KPI Fireside: A Continuous Improvement Podcast

4d ago

How do you build a continuous improvement culture that actually sticks, especially across large, complex organizations? In this episode, Keith Norris talks with Dan Barata , Corporate Director of Continuous Improvement at East Penn Manufacturing. With decades of experience across manufacturing, healthcare, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals, Dan shares why CI must start with people, not tools, and how leaders can create the space, safety, and opportunity for real improvement to happen. 🔻 How Dan’s early path in industrial engineering shaped his people-first approach to continuous improvement. 🔻 Why training alone does not equal empowerment and what leaders must do next. 🔻 The importance of building human connection before introducing process improvement. 🔻 How failing forward is different from simply failing and why not all failures are created equal. 🔻 Why standard work is the foundation for improvement and not the enemy of creativity. 🔻 How leaders can create psychological safety so people feel comfortable trying new ideas. 🔻 Why engagement and alignment matter as much as cost savings when measuring CI impact. 🔻 Dan’s guidance on utilization, capacity, and creating time for both improvement and people development. 🔻 Why coaching and mentoring matter more than running a few isolated improvement projects. 🔗 Connect with Dan Barata on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-j-barata-pe-mba/ 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere you get your podcasts.

Dec 8

How do you build resilience and continuous improvement into your life and work, no matter the challenge? In this episode, Keith Norris talks with Janine LeaBarrett , a governance and engineering leader whose career spans mining, construction, local government, and five seasons in Antarctica. From surviving a life-changing accident to leading teams in some of the harshest conditions on earth, Janine shares practical lessons on clarity, safety, and why continuous improvement matters everywhere. 🔻 How Janine became an electrician in a male-dominated field and developed a mindset for continuous improvement. 🔻 What five seasons in Antarctica taught her about teamwork, safety, and engineering in extreme conditions. 🔻 How surviving a major accident shaped her resilience and philosophy of “get on with it.” 🔻 Why she believes continuous improvement is essential in every industry. 🔻 Her leadership advice for new supervisors: seek input from everyone and ensure clarity. 🔻 Why the Five Whys remains her go-to problem-solving tool. 🔻 Why resilience matters: “If you can’t bounce back, you can’t get stronger.” 🔗 Connect with Janine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janineleabarrett0427244234/ 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 📘 Buy the book Impact : https://thatimpactbook.com/ 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere you get your podcasts.

Dec 1

What if the key to sustaining improvement has less to do with tools and more to do with the brain itself? In this episode, Keith Norris sits down with Chris Hayes , CEO of Impact Performance Solutions, Shingo Licensed Affiliate, ASQ Fellow, and author of Wired for Excellence: Harnessing Brain Science for Organizational Success . 🔻 Why improvement wins fade and how the Shingo Model strengthens sustainment 🔻 The brain science of change and how the amygdala triggers threat responses 🔻 Why logic alone never drives change and why people need safety and clarity 🔻 The five domains of the B.R.A.I.N. Model and how they shape culture 🔻 How leaders can reduce threat, spark reward responses, and boost engagement 🔻 How clarity, communication rhythms, and small wins support sustainment 🔗 Connect with Chris Hayes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiannahayes/ 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 🔗 Visit Impact Performance Solutions: https://impactperformancesolutions.com/ 📘 Buy "Wired For Excellence: Harnessing Brain Science For Organizational Success" on Amazon: https://a.co/d/e4mslDn 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere you get your podcasts.

Nov 24

What actually makes projects succeed — and why do so many fail before they even begin? In this episode, Keith sits down with Adriana Girdler , President & Chief Efficiency Officer at CornerStone Dynamics, Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, PMP, productivity expert, and one of the top project management voices in North America. With over 260K YouTube subscribers and 20+ years leading organizational transformation, Adriana breaks down what organizations get wrong about project work and why clarity, alignment, and methodology matter more than any tool. 🔻 Adriana’s unexpected start in productivity and PM (thanks, Franklin Planner) 🔻 Why “accidental project managers” are everywhere — and why they struggle 🔻 The real definition of a project: start date, end date, deliverable 🔻 Why technology is just a tool — not the solution to productivity 🔻 What every charter must include (and why it’s your navigation system) 🔻 The three levels of project roles: sponsors, steering committees & SMEs 🔻 How project managers must shift into strategic leadership roles 🔻 The danger of siloed work and why PMs must be the connective tissue 🔻 Why organizations unintentionally set teams up for failure 🔻 Project management in the age of AI — what changes, what doesn’t 🔗 Connect with Adriana Girdler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianagirdler/ 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 🔗 Visit CornerStone Dynamics: https://www.cornerstonedynamics.com/ 🔗 Explore the SLAY Project Management Course: https://adrianagirdler.thinkific.com/pages/slaypm 🔗 Learn about the SLAY Corporate Program: https://www.cornerstonedynamics.com/project-management-corporate-program/ 🔗 Watch Adriana’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AdrianaGirdler 🔗 Follow CornerStone Dynamics on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cornerstone-dynamics-inc/ 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere you get your podcasts.

Nov 17

What does it really take to build a culture of excellence? In this episode, Keith Norris sits down with Tina Agustiady , award-winning continuous improvement leader, author, and Vice President at J.P. Morgan Chase . With decades of experience leading Lean and Six Sigma transformations across major organizations, Tina shares what it means to create lasting improvement by putting people first. 🔻 Why culture, not tools, is the true foundation of Lean and Six Sigma success 🔻 How to make training programs hands-on, relevant, and results-driven 🔻 The role of emotional intelligence and humility in effective leadership 🔻 What companies get wrong about continuous improvement and how to fix it 🔻 How change management and empowerment fuel the next generation of leaders 🔻 Why continuous improvement is like breathing, if you stop, you will not last 🔗 Connect with Tina Agustiady on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-agustiady/ 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere you get your podcasts.

Nov 10

How can sustainability become more than a buzzword and drive real improvement? In this episode, Keith Norris sits down with Lorenzo Long , Sustainability Coordinator for Ogden City , to explore how cities can turn environmental goals into practical, measurable change. From energy efficiency to policy design, Lorenzo shares how small wins and smart framing create lasting impact. 🔻 How Ogden City is embedding sustainability into its long-term planning and daily operations 🔻 Why "framing" matters and how changing the language from sustainability to resilience builds buy-in 🔻 How to measure what matters with the KPIs behind Ogden’s Energy Wise Strategic Plan 🔻 Lessons from Weber State’s revolving sustainability fund that pays for itself 🔻 How small-scale tests like an electric vehicle pilot program can spark large-scale change 🔻 Why every organization, big or small, should start with one sustainability champion 🔗 Connect with Lorenzo Long on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenzolong/ 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere you get your podcasts.

Nov 3

What does it take to build a culture where improvement sticks? In this episode, Keith Norris sits down with Pete Gough , retired transformation leader and former head of Business Improvement at major mining organizations including Rio Tinto, Newcrest, and Goldfields. Over his decades-long career, Pete helped shape hundreds of improvement projects, mentored future leaders, and proved that true transformation starts with people, not tools. 🔻 Turning Lean, Six Sigma, and change leadership into one practical “MMA-style” approach to improvement 🔻 Why executive visibility and genuine engagement are the foundation for lasting cultural change 🔻 How to design training programs that grow future leaders, not just project managers 🔻 The role of business improvement teams in connecting strategy, operations, and people 🔻 How to quantify hard versus soft savings and set realistic, stretch targets for improvement 🔻 Lessons from leading CI across global mining sites and cultures 🔗 Connect with Pete Gough on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-gough-86b03617/ 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere you get your podcasts.

Oct 27

What makes improvement efforts succeed or fail? In this episode, Keith Norris sits down with Steve Burkle , Global Director of Operational Excellence, to explore the real factors that determine whether continuous improvement takes root or fades away. With more than 30 years leading OpEx transformations, Steve shares lessons learned from the front lines, what it takes to sustain change, develop problem solvers, and create a culture where improvement never stops. 🔺 Why listening, not lecturing, is the most underrated leadership skill in continuous improvement 🔺 How to turn daily management systems and tiered huddles into the backbone of a thriving CI culture 🔺 The difference between doing improvement to people and doing it with them 🔺 What separates quick-win projects from true operational excellence 🔺 How to measure what really matters, so data drives behavior, not just dashboards 🔗 Connect with Steve Burkle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-burkle-lssbb-11a08a78/ 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/ 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere you get your podcasts.