Lean Leadership for Ops Managers

What needs to happen to transition from event-based lean to an improvement culture? 

One required step is engaging the frontline, but that brings challenges as fear or resistance may show up. 

Aaron Davidson, Corporate Director of Employee and Guest Experience at Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment, shares how he engages the frontline and the role lean plays in volatile industries.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• Key phrases that can help you position and think about lean in a different way
• The role of lean in volatile industries like hospitality and gaming - and how the “when” of lean is different than what some organizations do
• Steps to better engage your frontline in improvement, especially when there is fear or resistance

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/048

“If you had a magic wand, what is the first thing that you would fix in an organization you’re coaching?”

Chris Burnham asked me this question when I recorded a guest spot on his Lean Leadership podcast.

My answer was simple. “If I could wave a magic wand, I would instantly develop the capabilities and the habits of all the leaders in the plant to Leverage the Positive by giving effective reinforcing feedback - or effective recognition feedback.

Join me as we dig deeper in this episode.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• The two types of feedback: reinforcing feedback and correcting feedback
• Why “thank you’s” are not enough
• A big recognition feedback mistake found in operations management
• The strategy behind training leaders on feedback in a way that has a bigger impact

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/047

Have you ever left a conversation and thought “Whoa - that was blown out of proportion”? Or “Whoa - that escalated quickly”? 

Knowing the levels of conflict is essential since misstepping will only make things worse. But what are the levels of conflict? How can you use The Conflict Ladder to more effectively lead through conflict?

In this episode, I’ll walk you through every step of The Conflict Ladder and how you can properly address unhelpful behaviors at the right level. 

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• What the different levels of conflict are and why it’s helpful to understand them
• Mistakes individual leaders and organizations make on the conflict ladder
• How to address unhelpful behaviors at the right level

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/046

You can’t have a lean culture without conflict, but so many organizations and leaders are NOT comfortable with conflict. Here’s the question: “What would be the impact to your organization if you could have less destructive conflict and more productive conflict?”

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• Two types of workplace conflict, and how they differ
• How the research behind DiSC for Productive Conflict does - and doesn’t - align with the other conflict models we’ve explored on past episodes
• Why you can’t have a lean culture without conflict
• The role leadership action plays in stimulating productive conflict
• What Productive Conversations and Conflict is and how it can help your leadership team achieve more effective change adoption, gain better adherence to standard processes, and foster creativity and collaborative problem solving

Want to take the DiSC for Productive Conflict Assessment?
Want to develop your operations leaders on Productive Conversations and Conflict?
Email me at:  [email protected] 

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/045

How would you define innovation? What enables a culture of innovation? How do lean and innovation fit together (or not)? Erlin Kakkanad and Bella Englebach share their insights about innovation and frugality, the intersection of Lean and innovation, and examples of real case studies.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• Perspectives on the intersection of Lean and Innovation
• Examples from Toyota of Lean problem solving versus innovative product development
• How frugality can generate creativity or help inspire creativity
• Framing challenges and divergent thinking in creativity and innovation, and case studies to demonstrate

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/044

It’s one thing to become aware of thoughts that aren’t serving you. But how do you actually change them? How do you choose thoughts that will yield better results? And what’s the relevance in Lean Leadership?

While this is relevant for everyone… it’s particularly on point for the CI practitioners, Lean Coaches, Problem Solving Mentors, and Kata Coaches, this one’s for you.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• Why positive affirmations are not enough to change your thought
• How to create that different feeling that prompts us to take a more productive action
• Learn the effective way of practicing those better thoughts
• How to create your Thought Model

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/043

So often leaders want to learn how to “fix other people.” To get them to do the work, to get on board, to be better. But true leadership starts with our own self awareness and self management. 

You are probably keenly aware of your results. But what about your feelings? Or your underlying, automatic thoughts? 

Join me as I dig into coaching techniques for self leadership. Because whether you like it or not, it’s hard to manage yourself when you don’t really know your inner workings.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• How life coaching applies to leadership self awareness and self management
• Lessons I learned from the CTFAR Self Coaching Thought Model
• How to facilitate the transformation from both thoughts and behaviors
• How to figure out what your underlying thoughts are

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/042

As I sat at the restaurant alone, fuming, I worked up an elaborate story in my mind of why he was late. The truth is that we all create stories in our heads. These stories then fuel our words and actions, including in the workplace. And when we’re talking about changing the way people think and work, that could lead to workplace drama.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• Why I was sitting at the restaurant fuming and what really happened
• How the Crucial Confrontations stories to action model was a complete game changer in my self management
• How the “second cycle” Arnout Orelio talked about can help you understand and potentially avoid workplace drama
• Why sometimes people act in ways that seem completely illogical

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/041

Have you ever been in a meeting and thought that everyone was on the same page for action steps, but you go into the next week’s meeting and the tasks still aren’t done.

Susan Reinhardt joins us today to discuss how the concepts of Reliable Promising or Conversation for Action that she uses in Lean Construction may help you. 

In fact, you might hear some "Weasel Words" in today’s conversation that are haunting your collaborative efforts.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• How to shift your language to get commitments that are more likely to be followed through on
• What Weasel Words are and how they can derail execution
• The idea behind the reliable promising loop
• Why it’s important, as a leader, to create an environment where someone can say no if you want to get real commitments

Get full show notes and more information here: https://processplusresults.com/podcast/040

Coaching is such a critical skill and behavior for leaders, so I'm thrilled to join the lineup for Lean Frontier’s Virtual 2021 Lean Coaching Summit. 

But coaching isn't one dimensional. In fact, Jim Huntzinger, Founder and President of Lean Frontiers, shares different perspectives, angles and applications of Lean coaching and how conversations with John Shook about these different dimensions led to the birth of the Lean Coaching Summit. 

What You’ll Learn from this Episode

• How years of casual conversations led to the Lean Coaching Summit
• Why you should attend a Summit dedicated just to Coaching
• Who are some of the great speakers for the 2021 Summit and how you can hear them speak now

Get full show notes and more information here:
https://processplusresults.com/podcast/bonusmay2021