Lean Whiskey

Affordable Bourbon, Halloween, Air Travel, Six Sigma, and Lean as a 2nd Job

Episode page
In Episode 9 of Lean Whiskey, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh link up on Halloween night to share a drink and ideas about lean. We discuss air travel, which we both experience in volume, and taste affordable whiskeys under $35.  We both agree handing out whiskey for Halloween would be a bad idea. 
In the news, we discuss an article exploring the rise and fall of Six Sigma, and its relationship to GE. This is a topic that could keep us going for a few episodes, but we focus on how too much focus on the superficial can be an equal detriment to lean and Six Sigma. We also explore the difference between a set of tools and a management system. 
Our reader question is quite interesting, exploring the challenge of integrating lean into your “day job” instead of treating it like a side job. And we close out with a little more under “get to know us” as we discuss our first jobs. 
Jamie’s selection, Legent.
Expertly distilled by 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe and then refined by world-renowned Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo (of Suntory). Suntory bought Jim Beam. Using Jim Beam bourbon, some is aged in sherry or red wine casks, and then blended with Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Jamie purchased it for $34.95.
Mark’s selection, coming in at a respectable $21, is Larceny Wheated Bourbon.
This 92 proof product from Heaven Hill Distillery has a mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. This is considered an ingredient in the “Poorer Man’s Pappy” from the book Hacking Whiskey, with 67% Maker’s Mark Cask Strength and 33% Larceny. For more on wheated bourbon, check out this article. 
Jamie’s preferred airline program on Delta.
Mark’s required airline program, American Airlines, since he lives in Dallas. 
The article we discuss, What happened to Six Sigma?, from Quartz.
ASQ’s stated connection between Six Sigma and cost savings.
Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or at leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or at jflinch.com/leanwhiskey

Lean Gin! And ”Chummy Lean Chat” About PDCA; More Pet Peeves; The Funniest Thing...

 Episode page: http://leanblog.org/whiskey8
We have a new guest host for Episode #8 of Lean Whiskey. I'm joined by my friend and colleague Cristal Totterman and we're drinking gin today on her recommendation... so this is "Lean Gin."
We're also enjoying what Cristal calls "chummy Lean chat" -- something we've enjoyed at conferences and when working together at her hospital a few years back.
 Other than chatting about gin and tonic, we discuss two articles -- one about PDCA and one about robotic tails. Yes, we manage to connect that latter article to Lean. We share some Lean pet peeves, even though the issues are more significant than peeves. Oh, and we share the funniest thing that's happened to us in the course of process improvement, although you can be the judge about how funny those stories are.
 
Episode #8 Show Links:
Here are some links from the show: 
Our libations
Cristal: Hendrick's Gin with Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic Water (and simple syrup and lemon)
Mark: Old St. Pete Tropical Gin with Fever Tree Refreshingly Light Indian tonic water
Article #1: “ISN'T PDCA ENOUGH? WHY DO WE ALWAYS NEED TO COMPLICATE THINGS?” – By Michael Ballé
Lean Pet Peeves?
Mark: A3 problem solving with poor root cause analysis (two whys, five random whys)
See this cartoon
Cristal: Wasting time improving that which should not exist (robotic tails??) and creating standardized just for the sake of having standardized work
Article #2: “Robotic tail for humans was inspired by seahorses” – CNN
What's the funniest thing that's happened to you in process improvement?
Cristal: “Hit me baby one more time”
Mark: “You're the time study man!”
Not mentioned in the podcast: a blog post that Cristal wrote for LeanBlog.org
Check out the podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or at leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or at jflinch.com/leanwhiskey 
Please review us and subscribe in your favorite podcast directory or platform.
 

The Current State of Lean; Sharing Whiskey Samples; Bringing Lean Home

Episode page http://www.leanblog.org/whiskey7
Today, Jamie and Mark share whiskey samples from each other's collections and talk about some recent work projects. They explore whether you should bring Lean home, and apply it "with" (not "to"???) your spouse or family. Is Lean about efficiency when it comes to your home, or your marriage? What is the purpose? We also question whether the author was really doing any Lean, or just having fun with spreadsheets. 
We then explore Josh Howell's (newly minted President of the Lean Enterprise Institute) open question to the community about the current state of the lean management movement. To some degree, Mark and I reject the premise of the question, and we explain why, and we also do our best to answer it. We finish this episode sharing our recent favorite non-Lean, non-fiction books. 
Episode #7 Show Links:
Here are some links from the show: 
Pendleton's Director's Reserve 20 Year Blended Canadian Whisky from Bounty Hunter that Jamie shared with Mark
Garrison Brothers Balmorhea Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey that Mark shared with Jamie
The NY Times article on auditing your life, apparently influenced by Lean
Email us a reader mail question at leanpodcast@gmail.com
LEI's question on the current state of Lean management 
Book recommendations: House of Morgan, Titan, Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, Moneyball, The Big Short 
Check out the podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or at leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or at jflinch.com/leanwhiskey 
 

Remembering Lee Iacocca, and Ross Perot; Speyside Scotch

Episode page -- http://www.leanblog.org/whiskey6
 After the last episode with guest host Paul Critchley, I'm once again joined by Jamie Flinchbaugh for another "Lean Whiskey" podcast.
In Episode 6 of Lean Whiskey, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh explore two icons as leaders and the impact they’ve had. Lee Iacocca and Ross Perot passed away recently, and we explore their impact on their companies and most importantly, on people. 
We also enjoy a couple of Speyside single malt whiskeys, Jamie’s from Glenrothes and Mark’s from Balvenie. These are two different scotches but between both being from Speyside and both having sherry-cask maturing, they share some similarities. 
Our listener question asked us to discuss the need for true humility in leadership that really values the people at the Gemba and how this naturally adds more value to the whole enterprise. After discussing this, we close by talking about our favorite non-lean podcasts. Visit http://www.leanblog.org/whiskey6 for links and more.
Here are some links from the show: 
Jamie's Glenrothes Whisky Maker's Cut from Bounty Hunter 
Mark's Balvenie Triple Cask 16
Jamie's tribute to Lee Iacocca in IndustryWeek
Mark's blog post on both Iacocca and Perot  
Article where Perot said GM was like a blanket of fog 
Perot's contributions to the Dallas area 
Email us a reader mail question at leanpodcast@gmail.com
No Bull podcast about legendary Silicon Valley coach Bill Campbell 
Up First podcast by NPR 
Find the podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or at leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or at jflinch.com/leanwhiskey 
 

Lean Transformation, Automation, and Pet Peeves; Old Smokey & Rabbit Hole,

http://www.leanblog.org/whiskey5 
Joining me today is a guest host, my friend Paul Critchley. Paul has been a guest blogger here on LeanBlog.org. A few months back, we also collaborated to host a "Measures of Success" workshop in Massachusetts. We had some whiskey together after the workshop so we're doing the same here in the podcast.
In today's episode, we talk about whiskeys from places we visited recently. We'll get into meatier issues related to Lean transformation, automation, leadership, and the future of jobs. Then, we whine about a few pet peeves (actually, Paul's was far more substantive).
Whiskeys — Theme: A place you've visited recently
Paul: Ole Smoky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from Gatlinburg, TN Aged 4 years in white oak barrels
Mark: Rabbit Hole Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in PX Sherry Casks
Mark can't help talking about layout, flow, and the value stream…
In the news:
Mark introduces this article — not really news, but a good piece from The Lean Post (Lean Enterprise Institute)
“How Are You Supporting Your Own Lean Transformation?” by Dr. Lisa Yerien of Cleveland Clinic
Lean Pet Peeves
The airing of the Lean grievances… it's Lean Festivus, LOL
Mark:
Jamie and I have both talked about “LEAN” in all caps before… 
I'll add articles that say “lean Six Sigma” where Six Sigma is capitalized like a proper noun, but lean is not. I asked the editor of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers about this inconsistency and he pointed to the AP Style Guide or something. So, that's a form of “standard work” but does the publication really have to follow it?
Paul — a more substantive issue
Lean failure rates
Paul's blog post about this
Back to the news
Paul introduces this article from IndustryWeek
“No, Automation Is Not Causing a Decline in Workers' Income“
Fun question – what's a non-Lean podcast you really like?
Paul — The Crime Junkie Podcast
Mark — Dan Le Batard Show – ESPN, but not really sports
Paul's website and firm
Ask us a question for future blog posts. Send an email to leanpodcast@gmail.com
 

Nikka Whisky, Performance Reviews, KPIs, More Lean Pet Peeves

Show notes: http://leanblog.org/whiskey4
In Episode 4 of Lean Whiskey, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh (and a cameo from his cat Rocco), join forces to enjoy a casual conversation -- mostly about lean and a little bit about whiskey.
We recap Mark's recent trip to Louisville, including our friends at Glenns Creek Distillery, before tipping our glasses with Japanese whiskey, both from Nikka. Jamie is tasting the Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt, named after the father of Japanese whiskey, Masataka Taketsuru. Mark is tasting the Nikka Coffey Malt, named after the Coffey Still. 
While also covering topics like our “lean pet peeves” and binge-watching shows, we talked about benchmark data and its purpose for driving improvement. In our Lean in the News segment, we look at benchmarking data both from IndustryWeek's Best Plants competition, as well as national healthcare safety data. We explore that there are no standards for these metrics, and ask whether it really matters. 
In our Reader Mail segment, we explore Dr. Deming's Point 12: “abolishment of the annual or merit rating and of management by objective.” Is this lean? Can reviews be lean? What would make them fit better in a lean environment? 
Here are some links from the show: 
We once again talked about our friend David Meier of Glenns Creek Distillery
We both sampled whisky from Nikka 
Jamie tried the Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt
Mark had the Nikka Coffey Malt 
IndustryWeek's article on the Best Plant's performance KPIs
The Boston Globe's article on Getting an accurate count on medical errors
Dr. Deming's 14 Points for Management 
Email us a reader mail question at leanpodcast@gmail.com
Check out the podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or at leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or at jflinch.com/leanwhiskey 

Kentucky Ryes, Surgical Behavior, Lean & Robots, Pet Peeves

https://www.leanblog.org/whiskey3
The first guest host joining me is my friend Chris Burnham. Chris is also an experienced Lean practitioner and leader, and we've talked about Lean over whiskey in person (at last year's KaiNexus User Conference).
We chat about what we're sipping (Kentucky rye whiskeys), discuss two articles from the news, and we answer a listener question. We also added a short segment called “Lean Pet Peeves.” Jamie will be back next episode.
Chris Burnham and Mark Graban start Episode 3 by telling listeners how they met and a little bit about the experience Chris has with Lean in multiple settings.
We chat about the very different Kentucky Rye Whiskeys they are drinking and they move on to topics in the news, covering surgeon behavior and patient outcomes, along with robots and workers in a Lean context.
We also answered a listener question about “communities of practice.”
Here are links to what we discussed:
Chris's Lean Leadership Podcast
Whiskeys
Chris: Basil Hayden's Caribbean Reserve Rye
Mark: Michter's Single Barrel Rye
News:
“When Surgeons Are Abrasive To Co-Workers, Patients' Health May Suffer“
Journal article from JAMA
“Lean and Robots: Dynamic Duo or Disruptive Disaster?“
Listener question:
“Discuss the value of having a network or community of practice in and outside your current organization.”
Ask us a question for future blog posts. Send an email to leanpodcast@gmail.com

Glenns Creek Distilling, GE, Boeing, Danaher, and More

Episode page: http://www.leanblog.org/whiskey2
In Episode 2 of Lean Whiskey, we're exploring the one true “lean thinking” driven whiskey of Glenns Creek Distillery, by The Toyota Way Fieldbook author David Meier. We also explore lean news covering GE, Danaher, and Boeing, before answering our listener question about production quotas and standards. We end with a final fun question about our favorite lesser-known lean thinkers.
We start by thanking the listeners of Episode 1 who shared their response to hearing the program.
We continue by exploring the one true “lean thinking” driven whiskey of Glenns Creek Distillery, by The Toyota Way Fieldbook author David Meier. We also explore lean news covering GE, Danaher, and Boeing, before answering our listener question about production quotas and standards. We end with a final fun question about our favorite lesser-known lean thinkers.
Here are links to what we discussed:
Glenns Creek Distillery
Founder David Meier's book, The Toyota Way Fieldbook
Larry Culp goes to GE
“Claims of Shoddy Production Draw Scrutiny to a Second Boeing Jet,” and Mark's blog post about the article
Kaplan and Johnson's Relevance Lost
H. Thomas Johnson's Profit Beyond Measure
Don Wheeler's Understanding Variation
Ask us a question for future blog posts. Send an email to leanpodcast@gmail.com

Our Lean Whiskey Debut; Fiat Chrysler Plan; Getting Started with Lean

Recorded April 14, 2019 -- Mark and Jamie chat out their hopes for the podcast, “lean coffee,” a news story about a Fiat Chrysler plant, a reader question about getting started with lean, and more.
In the very first episode of Lean Whiskey, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh, longtime friends, lean thinkers, and whiskey enthusiasts, join forces to enjoy a casual conversation — mostly about lean and a little bit about whiskey.
In Episode 1, which we labeled as a “wet run” instead of a “dry run”, we share some of our joint interests, explore our whiskey choices, react to an article about lean in the news, and take a listener question. What follows are some topics and relevant links:
Mark and Jamie both attended MIT's Leaders for Manufacturing program, now rebranded as Leaders for Global Operations
Mark shared his selection for non-Kentucky American whiskey as Garrison Brothers — the award-winning Balmorhea release
Jamie shared his Wyoming Whiskey Outryder
Mark and Jamie discussed this article about the Toledo Jeep factory
Ask us a question for future blog posts. Send an email to leanpodcast@gmail.com