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

Laura Kriska, the First American Woman to Work at Honda HQ in Japan

Listen Later

My guest for Episode #423 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Laura Kriska, a Cross-Cultural Consultant and the author of the book The Business of We: The Proven Three-Step Process for Closing the Gap Between Us and Them in Your Workplace.

Notes: https://www.leanblog.org/423

She was previously my guest on Episode 61 of the “My Favorite Mistake” podcast.

Laura was previously the author of the book The Accidental Office Lady: An American Woman in Corporate Japan, a book about her time as the first American woman to work for Honda in Tokyo, Japan. We talk about those experiences and so much more today.

Topics and questions:

  • How did you get to become the first American woman to work at Honda HQ in Japan? 
  • What was it like working in the Ohio factory? 
    • Quality Circles
  • Kaizen — We can always do things better
  • What was an “office lady”?
  • Adjustments to the Japanese working culture?
  • You initiated a Quality Circle around the uniform for office ladies, tell us about that…
  • “Let's Abolish Women's Uniforms”
    • Use of data?
  • Being careful with assumptions
  • Studied it for a year
  • What was the outcome?
  • You describe Cultural laziness (now, “corporate carelessness”) – what do you mean by that? Can this apply to somebody who is new to a company culture, too??

    • I hope you enjoy the conversation.

    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. 

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store
    Lean Blog Interviews - Healthcare, Manufacturing, Business, and LeadershipBy Mark Graban
    • 4.6
    • 4.6
    • 4.6
    • 4.6
    • 4.6

    4.6

    46 ratings

    More shows like Lean Blog Interviews - Healthcare, Manufacturing, Business, and Leadership

    View all
    The Knowledge Project by Shane Parrish

    The Knowledge Project

    2,669 Listeners

    Coaching for Leaders by Dave Stachowiak

    Coaching for Leaders

    1,456 Listeners

    Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Six Sigma | Toyota Kata | Productivity | Leadership by Ron Pereira: Lean Thinker & Co-Founder of Gemba Academy

    Gemba Academy Podcast: Lean Six Sigma | Toyota Kata | Productivity | Leadership

    196 Listeners

    HBR IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review

    HBR IdeaCast

    166 Listeners

    Lean Blog Audio by Mark Graban

    Lean Blog Audio

    15 Listeners

    KaiNexus: Continuous Improvement, Leadership, and More by KaiNexus

    KaiNexus: Continuous Improvement, Leadership, and More

    27 Listeners

    Worklife with Adam Grant by TED

    Worklife with Adam Grant

    9,204 Listeners

    WLEI - Lean Enterprise Institute’s Podcast by Lean Enterprise Institute

    WLEI - Lean Enterprise Institute’s Podcast

    21 Listeners

    Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style by Laura Camacho

    Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

    86 Listeners

    Lean Coffee Talk (formerly known as Lean Whiskey) by Mark Graban & Jamie Flinchbaugh

    Lean Coffee Talk (formerly known as Lean Whiskey)

    10 Listeners

    Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques by Matt Abrahams, Think Fast Talk Smart

    Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques

    809 Listeners

    A Bit of Optimism by Simon Sinek

    A Bit of Optimism

    2,129 Listeners

    My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success by Mark Graban

    My Favorite Mistake: Business Lessons from Failures and Success

    39 Listeners

    The Lean Solutions Podcast by Patrick Adams

    The Lean Solutions Podcast

    19 Listeners

    Coaching Real Leaders by Harvard Business Review / Muriel Wilkins

    Coaching Real Leaders

    666 Listeners

    HBR On Leadership by Harvard Business Review

    HBR On Leadership

    156 Listeners

    Chain of Learning: Empowering Continuous Improvement and Lean Change Leaders by Katie Anderson

    Chain of Learning: Empowering Continuous Improvement and Lean Change Leaders

    27 Listeners

    The Jefferson Fisher Podcast by Civility Media

    The Jefferson Fisher Podcast

    8,398 Listeners