for sports headwear, footwear, sports garments, and other apparel, with an output of more than 100 million products a year.  
In this episode, we delve deeper into World Emblem's systemic view of their business operations within the scope of the SQDCM (Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost, and Morale) model. Learn how this approach steered them toward not just honing a product's price-point, but also delivering a superior experience that justifies that price.
Discover how lean principles became an integral part of their response to various business challenges, ranging from pre-COVID operational inefficiencies to the financial impact of pandemic-induced difficulties. As World Emblem continues to foster a culture of continuous improvement and uphold their focus on safety, quality, and customer service, this lean journey illustrates the effectiveness of lean in maintaining robust competitiveness within a dynamic global market.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
We'll somewhat structure this interview like an A3
Let's start by telling us about the background of World Emblem — what was the need for change? 
Their “management system” wasn't right?
How did you learn about Lean?
A 7-figure leap of faith to hire consultants
Baby steps… vs. trying to learn and do it yourself?
Countermeasure — Why Nearshoring?
Hoshin Planning process – how has that worked? Benefits?
Allocating your time as a CEO — 30% with customers?
Using Lean outside of production?
Being honest about problems — a key part of the DNA
What's next on the action plan? How will continue you evaluating your progress?
The UK “True Lean” methodology
The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 

Habits, Continuous Improvement, and the Latest at KaiNexus: Greg Jacobson

My guest for this bonus episode of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Gregory H. Jacobson, M.D., a co-founder and the CEO of KaiNexus.
Episode show page with transcript, video, and more
Greg, also a practicing emergency medicine physician to this day, was previously a guest in Episode 149 and was a part of a physician panel in Episode 361. He also joined me for Episode 31 of the "My Favorite Mistake" Podcast. We also podcast together fairly often via the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Podcast.
Greg is one of the three keynote speakers at this year's Healthcare Systems Process Improvement Conference that's presented by the Society for Health Systems. I'll also be facilitating an intensive session on Psychological Safety and Continuous Improvement. Come join us in Atlanta next month!!
In this episode, we preview Greg's talk at the conference. Since it's been more than 11 years since Greg has been here, we talk about the progress that KaiNexus has made as a company and as a continuous improvement software platform.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
The three "Habits" webinars we mentioned: One, Two, and Three
A video about values and success traits at KaiNexus
Excerpt from The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation about KaiNexus
The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it’s been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 

Lean Management Meets Tech: Theodo Group’s Success Story with Catherine Chabiron & Fabrice Bernhard

My guests for Episode #495 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Catherine Chabiron and Fabrice Bernhard, who are discussing her new book Learning to Scale at Theodo Group: Growing a Fast and Resilient Company.
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
Catherine Chabiron is a board member for the Institut Lean France, a member of the Lean Global Network, like the Lean Enterprise Institute.
Catherine is an established expert in Lean management with a professional journey spanning over 40 years. She has experience in a range of service and support functions, including IT, Logistics, Sales, Finance, and HR, both in France and globally.
As a Lean executive coach, her expertise in Lean thinking has been largely shaped by her experiences within the automotive industry, where she has lived and breathed the Lean philosophy. This has been further enriched by her regular visits to the Toyota supply chain in Japan, an experience that has offered her unique insights and an in-depth understanding of how a learning culture operates.
So, speaking of Theodo Group, we're also again joined by their chief technology officer and co-founder, Fabrice Bernhard. He co-founded Theodo in Paris in 2009, which has grown on average 50% yearly for the last 8 years and generated 90M€ revenue in 2022. He is now based in London to help with the international expansion.
We delve into the broadened application of lean principles in our discussion with Fabrice Bernard and Catherine Chabiron. Bernard shares how Theodore Group implemented Lean as a strategic pillar in their operations, using it as a toolbox to create sustained growth and maintain competitive edges. They systematically addressed business challenges using TPS, Extreme Programming, and Scrum to conjure the “agile magic” of a small, integrated team at scale.
Don't miss out on the chance to hear about cultivating a Lean culture that goes beyond strategy and tool adoption. By fostering an environment of continuous learning, teamwork, and the relentless pursuit of excellence, Theodore Group effectively established Lean as the backbone of their company's culture. We also expound on broader societal challenges that can be addressed through Lean methodologies and the journey of A3 thinking in fostering deep understanding and collaboration. This episode takes an expansive look at Lean practices, demonstrating its adaptable, innovative, and ethically conscious nature across different industries, proving its potency in driving companies towards sustained growth.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
What are your Lean origin stories?
Lean as a strategy at Theodo Group?
How did the two of you come to work together? First met in Japan, right? What led to the book?
Startup vs Scale-up?
Six Planet Lean articles – LINK
Sharing Lean thinking with your CEO and other leaders?
How do you embody Lean?
A lot of virtual work now? If so what does Gemba mean?
What does continuous improvement mean to you? How do leaders foster a learning culture?
How does continuous improvement address not just the scaling challenge but societal challenges?
Why are the current ways of scaling a company broken?
Big Company Disease? Silos and process trumping customers, compliance over initiative
The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it’s been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 

Continuous Improvement and the Need to Improve LESS - Lean Insights from Chad Bareither

Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #494 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Chad Bareither, the founder and principal consultant of Bareither Group Consulting. He brings a wealth of experience as a change agent in the corporate world, having worked with organizations that include several Fortune 500 companies.
He's now the author of a new book, Improve LESS: The Focus and Align Framework for Sustainable Continuous Improvement.
Chad holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University, is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and has further honed his expertise with Master's degrees in both Industrial & Systems Engineering, and Applied Statistics from Rutgers University.
In this episode, we discuss his experience in various industries where, of course, Lean is not about building cars. We also discuss his book, the "Focus and Align Framework," and why trying to improve less can lead to greater results.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
What's your Lean origin story?
Civilian role with the U.S. Army – working with the manufacturers / suppliers vs. internal Army processes?
Can't copy and paste? “We don't build cars”??
Becoming a consultant? Being an outsider vs. insider – what have you learned about that?
The story behind the book — why this book?
Tell us about the common problem statement and the current state — trying to do too many things, being too busy?
The “focus and align” framework?
The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it’s been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.
This podcast was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 
 

Wiring the Winning Organization: Authors Steven J. Spear & Gene Kim

Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guests for Episode #493 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast are Gene Kim and Steve Spear, co-authors of the new book Wiring the Winning Organization: Liberating Our Collective Greatness through Slowification, Simplification, and Amplification.
Joining us for the first time is Gene Kim, a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, researcher who has been studying high-performing technology organizations since 1999 – He was the founder and CTO of Tripwire for 13 years. He is the author of six books, The Unicorn Project (2019), and co-author of the Shingo Publication Award-winning Accelerate (2018), The DevOps Handbook (2016), and The Phoenix Project (2013). Since 2014, he has been the founder and organizer of DevOps Enterprise Summit, (now the Enterprise Technology Leadership Summit) studying the technology transformations of large, complex organizations. He lives in Portland, OR, with his wife and family.
Dr. Steven J. Spear, DBA, MS, MS is a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and author of influential publications like the book The High-Velocity Edge, and the HBR articles “Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System,” and “Fixing Healthcare from the Inside, Today.” 
An advisor to corporate and governmental leaders across a range of fields, he is also the founder of See to Solve, a business process software company. He has a doctorate from Harvard, masters degrees in mechanical engineering and management from MIT, and a bachelor's degree in economics from Princeton. 
Steve was previously a guest give times in episodes 58, 87, 262, 358, and 386.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
Gene — what's your “Lean” origin story or however you would frame or label it?
Steve — what's a key highlight of your Lean origin story?
“The ultimate learning machine” – Toyota
Backstory on working together on this book?
How many copied 2 pizza teams from Amazon and failed??
What puts some companies in the “danger zone” and how is that detected if it's not obvious?
The andon cord was a way to speak up
Steve – see, solve, share? A 4th step? See, safe to speak, solve, share?
You write about recurring problems in a workplace. How do you think the behavior of managers punishing people for problems gets in the way of solving problems?
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 was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 
 

Nick Katko on the Role of the Lean CFO, Lean Accounting, and More

Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #492 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Nick Katko, previously here in Episode 428 in 2021 with his co-author Mike DeLuca talking about their book Practicing Lean Accounting. 
Today, Nick is here to discuss his book, The Lean CFO: Architect of the Lean Management Accounting System — now in its second edition — released back in February.
Nick also did a webinar earlier this year as part of the KaiNexus Continuous Improvement webinar series.
For over 20 years, Nick has worked at BMA, assisting clients in Lean management implementation by working closely with them to resolve the real-world issues they face.
He holds a BS in accounting and an MBA in finance, both from the University of Kentucky, and is a certified public accountant.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
What makes a CFO a “Lean CFO”? Are there “degrees of Lean CFO”??
Are there some wrong things to measure? Things we should start measuring?
Viewing inventory as an asset? How does inventory reduction trip us up potentially?
What is “lean management accounting”??
Robbing Peter to pay Paul – ending that via Lean causes a problem then? Is there a way to ease your way out of that?
Reducing inventory is an outcome of better processes?
Is it better for Lean to be part of a growth strategy?
Chapter 3 – “Lean is the strategy” — are you hearing that more often? Are they walking the talk?? How common is this?
“Knowing what's possible” when you have experience with Lean – and the emotions people feel, regret?
The virtuous cycle of using CI to drive CAPACITY (instead of cost reduction)?
The Lean CFO: Architect of the Lean Management Accounting System — What's different in the 2nd edition?
Tell us about your new BMA Lean Accounting Certification Program… 
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 was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 

From Biologist to Black Belt: Sarah Tilkens’ Lean Journey

Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #491 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Sarah Tilkens, an experienced Lean Leader with a demonstrated history of working in construction and manufacturing.
She is a senior manager of operational excellence at GE Healthcare. 
Sarah's a Six Sigma Black Belt, a certified life coach / executive coach, a lifelong learner, leader, mother, and CEO and Founder of her company, The KPI Lab. She earned her bachelor's in Biological Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Sarah's Lean journey is intriguing as she sculpted her Lean management skills on the manufacturing floor at GE, despite her background in Biological Sciences. Interestingly, her Lean journey extends from being intrigued by her colleagues pursuing Six Sigma certifications to studying at GE's Lean Academy in Japan, where she observed the best Lean practices.
Moreover, she details her unique philosophy about Lean mindset, the significance of continuous improvement, and her holistic approach to coaching--indispensable factors in her role as a Lean Leader. She also talks about her personal transformation during the pandemic, integrating coaching skills into her professional life, and why self-care is a priority. Tune in to this engaging discussion to learn about Sarah's Lean journey as she shares her most significant learnings and experiences.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
Tell us your Lean or OpEx origin story...
Did you get exposed to Lean when you worked in construction?
Why construction? - went into sales, to a place of discomfort 
How was the shift to manufacturing?
Hired as a Lean Leader - learned it there at GE
How did they educate you about Lean at GE?
You joined GE Healthcare in November 2018 -- right after CEO Larry Culp was brought in as the first outsider CEO, right? 
I was able to attend the September event that was hosted by GE (including GE Healthcare) called The Lean Mindset - how do you describe that mindset?
1x1 fit - each coachee as a customer?
Creating PULL for projects?? -- better defining problem statements
Tell us about getting certified as a coach?
How can you take care of yourself so you can better help others as a leader?
How long should we give an experiment before deciding if we should adjust or try something new?
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 was also brought to you by Arena, a PTC Business. Arena is the proven market leader in Cloud Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with over 1,400 customers worldwide. Visit the link arenasolutions.com/lean to learn more about how Arena can help speed product releases with one connected system.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.