Thomas West

As part of my monthly blog content, I am taking a small break from lean concepts and lean thinking. This month I wanted to cover one of the questions I frequently get, "How do you draft and publish a book?" At the time of this message, my fifth book is headed to press. This book is the second edition of Shingo Prize winning publication on Lean Leadership for Healthcare. If you are contemplating writing a book, please review my thoughts on how to get started and what you might consider as you proceed with the endeavor. Feedback always welcome! regards, Ron https://lnkd.in/gRuH3Kz

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📊 Are your HR teams facing alignment issues? You're not alone. Our recent webinar revealed that 45% of HR departments feel sidelined in strategic planning. Let's change that. Join us on September 17th in Columbus for a workshop that puts HR at the center of strategic discussions. With Work Excellence tools, you'll walk away ready to lead impactful conversations. Reserve your spot today! https://buff.ly/3yG1auR #HRLeadership #TeamAlignment #StrategicHR

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Attention healthcare change agents! 🚨🏥💉🩺 Join us for a focused Prosci 3-day certification program designed just for you - #healthcare leaders driving #transformation. November 12-14, 2024. Over the years, we've helped numerous healthcare leaders and teams navigate adoption and the people side of their most critical initiatives. Now, this unique event offers a special opportunity to optimize change outcomes in your fast-paced, unique sector. Taught by Rick Smith - who brings industry executive experience - you will not only apply the Prosci #ChangeManagement methodology and tools to one of your real initiatives, but you'll also spend 3-days learning together in a virtual classroom with peers from your sector, discussing your shared challenges and opportunities. Whether you’re dealing with new tech, evolving patient needs, or operational shifts - this program will equip you to lead with confidence and clarity - providing you with specialized research, instruction, and cases on top of already world-leading certification. Ready to accelerate change in healthcare? Link in the comments to learn more.

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I recently had an opportunity to speak with the ultimate interviewer Allison DeFord from Manufacturing Masters about a topic near and dear to my heart - the role of a Maintenance Planner. I would suggest that this role, more than any other, is pivotal to an organization's successful World Class Maintenance journey. Please take a listen, using the links in the post below, and let me know of your own experiences with planning in your maintenance department. It really can have such an impact to your OEE, efficiencies, waste, and, ultimately, your bottom line. It's worth the investment!

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A client recently shared, "Priorities change all the time and we never seem to finish anything." Managers who use a simple priority management approach realize greater impact and satisfaction. How well does your management development program address this and other truths? #behavaioralhealth #healthcaremanagement #management #leadership #privateequity #professionalservices

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Last week, Peter and I learned that our podcast received 1000 downloads, and we are still riding that wave of excitement. Let's keep the momentum going!!! 🙌🏼 Our latest episode is now live. You can listen here 👉🏽 https://bit.ly/dtpep28 or on your favorite podcast platform. #designthinkerpodcast #designthinking #designthinkers #podcast #podcastepisode #newepisodealert

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The three T’s. Achieving the right balance between cohesion/collaboration and critical thinking/accountability is key.

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Have you read the plan document for your 401k? Ok, that's a pretty big ask lol. How about the Summary Plan Description? Not sure what an SPD is? Here's a helpful link: https://lnkd.in/eC7ytXY4

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Thanks again to Hugh Alley for being a guest recently on my #Lean Blog Interviews podcast. I love hearing stories about how continuous improvement (kaizen) applies beyond the workplace—even in sports! Buffalo Bills Head Coach, Sean McDermott, uses the term "kaizen" to drive his team's culture of continuous improvement. This approach resonates deeply with the work we do in business and healthcare. In the recent discussion with Hugh, we reflected on the impact of removing toxic leadership. When a fear-driven supervisor or coach is replaced, it can feel like a collective sigh of relief across the team. Hugh shared a story from his own experience where the departure of a fear-inducing leader created room for new, previously suppressed leaders to step up. That space for growth is crucial for any team's success. Whether in sports or the workplace, removing a "bully" can lead to immediate performance improvements. But true, sustained change often requires deeper work. For example, in sports, where a team needs alignment on strategy—be it a fast-paced offense or a defensive trap system—organizations need a shared vision and common skills to thrive. Kaizen teaches us that continuous improvement happens when everyone is empowered and aligned, both on and off the field. #Lean #Kaizen #Leadership #ContinuousImprovement #Teamwork

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You need a unified vision and culture to make informed decisions and drive meaningful change. 🧭 Strong #StrategicPlanning creates an internal compass to redirect you when you get turned around. https://ow.ly/Qe5g50RcCNG

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🚀 It's just over a week away, the Lean Solutions Summit in Michigan!🚀 Transformation is more than a buzzword—it’s a journey. I'm thrilled to be presenting "Mastering Organizational Transformation: A Framework for Sustainment" at the summit next week! In this session, we’ll dive into: 🔑 Key principles for driving lasting change. 🛠 Practical tools and frameworks to sustain momentum. 💡 Real-world examples of overcoming transformation challenges. Whether you're navigating a major change or looking to elevate your organization's performance, this session is designed to equip you with actionable strategies for long-term success. Let’s move beyond short-term wins and build a culture of continuous improvement! By the way, there will be a world-class group of folks there sharing their combined centuries of experience in continuous improvement, including: Katie Anderson Patrick Adams Billy Ray Taylor Mike Rother Shayne Daughenbaugh Tilo Schwarz Nigel Thurlow 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇬🇧 Jeffrey Liker Chad Bareither Dave Kippen and many, many more! 📅 Don’t miss it! Hope to see you there! #OrganizationalTransformation #Leadership #ContinuousImprovement #Conference2024 #SustainingChange #LeanSolutionsSummit2024 #continuousimprovement #lean #leansixsigma #selfhelp #transformation #continuousimprovementculture #CEO #management #acilconsulting #achangeinlatitudeconsulting

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It's the report that made skills-software vendors and the pundits who shill for them very mad. All we did was ask basic questions like, "Is there any business justification for skills?" and "How is this different from the competency models HR pushed for so long?" We tell you the answers, in detail. Read it now. #skills #I4cp #SHRM #ATD #CSHRM https://lnkd.in/e6N9eEn3

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SIX STEPS TO BUILDING HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS IN MANUFACTURING STEP 3: MAXIMIMZE STRENGTHS Each team member brings unique skills. A key to a high-performing team is leveraging these individual strengths effectively. Underutilizing team members' strengths leads to inefficiencies, and often time disengagement. 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬  Take the time to understand each team member’s strengths and areas of expertise. Additionally, learn their areas of interest, and potential skill gaps. This discovery should occur both formally through documented reviews and 1-on-1’s, and informally through observation and casual conversations. 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 Assign tasks that align with these skills and strengths to maximize productivity and satisfaction. Also find opportunities to challenge individuals in areas of their interest. Both create confidence and worth for the team member. 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 Provide training sessions and workshops that help team members build upon their strengths, and to develop skills of necessity for the organization. Also build a mentoring program to help foster growth, and collaboration. Visualize a team where everyone works on tasks that play to their strengths. This alignment is not always easy, but worth the investment. In my experience, teams that focus on leveraging individual strengths achieve higher levels of success.  Team members feel valued when their skills are recognized and utilized effectively. 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮’𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭?  𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘅𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀. #Leadership #Manufacturing #TeamBuilding #HighPerformance #MaximizeStrengths --- ♻️ Repost if you find it useful ✚ Follow me, hit the 🔔 icon. You'll get notified on my next post.

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🎉 Big Milestone Alert! 🎉 The Improvement Nerds Podcast just hit 5,000 listens! We are beyond grateful to each and every listener who has tuned in, nerded out, and joined us on this journey to explore all things improvement. Your support, curiosity, and passion for continuous learning are what keep this community growing! A huge thank you to our insightful guests for sharing their stories, experiences, and tools for tackling tough challenges and creating meaningful change. And a special shoutout to my fellow Improvement Nerds – you inspire us daily with your commitment to making processes better, more effective, and, yes, even a little bit nerdier! Here’s to many more episodes, amazing guests, and, of course, a few more nerdy nuggets along the way. 🥂 If you haven’t listened yet, now’s a perfect time to join us on the journey! Check out our latest episodes and let us know which topics or guests you’d love to hear next. Your feedback means the world to us! #ImprovementNerds #PodcastMilestone #ContinuousImprovement #ThankYou

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Prepare for the Fall to develop ALL levels of leaders. Connections Leadership Journey® Facilitator Certification can transform your culture! Join us from July 2-4, 2024, to become a Certified Facilitator and lead impactful leadership training. Check out this link to Learn more today! https://buff.ly/3x2qgDE #ConnectionsLeadershipJourney #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamBuilding #ProfessionalGrowth #LeadershipTraining #TransformativeLeadership #Empowerment #SuccessJourney

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Part of our “Why” at NIGP Code & Consulting. A core part of our mission is to help public sector entities learn how to implement best practices in their operations. Interested in how we can help? Contact me directly or email nigpconsulting.com #Procurement #Consulting #BestPractices

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I'm always getting asked what lean is about🤔, explain lean simply.🎓 Its not hard to explain it simply, it's a pretty simple concept, it's about only one thing.📈 #leadershipexcellence #leadership #improvement #manycapsconsulting #waste #lean #Continuousimprovement #principles #flow

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Lean is boring. Let’s be honest, unless you chose it as a career (like myself) or just have a passion for it, endlessly talking about processes, workflows, and efficiencies might seem like the last thing on a never-ending list of priorities. I mean who wants to dive deep into the nitty-gritty of how things are done day after day? It’s far more exciting to brainstorm bold ideas or chase after the latest trends. But here’s the truth: the foundation of any successful organization lies in its processes. While it may not be the most thrilling topic, embracing lean principles is essential for fostering innovation and driving sustainable growth. When we take the time to refine our processes, we’re not just optimizing; we’re creating a culture of continuous improvement. This allows teams to focus on what truly matters—delivering value to our customers and enhancing our products and services. So, while the talk of lean methodologies might not light a fire in everyone’s heart, it’s a necessary ingredient for success to keep your organization moving forward so you can keep those brilliant ideas coming! #LeanThinking #ContinuousImprovement #BusinessExcellence #ProcessOptimization #Innovation

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