Lean and Leadership Blog
The Big F Word
The Big F Word! . . . No - not THAT one! . . . THIS one . . . FAILURE . . . As in one of our favorite Lean phrases: Fail Early. Fail Often. Fail Forward. My How to Coach Problem Solving students had some questions about how to build scope and engage business partners...
Don’t make this virtual meeting mistake (I did- and it was bad!)
We’re all leading through change right now, and that includes potentially making virtual meeting mistakes. Have you ever had experience or insight into something and not even realized it? It was your normal, so it didn’t register for you that it was new for others?...
Coach Problem Solving and Improvement
Do you ever find yourself stuck being the primary problem solver on the team? Do you wish you could develop expertise in the problem-solving skills of others? Not only do you need to teach the thinking and methodology behind problem solving, but you also need to...
Listen for Impact, Connect to Improve
Connection drives commitment. If we want to transition from managing compliance to inspiring commitment, we have to build more connection with our team members. The best way to create more connection is to Listen for Impact. Listening for Impact You know that casual...
The Feedback Formula: Get Desired Future Behavior
Giving effective feedback is one of the core skills leaders need to master, yet it’s often a skill that leaders struggle with. Purpose of Feedback The primary purpose of feedback is to get desired future behaviors. So often we get hung up on making a point, being...
Free Lean Leadership Training Resources
Today is my 40th birthday! How fitting that I get to be super generous and give you some new Lean Leadership Training Opportunities on my birthday. Scroll down to get the links. They’re completely FREE! It’s amazing how those milestone celebrations tend to bring about...
Transition from Managing Compliance to Inspiring Commitment: Lean Leadership Core
“There’s no crying in baseball!” It’s the iconic line in A League of Their Own when Coach Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) shouts in exasperation as one of his players bursts into tears. Although he had just yelled horribly derogatory judgments at her, he can’t believe that...
The Paralyzing Power of Fear
One year ago. That’s when I took the leap – transitioning from the corporate world to starting my own Lean leadership training, coaching, and consulting practice. This last year was full of highs, lows, and lots of learning. People often say that you are most prepared...
“There’s No Crying in Baseball”
The scene from “A League of Their Own” is one that most of us can recount on spot. A player begins crying, and Tom Hanks responds: “Are you crying? Are you crying? There’s no crying in baseball!” It’s like this in business, too. When in reality, business is personal....
How to Get More Meaningful Feadback
Taylor was trying to ask his people for feedback about the new workflow they were implementing. But mostly he heard crickets - except for the two guys that complained about everything. He really wanted meaningful feedback and input so he could support the team, but...
Meet Jamie
I’m a recovering Command-and-Control Manager who’s now on a mission to make the world of work more human. With a soft spot in my heart for Ops Managers, this Lean blog gives you the straight talk combining Lean, Leadership, and the real challenges of operations management.
