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The Edges of Lean explores topics in continuous improvement (lean thinking, creative problem solving, six sigma) that get overlooked. Meet the people practicing lean in odd places or with different twists, always with a focus on respect for people and continuous learning.
Episodes
Wednesday May 18, 2022
Wednesday May 18, 2022
Whatever form of continuous improvement you practice, it's all about learning through experimentation. But once you've learned something, what happens to that knowledge? Clark Shah-Nelson joined me today to talk about knowledge management, why it is essential for organizations, and how to get started managing knowledge.
Clark Shah-Nelson
Dr. Shah-Nelson has taught, designed & led award-winning virtual, online, instructional design and distance learning teams; supported end user and learning management platform implementation and led teams for training, professional development and project management. Recently published articles include human resource management of virtual teams and collaborative tools for knowledge management.
Key Topics in this podcast:
- Clark’s career background
- What is knowledge management?
- Understanding taxonomy
- The importance of Human Resources in knowledge management
- Why documentation is so important in knowledge management, and what to do with all that documentation.
- The importance of the documentarian role
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Knowledge management is the collection of methods relating to creating, sharing, using and managing the knowledge and information of an organization. It refers to a multidisciplinary approach to achieve organizational objectives by making the best use of knowledge
- Corporate taxonomy is the hierarchical classification of entities of interest of an enterprise, organization or administration, used to classify documents, digital assets and other information. Taxonomies can cover virtually any type of physical or conceptual entities (products, processes, knowledge fields, human groups, etc.) at any level of granularity.
- Corporate taxonomies are increasingly used in information systems (particularly content management and knowledge management systems), as a way to promote discoverability and allow instant access to the right information within exponentially growing volumes of data in learning organizations.
- Human resources are crucial to onboarding for knowledge management. The key is having the right people in place and making sure they have all of their information available when it comes time to sit down with new employees, so that process can go smoothly from start to finish
Memorable Quotes From Clark Shah-Nelson
“Look into knowledge management, because it's a growing field, it's going to grow more, It's maturing, it's evolving and it's going to become even more mission critical and more and more organizations and companies are going to prioritize knowledge management.”
CONNECT WITH CLARK
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarkshahnelson/
Website: https://clarkshahnelson.com
Dissertation: https://youtu.be/F7EqZXhkRfs
Wednesday May 11, 2022
Wednesday May 11, 2022
Everyone "knows" that you can't deploy lean without engaged leadership. So, just how do you get leadership engaged? Rebecca Snelling shares her insights at The Edges of Lean.
Rebecca Snelling, owner of RS Consulting, coaches people, teams and organizations on Leadership and Lean Transformation with an emphasis on advancing culture. She is active in the Design and Construction industry, speaking at various industry events across the US and abroad. Rebecca also serves on the Boards of Directors for the Lean Construction Institute (LCI) and the Center for Innovation in the Design and Construction Industry (CIDCI).
We had such a great conversation about engaging leadership - and lots more! Rebecca shared that she will be hitting the road soon at these two events:
5/19/2022 :Lean Construction Institute "Lean Roadshow" Chicago, IL https://lnkd.in/e__FYEKA
6/15-16 2022: Lean Construction Institute "Lean Roadshow" Austin, TX https://lnkd.in/eC-JgxCq
Key Topics in this podcast:
- Rebecca’s career background
- How she got into leadership
- How she applied Lean in her previous company
- How she got into into coaching and the challenges she faced
- How Lean transformation solves the problems in an organization
- How Rebecca handles people who are resistant to change
- Engaged leader and leadership explained
- How good organizations start with Lean thinking
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Applying lean in your organization can be a great way to help improve efficiency and productivity.
- An engaged leader is one who genuinely cares about helping those around them grow and succeed. They create an environment where people feel comfortable taking risks, trying new things, and speaking up. This type of leader fosters a sense of camaraderie and collaboration, rather than competition.
- Lean thinking can help you create a culture of continuous improvement, where employees are empowered to identify and solve problems. As a result, applying lean in your organization can have a profound impact on your bottom line.
- When it comes to helping people who are resistant to change, it's important to have empathy and understanding. Put yourself in their shoes and try to see things from their perspective.
Memorable Quotes From Rebecca Snelling
“Just be better today than you were yesterday and drag someone with you”
CONNECT WITH REBECCA
Linked In:
linkedin.com/in/rebeccasnelling
Wednesday May 04, 2022
Wednesday May 04, 2022
EA Csolkovits joins me today to talk about his life experiences and how they've molded him into the person he is today. He also talks about the Givers University he founded, which is helping people from all walks of life to achieve their dreams. And we find out what a "Giver" is and how to find yours.
EA CSOLKOVITS
E.A. was born in 1956 in Chicago, Illinois, the son of a milkman (not everyone will remember what a milkman was!) At age 16, he started his business career selling janitorial services to business owners. At the age of nineteen, E. A. Csolkovits met Sam Robbins, a millionaire businessman from Detroit, Michigan. Sam took E. A. under his wing and began to mentor him. E.A. learned the value of having mentors like Sam Robbins and June Martino to support his growth.
Key Topics in this podcast:
- EA’s career background
- How June Martino influenced his life
- The importance and the difference between coaching and mentoring
- What is Givers University?
- "Deeds" explained
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Follow your curiosity. Being curious allows you to learn about new ideas and helps you to better understand the world around you. Whether it's delving into a new hobby or seeking out advice from others, following your curiosity can help to unlock endless opportunities for growth and self-discovery.
- You need a coach and mentors to succeed. When it comes to succeeding in life, having a good coach or mentor can make a world of difference. Having someone to guide and support you is key to overcoming the challenges that inevitably arise on the path to success
- Be a giver. EA had no clue about who he wanted to be in the future. He just knew he loved helping others and being a giver so he started sharing his knowledge and helping those around him. And it quickly became his passion.
- Invest in your self growth. Investing in your own self-growth is one of the best things you can do for yourself. With the right mindset and a coach or mentor to help you along the way, you can make significant strides towards achieving your goals and reaching your full potential.
Memorable Quotes From EA Csolkovits
“I will never give up, I will keep rising up, and I will always overcome”
CONNECT WITH EA
YouTube:
https://YouTube.com/GIVERSuniversity
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/giversuniversity
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/GiversUniversity
Twitter:
Instagram:
Wednesday Apr 27, 2022
Wednesday Apr 27, 2022
How many PowerPoint presentations have you seen? How many have put you to sleep? Betsy Lawson joins me to talk about how to end boring PowerPoint presentations and have engaging and fun training Listen in to this episode and learn how the stories you know by heart can help your trainees remember more and have more fun.
BETTY LAWSON
Betsy Lawson specializes in Lean edutainment for the workplace. She is a Performance Improvement Coach at Augusta Health, has a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, an ATD Training Certificate and a Masters of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia (’07). Betsy lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her fiancé and two cats.
CONNECT WITH BETSY
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-betsy-lawson-5587725/
Betsy's Spotfiy playlist for training (so much fun and inspriation here!) : https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Xndj4Mm0oEt80voapNREr?si=5637bf5bc80d4572&nd=1
Key Topics in this podcast:
- Betsy’s career background
- Her ideas on improving PowerPoint
- How she uses well-known stories to enliven her training
- How she aligned "Jaws" and PDCA training
- Her vision for how people deliver training in the future
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Naming characters and giving examples plays an important role in improving any presentation. This trick captivates the audience's attention and knowledge.
- Using creative PowerPoint templates can give your presentations a professional look that will impress your audience and make them more likely to listen to what you have to say. With a little creativity, you can turn a boring PowerPoint presentation into an engaging and informative experience for your audience.
- Relatable characters are a good way for an enjoyable and engaging training. The use of well-known characters like Cinderella and Snow White bring the story to life in a relatable way. The story provides context and understanding to the listener. In addition, it is also motivating and inspiring to see someone like yourself succeed.
- In today's rapidly changing world, it's more important than ever to be adaptable and continuously improve. To do this, we need to be creative and come up with new ideas. We also need to be open to change, willing to experiment, and always learning. This can be a challenge, but it's essential for keeping up with the times. By being adaptable and continuously improving, we can stay ahead of the curve and make sure that our skills are relevant in an ever-changing world.
Memorable Quotes From Betsy Lawson
‘’Get your Lean Six Sigma certification, whether that's a green belt, black belt, if you'd like math, go for the black belt immediately. it's just more math, that's my biggest piece of advice is get that certification. It'll open more doors.”
Wednesday Apr 20, 2022
Wednesday Apr 20, 2022
Innovation is the key driver of continued organizational success. In this episode, Dr. Heather Johnson joins me to discuss radical innovation and its connection to lean innovation. Dr. Johnson is an expert on innovation, and her insights will help all organizations looking to improve their innovation process.
HEATHER JOHNSON
Dr. Heather Johnson is a scientist, an engineer, and a radical innovation scholar-practitioner with a doctoral degree from the University of Maryland Global Campus. She also has a master’s in quality management with a focus in engineering & technology from Eastern Michigan University. Dr. Heather Johnson is a certified quality auditor (CQA), quality management systems expert with over 30 years of experience, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with ISO expertise. She has extensive work experience living and working internationally in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America.
CONNECT WITH HEATHER
Website: http://www.montroseconsulting.net/
Key Topics in this podcast:
- Heather’s career background
- Defining Radical Innovation and Lean Innovation
- The importance of knowledge retention, and what to do when your knowledge has left your organization
- How companies need to innovate
- How Heather helps other leaders innovate
- The innovation process that makes the team work faster and efficiently
- The importance of having a great leader
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Radical innovation is a term used to describe a game-changing idea or product that drastically improves upon existing technology or solutions. Radical innovations are typically characterized by their ability to create new markets or significantly disrupt existing ones.
- Lean innovation is about innovating with limited finance, resources, and assets. Lean innovation is not just a money thing; it's about using less people and fewer assets, whether they are tangible or intangible assets. Lean innovation also includes using less time to bring an innovation to customers.
- Knowledge is a valuable asset for any individual and organization. It allows us to make better decisions, solve problems more effectively, and create new opportunities. Knowledge retention is the process of keeping this valuable asset up-to-date and readily available.
- No organization or person has all the knowledge needed for radical innovation Partnering across internal and external organizational boundaries is essential.
- A leader with a growth mindset understands that intelligence and ability are not fixed traits. They recognize that everyone has the potential to grow and develop their skills. This enables them to create an environment where employees feel supported and motivated to learn and develop. As a result, employees are more engaged and productive, and the organization can achieve its goals.
Memorable Quotes From Heather Johnson
‘’Don't get hung up on figuring out everything and knowing where you need to be. Go along for the ride. Go be adventurous, go explore, explore things outside of the box. You may have studied one thing in college, challenge yourself to look at something else that you never thought of going into. And it will broaden your horizon and it will change the game for you.”
Wednesday Apr 13, 2022
Wednesday Apr 13, 2022
Did you know that 25 to 40 percent of the people you meet are introverts? Jenny Toh joins me today to talk about coaching introverts, how to coach if you are introvert, why managers need coaching and the future of coaching.
Jenny is an expert in coaching introverts and extroverts and helping her clients to find their voice. She believes that empathy is key when coaching introverts, as it helps them to understand that their experiences are valid. It's also important for managers to give feedback that is tailored to the individual’s introversion or extroversion style.
JENNY TOH
Jenny is passionate about helping introverted women find the right balance between the marketplace and the home front. She is also a strong proponent of mental fitness for her clients to achieve their highest level of success with sustained happiness.
CONNECT WITH JENNY
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-toh-cpc-acc/
Key Topics in this podcast:
- Understanding the definition of Introvert
- The difference between Introvert and extrovert
- How Jenny adapts coaching
- How empathy is crucial for her coaching style
- What drew her into coaching from being a lawyer
- The importance of defining our version of success as a woman
- How coaching mostly happen outside of the workplace
- Why managers should have a coach
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- An introvert is a person who draws energy from time alone. Introverts feel comfortable focusing on their inner thoughts and ideas, rather than what's happening externally. They enjoy spending time with just one or two people, rather than large groups or crowds.
- When a coach demonstrates empathy, they are signaling to the introvert that they are safe, they are understood, and that their feelings matter. This creates a foundation of trust and mutual respect that is essential for effective coaching.
- Coaching allows managers to understand the perspectives of their employees, empathize with them, and develop a more effective leadership style that takes into account the needs of the team.
- Coaching is a process that enables managers to have continuous improvement in their leadership style. Coaching managers may involve giving feedback to managers about their performance and then providing them with guidance on how to improve.
Memorable Quotes From Jenny Toh
‘’Purpose is important. It sounds cliche, but for a young person, the world is your oyster, and so many things are out there so you may not know your purpose right away. So start exploring, be open about it. But at the same time, identify what your values are, and what your strengths are and that's the starting point. “
Wednesday Apr 06, 2022
Wednesday Apr 06, 2022
Join us as Samuel Gregory explains when an agile approach is needed and what's really behind the word.
Samuel Gregory is the founder of Jupiter and the Giraffe, a website design consultancy as well as hosting the weekly That Tech Show Podcast. During his time Samuel has helped world-class tech companies like Netflix and Corning as well as Conde Nast build engaging and experiential websites, working as both an engineer, leveraging his experience coding since the early 2000s as well as a technical program manager and a project manager.
Using his experience and appreciation for creativity gathered during his time at Framestore, Samuel has also consulted with UI designers and user experience designers on many digital products. With this experience, Samuel has seen many of the ups and downs that can happen on website projects from both the technical side and the business side. He uses this knowledge, along with his ability to communicate complex, technical ideas into more accessible language teaching what he believes is expected in modern website development. This streamlined approach helps to keep both clients and teammates working effectively together
Website : https://www.thefullstackagency.xyz/
Book: https://www.thefullstackagency.xyz/books/lingo-agile-book
Key Topics in this podcast:
● Samuel’s career background
● How he came up with the name of his company
● What is Agile and its connection to Lean?
● Simplifying the term “Agile”
● Why some people dislike Agile
● The history of the connection of Agile and lean
● How Agile originated from Lean
● Interactivty of websites and Its benefits for companies
● What needs to change in education to help industry to focus on learning and not just delivering
● Samuel’s advice for the young people who just started out their career
● Agile is an iterative approach to project management and software development that helps teams deliver value to their
customers faster and with fewer headaches.
● An agile team delivers work in small, but consumable, increments. Requirements, plans, and results are evaluated
continuously so teams have a natural mechanism for responding to change quickly.
● Scrum is a framework that helps teams work together. Much like a rugby team (where it gets its name) training for the big game, scrum encourages teams to learn through experiences, self-organize while working on a problem, and reflect on their wins and losses to continuously improve.
● Kanban is a popular framework used to implement agile and DevOps software development. It requires real-time
communication of capacity and full transparency of work.
‘’Whenever you encounter something, whenever you see something new, don't just observe it, and let it fly by. Go down that rabbit hole! I am encouraging you to follow your nose.”
Wednesday Mar 30, 2022
Wednesday Mar 30, 2022
If you want to be an effective leader, then character is key. Skills and knowledge are necessary, but self-knowledge and clarity on core values are what separate the great leaders from the rest of the pack. Brad Smith joined me to talk about how constant self-improvement of our own character can help us help other leaders to have a better leadership style.
BRAD SMITH
Stellar Insight founder, Brad Smith has spent over 20 years helping companies pursue growth and excellence through coaching, consulting, facilitation, and strategic planning.
CONNECT WITH BRAD
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-smith-7458858/
Website : https://www.stellarinsightinc.com/
Key Topics in this podcast:
- Brad’s career background
- How he got into strategic planning and what he’s learned from it
- What are the limitations of leaders today and how to overcome them?
- The importance your personal time horizon
- How you can be more intuitive?
- Defining character
- Brad’s advice for leaders
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- In order to be repeatedly successful in business, you must constantly improve yourself.
- It is important for leaders to ask the people who work for them what their motivations are; by understanding an employee, you can help them grow their leadership skills.
- The length of a personal time horizon can determine what leadership position someone is able to fill.
- Meditation is about watching your thoughts instead of acting. This can help you be more intuitive and listen to your own thinking better.
- People's characters are not always fixed, and people change throughout their lives.
- It is important for you to know your rely on your values.
- Self-awareness is important for leaders since it allows them to be aware of their own emotions as well as other people's.
Memorable Quotes From Brad Smith
‘’You can be repeatedly successful, but you have to be self aware. You have to be situation aware, and you continually have to improve who you are”
Wednesday Mar 23, 2022
Wednesday Mar 23, 2022
Many small businesses are franchises. What is franchising, and how can lean thinking improve franchised businesses? Or Steve Taylor and I delve into the franchise world in this episode of the The Edges of Lean.
STEVE TAYLOR
Steve Taylor has an extensive background working in large businesses and small, in both sales and operations roles. In addition, he has owned and been partners in several business ventures and is passionate about spreading the "gospel of small business". He lives in Northern California with his wife and three children.
CONNECT WITH STEVE
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/psteventaylor/
Website: https://www.thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com/
Key Topics in this podcast:
- Steve’s career background
- What is franchising?
- What are the benefits or advantages of franchising over starting from scratch?
- Understanding the importance of standards in the franchising industry
- How to resolve the problem of misalignment of standards franchisors. franchisees and employees
- How are lean principles applicable in terms of building quality and standard procedures in franchises
- What are the unexpected issues in franchise leadership - and how to resolve them?
- Understanding the difference between leadership and management
- What are the factors contribute to being a successful franchisee?
- What is a multinational franchising and how does it work?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Franchisees usually pay the franchisor for permission to use their brand and a particular area, with McDonald's being an example of this model.
- The franchisee gets a proven business model, and the franchiser can learn from the success.
- It is important to have standards and compare what actually happens with the standards - you can't improve if you do not know what needs improvement!
- A franchisor and franchisee must be able to communicate consistently with one another.
- Understanding management versus leadership is a struggle for many. Successful franchisees must be good at self-evaluation and reflection and understanding what defines each.
- The reason why multinational companies license their brands is because franchising laws are different in other countries.
Memorable Quotes from Steve Taylor
- ‘’Be gracious with people, be forgiving and understanding.You have two ears and one mouth; listen twice as much as you talks and you'll be fine."
- "Find your superpower and double down.”
Friday Mar 18, 2022
Friday Mar 18, 2022
The need for change is an inevitable part of life today and change demands leadership. Art Bierschbach joins me today; he's been working on leading change his whole career! We'll discuss diverse types of leadership and what they mean when it comes time to lead change of every kind – whether in environment, culture, or a physical change.
A successful leader can't just hope that things will go smoothly; there must be planning, and leaders must set direction.
ART BIERSHBACH
Art is the Principal Consultant with BtenConsulting, LLC. Art’s passion is to help companies achieve better business results by improving a company’s leadership, helping a company grow their top line with new products and services, and improve processes. Art is an international business coach and consultant in the areas of leadership, management, marketing, sales, operations, and finance.
CONNECT WITH ART
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artbierschbach/
Website: https://btenconsulting.com/ , YourBusinessWingman.com
Key Topics in this podcast:
- Art’s career background
- The importance of training leaders
- Understanding the difference between leaders and managers
- How leaders must value and engage with their people
- The importance of coaching leaders so they can lead their teams effectively
- Art’s advice for people who resist change
- Art’s advice for leaders on how to succeed when leading change
- What are the distinct roles of a leader when change is happening ?
- What are the changes Art would want to implement in the U.S if he were to be given the opportunity?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The leader needs to be willing to listen and take risks on workers' suggestions for continuous improvement to flourish.
- Leaders must value their people to be successful.
- If the owner can't do everything, it's better to hire people who are self-starters.
- If a large change is made by the top leaders, it must be communicated and clear to everyone for the plan to work.
- A leader should remove obstacles and motivate the team, who will take over once that's achieved.
- When a person performs an action, they should evaluate what happened, to learn and make better decisions in the future.
Memorable Quote From Art Bierschbach
‘’ Find a great mentor: when you first get commissioned, one of the first things you're told, is go find some crusty old sergeant, follow them around for a couple of years, figure out what works, and what you can learn there. And they'll give you great lessons, they'll give you leadership lessons, they'll give you lessons about life.”