Lean Leadership for Ops Managers

How does fact finding and problem solving work when folks on your team are stressed or frustrated or angry? When you and a team member see the same situation from different perspectives? When you're having performance problems that are turning into conflicts between people?

Today, Arnout Orelio joins us from the Netherlands to share how he helps emerging leaders pursue fact-based leadership.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• How Arnout connects the dots between process problem solving and what some people call “people problems” 
• The second cycle running in our minds (in addition to the PDCA cycle)
• Ways you can reframe opinions or emotions to agreements in order to progress problem definition and problem solving forward
• How you think about and use facts for problem solving when people disagree on what the facts are

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/039 

Back in the day, I was making good money, but I still didn’t have any.

Honestly, I couldn’t explain where the money went. And it didn’t make sense. 

After a virtual hunt for a digital system that will help me in managing my finances, I finally found the right one that perfectly works for me. Join me as I discuss the best budget system, why I've been using it for over six years now, and why I'll never stop.

But . . . What does budgeting have to do with Lean? 

You'll hear how the lessons learned can help you think about how your Lean systems, tools, and routines are (or aren’t) changing your organization.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• The tested and proven budgeting tool that I have used for more than six years
• What a Digital Envelope System is and how you can benefit from using it
• How the YNAB budget system mirrors Lean thinking
• Lessons learned from budgeting and how it can prompt assessment, reflection, and action along your Lean and leadership journey.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/038

How do you choose a leader standard work template or tool based on your specific needs? 

Robert Olinger and Steve Kane share the challenges they were facing and how they selected the leader standard work tool to meet and address those challenges.

We’ve already had a few episodes that tackle this topic. Back in Episode 29, we had the opportunity to talk with Mike Wroblewski where he provided a framing that you need to think about this interesting topic we are going to discuss today.

The first part of this series started in episode 36 where I explained about the card systems or Kamishibai while our guest Kara Cuzzetto shared the tool she made.

In today’s episode, we will continue the 2nd part of this topic with two more examples from the real world. 

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• How to use leader standard work tools and templates to build a habit of activities that you need to overcome challenges
• How Robert’s approach to gemba walks changed through his implementation of leader standard work
• Why Steve uses a leader standard work system that isn’t his preferred system, and what that means when you’re selecting a template or tool for your work
• How leader standard work drives discipline, creating more effectiveness

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/037

What leader standard work tool is the best? There’s not one! The leader standard work tool you should use is the method that works for your circumstances. Kara Cuzzetto shares what made her template the best for her to build transparency and accountability. Jamie Parker shares the pros and potential pitfalls of a Kamishibai card leader standard work tool.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• The pros and potential pitfalls of using a Kamishibai card system for leader standard work
• Why Kara’s team was the critical input point to develop her leader standard work
• How accountability and transparency were important factors that drove Kara’s leader standard work tool and template decisions
• How leader standard work can help companies achieve their improvement targets while providing a stable, reasonable working environment for employees

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/036 

Let’s be real. Leadership and management can be hard. And if you’re not careful, it can become lonely, too. That’s why building your squad is an activity worth investing time and energy.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• The power of a peer group or squad to help you improve
• Why sometimes you need to be open to things you don’t think you need
• Who the Lean Communicators are and how they’ve made it easier for you to tune in
• Lean and Leadership related shows you might want to tune into

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/bonus-april2021

As operations executives and managers, we cannot sit on the sidelines when it comes to systemic racism. We need to lead boldly. Deondra Wardelle talks us through diversity, equity, and inclusion, the intersection between DEI and Lean continuous improvement, and specific steps ops leaders can take to foster a more inclusive environment.

What You’ll from this Episode

• How #RootCauseRacism was born from the foundations of Lean continuous improvement
• The meaning of DEI and why it’s critical for organizational success
• How equity and equality differ, and why one is more relevant for Respect for People
• Steps managers - at any place in the organization - can take to foster a more inclusive environment

Get full show notes and information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/035

How do you develop a people-centric culture, while also sustaining your improvement efforts and growing the business? Matthew Nix shares how he successfully developed a close-knit culture among his team members while also driving significant revenue growth. You’ll discover how he sees culture not just as a nice-to-have, but as a lifeline for the inevitable challenges that arise.

 What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• Why culture is critical and not to be taken for granted
• How Matthew defined the core values for his organization, including the steps he took and the one critical question he asked
• Matthew’s weekly process that moves core values from another thing hanging on the wall collecting dust - to something that team members demonstrate every day
• Why Nix Companies actively works on growth, sustainability, and culture - all at the same time
• Specific example of how people-focused culture has been a lifeline during tough times
• The role leadership development plays in building culture

Get full show notes and information here:

https://processplusresults.com/podcast/034

Are you a fan of one-on-ones? Most managers aren’t. But that’s because most managers haven’t had great one-on-ones modeled for them. If you want to lead through relationships, then valuable one-on-ones are a key activity to master.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• Why doing one-on-ones is one of the most critical leadership routines for managers
• What managers get wrong with one-on-ones
• Answers to the most common questions about one-on-ones
• Important elements that make up an effective one-on-one
• The foundation of an effective one-on-one agenda

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/033 

Employee engagement is an input to performance results. The relationship between a leader and employee is what drives engagement. So why do so many leaders fail to have engaging conversations? How can one-on-ones help close that gap? The engagement conversation continues with Dorsey Sherman.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• The stats on employee engagement, and the impact managers have on engagement
• How one-on-ones differ from most conversations we have in the workplace
• What fears hold us back from one-on-ones, and how to reframe them

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/032 

Employee Engagement. It’s the thing we all want. We know it leads to better results. We know it means that we have a better work environment. But what really drives engagement? Dorsey Sherman joins us to answer that question and share how you can impact engagement across your team.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• The biggest drivers of employee engagement
• How engagement and process relate within the context of results
• The problem in spending our time on the wrong side of equation
• Steps to build relationships that encourage engagement
• How to think about, and what to do about, folks on your team you find challenging

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/031