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

Tom Peters on His Compact Guide to Excellence – New Book

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My guest for Episode #465 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is the legendary (my word, not his) author, consultant, and speaker — Tom Peters. His new book is Tom Peters's Compact Guide to Excellence.
Click here to enter to win a paperback copy (through December 20).
He was previously a guest in Episode 382 of this podcast and My Favorite Mistake Episode 58. See previous blog posts about Tom and his ideas.
Today, Tom and I talk about some core concepts from his book, but we also weave through many topics including leadership that demonstrates “extreme humanism” (and leaders who do not, such as Elon Musk). As always, it's a fun, free-wheeling, and thought-provoking conversation when Tom is involved.
Note: Tom says he swears like a sailor… there are a few occasional mild curse words, so please be warned about that.
Questions, Notes, and highlights:
The moral bankruptcy of “maximizing shareholder value” — are we really moving away from that? Getting lip service from the Conference Board and others?
“People got ‘the brand called you' all wrong — it's not about self-marketing”
“Being good is good business. When you take the high moral ground it is difficult for anyone to object without sounding like a complete fool.”
Caring about people… Reminds me of Paul O'Neill saying nobody should ever get hurt at work (Alcoa) — “habitual excellence“
The HP Way – Management By Wandering Around (MBWA) is an “intimate act”
Following up on our Aug 2020 discussion about leading during Covid… how is MBZA (management by zooming around) working out?
You've been very active on Twitter — still there? Should we still be using Twitter, even the free service?
The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 
 

Katie Anderson Discusses Larry Culp’s AME Keynote and Their Fireside Chat

Katie Anderson, her 6th appearance
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My guest for Episode #464 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Katie Anderson, who is, among other things, the author of the book Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn.
She has previously been a guest here in Episodes 233, 275, 302, 326, and 425. Katie has also been a guest twice on “My Favorite Mistake” — once with Isao Yoshino and once on her own.
Today, Katie and I talk about the recent AME annual conference that was held in Dallas. We both heard Larry Culp, CEO of General Electric (and GE Aviation) speak for 15 minutes, and we discuss that here today. We also recap highlights from (and our reflections about) the fireside chat that Katie had with Larry on stage.
Notes and highlights:
Listen to Katie on the internal GE podcast (named “Andon That Note”) she mentions in this episode
Discussing the panel discussion that I moderated with Deondra Wardelle and Amy Gowder
Gary Michel, another great CEO speaker at the event
Larry: “This is how we manage” (Lean)
Going to the gemba? Why? Process and people
Top down and bottom up – operationalizing Hoshin Kanri
Learning from mistakes, how a leader reacts to bad news
From telling to asking questions – breaking the telling habit
Having a coach as CEO… why Larry thinks that's so important
Larry: “You don't go to HBS to learn how to ask questions”
The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 

Jim Benson on The Collaboration Equation, His New Book

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My guest for Episode #463 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Jim Benson, the CEO of Modus Cooperandi, and co-founder of Modus Institute.
He was previously a guest on Episodes 155 and 401. He was also a guest on Lean Whiskey #25 with me and Jamie Flinchbaugh (and #31), and was guest #4 on My Favorite Mistake.
A pioneer in applying Lean and Kanban to knowledge
work, Jim is the creator of Personal Kanban and is co-author of Personal Kanban: Mapping Work, Navigating Life, winner of the Shingo Research and Publication Award. His other books include Why Plans Fail, Why Limit WIP, and Beyond Agile.
His latest book is The Collaboration Equation: Strong Professionals, Strong Teams, Strong Delivery.
Today, we discuss topics and questions including:
How do you define collaboration? 
As an angry punk rocker? Parallels to startup software companies??
The balance between “every building/patient is unique “vs. having knowledge/structure/process??
Standard work for encountering complexity
When a major problem gets solved and nobody ends up in tears – From lawsuits, yelling, and strife — to collaborative problem solving? How?
Culture as it exists… culture as we are creating…??
Team deciding the culture vs. the CEO or leader having a vision of what the culture should be?
What the CEO says vs. what is the reality?
Value Stream Mapping as a “ruse”… a way to uncover team breakdown problems
Flapping our mouths vs. information about what's really happening??
Get comfortable with change happening every day
Be hard on the process, not the people? But the system is made of people…
The FEELING of being respected
Fear as a cause of problems — “Every real collaboration has psychological safety”
What have you learned about PS, how to gauge it, and how to create it?
“You can't go buy a box of psychological safety”
An NBA superteam… how would YOU lead them?
Getting over your damn self
The power of team members who are more likely to talk about others than themselves
“Do you feel heard…” — or are you actually heard?
What readers would get the most out of this book?
The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 

Professor John Grout, a Deep Dive on Mistake Proofing and Lean

Expert on mistakes and mistake proofing, professor and former business school dean
Episode page with video, transcript, and more: https://leanblog.org/462 
My guest for Episode #462 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Professor John Grout the former dean of the Campbell School of Business at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. 
He was recently a guest on “My Favorite Mistake” — Episode 186, so I encourage you to check that out.
He's the current Chair of the Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Data Analytics Department and the David C. Garrett Jr. Professor of Business Administration. John has overseen the development, approval and implementation of Berry College's Creative Technologies program and Berry's makerspace, HackBerry Lab. 
Dr. Grout has researched mistake-proofing extensively and published numerous articles on mistake-proofing. In 2004, John received the Shingo Prize for his paper, “The Human Side of Mistake-Proofing” with Douglas Stewart. John has also consulted with a large variety of firms to mistake-proof their processes.
He's also published “Mistake-Proofing the Design of Health Care Processes” a book that's freely available online.
His Website: https://mistakeproofing.com/
Today, we discuss topics and questions including:
Your origin story – how did you first get introduced to TPS, Lean, etc? Context of discovering mistake proofing?
Shingo's book on Poka Yoke
“Shingo was not kind to Statistical Quality Control”… use SQC and/or mistake proofing?
Acceptance sampling… keeps bad product out… maybe?
Field goals — Conformity to specs vs. closer to center?
Successive checks and self checks
Source inspections – Shingo's gold standard
Why should you react when a part's out of control but still in spec??
Do you HAVE to stop the line? Don't be dogmatic??
Statistics don't do well with rare events
Do we have data on how universal the “universal protocol” is?
Doctor signing vs. you signing the surgical site?
ZERO – “the only way to go” in terms of goals
The goal of “zero defects” can be controversial.. is it possible? Motivating? Demoralizing?
Possible research – optimal time to stop doing final inspection??
Why is it easier to error proof now? Technology
“People don't like to own up to mistakes”
Naida Grunden episode on aviation safety
Can't error proof everything??
Preventing execution errors is easier than preventing decision errors
The balance and benefits of examples to copy vs. developing thinking?? “Catalog or catalyst”?? BOTH
The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 

Gauthier Duval on Kaizen Events, Organizational Development, and ”Veryable” Labor

Video, transcript, and more: https://leanblog.org/461 
My guest for Episode #461 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Gauthier Duval, the Director of the Lean Center of Excellence at Veryable.
He's applied and taught Lean for over 18 years, including time with Freudenberg-NOK (an auto supplier featured in the book Lean Thinking), Simpler Consulting, and other manufacturing companies in the U.S. and Europe.
Today, we discuss topics and questions including:
Your Lean origin story?
The next steps in your career and learning??
Freudenberg-NOK — 2004 — Growtth Consulting spinoff
Working with Lean – Europe vs. US?
Simpler – worked with Chris Cooper – Episode #129
Your view on the role of what's often called “kaizens” (kaizen events) vs. ongoing daily kaizen improvement?
Multi-day events vs. small discontinuous improvements?
How should people be participating?
The role of the senior leader?
Kicking a company president out of a Kaizen Event??
Lessons you've learned on the psychology of change?
Organizational behavior and organizational development? — how do you define that? 
What makes an organization a “learning organization?”
Chris Argyris — why should more Lean people be reading his work?
Tell us about Veryable – the company, the problems you solve and how it works…
How to expand “JIT” beyond just materials?
Variable labor in a “lean mindset” way — including “respect for people”??
The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 
 

Philip Holt on Leading and Living Lean, With Simplicity

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My guest for Episode #460 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Philip Holt.
He is currently Senior Vice President, Operational Excellence at GKN Aerospace, the world's leading multi-technology Tier 1 Aerospace supplier, and has over 30 years of business experience in leadership roles spanning the customer value chain, in industry-leading Companies also including Philips, Gillette, and Travelport.
He is the author of three Lean Leadership books: 
Leading with Lean: An Experience-based guide to Leading a Lean Transformation
The Simplicity of Lean: Defeating Complexity; Delivering Excellence
Leading Lean by Living Lean: Changing how you Lead, not who you are
You can learn more at Philip's website.
Today, we discuss topics and questions including:
Your “Lean origin story?”
“Thought I knew what Lean was”
How did visiting Japan help?
Kaikaku — breakthrough improvement vs. continuous improvement
Systemic view of Lean / TPS – can't grab just pieces
True North?? How to define that?
What are some of the ways in which people overcomplicate Lean?
Overcomplicating problem solving? Six Sigma… A3?
Start at the most simple form of problem solving 
How do you describe Lean simply?
How do you define “transformation”? When it's fully aligned with the strategy of the company…
What “transformational results” would you expect to see?
Zero Accidents goal – the Heinrich Triangle
Unlearning the old way so we can lead in a Lean way?
The personal benefits of Lean at work and life??
What is a “life in balance”?? What does that mean to you?
Using lean tools at home?
Push vs. pull for information??
The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 

Gerald Harris on Lean Leadership Lessons From Automotive Manufacturing, Consulting, and Healthcare

VP of Advisory Services, Value Capture
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #459 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is my colleague, Gerald Harris, a Vice President of Advisory Services at the firm Value Capture.
Disclosure – I often work as a senior advisor with Value Capture clients and I have a marketing role with the firm.
Gerald has over 25 years of leadership experience in the delivery of successful large-scale lean transformations across a broad range of industries and companies. His industry experience includes various automotive manufacturing settings and products and, for the past 14 years, healthcare.
While at Tenneco Automotive, a $1.5 billion manufacturer of exhaust and ride control systems, Gerald implemented lean manufacturing and lean enterprise improvement principles throughout the organization.
For the 14 years before joining Value Capture, Gerald served as Executive Director for Simpler North America, where he was instrumental in client launches and Executive Coaching for most of Simpler's largest clients.
Today, we discuss topics and questions including:
How — when and where — did you first get introduced to Lean?
Motivations for Lean in those early settings?
Early activities — what went well? Lessons learned from challenges? 
PULL – “flow if you can, pull if you must, but never push”
Did people there even think that improvement was possible? Any improvement was possible?
Short-term vs. longer-term countermeasures, adding inventory to be able to improve — or adding labor?
“Step change” – response to medication errors? Adding inspection step?
Interesting that Toyota still has final inspection??
Systems vs. processes?
Work, management, improvement systems
From nursing tasks to the healthcare value stream
Seeing vs. purposeful observation?
Value Capture's “guided self-assessment”
Leaders being too far removed from the work in healthcare
How did you find the right balance as a plant manager?
You've gotten more than comfortable with both… Bigger adjustment — becoming a consultant or shifting into healthcare?
The pitch for Value Capture?
Envisioning the IDEAL – how do we get to zero?
The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 
 

Damon Baker on Lean, Private Equity, and the Ownership Works Initiative

Partner with Coltala Holdings
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
My guest for Episode #458 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Damon Baker. He was recently my guest in Episode #454.
He is the founder and CEO of the firm Lean Focus. He's also a Private Equity Partner at Coltala Holdings. 
Today, we're taking a deeper dive into the world of private equity, how Lean can support a particular P.E. model, and the “Ownership Works” Initiative.
Damon Baker has been implementing Lean practices in various GM & VP-level capacities for more than 25 years, but it was at Danaher, where he worked for nine years, that his passion for true business transformation was born. He was instrumental in developing Danaher's company-wide Problem-Solving Process, and was inspired to create a new, comprehensive business system that enables organizations to improve on all fronts.
He has worked in a Shingo Prize-winning facility and is a Shingo Prize Examiner. 
Over his career, Damon has demonstrated hands-on leadership and facilitation of 500+ kaizen events in close to 100 major corporations in 16 different countries.
Today, we discuss topics and questions including:
Private Equity 101?
Public vs. private vs. private equity?
Two types of P.E. firms
Time is up and the fund exits? Means they have to sell the companies?
Has there been a shift in the PE philosophy on extracting value vs. creating value, or do some just do it differently / better?
Mission over margin? Conscious Capitalism?
Lean in private equity — What does PE care about?? Vs. Public Equity
How did you get first get involved with PE?
Coltala Enterprise System? Which tools to apply in which business? Priorities and problem solving?
A lean practitioner working for a PE-owned company? What to ask or look for?
Humility and confidence – Larry Culp talked about this
Tell us about the “Ownership Works Initiative” — KKR and other firms (TPG) – it's not ESOP model
The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 
 

Sam Morgan on Being a ”Confident Learner” and a ”Light” for Others in Continuous Improvement

Kata geek and coach
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
Joining me for Episode #457 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Sam Morgan.
Sam is a self-proclaimed “confident learner” and earlier this year after 5 years of practice in the continuous improvement space he landed at KataCon, a conference for continuous improvement professionals who practice the Toyota Kata.  
At KataCon, he had a powerful moment realizing where his true passion lies: transforming people through coaching. I'll ask Sam more about that. Sam finds joy in seeing his clients move from fearful to fearless; from insecure to confident. 
I know Sam as the host of the YouTube series “C.I. in 5” and he's been part of a learning and collaboration group called “The Lean Communicators.“
His newly launched coaching website is www.illuminatecoach.com. You can also find him on LinkedIn.
Today, we discuss topics and questions including:
How, when, and where did you first get introduced to continuous improvement concepts and methods?
How did you get introduced to Toyota Kata?
What does it mean to be a “confident learner”?
Adam Grant's book Think Again
Why “Sam Loves Lean” as an email account and account name?
We turn the tables on Sam to ask him his “C.I. in 5”
What is your C.I. in 5? – “confident learning for all”
Tell me about your t-shirt… and for those who are listening via podcast instead of watching via YouTube
Respect for people
Intentionally focusing on inviting guests who are women of color? And people of color more broadly…
“There's not that many Black faces in attendance at Lean conferences, yet alone up on stage,… in what way does systemic racism cause that? What can we, what should we do about that?”
Being welcoming vs. expanding the pool?
Company representation in CI roles?
What is your “Illuminate U” program?
The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network. 
 

Jake Stiles on Lean Executives, the Recruiting Landscape, and a Coming ”Compensation Correction”

CEO of Stiles Associates
Episode page with video, transcript, and more
Joining me for Episode #456 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Jake Stiles, CEO of Stiles Associates.
For nearly three decades, Jake has played an instrumental role in growing Stiles Associates from a niche recruiting agency to the premier Lean executive search firm in the country. 
He's helped transform client organizations by placing top talent across a wide spectrum of industrial segments including manufacturing, consulting, healthcare and professional services. 
As Lean and continuous improvement have spread from factory floors to hospitals, financial institutions and beyond, Jake has continued to build ties to thought leaders and increase Lean's scope at the most innovative institutions. 
As a result, he's served as a member of numerous industry associations and boards – including the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) and the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership (GBMP).
Disclosure: Stiles Associates has been a sponsor of the podcast since the start of 2021.
Today, we discuss topics and questions including:
How did you first get introduced to Lean?
Brought Art Byrne into Wiremold as CEO
Looking for 80% personality / 20% technical??
“Not settling… always pushing, but bringing the team along” — emotional intelligence 
Tips for being successful in a new environment?
Transformational executives? Does their experience translate? 
Operating vs. transforming – how to evaluate beyond a willingness to lead it??
Search process similar to the transformation process — understanding the current state and the issues… what problem are you trying to solve? Iteration with the client
Jumping across industries — in particular Manufacturing to Healthcare? Key success factors?
How are you counseling hiring companies in a very competitive market?? Candidate-driven market?
Advice for how to work with a recruiter (as a candidate) vs. applying directly for a job?
Compensation “correction” is coming??
Is accepting a counteroffer always a bad idea? 
Differences in working for a public company vs a PE company?
The podcast is sponsored by Stiles Associates, now in their 30th year of business. They are the go-to Lean recruiting firm serving the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare industries. Learn more.
This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.