Blog

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...

Belief Drives Behavior in Leadership
As managers or Lean practitioners, we tend to be action-focused people. See a problem, fix a problem. And that bias for action is great as it drives continuous improvement and problem solving. So when someone starts talking about mindset - it may not be on the top of...

8 Tips to Transition from Problem Solver to Problem Solving Coach
I was pretty proud of myself. It didn’t matter what question a team member came to me with – I could almost always reply with an eloquent answer on the fly. It was like magic, and I thought I was fantastic! Boy, was I wrong. (Keep reading to find out how) Problem...