Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement

The Progress Paradox- The Danger of Starting Lean with 5S

While 5S is a powerful lean tool, improper implementation can reduce it to “cosmetic theater” and fuel employee resistance.

The Progress Paradox: What Does 'Good' Look Like After Years of Lean? (Lean Series, Part 3)

If you think problems disappear in mature lean organizations, you'd be wrong. What changes is how organizations react to those problems and how leaders' roles evolve. 

When Can We Say We Are Lean, Part 2: Promise and Pitfalls of Maturity Models

Has your organization fallen prey to the three threats of lean maturity models? Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer discuss maturity model risks in this episode of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement. 

Progress Paradox: When Can We Say We Are Lean? (Part 1)

Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer, hosts of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement, discuss why the question 'When can we say we are lean?' is so concerning. They discuss the three 'mindset violations' of this question and dig into the perspective of lean as a journey, not a destination. 

Does Standardized Work Stifle Creativity?

Standardized work is a baseline for improvement, "not a prison," says podcast cohost Dr. Mohamed Saleh in the latest episode of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement. 

Do Belt Certifications Help or Hurt Continuous Improvement Efforts?

Yellow belts. Green belts. Black belts. In this podcast episode, hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer continue their series exploring the difficult questions around lean, Six Sigma and continuous improvement, focusing their attention on the belt certification system and asking whether belts build expertise or simply create hierarchies. 

Lean or Six Sigma: the Progress Paradox

Podcast hosts Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer tackle a topic that drives a lot of passionate conversation. Is lean or Six Sigma the better improvement philosophy? One co-host argues it's a flawed debate while both weigh in on many organizations' woeful misunderstanding or misuse of lean and Six Sigma. 

The Progress Paradox: When Things Go Wrong, Who Is Really Responsible?

Hosts John Dyer and Dr. Mohamed Saleh discuss the responsibility for organizational problems, emphasizing that systems often drive behaviors and that leaders should focus on correcting structures rather than blaming individuals. They highlight structural components that include performance reviews, incentives, metrics, policies and decision-making processes.