148 - Naida Grunden & Charles Hagood on "Lean-Led Design"

Episode #148 is a conversation with a returning guest, Naida Grunden, and her co-author Charles Hagood (of Healthcare Performance Partners), talking about their new book Lean-Led Hospital Design: Creating the Efficient Hospital of the Future. It's an outstanding book and I was happy to endorse it, as have John Toussaint, MD and many others.

In the podcast, we talk about what lean-led hospital design entails, including getting staff involved, how to tie processes and space together, and how to collaborate with architects and construction companies to build space and processes that best serve the patients and healthcare professionals.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/148. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

148 - Naida Grunden & Charles Hagood on "Lean-Led Design"

Episode #148 is a conversation with a returning guest, Naida Grunden, and her co-author Charles Hagood (of Healthcare Performance Partners), talking about their new book Lean-Led Hospital Design: Creating the Efficient Hospital of the Future. It's an outstanding book and I was happy to endorse it, as have John Toussaint, MD and many others.

In the podcast, we talk about what lean-led hospital design entails, including getting staff involved, how to tie processes and space together, and how to collaborate with architects and construction companies to build space and processes that best serve the patients and healthcare professionals.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/148. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

147 - LeanPub.com, Part 2

Episode #147 is a part two of a conversation with Scott Patten and Peter Armstrong from LeanPub.com (listen to part one in episode #140). They want to be THE website for publishing "in-progress books". In this episode, we are talking about how they are applying the concepts of the Lean Startup methodology to their service and their business. We'll talk about some of my own experiences as an early adopter and later as an actual user -- what have they learned along the way and how do they use lean methods to be innovative?

Conflict of interest disclosure: I have published two blog compilations via their service, a Best of Lean Blog 2011 book and a Best of 2012 book that is being published incrementally throughout the year. I'm a huge raving fan of their service and the way Scott and Peter have worked with me as I learned and used Leanpub.com. 

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/147. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

146 - John Toussaint, MD, "Potent Medicine"

Episode #146 is a discussion with a returning guest (#54, #62, #72), John Toussaint, MD, the CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. Today, we're talking about his latest book, recently released, called "Potent Medicine: The Collaborative Cure for Healthcare." John talks about the three aspects of his collaborative cure: patient-centered care redesign, transparency, and payment for outcomes. A lot of the discussion follows on my conversation with Dean Gruner, MD in Podcast #144, talking about the experiments with "Accountable Care Organizations" at ThedaCare and other organizations.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/146

You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

145- Natalie Sayer, "Lean for Dummies"

Episode #145 is a conversation with Natalie J. Sayer, co-author of the recently updated 2nd edition of the book Lean For Dummies. I was able to meet Natalie at the recent ASQ Lean and Six Sigma Conference, where she was also a presenter. While I was a bit resistant at first to the "for Dummies" being associated with Lean (given that "dummy" is a sort of disrespectful word), I came around when I read the first edition and found it to be a fun, solid overview of Lean concepts and a great first read for people who are new to Lean. In the podcast, Natalie shares what's new in the second edition and shares some of her history and experience with Lean, including some time learning at the famed NUMMI plant while working for GM.

ADVERTISEMENT: This podcast episode is brought to you by Creative Safety Supply, leaders in Visual Safety, floor marking, label printing and more visit their website at www.creativesafetysupply.com/leanpodcast for a discount.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/145

You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

144 - Dean Gruner, MD, Lean & ACOs at ThedaCare

Episode #144 is a discussion with Dean Gruner, MD, the president & CEO of ThedaCare, previously a guest in episode 119, talking about strategy deployment. Here, the topic is Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and how ThedaCare is using them, with Lean methods, to improve the coordination of care for patients.
Dean will be presenting at the upcoming Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit, June 6-7, 2012 in Minneapolis. I hope to see you there! I'll be attending and moderating the CEO panel again this year.

Summit info: http://leanblog.org/healthcaresummit

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/144

You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

143 - Mark Graban & Ron Pereira, SPC Webinar Q&A

Like podcast #133, this episode is a Q&A that follows up a webinar I did for my good friends at Gemba Academy recently, on the topic "Using Statistical Process Control (SPC) to Make Better Management Decisions." You can view a recording of the webinar here (http://www.leanblog.org/SPCwebinar) or on the Gemba Academy website. This might seem like an esoteric topic, but it's one I've found to be VERY practical and helpful in my career and with my clients. Some feedback I got included, "That wasn't nearly as boring as one might have expected." :-)

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/143

You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

142 - Eric Ries on Taiichi Ohno's Influence

Episode #142 brings us a returning guest, Eric Ries, author of the best-selling book The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. In the book, Eric cites the work of Ohno, including the "5 Whys" problem solving approach. In this podcast, Eric shares his story about finding Ohno's work (including the Lean classic Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production) and how it has influenced his work with startups.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/142

Eric was previously a guest on episode 115: www.leanblog.org/115

You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

141 - Norman Bodek remembers Taiichi Ohno

Episode #141 is a chat with Norman Bodek with his recollections of working with Taiichi Ohno, one of the creators of the Toyota Production System. Norman met and worked with Ohno in Japan and then published the translation of Ohno's classic book "Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production" in 1988.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/141. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

140 - LeanPub.com Founders, Part 1

Episode #140 is a discussion with Scott Patten and Peter Armstrong from LeanPub.com  - they want to be THE website for publishing "in-progress books". We'll be talking about lean publishing and how that's different than self publishing and about how leanpub.com works. In the upcoming part 2 of the podcast, we'll talk more about how they are applying the concepts of the Lean Startup methodology to their service and their business.

Conflict of interest disclosure: I have published two blog compilations via their service, a Best of Lean Blog 2011 book and a Best of 2012 book that is being published incrementally throughout the year. I'm a huge raving fan of their service and the way Scott and Peter have worked with me as I learned and used Leanpub.com. 

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/140. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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139 - David Munch, MD of Healthcare Performance Partners

Episode #139 is a conversation with Dave Munch, MD, who is the Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer for Healthcare Performance Partners (HPP). Before joining the consulting firm, Dave was a senior C-level clinical leader at Exempla Lutheran Health System where he led their Lean Production applications for more than five years, resulting in substantial improvements in both clinical and non-clinical processes. Today, we are talking about important Lean mindsets and systems principles, including making it safe for people to surface problems in the workplace and aligning management behaviors and methods at all levels so we can use Lean to achieve our most important objectives in healthcare. Dave is also a speaker at the upcoming Lean Healthcare PowerDay event, produced by HPP. Hope to see you there!

Conflict of interest disclosure: I will be a paid speaker at the Lean PowerDay event.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/139. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

About Dave Munch MD:
Dave Munch, M.D.
Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer

Dave oversees all of HPP’s clinical and Lean Healthcare engagements. He plays a lead role in new services development and HPP’s continuous adaptation to the healthcare industry’s ever-changing needs.

Dave previously served at Exempla Lutheran Medical Center as their Chief Clinical and Quality Officer. He led their Lean Production applications for more than five years, resulting in substantial improvements in both clinical and non-clinical processes.

Dave received his M.D. from the University of Colorado’s Health Sciences Center. He is also a faculty member for the Belmont University Lean Healthcare Certificate Program.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

138 - Al Norval - Lean Pathways "Lean Manifesto"

Episode #138 is a discussion with Al Norval from Lean Pathways, talking about his new publication titled "The Lean Manifesto: Back to basics – how a Lean business system creates value by engaging everyone in improvement." It's a free six-page document and you can find a link to download it at http://leanblog.org/138 (email registration required). The manifesto is a fun, upbeat guide to the basics of the Lean methodology and management system, including a brief history of Lean, as well as its foundational concepts, and a discussion of why "just in time" is not the right place to start.

Conflict of interest disclosure: I have a business relationship with Lean Pathways where I sometimes work with their healthcare clients.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/138. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

About Al Norval (from the Lean Pathways website):

Alistair Norval is a professional engineer who developed his skills at Eastman Kodak Company, where he helped design and implement the Kodak Operating System, based on the principles of the Toyota Production System. In this capacity, he received in-depth personal training with leading international senseis. Following that, Alistair helped guide Celestica International, a provider of Electronic Manufacturing Services, with their lean journey at multiple site value streams in Asia. More recently, Alistair has been guiding clients on their lean transformation while achieving significant business results. His clients include the Medical, Consumer, and Professional Services business sectors.

Alistair has been a manager of manufacturing, product and process engineering, and has helped launch several plants. His experience covers both continuous chemical processes as well as discrete manufacturing. He has applied lean methods in new product development and the supply chain. His passion is to apply lean thinking across the enterprise so as to achieve consistently superior results.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

137 - Jerry Bussell, Jacksonville Lean Consortium

Episode #137 is a chat with Jerry Bussell, the founder of the Jacksonville Lean Consortium. Jerry is one of the featured speakers at the upcoming Lean Transformation Summit from the Lean Enterprise Institute - to learn more, visit http://www.lean.org.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/137. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

About Jerry:

Sporting a license plate reading “Leanjax,” Jerry Bussell is the past chairman and founder of the Jacksonville Lean Consortium, a group of companies and government agencies improving business performance by sharing knowledge about implementing lean principles. Recently retired as vice president, Global Operations, at Medtronic Surgical Technologies, Bussell is president of Bussell Lean Associates, a lean management advisory service for CEOs and their executive teams. He is also executive advisor to Underwriters Laboratories’ Center of Continuous Improvement and Innovation.

Bussell received the prestigious Medtronic Wallin Leadership award for transforming Medtronic ENT's traditional manufacturing operation into a nationally recognized model of lean manufacturing. Under his leadership, Medtronic ENT/NT received an IndustryWeek Best Plants award for North America in 2002, a Shingo Prize in 2003, and a Shingo Silver Medallion recipient in 2009. In 2005 Bussell was inducted into the Shingo Academy for his contributions to operational excellence. He is a past chairman of the Board of Governors for the Shingo Prize and is a member of the Champions Club with the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. Bussell holds a bachelor’s degree from St. John Fisher College and a master’s degree from Baylor University. He is currently writing a book on lean leadership lessons from Abraham Lincoln that will be available in 2012.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

136 - Paul Akers, "2 Second Lean"

Our guest for episode #136 is Paul Akers, President of FastCap and author of the book "2 Second Lean." Here, we are talking about the new book and how small improvements that save 2 seconds in your daily work can contribute to an engaging and fun "Lean Culture."

Paul was previously a guest on episode #122. - leanblog.org/122

This podcast episode is brought to you by Creative Safety Supply, Leaders in Visual Safety, floor marking,label printing and more. Visit their website at www.creativesafetysupply.com/leanpodcast/ for a special listener discount.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/136. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

136 - Paul Akers, "2 Second Lean"

Our guest for episode #136 is Paul Akers, President of FastCap and author of the book "2 Second Lean." Here, we are talking about the new book and how small improvements that save 2 seconds in your daily work can contribute to an engaging and fun "Lean Culture."

Paul was previously a guest on episode #122. - leanblog.org/122

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/136. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

You can also listen to streaming episodes of the podcast via Stitcher: http://landing.stitcher.com/?vurl=leanblog

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

135 - Dan Markovitz, A Factory of One

Our guest for episode #135 is Dan Markovitz, author of the new book A Factory of One: Applying Lean Principles to Banish Waste and Improve Your Personal Performance. If your New Year's resolutions include improving your own personal productivity, Dan is a great person to talk to about the application of Lean principles to your own professional work - whether you work in an aspiring Lean organization or not.

Dan was previously a guest on episode #52. - leanblog.org/52

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/135. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

134 - The Sgt. Sullivan Center

Episode #134 is a different topic than usual. Instead of strictly talking Lean, today's discussion is about broader issues of healthcare quality and our United States military. Joining me are Daniel Sullivan, President and General Manager of the The Sergeant Thomas Joseph Sullivan Center (SSC), a non-profit organization that is dedicated to improving health outcomes for current and former military personnel, especially those who are suffering from emerging, complicated, or currently unexplained post deployment health concerns.  Named in honor of a fallen marine, the Sgt. Sullivan Center promotes the health security of America's troops and the principle that none should be left behind. Also joining us is Gregory Jacobson, MD, a college friend of Daniel's and the co-founder and CEO of KaiNexus.

The Sergeant Sullivan Center is named for Daniel's brother, Sergeant Thomas Joseph Sullivan, a veteran of the Iraq war, who died suddenly in his northern Virginia home at age 30, four years after returning from deployment. With his medical problems originating during his deployment in Iraq and continuing in the years following his return home, Sgt. Sullivan suffered a progression of unexplained health complications that included chronic pain, swelling, cardiovascular disease, and severe inflammation. His autopsy revealed life threatening problems that medical tests had not detected.

Today would have been St. Sullivan's 32nd birthday, so I am sharing his story here.

Their website: http://www.sgtsullivancenter.org/

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/134. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

133 - Mark Graban, Healthcare Kaizen Webinar Q&A

Episode #133 is hosted by Ron Pereira, from Gemba Academy, as he leads me through additional Q&A as a follow up to our recent webinar on my upcoming book Healthcare Kaizen and some of the concepts from the book on the theme of "Putting the Continuous Back in Continuous Improvement." You can view the recording for free through January 7, 2012 and, beyond that date, you can still view the slides all through this link: http://leanblog.org/kaizenwebinar

Two of the main themes were that "kaizen" is not always about weeklong events and that suggestion boxes are not the same as the kaizen approach. Kaizen ideally involves everyone in continuous improvement, facilitated in ways that are better than the slow, batchy, non-collaborative suggestion box approach that many have tried and struggled with before.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/133. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

132 - Bob Emiliani, Virginia Mason Visits Wiremold

A returning guest for episode #132, we are joined today by author and professor Bob Emiliani. Today, we are chatting about some videos he recently posted to his website... 10 year old videos that document executives from Virginia Mason Medical Center, now considered a leader in Lean healthcare, visiting a Lean manufacturing company, Wiremold. You can view the videos on Bob's site or via this blog post of mine - http://leanblog.org/virginiamason.

In the podcast, Bob reflects on those videos and we talk about some of the lessons learned - what healthcare executives can learn about Lean leadership from manufacturing leaders.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/132. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

131 - Paul Borawski, CEO of ASQ

My guest for episode #131 is Paul Borawski, the CEO of ASQ, the American Society for Quality. Today, we are talking about ASQ, their recent National Quality Month events (November), and other topics including:
• Their "YouQ" video contest (vote on the submissions now via Facebook) - www.facebook.com/ASQ
• The ending of federal funding for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
• Paul's blog post on the passing of Bob Galvin and Steve Jobs

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/131. You can find links to posts related to this podcast there, as well. Please leave a comment and join the discussion about the podcast episode.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

130 - Greg Howell, Lean Construction Institute

My guest for episode #130 is Greg Howell, co-founder and managing director of the Lean Construction Institute (LCI), a non-profit organization devoted to production management research in design and construction. Howell brings 35 years of construction industry project management, consulting and university-level teaching experience to LCI. In this episode, we'll be talking about lean design and construction methods, parallels to general lean thinking, and lessons learned.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/130. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

129 - Chris Cooper, "The Little Book of Lean"

My guest for episode #129 is Chris Cooper, a vice president with Simpler Consulting. We're talking about his new book "The Little Book of Lean," which can be purchased via their website. We discuss his career in Lean and the background of his book, which is intended to be a simple introductory primer for those who are new to the methodology. Chris has worked in aerospace, as well as military and non-profit applications of Lean.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/129. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

128 - Mark Graban on Quality Digest Live

Podcast #128 turns the tables a bit, as your host Mark Graban is, this time, interviewed by Dirk Dusharme and Ryan Day from the online video show "Quality Digest Live." Thanks to Quality Digest, I'm able to share the audio from my segment on the show with you in this format.
In this episode, we talk about lean healthcare and quality. We'll be back to the regular show next week.
To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/128. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

127 - Dr. Richard Shannon, Lean & Patient Safety

Podcast #127 is a very special conversation with a leader and a hero of mine in the world of patient safety, Richard P. Shannon, MD. Dr. Shannon is a cardiologist and is Chair, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania as well as the Senior Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, Department of Medicine. Dr. Shannon was an early pioneer in the use of Lean and Toyota methods to improve outcomes and patient safety, namely the reduction of hospital acquired central line bloodstream infections when he was at Allegheny General Hospital, near Pittsburgh, as documented in Naida Grunden’s book
"The Pittsburgh Way to Efficient Healthcare: Improving Patient Care Using Toyota-Based Methods. Dr. Shannon learned from PRHI and Paul O’Neill, my guest
In episode #124 (www.leanblog.org/124)

This podcast was produced in conjunction with the Healthcare Value Network. Visit their website at http://www.healthcarevalueleaders.org.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/127. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

126 - Bob Lutz on "Car Guys vs. Bean Counters"

My guest for Podcast #126 is Bob Lutz, author of the book Car Guys vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business. Retiring in late 2010 as vice chairman of General Motors, he currently runs Bob Lutz Communications. During his 47-year career in the auto industry, he worked for GM, Ford, BMW, and Chrysler and he's a legend in Detroit, where I grew up. In this podcast, we discuss his new book, his thoughts on designing products that create value and excitement for customers, as well as some of his thoughts on leadership.

Bob's a "car guy" and a designer through and through, so what he says isn't always classic "lean thinking," but it's interesting and thought provoking. What's a "blanderizer"? You'll have to listen (or read) to find out.

I hope you'll take a listen and/or read the transcript below. Be sure to share your thoughts and reactions by posting a comment on this post. I have my own thoughts and reactions, which I've added as comments to the transcript - notated by [MG1].
As I wrote about in my preview post, Lutz says he is a fan of "autocratic" leadership, saying that the pendulum had swung too far during the "total quality" era toward too much slow consensus building and too much employee participation. In talking with him, much of what he's complaining about isn't what we'd recognize as Lean or Toyota thinking, but it's perhaps a reaction to the way the "Detroit Three" were using these TQM ideas in dysfunctional or extreme ways. He says we need more autocratic leadership, yet he doesn't think he's an autocratic leader, nor would he want to work for one. Interesting stuff.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/126. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

125 - Mike George on Lean Six Sigma for Government, Politics

My guest for Podcast #125 is Mike George, the founder of Strong
America Now!, a "nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing and
educating citizens to support only those Presidential candidates who
commit to eliminating the deficit with no new taxes." In this episode,
George talks about his efforts to get candidates to commit to getting
personally educated in Lean Six Sigma methods and to use these methods
in their administration, if elected.

Their website is www.strongamericanow.org.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/125.
You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast
page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to
subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my
guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and
leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN
(817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your
location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might
be used in follow ups to the podcast.

125 - Mike George on Lean Six Sigma for Government & Politic

My guest for Podcast #125 is Mike George, the founder of Strong America Now!, a "nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing and educating citizens to support only those Presidential candidates who commit to eliminating the deficit with no new taxes." In this episode, George talks about his efforts to get candidates to commit to getting personally educated in Lean Six Sigma methods and to use these methods in their administration, if elected.

Their website is www.strongamericanow.org.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/125. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

124 - Paul O'Neill on Patient Safety

I have a very special guest for Podcast #124, he is Paul O'Neill, the U.S. Treasury Secretary from 2000 to 2001 and former CEO of Alcoa. Mr. O'Neill is sharing his thoughts on patient safety and healthcare, including his time spent as the Chair of the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative and his work with Dr. Richard Shannon in dramatically reducing hospital acquired infections to near their "theoretical limit" of zero. Dr. Shannon will be a podcast guest next month. Mr. O'Neill talks about the leadership required to have such an impact on safety and quality, drawing on lessons from his years as Alcoa's CEO.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/124.

This podcast was produced in conjunction with the Healthcare Value Network as a continuation of their previous podcast series -- http://hcvln.org/podcast

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

About Paul O'Neill:
Paul O'Neill is a founder of Value Capture, LLC, where he provides counsel and support to health care executives and policymakers who share his conviction that the value of health care operations can be increased by 50% or more through the pursuit of perfect safety and clinical outcomes. He was the 72nd Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, serving from 2001 to 2002. During his 21 month tenure, the lost workday rate among Treasury employees fell by more than 50%. He was the chairman and CEO of Alcoa from 1987 to 1999 and retired as chairman at the end of 2000. Mr. O'Neill led Alcoa to become the safest workplace in the world, while increasing its market capitalization by more than 800%. Today, Alcoa operates across more than 40 countries at a lost workday rate that is 20 times lower than the average rate for American hospitals. Prior to joining Alcoa, Mr. O'Neill was president of International Paper Company from 1987 to 1985 and was vice president from 1977 to 1985. He served as the deputy director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget from 1974 to 1977, where he served on staff beginning in 1967. He worked as a computer systems analyst with the U.S. Veterans Administration from 1961 to 1966. During his government service, Mr. O'Neill helped to shape many of the policies which define the American health care system today. He serves as a board member at the National Quality Forum, RAND, and more than a dozen other major corporations and non-profit organizations.

123 - Group Health, Lean & Medical Home

This episode is a discussion with two leaders from Group Health Cooperative, a consumer-governed, nonprofit health care system based in Seattle, Washington. My guests are Claire Trescott, MD, Primary Care Medical Director, and Alicia Eng, Vice President of Primary Care. We will be talking about their use of Lean principles in the design and management of their "Medical Home" approach to primary care and wellness. You can read a PDF of a Health Affairs article that describes the benefits to patients and caregivers.

This podcast was produced in conjunction with the Healthcare Value Network as a continuation of their previous podcast series at http://www.hcvln.org/podcast.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/123. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

122 - Paul Akers, LeanAmerica.org

This episode is a conversation with Paul Akers, founder and president of FastCap LLC, based in Bellingham, WA. FastCap is an international product development company founded in 1997 with over 2000 distributors worldwide. Paul and FastCap have also embraced Lean, with an unmatched enthusiasm for kaizen - small, daily improvements made by people in the workplace, as you can see in their collection of Lean videos. We're also talking in this episode about his LeanAmerica.org initiative.

http://leanamerica.org
http://www.fastcap.com

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/122. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

121 - Ohio State Healthcare MBOE Program

Today's episode is a discussion with Mrinalini Gadkari, a Senior Lecturer at the Fisher College of Business. Today, we're talking about the new Master of Business Operational Excellence (MBOE) for Healthcare Program that is starting this fall. We'll talk about how the program is structured, who the intended students are, and delve a little into the curriculum that includes Lean, Six Sigma, and other improvement methodologies.

More on the program: http://www.cob.ohio-state.edu/mboe

Mrinalini Gadkari is a physician trained in India. She practiced in India for three years as a family physician. She came to the US 9 years ago to pursue her passion in Process Improvement in Healthcare.

Mrinalini received MHSA (Masters in Healthcare Services Administration) from George Washington University. She worked as an administrative resident at the John’s Hopkin’s Bayview Medical Center focusing on Quality and Process Improvement. She worked at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital over 5 years and helped multidisciplinary teams apply lean principles to improve efficiency and safety of their clinical and business processes.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/121. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

120 - Crane & Noon on Lean Emergency Departments

Today's episode is a chat with Jody Crane, MD, MBA and Chuck Noon, PhD. They are talking about their outstanding book The Definitive Guide to Emergency Department Operational Improvement: Employing Lean Principles with Current ED Best Practices to Create the "No Wait" Department.

Dr. Crane is an Emergency Physician practicing at Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He currently serves as the Business Director of his group, Fredericksburg Emergency Medical Alliance. He currently serves as a faculty member in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Nationwide ED Collaborative, “Operational & Clinical Improvement in the Emergency Department.” Dr. Noon is a Professor of the Management Science Program in the Department of Management. He joined the faculty in the fall of 1987 after completing his Ph.D. in Industrial & Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan. He is also a founding member of the UT Physician Executive MBA Program.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/120. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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119 - Dr. Dean Gruner, Strategy Deployment at ThedaCare

Produced in partnership with the Healthcare Value Network, episode #119 is a discussion with Dean Gruner, MD, the president & CEO of ThedaCare. Here, we talk about Strategy Deployment as a Lean management system and how it fits into their ongoing management and improvement efforts in their health system.

To learn more about strategy deployment, visit www.ThinkingLeanDVD.com for free preview clips of a new educational DVD produced by the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value. You will also find a link to a free white paper about strategy deployment at ThedaCare, Group Health, and St. Boniface General Hospital.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/119. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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Herman Cain

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118 - Jim Womack on GM, Toyota & LeanSigma

Episode #118 is a follow on to podcast #116 with Jim Womack, founder and former Chairman of the Lean Enterprise Institue, now their Senior Advisor and author of the new book "Gemba Walks," available in paperback, Kindle format, iBooks, and other formats.

In this episode, we talk about both GM and Toyota - their challenges, Jim's reflections on the companies, and thoughts about where they are headed in the future. Jim also answers a reader question about the combination of the Lean and Six Sigma methodologies.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/118. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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02_LeanBlogPodcast_NormBodek_ Aug4_2006

In this podcast, I talk with Norman Bodek, author, lean consultant, and Toyota Production System expert. We talk about the Toyota principle of "respect for humanity" and how to stop blaming individual employees for problems or defects. Management is responsible for the design of the system, and therefore are also responsible for the results. Visit www.leanblog.org for more information.

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117 - Samuel A. Culbert, "Get Rid of the Performanc

Episode #117 is a conversation with Prof. Samuel A. Culbert of the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Along with Daniel Pink, he is a fellow alum of Northwestern University. Prof. Culbert has a BS in Systems Engineering, the precursor of the Industrial Engineering department in which I was a student. Dr. Culbert then earned a PhD in clinical psychology from UCLA.

Today, we are talking about his most recent book, Get Rid of the Performance Review!: How Companies Can Stop Intimidating, Start Managing--and Focus on What Really Matters. Much like Dan Pink's take on incentives in the workplace, Culbert is a contrarian about the generally accepted (yet dysfunctional) practice of the "annual performance review." In his writing, Culbert calls them "corporate theatre," as well as a sham, a facade, immoral and intimidating. In the podcast, we talk about the problems and alternatives to this common management practice.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/117. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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116 - Jim Womack, His New Book "Gemba Walks"

Episode #116 brings us Jim Womack, founder and former Chairman of the Lean Enterprise Institue, now their Senior Advisor and author of the new book "Gemba Walks," available in paperback, Kindle format, iBooks, and other formats (see lean.org for a link).

Here, we talk about the new book, how a gemba walk differs from "management by walking around," some of his most memorable walks, progress in lean healthcare, and other topics.

We recorded two podcasts in the same sitting. The next one will be out in a few weeks, with his thoughts on recent developments with GM and Toyota, his reflections on the word "lean," his thoughts on six sigma, and more.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/116. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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115 - Eric Ries, The Lean Startup

Episode #115 is a discussion with Eric Ries, entrepreneur and author of the upcoming book “The Lean Startup.” Today, we talk about how got introduced to Lean, core materials like books by Womack and Jones and Jeff Liker, and how he has put a lot of thought into how to take proven lean principles – reduced batch sizes, 5 whys analysis, and faster time to market – and applied them to startups. We both agree there are a lot of applications of these lean startup principles even if you are working on new products in larger, older, manufacturing settings – so I hope you’ll take 20 minutes to listen regardless of your background, as Eric’s work has stretched my attempts lean thinking in new directions.

Book website: http://www.lean.st/
Blog: http://www.startuplessonslearned.com/

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/115. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.


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Special - Charlie Sheen Calls the Lean Line

Now actor Charlie Sheen has been all over the news lately, giving interviews to practically anyone with a microphone. This is the type of "news" I normally try to tune out, yet alone blog about.

Somehow, he stumbled across my "Lean Liine" phone number to talk about Lean Healthcare, although I suspect he was looking for the street drug called "lean."

He claimed to have spent his hiatus from TV working to teach and implement the "Lean" methodology at hospitals around Los Angeles. Listen to the audio and judge for yourself - is he pulling our leg? Is he the type of Lean consultant you would want around?

Ok, it's an early April Fool's Joke.... that was audio taken from an interview he gave to ABC's Good Morning America show.

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Special - Charlie Sheen Calls the Lean Line

Audio Parody - World Exclusive, bad boy Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen dials (misdials) the Lean Line and wants to talk Lean Healthcare.

You can find past episodes at www.leanpodcast.org. Want to talk Lean, dial the Lean Line at 817-716-LEAN.

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114 - John Kim, Lean and Executive Healthcare Leadership

Episode #114 is a conversation with John Kim, of the firm John Kim & Associates. John is a recognized leader in the Design, Development, Implementation and Deployment of Enterprise Wide Lean Transformations.  As an executive at The HON Company and Danaher Corporation, John learned the keys to implementing Lean while running multiple operations across the US. With over 20 years of Lean Transformation experience, John has spent the last 12+ years in executive consulting, implementing Lean in various sectors, including healthcare, which we are talking about today. His website is www.johnkimconsulting.com.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/114. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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113 - Aubrey Daniels PhD, "Safe by Accident?"

Episode #113 is a discussion with Aubrey Daniels, PhD, the founder and chairman of his firm Aubrey Daniels International. Today, we are talking about his most recent book titled Safe By Accident?, a book I really enjoyed, so I was happy to speak with him about creating an effective safety culture culture in an organization - what doesn't work and what does work?

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/113. Visit Aubrey's website at www.aubreydaniels.com.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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112 - Naida Grunden, Lean Healthcare & Aviation Safety

Episode #112 is a chat with Naida Grunden, the author of the outstanding book The Pittsburgh Way to Efficient Healthcare: Improving Patient Care Using Toyota Based Methods. Here we talk about her experiences in Pittsburgh and her "small world" connection to Captain Chesley Sullenberger (a.k.a. "Sully") and the connections between Lean, aviation safety, and checklists.

Our next podcast, out in a few weeks, will focus on Naida's recent trip to Cuba to teach Lean healthcare principles in that country. Naida's website is www.naidagrunden.com.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/112. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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111 - Professor Jeffrey Liker, Toyota's Challenges & Books

Episode #111 brings us some time with Professor Jeffrey Liker from the University of Michigan, the well-known author of many books in the The Toyota Way series. You can see Dr. Liker talk at the upcoming Shingo Prize Conference (hope to see you there!).
Today, we are talking about his TWO upcoming books: The Toyota Way to Continuous Improvement: Linking Strategy and Operational Excellence to Achieve Superior Performance and Toyota Under Fire: Lessons for Turning Crisis into Opportunity. The second book was clearly written in response to Toyota's recent challenges and Dr. Liker has some very strong perspectives to share here in this podcast. What was his take on  Toyota's recalls and quality problems? Why does he think that Toyota was singled out as a "scapegoat" to be "taken down"? Does he think Toyota really will emerge stronger from these challenges?

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/111. You can leave comments there, as well.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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Patricia Raskin - Positive Business

Mark Graban appearance 1/21/11

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110 - Dr. Jack Billi, Lean and Medicine

Episode #110 is a chat with Dr. Jack Billi from the University of Michigan Health System and Medical School. Here, we talk about their lean work and how Dr. Billi works with physicians to engage them in lean, tying lean problem solving methods, including the A3 approach, to the scientific method and medical thinking. Dr. Billi talks about the right approach to the lean concept of "standardized work" in a way that works for medicine and complex patient situations.

This episode is also #3 of the new podcast series from the Healthcare Value Leaders Network series. The Healthcare Value Leaders podcast page is www.healthcarevalueleaders.org/podcast.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/110.

For earlier episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

More about Dr. Billi:

Jack E. Billi, M.D.

Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, Medical School and Associate Vice President, Medical Affairs

jbilli@umich.edu

Dr. Billi is Professor of Internal Medicine and Medical Education. He leads the Michigan Quality System, the University of Michigan Health System's unified approach to improve quality, safety, efficiency, appropriateness and service using lean tools and philosophy. Dr. Billi's research and leadership interests are in health services delivery and the use of community consortia for quality improvement. He is active on statewide and regional groups affecting quality of care, pay-for-performance and public reporting. He chairs the Michigan State Medical Society's Committee on Quality, Efficiency and Economics and the Essential Benefit Design Work Group and is a member of MSMS's Board of Directors. Dr. Billi co-chairs the Medical Director Committee for the Michigan Quality Improvement Consortium which develops and disseminates evidence-based practice guidelines used by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and 15 other health plans representing over six million members.

Episode Host: Mark Graban


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109 - James Morgan, Lean Product Development at Ford

Episode #109 is a discussion with Jim Morgan, Director, Global Body Exterior and Stamping Business Unit Engineering, Ford Motor Company. We will be talking about Lean product development methods in this show. James will be a plenary speaker at the upcoming Lean Transformation Summit, presented by the Lean Enterprise Institute, in Dallas this March 9th and 10th. Hope to see you there! Visit www.lean.org for more info.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/109.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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108 - Gwendolyn Galsworth, "Work That Makes Sense"

Episode #108 is a discussion with Dr. Gwendolyn Galsworth, recorded in person at the 2010 Shingo Prize Conference in Salt Lake City. Gwendolyn was previously a guest on episodes #26, 45, and 49.

Here, we chat about lean and the "respect for people" principle, following up my talk with Dr. Stephen Covey (episode # 91) and we also touch briefly on her new book "Work That Makes Sense." You can find Gwendolyn's website at www.visualworkplaceinc.com.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/108.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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Golf Commercial

busy signal

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104 - Dr. Peter Patterson, Lean in Histopathology

Podcast #104 is a discussion with Dr. Peter Patterson (@IDrPete), a friend of mine and the Lean Blog the past few years. He wrote a guest post for me back in 2009 (A Breakthrough in Training — Call it "Near-TWI") and I blogged about our presentation at the 2010 Society for Health Systems conference about Lean and TWI in healthcare.
Here, we chat about his background with Lean in multiple settings, including histopathology. 

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/104.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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107 - Dan Pink, Lean and "Drive"

Episode #107 is something I've been looking forward to for some time now - an interview with Dan Pink, the author outstanding books including Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us and Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself, among others.
Today, we're talking about "Drive" and a number of issues that will be familiar and relevant, yet thought provoking to Lean thinkers and students of Dr. W. Edwards Deming, ideas such as the dysfunctions of incentives and rewards, intrinsic motivation, and finding the balance between autonomy and following "standardized work" in a modern workplace.

You can find Dan on Twitter as @DanielPink and his website is www.danpink.com, which has his blog, and more. DAn has a paperback version of Drive coming out in the spring of 2011 and, if you've read Drive, you can send him ideas and feedback via this blog post of his.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/107.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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106 - Jim Baran, "Career Kaizen"

For episode #106, we have a returning guest, Jim Baran of the firm Value Stream Leaders. Jim was previously a guest on episodes #16, 27, and 88 talking about careers in Lean. Today, Jim talks about a new offering called "Career Kaizen," a service that combines coaching and personalized career planning. With him today is Rick Pederson, one of the early people to go through this process with Jim.

Jim's website is http://www.valuestreamleaders.com

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/106.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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105 - Bill Waddell & Adam Zak, "Simple Excellence"

Podcast #105 is a conversation with the co-authors of the new book Simple Excellence: Organizing and Aligning the Management Team in a Lean Transformation from Productivity Press. They are Adam Zak, a regular guest blogger here on Leanblog.org and Lean-focused executive recruiter and Bill Waddell, a Lean consultant and frequent blogger over at EvolvingExcellence.com.

Here, we talk about their book and their thoughts on Lean leadership, talent development, and other topics.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/105.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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104 - Dr. Peter Patterson, Lean in Histopathology

Podcast #104 is a discussion with Dr. Peter Patterson (@IDrPete), a friend of mine and the Lean Blog the past few years. He wrote a guest post for me back in 2009 (A Breakthrough in Training — Call it "Near-TWI") and I blogged about our presentation at the 2010 Society for Health Systems conference about Lean and TWI in healthcare.
Here, we chat about his background with Lean in multiple settings, including histopathology. 

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/104.

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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103 - Matthew E. May, "The Shibumi Strategy"

In my latest Video Podcast (here as audio podcast #103), my guest is Matthew E. May, returning to talk about his latest book, a business fable called The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change. I’ve been reading the book and have found it be a thought-provoking about your own personal effectiveness in a complex world.
You can read more about the book at Matt’s website: www.ShibumiStrategy.com.

Some of the topics we discuss include:
â–ª What is “Shibumi” and where does the term come from?
â–ª What’s the context for lean practitioners or students of Lean and TPS?
â–ª Did you reach a point of Shibumi while writing this book or in your other work?
â–ª Any particular reason you chose a car dealership as the job and the setting? Is it because it’s stereotypically a very numbers-driven “get it done” setting?

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/103. You can also watch video of our discussion at www.leanblog.org/v12 .

For earlier episodes, visit the main Podcast page at www.leanpodcast.org, which includes information on how to subscribe via RSS or via Apple iTunes.

If you have feedback on the podcast, or any questions for me or my guests, you can email me at leanpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave a voicemail by calling the "Lean Line" at (817) 776-LEAN (817-776-5326) or contact me via Skype id "mgraban". Please give your location and your first name. Any comments (email or voicemail) might be used in follow ups to the podcast.

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