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

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.
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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

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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

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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

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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

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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. 

Redefining Excellence: Quint Studer’s Vision for Modern Healthcare, Learning From Mistakes, and More

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My guest for Episode #490 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Quint Studer, the co-founder of HealthCare Plus Solutions Group and owner of the minor league baseball team, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
He's a returning guest, having joined us in Episode #353 (2019) when we talked about his book, The Busy Leader's Handbook. He's written many other books — his first being Hardwiring Excellence (2003), a book that was recommended to me when I started serving healthcare organizations back in 2005 — and that book made a huge impact on me.
Quint previously founded Studer Group, which received the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 2011. He's also currently a speaker, an entrepreneur, and a philanthropist.
His most recent previous book is The Calling: Why Healthcare is So Special. His latest book is Rewiring Excellence, a free eBook. The Human Margin: Building the Foundations of Trust, written in partnership with Katherine A. Meese, PhD, is due for publication in March 2024.
In this episode, Quint speaks poignantly about the need to transform rigid practices in healthcare. His clarion call emphasizes the significance of rewriting conventional healthcare procedures to create adaptable strategies. This dynamic conversation also illuminates his concept of ‘rewiring' excellence. Quint challenges the traditional definitions and procedures regarding excellence, maintaining that these outmoded ideologies need to be revamped with modern perspectives for enhanced results. Thus, stay tuned to hear more about how to navigate the changing landscape of healthcare.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
What can leaders do to help ensure that the calling doesn't turn into burnout and a loss of that calling?
How can we stop the blame game?
“If you do it right, there should be no turnover” (CNAs)
Focus, fix, and follow up
The need to close the loop…
Blame culture
Assumptions — about why MDs don't refer in house
Quint's excellent article, ‘I may be wrong': The power of admitting our mistakes
Why do people get vilified for saying they were wrong or they changed their minds?
When people hide behind “do you have any research?”
Tell us about your latest book, Rewiring Excellence: Hardwired to Rewired… free eBook now, print book in pre-order status.
How do we decide if a hardwired process needs to be “rewired”?
What is the “Human Capital Ecosystem™ Assessment“?
Looking ahead to your next book — how can leaders build trust?
Hosting a podcast now? The Healthcare Plus Podcast
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. 

Ward Vuillemot on the Celebration of Errors and Lean from Aerospace to Tech Companies

This episode will be available to paid Apple Podcasts subscribers only until November 1st, when it will become available to the public.
Ward is a seasoned C-suite executive with over 6 years leading fully remotely while building technology organizations from the ground up for companies 150 to 650 employees in size and 50M to 125M revenue across the Americas and Europe.
He is currently Chief Product Officer and CTO at RealSelf and is a technical advisor with his own company - website is https://wardvuillemot.com - where he advises startup founders and CEOs on technical roadmaps and technology organization along with lean approaches…

D. Lynn Kelley on her Book ”Change Questions,” Lean and Deming

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Our guest today is D. Lynn Kelley! She is author, with John Shook (who has been a guest here many times), of the new book, Change Questions: A Playbook for Effective and Lasting Organizational Change.
Lynn currently serves as a senior advisor to BBH Capital Partners.
Following a career highlighted by leadership roles in engineering, supply chain, and continuous improvement in various industries, Kelley retired from Union Pacific Railroad in 2018.
At Union Pacific, she was senior vice president of supply chain and continuous improvement. She was also the executive co-owner of the company’s innovation program.
Before joining Union Pacific, Kelley was vice president of operational excellence, an officer and a member of the executive leadership team at Textron.
Kelley holds a PhD in evaluation and research and taught undergraduate and graduate statistics courses. Before becoming a professor, she held the positions of executive vice president and chief operating officer of Doctors Hospital in Detroit.
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. 

Embracing the Lean Mindset in GE Aerospace: A Conversation With Two Leaders

Episode page with transcript and more: https://leanblog.org/487
In today’s episode, we’re joined by two Lean leaders from GE Aerospace:
Sam Ruehle, Lean Operations Leader, Lean Transformation Team
Greg Pothoff, Executive Director – Business Management Aviation Supply Chain 
I interviewed them after the GE Lean Mindset event that was held last month in New York.  Two separate conversations, but common themes — and the same questions of two Lean leaders at different stages of their careers, Sam being a recent college graduate and Greg having 25 years of Lean experience, starting first in the auto industry (which is actually where I first met him 20 years ago).
I asked the same core questions, found below, but each conversation is unique as we learn about their roles at GE and their reactions to the Lean Mindset event.
Sam emphasizes the importance of the Lean mindset as being framed by three essential pillars: Respect for People, Continuous Improvement, and Customer Focus. As a young leader, she combines this Lean mindset with a touch of humility, an open mind, and an emphasis on collective problem-solving to catalyze impactful changes.
One of Greg's core beliefs is the importance of focusing on the smaller, incremental changes in addition to the larger, more noticeable ones. He also stresses the need for establishing a blame-free learning environment, where employees are encouraged to experiment, make mistakes, and more importantly, learn from them.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
How would you describe a "Lean Mindset"?
What is an underappreciated aspect of the "Lean Mindset"?
What surprised you most about the Lean Mindset event?
What advice would you have for others about developing a "Lean Mindset"?
What is one change you have had to personally make to lead in this way?
The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in its 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more.
This podcast 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.

Mike Kaeding, CEO of Norhart, on Revolutionizing the Housing Industry with Lean

Episode page with transcript, links, and more: https://leanblog.org/486
My guest for Episode #486 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Mike Kaeding, the CEO of Norhart.
They design, build, and rent apartments. They are transforming the way this is done by incorporating technologies and techniques that have revolutionized other industries. This has resulted in improved quality and reduced cost of housing. Ultimately, they are committed to solving America's housing shortage and affordability crisis. And in doing so they hope to improve the way we all live. 
He was previously (May 2023) a guest with me on the My Favorite Mistake podcast.
In today's episode, learn how Kaeding's company, Norhart, applies Lean practices to uplift the housing sector. Their compelling ambition to bridge the labor productivity gap between manufacturing and construction industries lies at the heart of their Lean journey.
From their unique recruitment strategies to their effective lean techniques, Norhart aspires to reshape the housing industry. Kaeding outlines their intrusion on tradition by focusing on continuous improvement rather than mere experience. Discover how their Lean approach emphasizes flow in both construction processes and material delivery, spotlighting Norhart's determination to overhaul established construction norms.
Questions, Notes, and Highlights:
High-reaching mission — similar to Toyota
“The way we've always done it”?? How do you encourage everybody to get past that?
Hiring people who are willing to be different? How to do that?
How do you then maximize their potential?
The appeal of culture in hiring and recruiting?
Netflix “keeper test”?
“We want that person to be happier with us after firing…”
How to balance the right timing of hiring with growth?
Balancing jobs — cycle times and flows across trades? Material flow and synchronizing that
Toyota helping you on JIT — how to find this balance with long lead time or bad availability??
Mike on the My Favorite Mistake podcast
What's your Lean origin story? For you and Norhart?
“Not knowing what I'm doing…” was a benefit
Working with TSSC?
How did they help you frame or choose that initial problem to solve?
“Problems are not a bad thing”
Your role as CEO? Creating that psychological safety?
Wanting to be the best at what you do? You as a CEO? What does that mean to you?
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.