Saturday, August 06, 2011

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.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

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.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

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.


Tuesday, July 19, 2011

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.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

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.


Thursday, June 30, 2011

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.


Thursday, June 23, 2011

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.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

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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Monday, May 30, 2011

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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Sunday, May 15, 2011

Herman Cain



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Sunday, May 08, 2011

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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Monday, April 04, 2011

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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Sunday, March 20, 2011

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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Monday, March 07, 2011

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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Monday, February 28, 2011

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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Sunday, February 27, 2011

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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Sunday, February 20, 2011

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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Wednesday, February 09, 2011

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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