By Katie Anderson
5
2323 ratings
The podcast currently has 28 episodes available.
Ever felt like your meetings or workshops aren’t moving the needle? How would you like to facilitate your next work session with confidence and ensure that your leaders are leaving motivated, aligned, and action-oriented?
Whether you're a continuous improvement practitioner, consultant, manager, or executive—facilitation is a crucial skill to master to become a transformational change leader. It’s the key to how you influence teams to shift behaviors, make impactful decisions, and drive meaningful results for the organization.
But great facilitation doesn’t happen by accident.
In this episode, we dive in behind the scenes to uncover the three key facilitation practices you must master to become a skillful facilitator, and some mistakes that you can avoid, so that you can ensure greater impact and make it easy for the team to get the results they need.
Whether you're working with senior leaders or your own teams, becoming a skillful facilitator is key to becoming the go-to person for driving success. It’s not just a valuable skill—it’s the foundation for establishing your credibility and ensuring that your team is engaged, aligned, and empowered to make informed decisions that move the organization forward.
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[3:40] Understand your role as a facilitator
[6:23] The importance of knowing the goal of the session before starting, whether it’s a workshop, leadership retreat, or a team meeting
[13:06] Learn how to create structure with flexibility by making real-time decisions to adjust based on the group’s needs
[18:01] Three ways to build reflection before, during, and after each session to ensure the impact of your session
[22:09] How to reflect with key stakeholders and yourself to grow your skills as a facilitator
Want to inspire action in your presentations and transform your message from boring to unforgettable?
The secret: it’s not data and facts that create impact — it's your stories.
As humans, we’re wired to remember and respond to stories because they connect with our emotions and drive our decisions.
Storytelling is more than just a trending term; it’s the fundamental way to connect with your audience on a deeper level and how you actually ignite change.
In this episode, Carol Cox and I explore how to harness storytelling to not just share information, but to truly resonate. Regardless if you’re a keynote speaker presenting to a large audience or a leader speaking to your team, discover frameworks and insights on how you can turn simple anecdotes into powerful narratives that captivate, motivate, and inspire.
YOU’LL LEARN:
If you are a change leader looking to do more than just share information and genuinely drive action, you won’t want to miss this episode.
ABOUT MY GUEST:
Carol Cox is the founder and CEO of Speaking Your Brand®, a coaching and training company that works with purpose–driven professionals to enhance their thought leadership so they can tell the stories that need to be told and activate ideas for change.
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00:44 The importance of storytelling in making a lasting impact for both business and individual leaders
04:48 How to avoid "expert trap" where leaders rely too heavily on data and information
10:55 The difference between sharing an anecdote and creating an emotionally compelling story
12:30 How the “Challenge, Choice, Outcome” framework can help you identify and shape your experiences into stories
12:38 IDEAL framework to enhance your storytelling and applying it effectively in various settings
30:12 Categories that can help you identify impactful stories to create your story bank
35:58 Practical tips to make your presentations more engaging and memorable
Do you and your leadership team feel burdened by solving all the problems that get in the way of achieving the results your organization needs?
You’re not alone.
This is the crux of the leadership challenge: transitioning from being the primary problem-solver to a transformational leader who creates the conditions for their people to achieve results.
This requires a shift in mindset and a shift in behavior, and leaders must be serious about both.
So, what does it take—especially as a senior leader—to truly create a culture of continuous improvement?
To explore the journey to becoming a more serious leader, one striving to create a high performing organization in today's complex work environments, I invited two senior healthcare executives to the podcast.
Drs. Kecia Kelly, SVP & Chief Nursing Officer, and Amy Chaumeton, Associate Chief Medical Officer at Legacy Health share the changes they’re making in their leadership approach, including how they're creating alignment around mission and purpose, nurturing their teams’ problem-solving capabilities, and fostering joy and human connection in the workplace.
(Plus, you’ll hear how my Japan Study Trip leadership program has accelerated their leadership growth through a shared learning experience and purposeful reflection, and the positive effects these shifts are having on their teams and organizational outcomes.)
Whether you're an executive, operational leader, or coach guiding leaders to success, you won’t want to miss this episode. Tune in to discover how to transform your leadership and empower your teams to create a culture of excellence.
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Join me, Kecia, Amy, and past Chain of Learning podcast guests Brad Toussaint and Patrick Adams at the Lean Solutions Summit at the end of September in Michigan. It's not too late to register! Take advantage of my special 40% off discount for you and your team. Use code: #KatieAnderson when you register at: https://www.findleansolutions.com/summit-2024/
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05:01 Challenges Amy & Kecia’s faced at Legacy Health and healthcare
08:51 Kecia & Amy’s approach to leading differently at Legacy Health
12:54 Amy’s “aha” moment on the Japan study trip and how it’s impacted her leadership
16:04 How Kecia now supports problem-solving within her team
16:40 How to create sustained improvement
22:49 How to be a “serious leader”
26:09 The significance of alignment and having a clear mission across the organization
28:14 The importance of leading with intention and respect for people
35:09 Behavior shifts in becoming a serious leader
44:58 The value of going on the Japan Study Trip as an executive leadership cohort
If you're passionate about continuous improvement, quality, or operational excellence, chances are Dr. W. Edwards Deming has shaped your journey—even if you haven't realized it yet.
But do you know how this influence came about and the profound impact Deming’s management theories have had on shaping quality and improvement approaches such as Lean, Agile, and DevOps?
I've invited John Willis, author of "Deming's Journey to Profound Knowledge," to today’s episode to explore Deming’s learning journey to become the father of the quality movement and how he influenced the development of the Toyota Production System and Japan’s rebirth following World War II.
We discuss Deming's pioneering management teachings and how you can apply his System of Profound Knowledge to solve problems in today's complex work environments.
We also explore the four lenses of the System of Profound Knowledge—appreciation for a system, understanding variation, theory of knowledge, and psychology—and how integrating these concepts can elevate your approach to leadership and improvement.
Tune in to discover how you can apply these management theories to solve the complex problems within your organization today.
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What does “winning” mean to you as a leader? And what is your leadership role in creating a winning strategy and organizational culture?
According to Billy Ray Taylor, CEO and President at LinkedXL and former Goodyear Tire executive, winning is not only about setting a clear strategy and aligning on the goals and metrics, but engaging your team members and defining the actions to get there.
Billy and I recorded this episode back in 2022, just as his book “The Winning Link: A Proven Process to Define, Align, and Execute Strategy at Every Level” was about to be released – and I wanted to bring the conversation here for you to learn from Billy’s wisdom and insights about the humanity of leadership and how to win.
In this conversation you’ll hear stories from Billy’s leadership at Goodyear, highlights from his book, the importance of DEI in building a winning culture, and Billy’s greatest challenge – and greatest learning – as a leader.
Remember, the winning link in your organization is your people, and it’s the connection of links of people together that creates and grows our Chain of Learning.
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Have you ever paused to reflect on the critical moments of your life and realized their impact on your own trajectory and others' lives?
In this special episode of Chain of Learning, I welcome back Isao Yoshino as we celebrate our decade-long partnership and the anniversary of our book "Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn." Together, we discuss the power of hansei—reflection—as the cornerstone of learning and wisdom.
We reflect on the journey of writing the book, the strength of our partnership, and the importance of asking the right questions. Mr. Yoshino shares how he continues to learn and grow from the book's lessons while uncovering the profound impact of reflection on his personal and professional development.
Join us as we explore practical ways to develop the habit of reflection, empowering you to gain new perspectives and insights.
Because remember, reflection is the crucial link in your chain of learning, guiding you toward continuous improvement and deeper wisdom.
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Today's guest, Isao Yoshino, a 40-year Toyota leader, has influenced thousands of leaders worldwide and inspired my book, "Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn."
Join us as we celebrate two anniversaries: our first meeting in July 2014 and the four-year anniversary of our book. In Part 1 of our conversation, Mr. Yoshino shares his insights on leadership, learning, and the Chain of Learning® concept.
We'll discuss lessons from successes and failures, the strength of connections, and people-oriented leadership. Whether you're looking to implement these practices with your team or find inspiration for your leadership journey, this episode is full of actionable insights from one of the wisest and most caring leaders I know.
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Have you ever received blank stares from leaders when you’ve advocated that they adopt an improvement method or tool you know will help them?
Perhaps the problem is not your idea but rather that you aren’t communicating in a way that connects these concepts with the business outcomes they need or in language that they understand.
One hurdle that can hinder your effectiveness in influencing executives is the very thing that makes you valuable in your position and as a passionate continuous improvement leader – your technical expertise and problem-solving ability.
That’s why, in this episode, Brad Toussaint and I explore the importance of communicating in ways that resonate with senior leaders about the outcomes and business results they need. We then discussed how to coach leaders to develop the behaviors, practices, and systems that will lead to those results.
We also discuss the critical shift you need to make from being the doer of improvements to becoming a coach to executives to enable them to be serious about what it takes to lead change and their essential role in setting direction and creating the conditions for people to be successful.
Being an effective change leader and coach isn’t just about having technical know-how—it’s about explaining all the methods, tools, and behaviors in a way that business leaders and executives can understand and then apply.
YOU’LL LEARN:
Tune in now to learn more about leadership, change management, and the importance of speaking in a language that resonates to align, influence, and coach leaders – so that you can propel sustainable change and get needed results.
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Do you e𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘆-𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 — 𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁? Or have you ever struggled with getting your senior team on board with your vision for change, getting support for a new initiative, or getting leaders to sign on to your services as a coach or consultant?
Good news — mastering the skills of persuasion and influence by leading with curiosity and human connection is the way to get to "yes".
Whether it is a #lean or #agile transformation, #continuousimprovement project, #operationalexcellence program, or selling a product or service, your success hinges on your ability to connect with people and understand how to bring them along with you.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙨: 𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙚, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣 “𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨” 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚!
In this episode, Derek Roberts and I explore the art and science of persuasion of how to get to "yes" and authentic buy-in in the context of leadership.
Mastering the power of persuasion — of selling people on your idea, the change initiative you are leading, or your services — to help others adopt new ways of thinking and working is essential to your success, career growth, and impact.
Derek's expertise highlights how to navigate these interactions effectively, ensuring you're heard, understood, and able to inspire action.
We discuss concepts in his new book, “Listen to Sell: How Your Mindset, Skillset, and Human Connections Unlock Sales Performance,” and the essential skills of selling ideas and gaining buy-in, which are crucial for any executive or continuous improvement leader.
If you want to become a more influential change leader who identifies and bridges gaps through strategic communication, this episode is for you.
YOU’LL LEARN:
Tune in now to enhance your leadership and get buy-in by mastering the power of persuasion through listening.
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What do you think of when you hear the word “kaizen”?
An event? A process that you are working on improving? Something else?
The Japanese word “kaizen” is usually translated to mean “continuous improvement.” But there is a deeper meaning. It’s actually the lynchpin to creating a real culture of continuous improvement.
In this episode, I unpack the essence of kaizen, not only as a method for process improvement but also as a personal and organizational mindset for pursuing excellence.
Inspired by my recent keynote at the Shingo Institute conference and insights from studying Japanese and leading my Japan Study Trips, I explore how “kaizen” goes deeper than mere process improvement. It’s about cultivating an environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute to change.
You’ll also hear the connection between Devo’s song “Whip It” and the word “kaizen” – and how you can both “whip it bad” and “whip it good” when it comes to continuous improvement.
YOU’LL LEARN:
Tune into this episode to discover how – “when a problem comes along” – you and your team can all “whip it” to solve problems at all levels and create an enduring culture of improvement. And I bet you’ll be singing this song for weeks!
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The podcast currently has 28 episodes available.
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