Lean Leadership for Ops Managers

This week continues our Kata series live from Kata Con 8, and we are talking all about coaching. In this episode, I spoke with Susan Clancy, who shared her experience of being coached as a learner live on stage and why a coach needs to be a learner. I also share my experiences from the coaching dojo and why I plan to participate in another one. 

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

• Setting the Challenge
• Why Learning is Important in Coaching
• Coaching in Real-Time
• Experiencing a Coaching Dojo 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/088

Why practice Toyota Kata? It can seem daunting at the beginning with the rigid structure and rules; however, the goal of Kata is more about shifting our mindset to integrate improvement thinking into our work. 

Lean Frontiers hosts an annual Kata Con, and this year I had the privilege to meet and interview Mike Rother, the author of the book Toyota Kata. In this episode, I talk with Mike about the structure and scientific thinking of Toyota Kata and how Kata is used as a resource for teachers. In the end, I share how I incorporate the foundational elements of Kata without even using the word Kata. 

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

• Using Structured Practice in Toyota Kata
• The Importance of Coaching
• Kata in the Classroom
• Integrating Kata Foundations in Your Organization 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/087

What is Toyota Kata? It's common for the nuances of Toyota Kata to seem complicated or overwhelming, especially if you haven't started practicing it. In this episode, I give an overview of Kata fundamentals and share my perspective on how Kata fits into the improvement frameworks that you may already know.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

• The Fundamentals of Toyota Kata
• Four Phases of Toyota Kata
• Discovering the Path Forward
• Setting the Next Target Condition

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/086

Difficult conversations, conflict, and performance management are all responsibilities that leaders have to face; however, we can choose how we handle them. We can either be kind and show respect to our team members or be harsh in our interactions.

In today's episode, Karyn Ross joins us to discuss Kind Leadership and how she is on a mission to help people worldwide think, speak, act and lead more kindly.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

• Why Kindness is Important
• What is Kind Leadership
• The Difference Between Kindness and Niceness
• Practical Steps to Practice Kind Leadership

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/085

Have you ever walked away from a feedback session that didn't seem to be productive? Maybe it devolved into a complaint session, and there wasn't any focus on what we could do to improve the situation. As leaders, how we frame the conversation can turn unproductive sessions into meaningful and actionable feedback for improvement.  

In this episode, Jamie shares a simple method for evaluation, how to frame it for meaningful feedback, and adds a step to make it an improvement opportunity.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• One Simple Method for Evaluation
• Framing Plus/Delta for Constructive Meaningful Feedback
• What Plus/Delta is Missing for Effective Future Improvement
• Repeating Plus/Delta Evaluations to Build Culture

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/084

One in five people deal with mental health struggles, and this is not just a statistic; it is real, and it's affecting people on our teams whether we realize it or not. As Lean Leaders, we have the problem-solving tools to help people overcome challenges and think clearly, not only at work but also in their personal lives.

In today's episode, Gemma Jones shares her experiences with team members facing a mental health challenge and how Continuous Improvement and mental health intersect. She also provides specific actions and resources to use to help other people.

Content Warning: This episode discusses topics of depression and suicide.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

• Experiencing the Effects of Depression and Suicide in the Workplace
• Education to Understand Mental Health Issues
• Using Continuous Improvement to Overcome All Obstacles
• Tips and Resources to Help People on Your Team

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/083

What does Lean Leadership mean to you? You’ve implemented several Lean tools and processes, such as Gemba Walks, Leader Standard Work, Daily Meetings, and Visual Management. Even though you have seen some results, does it seem like something is still missing?

In today’s episode, Jamie breaks down the four elements of effective Lean Leadership and why it is essential to build relationships and provide value to all stakeholders. 

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• Redefining the Elements of Lean Leadership
• Adding Value to the Definition
• The Four Elements of Lean Leadership
• Creating a People-Focused Lean Organization

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/082

Do you remember what it was like when you led a small team of individual contributors? It was easy to interact with everyone on the team every single day. But what happens as the company grows? You find yourself leading other leaders, and values and goals must be intentionally communicated. 

In today's episode, Greg Jacobson joins us to talk about scaling a startup and how he focused on building a culture through that process.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

• Transitioning as the Company Grows 
• When to Create a Culture
• Building a Culture Through Communication
• Learning to Work Through Failure

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/081

Does the goals of your organization align with your continuous improvement efforts? It can be so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks that we lose sight of the big picture.

In today’s episode, Chris Wilson shares how Wilson Manufacturing developed a new customer portal based on their goal of providing excellent customer service and how it has improved their order entry flow process. 

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

• Keeping a Customer-First Mindset in Continuous Improvement
• Overcoming Team Member Pushback on New Processes
• Teamwork and Communication for Effective Improvement
• Refining the Onboarding Process for Better Retention

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/080

Training a new hire is a no-brainer, but do you focus on training your team members after being with your organization for 5, 10, or 15 years? We look to training when it is time to learn a new skill, but viewing learning as a lifelong journey can help grow your team professionally.

In today's episode, Jeff Welch shares how training can be an effective countermeasure to performance gaps and why it’s useful for continuous improvement. 

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• The Real Meaning of Training
• Understanding the Styles of Learning and Development
• Using Training to Bridge Performance Gaps
• Continuous Learning Leads to Professional Development

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/079