Episode 34: Behavior Is the Lean Advantage with Drew Locher
On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Dan Swartwout hosts two-time Shingo Prize winner Drew Locher. Their conversation covers lean-driven process improvement and team leadership. Drew believes that 80% of continuous improvement is behavioral. So, have you created a safe environment for your team? Do you avoid blame-and-shame language? And because change must be directional and done with purpose, are the reasons for change clearly outlined? Find out why these are keys to operational excellence.
Value stream mapping. Boom! PDCA. Of course! There are also some fun callbacks to previous episodes as Drew brings a new perspective to familiar themes. Did we mention that Drew is from the Philly area and trusts the process? You know this will be good.
In this episode, you will hear about:
0:46 - Drew's background
7:05 - Value stream mapping mistakes
13:18 - Why some leaders are reluctant to visit the Gemba
15:22 - Toyota Kata and PDCA
19:27 - Lean thinking outside of manufacturing
25:15 - Overcoming negative mindsets
31:43 - Creating the right work environment
35:27 - Leadership behaviors that drive continuous improvement
39:43 - Comparing leadership and management
42:01 - Unleashing The Power of 3P
49:31 - The Philadelphia Eagles
50:39 - Ideas about the future
Additional Resources:
Drew Locher at Change Management Associates
Drew Locher's Author Profile on Amazon
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Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram
Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn
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Host • MoreSteam
Dan Swartwout is the host of Quality Time with MoreSteam. A lifelong Central Ohio resident, Dan is a double Buckeye. He earned both a BA and a law degree from The Ohio State University. Before joining MoreSteam, Dan had a long career as a host, comedian, and master of ceremonies. For 17 years, Dan was the studio audience host for the Ohio Lottery game show Cash Explosion. Dan was also the host of CBuzz, which was a collaboration between the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, WWCD 92.9, and the Columbus Dispatch. On CBuzz, Dan interviewed some of the most prominent entrepreneurs in Central Ohio. From 2002-2020, Dan toured the country as a standup comedian. Tracks from his comedy CD have been played over 5,000 times on Sirius/XM satellite radio. Now, Dan brings his experience and enthusiasm to Quality Time with MoreSteam -- it's business and fun, together.
Managing Director • Change Management Associates
Drew is currently Managing Director for Change Management Associates. CMA provides various Business Improvement Consulting and Organizational Development services to industrial and service organizations. CMA will assist organizations to successfully implement Systems and Quality Management principles within their operations to improve business performance.
Since 1986, Drew has been working to implement innovative Business Management strategies in a wide spectrum of business environments. From 1986 to 1990 he worked to develop and deliver Business Improvement programs for General Electric. During this time, he had the opportunity to gain first hand experience in significant business improvement initiatives throughout a large industrial and service company. In 1990, Drew left GE to form CMA. CMA is a consortium of individuals who share a similar business management and improvement vision. They are committed to seeing innovative strategies implemented in all business environments. The CMA approach is practical and application oriented – a ‘learn as you’re doing and succeeding’ approach.
Since 2001, Drew has proudly been a faculty member of the Lean Enterprise Institute (LEI), the not-for-profit organization of the co-author of the landmark book “Lean Thinking”, James P. Womack. LEI is committed to educating organizations worldwide in the concepts of Lean through its publications and workshops. For more information check out the Lean Enterprise Institute Website. He is an approved instructor for the University of Michigan’s Toyota Kata and Lean Leadership programs, as well as a TWI Institute certified Job Instruction (JI) instructor.
In 2004, Drew Locher co-authored book titled, “The Complete Lean Enterprise – Value Stream Mapping for Office and Administrative Processes”. In April 2005, the book won the prestigious Shingo Prize for Excellence in Manufacturing. He published “Value Stream Mapping for Lean Development – a How-to Guide to Streamline Time to Market” in 2008. His book “Lean Office & Service Simplified: the Definitive How-to Guide” was a 2012 Shingo Prize recipient. His latest book is titled “Unleashing the Power of 3P”.
Bio and picture found here.
