165 - Chris Vogel, Lean in Administrative Settings

My guest for episode #165 is Chris Vogel, President & CEO of Compass Affiliates. I've met Chris before at an LEI Lean Transformation Summit and he is doing a learning session at this year's Summit, to be held March 13 and 14 in Orlando. Chris specalizes in the Development of Lean Leaders and Administrative Lean. He has over 15 years of Lean Administrative and Process Improvement experience.

During his 15 years at Wells Fargo, Chris led and used Lean to transform a division of Wells Fargo with 1,200 staff members. In our discussion, we'll talk about applying Lean to settings outside of manufacturing, including mortgage processing and tbe government. I think this discussion will help reinforce the idea that Lean is Lean and Lean leadership is Lean leadership, regardless of the setting.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/164. 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.


To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/165. 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.

164 - Rachelle Schultz, CEO of Winona Health

My guest for episode #164 is Rachelle Schultz, CEO of Winona Health (based in Winona, Minnesota). Rachelle was a part of the CEO panel that I moderated at last year's Lean Healthcare Transformation Summit and her comments on leading a health system's Lean transformation were well received. In this discussion, she says, "Everything I do has to drive Lean," as we talk about how her system is using Lean in these challenging times and what the impact has been - quality, satisfaction, financial.
This episode is produced in partnership with the Healthcare Value Network.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/164. 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.

163 - Dr. Greg Johnson, a Lean CMO

My guest for episode #163 is Dr. Gregory R. Johnson, the Chief Medical Officer at Parkview Health in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In this episode, we talk about how Parkview is using Lean to cope with today's challenging environment, how Dr. Johnson encourages Lean thinking among physicians, and the role of standardization in medicine. Dr. Johnson says Parkview is moving toward "having everyone operating in a Lean way, all 8200 co-workers" instead of just doing "Rapid Improvement Events."

This episode is produced in partnership with the Healthcare Value Network. Dr. Johnson and I also talk about Parkview's participation in the Network, including hosting a "gemba visit" by other members.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/163. 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.

162 - Patrick Vlaskovits and Brant Cooper, on their book Th

My guests for episode #162 are Patrick Vlaskovits (@pv) and Brant Cooper (@brantcooper), previously guests on episode #99. I recently ran into them at the Lean Startup Conference and today we are speaking about their newest book (coming in February) The Lean Entrepreneur: How to Create Products, Innovate with New Ventures, and Disrupt Markets. You can learn more and pre-order via their website:

www.LeanEntrepreneur.co

In this episode, we talk about:
2022 What is Lean Entrepreneurship?
2022 How does Lean create disruptive innovations?
2022 Why is it better to fail fast and learn your idea isn't viable sooner rather than later?
2022 Why is "follow your passion" really bad advice?
2022 What's a value stream in the context of a startup?
2022 Why would data "inform decisions" rather than make them?

Their books:
2022 The Lean Entrepreneur: How to Create Products, Innovate with New Ventures, and Disrupt Market
2022 The Entrepreneur2019s Guide to Customer Development: A cheat sheet to The Four Steps to the Epiphany

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/162. 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.

161 - Steve Bell, Lean IT

Steve Bell, author (most recently) of the book Run Grow Transform: Integrating Business and Lean IT is my guest for episode #161 of my Podcast series. Steve is a fellow faculty member for the Lean Enterprise Institute and he is also a founder of Lean4NGO.org that works with non-profits in the developing world. He is also founder of Lean IT Strategies, LLC, coaching IT professionals as they partner with their business colleagues to meet the challenges and exploit the opportunities in the rapidly changing, technology-enabled business landscape.

In this episode, Steve talks about:

- Why "Lean Thinking" is important in IT
- What is "Lean IT," including some success stories
- How do agile, scrum, Lean IT, and Lean Startups fit together?
- His upcoming LEI workshop in San Francisco this February
- Lean4NGO initiative

160 - Dr. Joe Guarisco, E.D. Process Improvement

My guest for podcast #160 is Joseph S. Guarisco, M.D., FAAEM, FACEP. Dr. Guarisco is currently Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine and System Chief of Emergency Services for the Ochsner Health System. Dr. Guarisco is a keynote speaker at the upcoming Society for Health Systems conference (which I'll be attending) and we are both part of the American Academy of Emergency Physicians annual scientific assembly in February (where I'll be co-presenting with my Healthcare Kaizen co-author Joe Swartz on E.D. process improvement strategies). Here is a Q&A, hosted by SHS, with Dr. Guarisco.

In this episode, we talk about Dr. Guarisco's process improvement efforts at Oschner and how that was made necessary by Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath, where demand TRIPLED in their E.D. We also chat about standardized work and variation reduction fit in with the practice of medicine and improving E.D patient flow.

159 - John Toussaint, MD on the IOM Report

A returning guest for episode #159 is John Toussaint, MD, the CEO of the ThedaCare Center for Healthcare Value and the author of the books On the Mend: Revolutionizing Healthcare to Save Lives and Transform the Industry and Potent Medicine: The Collaborative Cure for Healthcare. John was a guest on episodes 54, 62, 72, and 146. Today's main topic is a new report, published last month by the Institute of Medicine, titled "Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America." John was a reviewer of this report and has key insights to share, as always, about the problem and things we can do to improve healthcare around the world.

158 - Art Byrne, "The Lean Turnaround"

My guest for podcast #158 is Art Byrne, author of the new book The Lean Turnaround: How Business Leaders Use Lean Principles to Create Value and Transform Their Company. Art is very well known in the Lean community for his successful run as CEO of Wiremold, having previously worked at GE and Danaher. He is currently Operating Partner at the private equity firm J. W. Childs Associates L.P. In this podcast, Art talks about operations improvement as a business strategy, why the CEO needs to be directly involved in a Lean transformation, why "stretch goals" aren't demoralizing when you have the right leadership and culture, and more.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/158. 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.

157 - Nick Sarillo, "A Slice of the Pie"

Joining me for episode #157 is Nick Sarillo, founder of Nick's Pizza & Pub and author of the new book (out September 13) called A Slice of the Pie: How to Build a Big Little Business. I had a chance to meet Nick and visit one of his restaurants in 2010 after I blogged about an Inc. magazine article about their culture and their approach to operations.

It was great talking to Nick about his new book and what I call the "Like Lean" mindsets and approaches that remind me of the challenges and opportunities that organizations face with Lean Manufacturing or Lean Healthcare. I hope you'll take a listen.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/157. 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.

156 - Mike Stoecklein, Reflections on Dr. Deming

My guest for episode is #156 is a friend, Mike Stoecklein, the Director of Network Operations for the Healthcare Value Network.I was able to work with Mike when I was an employee of the Lean Enterprise Institute, working closely with the HVN team and their members.

Our conversation is about Mike's reflections on meeting Dr. W. Edwards Deming in the late 1980s, volunteering to assist with some of his famed 4-day seminars around the country. You can read Mike's excellent blog post that was the basis for some of our discussion here. Why are we hear? To learn... and to have fun, as Dr. Deming said!
To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/156. 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.

155 - Jim Benson, "Personal Kanban"

Joining me for episode #155 is Jim Benson, author of the book Personal Kanban: Mapping Work | Navigating Life. Jim is the founder of a company with a great name, Modus Cooperandi. He is, most notably, the creator of the "personal kanban" approach for managing work. It's not kanban as in material management, but rather a way of visualizing work and setting WIP limits (much as kanban might be used to trigger or limit production in a factory) -- but for knowledge workers and anybody! Learn more about this approach on his "Personal Kanban 101" site. - see leanblog.org/155 for links.

You can learn more about the book and interact with Jim at http://www.personalkanban.com/pk/

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/155. 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.

154 - Rick Morrow, Healthcare Process Improvement

My guest for episode #154 is Rick Morrow, a director at Healthcare Performance Partners and author of the book Utilizing the 3Ms of Process Improvement in Healthcare: A Roadmap to High Reliability Using Lean, Six Sigma, and Change Leadership, from Productivity Press (which is my publisher, as well). We talk about the book as well as a favorite issue of mine - why we shouldn't ask patients to inspect the work of healthcare providers.

You can learn more about the book and interact with Rick at his website:http://www.rpmexec.com/

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/154. 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.

153 - Robert Maurer, PhD, "One Small Step"

Joining me for Podcast #153 is Robert Maurer, PhD, Director of Behavioral Sciences for the Family Practice Residency Program at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and a faculty member with the UCLA School of Medicine. We are talking about his excellent book titled, One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way.
I discovered Maurer's book when doing research for our recently-published Healthcare Kaizen. It's really interesting to hear about applying the Kaizen approach in the realm of psychology and therapy instead of the workplace. Maurer writes about the brain chemistry that causes people to "fear change" - except when it's small change. Fascinating stuff and I'm thrilled to have spoken with him a few months back.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/153. 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.

152 - Matt Stewart, Life Lessons from Northwestern Football

My guest for podcast #152 is Matt Stewart (@MattKCTV5) and we are talking about his book The Walk-On: Inside Northwestern's Rise From Cellar Dweller To Big Ten Champ. Matt and I are both graduates of Northwestern University. While he played football on a championship team, I was on the field as a marching band drummer. There are a lot of football stories in the book, but our podcast focuses on the lifelong leadership lessons that come from the rise of Northwestern's program - how do we motivate people to tackle seemingly insurmountable challenges?

Matt's book website: www.MattStewartBooks.com.

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/152. 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.

151 - Karen Martin, "The Outstanding Organization"

Joining me for episode #151 is my friend Karen Martin, talking about her newly-released book The Outstanding Organization: Generate Business Results by Eliminating Chaos and Building the Foundation for Everyday Excellence. Karen is the founder of Karen Martin & Associates and she is previously the co-author of The Kaizen Event Planner: Achieving Rapid Improvement in Office, Service, and Technical Environments.

www.ksmartin.com

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/151. 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.

149 - Gregory Jacobson, MD, Kaizen in Emergency Medicine

My guest for episode #149 is Gregory Jacobson, MD, the co-founder and CEO at KaiNexus (www.KaiNexus.com). We'll be talking about his early work with Kaizen in emergency medicine settings - how did he get introduced to Kaizen principles and how did get train others in getting started?

Bio: Greg graduated from Washington University in St Louis in 1997 with a BS in Biology. He attended Baylor College of Medicine from 1997 to 2001. From 2001 to 2004, he completed a residency in Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he then stayed on as faculty. Starting in 2004, it was his observation and research of operational inefficiencies and unrealized improvement opportunities that resulted in the creation of a rudimentary software tool at VUMC and, ultimately, the founding of KaiNexus. Jacobson is co-author of Kaizen: A Method of Process Improvement in the Emergency Department published in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine.

Conflict of interest: I have been on the management team at KaiNexus since 2011 and I am a part owner.

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/149. 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.

KFWB Mark Graban

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150 - Jeffrey M. Lobosky, MD, "It's Enough to Make You Sick"

My guest for episode #150 is Jeffrey M. Lobosky, MD, the author of the book "It's Enough to Make You Sick: The Failure of American Health Care and a Prescription for the Cure." Dr. Lobosky talks about what he thinks is lacking in current healthcare reform efforts driven by Washington D.C. We talk about how he defines the crisis in healthcare - "why are things going bad?" After we diagnose the problem, what are some treatments, cures, or solutions?

To point others to this, use the simple URL: www.leanblog.org/150

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.

Colorado Today

Mark Graban on the radio show Colorado Today

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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