Shingo Principles Podcast

What does it take to create lasting improvement—not just better numbers? In this episode, Danilo Rodriguez Santos, maintenance leader at Vale, shares how the company’s railway maintenance operation in São Luís, Brazil, used the Shingo Model to connect systems, leadership, and people on its journey to receiving Shingo Silver in 2025.
 
Danilo explores how active listening, leadership humility, direct observation, and a focus on behaviors helped engage employees and build a culture capable of sustaining results. He also shares practical insights into developing systems, using KPIs and KBIs, and creating an environment where people feel em...

What does it really mean to respect every individual—and how can leaders turn that principle into everyday practice? In this episode, Josh McEwan, manufacturing research and development director at O.C. Tanner, shares lessons from the organization’s transformation and his own leadership journey.

Josh explains how listening to employees, removing obstacles, welcoming diverse perspectives, and giving people ownership can strengthen trust, collaboration, and results. Through candid stories of successes and mistakes, he shows why respectful leadership requires humility, honest feedback, and a genuine commitment to understanding the experiences of others.

To learn more, plea...

In this Back to Basics episode, Shaun Barker welcomes Virginia Cosgriff, Operational Excellence Director at McGough, for a conversation about transformation, leadership, and continuous improvement across industries.

Virginia began her career in healthcare before bringing her industrial engineering expertise to construction. Along the way, she's been "sneakily" applying the Shingo Model to strengthen culture and improve performance. Now, she's helping guide McGough on its formal Shingo Challenge journey.

Discover how timeless principles can create lasting results—whether you're caring for patients, building hospital wings, or leading organizational transformation.

To learn more, please visit ht...

Unlock the power of leadership style in shaping the culture and performance of your organization. In this episode, we sit down with Alisha Garrett, Chief Enterprise Strategy Officer at Utah Transit Authority, to explore how a leader’s approach influences their teams, their systems, and the overall organizational environment.

Alisha shares practical insights from her executive experience—highlighting the connection between leadership behaviors, strategic alignment, and the cultural outcomes that follow. Whether you're a seasoned leader or developing your leadership journey, this conversation offers valuable takeaways you can apply today.

🎧 Listen now and elevate your leaders...

In this session, innovation excellence experts Norbert Majerus and Brian Abraham explore how the Shingo Model extends beyond Lean, serving as a powerful framework for building cultures where creativity and innovation thrive. Challenging the common belief that Lean stifles innovation, the presenters share insights and experiences that reveal the true barrier: organizational culture. After uncovering how fear of failure, misaligned leadership, and rigid processes often limit innovation, they reveal how the Shingo Model helps overcome these obstacles.

In addition to highlighting practical strategies to foster psychological safety, empower employees at every level, and encourage experimentation through low-risk...

Discover why culture change often fails—and what it takes to make it stick. Based on the book Leading Enterprise Excellence, this episode uncovers how aligning purpose, engaging people, and executing the right systems can drive sustainable results. You'll explore some of the Shingo Model’s powerful insights into how systems shape behavior and learn practical strategies for building a culture where continuous improvement thrives. Join us, and find out how to turn ideal behaviors into lasting organizational excellence.

 To learn more, please visit https://shingo.org. 

This session explores one organization's evolution from industry excellence to Shingo maturity—and ultimately organizational mastery. Participants will examine distinct phases of excellence: industry excellence establishes credibility through measurable performance—quality, delivery, cost, and customer satisfaction—while Shingo excellence deepens that foundation by aligning principles, systems, and behaviors, creating cultural stability and sustainable results by leveraging the Shingo Guiding Principles.
 
But maturity is not the endpoint. As organizations grow in scale and complexity, excellence must continue to evolve. This session introduces five transformational principles that define mastery: contributing to society, embedding a philosophy, designing for experience, driving innovat...

In this episode, we explore why sustainable continuous improvement depends less on tools and more on people. Using The Gund Company as a case study, we trace its two-decade journey from Lean tool adoption to a deeply embedded, people-centered system grounded in the Shingo Model.

You’ll hear how leaders shifted from driving compliance to developing people—integrating respect, humility, and listening with practices like A3 problem-solving and meaningful gemba engagement. The result? World-class engagement and quality, sustained 15% annual growth, and a culture where people know their contributions matter.

For more information, please visit https://shin...

Health care organizations are entering a period of significant disruption following the passage of H.R. 1, with deep Medicaid cuts, tighter eligibility requirements, and growing administrative complexity reshaping the care landscape—especially for safety-net providers. This moment raises a critical leadership challenge: how to continue delivering high-quality, safe, and accessible care while doing more with fewer resources.

This webinar explores why Lean thinking is no longer optional, but essential, in navigating today’s turbulence and building long-term resilience. Drawing on lessons from past disruptions and real-world examples from leading health systems, we will examine how principle-based Lean fram...

In this episode of the Shingo Back to Basics podcast, Peter Barnett and Nigel Thurlow dive deep into the intersection of technology, Lean practices, and the Shingo Model—and how these elements drive sustainable excellence.
Nigel shares two powerful insights:

“If you can’t see it, you can’t fix it.”
Why is visibility the foundation for solving problems?

“Lean has no tools, only behaviors.”
What does that mean for leaders and organizations?

Tune in to uncover how making problems visible and focusing on behaviors—not just tools—can transform your organization...

In this engaging session, Rolando Vargas, Global Director of Organizational Excellence and researcher of NeuroExcellence, reveals how modern management systems can be strengthened by applying insights from neuroscience, neuroeducation, and the Shingo Model. His central message is clear: organizations perform at the speed of human cognition, and leaders can dramatically improve results by designing systems that work with the brain rather than against it.

Rolando explains how stress, uncertainty, and overload limit performance, while clarity, trust, autonomy, and meaningful feedback accelerate learning and execution. Participants will explore practical concepts such as SCARF-based communication, motivation hygiene, cognitive load...

Based on the article “From Observing to Owning: A New Generation’s Perspective on Leading Huddles” by Mark McKenzie and Andrew Martyn, this podcast explores how empowering a Gen Z team member to lead daily huddles transformed them from routine check-ins into meaningful developmental experiences.

Andrew shares his journey from passive observation to active leadership and reflects on how trust, humility, and respect can make huddles engaging, productive, and connected. By contrasting previously experienced ineffective huddles with a more inclusive and purposeful approach, he demonstrates how clear intent and ownership can energize a team’s daily rhythm.

The...

In this episode, Shaun Barker and Mike Martyn explore what it truly means for organizations to redefine excellence. They emphasize that mastery requires a continuous willingness to challenge the status quo—breaking what exists, rebuilding it better, and constantly reimagining the future while honoring the past. As companies push beyond traditional benchmarks, they may find themselves charting a path few have walked before.

Shaun and Mike highlight how the Shingo Model offers a timeless foundation for this journey, providing principles that guide growth without locking organizations into rigid behaviors. They encourage listeners to evolve, innovate, and embrace th...

We kick things off with a fundamental question:
If Lean thinking works so well, why aren’t more organizations doing it—and how does the Shingo Model fit into the picture?

Our guest, Ravi Uppal, Sr. Manager at Apple Inc., shares his perspective in this quick conversation you won’t want to miss.

To learn more about the Shingo Model, please visit https://shingo.org.

Peter Barnett and Lacey Garner, Circana, dive into the uncomfortable but essential topic of failure—what it teaches us, how it shapes us, and why it’s a necessary part of growth. Whether you're leading a team, improving a process, or navigating personal challenges, failure is often the first step toward excellence.

To learn more please visit https://shingo.org.

Join members of the Future of People at Work community for a dynamic panel discussion exploring how diverse improvement philosophies can come together to create stronger, more resilient organizations. Drawing on insights from thought leaders such as Shigeo Shingo, Eli Goldratt, and Ryuji Fukuda, the panel will discuss how integrating methods like design for manufacture, total productive maintenance, and design of experiments can drive innovation and shape the future of improvement, technology, and the way we work.

To learn more about the Shingo Model, please visit https://shingo.org

Lean organizations often struggle with declining performance and engagement over time. Solving this requires more than a reductionist approach—it calls for a holistic view of how systems interact and shape new behaviors.

In this episode, Ana will share insights from 15 years of Shingo Prize recipient analysis, highlighting the top 10 systems organizations are prioritizing to achieve not only enterprise excellence but also ecosystem excellence. 

Whether you’re a leader, practitioner, researcher, or simply curious about navigating complexity, we invite you to join this session and explore how organizations can become more dynamic, adaptable, and sustainable.

...

In this episode, we explore why organizational transformation so often falls short — and how the Shingo Model® provides a roadmap for lasting, principle-driven change. We break down how leaders connect strategy, systems, and culture by creating urgency, translating intent into daily behaviors, measuring success differently, and embedding alignment into everyday work. Whether you’re a senior leader, change agent, or improvement professional, this conversation offers practical insights to drive transformation that truly sticks.

To learn more, please visit https://shingo.org/articles.

In this engaging podcast, Dr. Peter Hines explores how digitization and the Shingo approach can work together to drive meaningful transformation—a topic gaining momentum in both industry and academia. Based on global research supported by the Shingo Institute®, Dr. Hines shares insights from over 1,000 industry responses across 66 countries. The findings reveal a lack of consistent understanding around Lean Industry 4.0 terminology and a tendency to repeat past Lean mistakes by overlooking leadership, engagement, and behavioral competencies. While Lean Industry 4.0 is often pursued for efficiency and cost savings, its long-term value depends on integrating cultural and leadership principles. Dr. Hines emp...

In today’s session Brittany Ogden and Shaun Barker, who oversee the Shingo assessment process will talk about the Shingo Challenge—what it is, who’s eligible, and how to prepare.

The Shingo Prize is a prestigious recognition of organizational excellence, grounded in cultural transformation and principle-based behavior. Unlike traditional assessments, Shingo examiners evaluate how deeply the Shingo Guiding Principles are embedded in daily operations. Brittany and Shaun walk us through the eligibility process, including the results documentation.

We also highlight the importance of early conversations—some organizations begin planning two years in advance. Whether or not y...

Today’s podcast explores how leaders can thrive in a Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous (VUCA) environment by embracing adaptive, principle-based leadership rooted in the Shingo Model™. Drawing on insights from the book Leading Excellence, the episode introduces the concept of the “5 Hats of the Adaptive Leader”—Inspire, Coach, Teach, Support, and Direct—as practical tools to guide leaders in responding effectively to different situations. It emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s own core belief system, as well as those of others, to foster emotional intelligence and ideal behaviors. Leaders must shape culture intentionally, align systems to drive desired behavi...

In today’s episode, we’re exploring a foundational yet often overlooked element of continuous improvement: psychological safety. It's the belief that team members can speak up—about mistakes, concerns, and ideas—without fear of punishment. And it’s not just a “nice-to-have”—it’s a must-have for any organization striving to learn and grow.

Drawing insights from The Mistakes That Make Us and the powerful principles of the Shingo Model, we’ll unpack how leading organizations like Toyota create cultures where mistakes become opportunities—not for blame, but for learning and improvement.

To learn more, please visit htt...

Achieving the Shingo Prize or reaching the highest levels of the Shingo Behavioral Scale is a remarkable accomplishment—but it’s not the final destination. The real question is: what comes next?

In this episode, we explore the shift from maturity to mastery in organizational excellence. Maturity brings stability and best practices, but mastery breaks boundaries, redefines industries, and sets new standards. Drawing inspiration from the Japanese concept of Takumi—a lifelong pursuit of perfection—we’ll uncover three key steps to move beyond sustaining excellence and into pioneering innovation.

If you’re ready to push past be...

In this podcast, Robert Martichenko, Shingo Publication recipient and chair of TrailPath Workplace Solutions and founder of LeanCor Supply Chain Group will discuss how we need to truly believe that respect and improvement in our work can be guiding principles for organizational decisions, leadership behaviors, and team member participation. Listeners will learn how an employment environment is elevated through a clear commitment to every team member inside the organization. 

To learn more, please visit https://shingo.org/articles. 

In this podcast, Peter Barnett, Director of Executive Education at the Shingo Institute will cover how coaching can transform your organization’s culture and drive lasting change. In the fast-paced world of continuous improvement, simply teaching problem-solving skills isn’t enough. Coaching is the key to empowering employees, fostering accountability, and unlocking their full potential.

We’ll explore effective coaching techniques that build problem-solving capabilities, encourage collaboration, and create a culture of learning. Learn how to coach for skill development, reinforce new behaviors, and keep teams aligned with organizational goals.

To learn more about the Shingo...

In this podcast Cheryl Jekiel, a Shingo Faculty Fellow, redefines sustainable learning by addressing why traditional training often fails. With more than 25 years of experience, she highlights key challenges like vague goals and misaligned leadership. Cheryl introduces a practical tool that clarifies expectations, breaks skills into steps, and aligns them with organizational systems. She emphasizes active engagement, coaching, and practice to bridge the gap between training and performance. She emphasizes that by fostering communities of practice and embedding new behaviors into routines, organizations can build lasting capabilities. Attendees gain actionable insights to create a culture of learning that drives...

In this podcast we will be learning from Jay Timms, a seasoned organizational psychologist on "Unleashing Employee Potential: The Key to Organizational Success." In this session, Jay will explore the critical disconnect between how leaders perceive their company culture and how employees actually experience it, shedding light on the significant impact this gap has on productivity and talent retention. Drawing from his expertise, Jay will discuss why many organizations still rely on outdated management principles that prioritize system efficiency over human potential. He'll reveal how this misalignment is costing businesses and explain the importance of understanding the brain-engagement connection...

In this podcast we explore the core idea that behavior change, not belief change, drives Lean transformation. Arnoud Herremans and Norbert Majerus explain how altering the environment to support new behaviors fosters Lean thinking.

Using examples from Goodyear's Innovation Centers, the session demonstrates how coaching leaders and creating collaborative systems led to significant improvements. Practical strategies like Lean problem-solving, gemba walks, and role modeling will be discussed, showing how to build a Lean-friendly culture that promotes sustainable results.

Attendees will gain tools to create environments where Lean behaviors—and ultimately, Lean thinking—can thrive.

 I...

The Shingo Model promotes a culture of respect for every individual, with leadership rooted in humility. Gary Peterson of O.C. Tanner exemplifies this through his leadership, which has been the subject of research by Helen Zak, who is the Research Director at the Shingo Institute, Peter Hines, who is a Shingo Faculty Fellow and Shingo Academy Member, and Juliana Salvadorinho, who is working with the Institute as a research assistant. Their study focuses on O.C. Tanner as a Shingo Prize recipient site and investigates Gary's leadership effectiveness over the past 37 years, emphasizing four key leadership systems at...

In this podcast Jacob Raymer, a Shingo Faculty Fellow and Shingo Academy Member, delves into the transformative power of Key Behavioral Indicators, known as KBIs, in driving predictive success. In today's dynamic business landscape, understanding and leveraging KBIs can provide organizations with a competitive edge, enabling them to anticipate challenges, optimize processes, and achieve sustainable growth. In this podcast learn: 1) The fundamentals of Key Behavioral Indicators and their significance in predictive analytics. 2) Strategies for identifying and implementing KBIs within your organization. 3) Real-world case studies demonstrating the successful application of KBIs. 4) Practical tips for integrating KBIs into your existing performance...

In this podcast learn the steps necessary to Challenge for the Shingo Prize. The Shingo Prize is based on a complete assessment of an organization’s culture and how well it drives world-class results. Most organizations do not wait to challenge for the Shingo Prize until they are likely to achieve it. Rather, they use their challenge as part of their progression to guide their journey of continuous improvement. Listen to this podcast to learn more about the process or visit https://shingo.org/awards/challenge-for-the-shingo-prize. You may also email our team at brittney.ogden@usu.edu or shaun.bar...

Join us for an engaging podcast as we explore the transformative power of cultivating a culture that learns from mistakes, ultimately driving continuous improvement and innovation, leading to greater success! Renowned author Mark Graban will draw upon examples from a diverse array of companies, including industry titans like Toyota and agile software startups such as KaiNexus.
 
 During this session, participants will gain valuable insights into the experiences of CEOs and other leaders, regardless of company size, who have adeptly turned mistakes into opportunities for growth and advancement. While these leaders remain vigilant in error prevention, they recognize th...

The business world faces profound change. Technological advancements such as the advent of AI, the arrival of a new generation of employees, and rapidly changing customers are just a few of the challenges confronting organizations of tomorrow. Join this podcast to learn more about the Future of People at Work Symposium designed to provide an understanding of these changes, foster discussion on their implications, and generate actionable ideas to create future workplaces with people at the center.

To learn more about the symposium scheduled for July 18-19, 2024 in Detroit, MI, USA, please visit shingo.org/events.

Join us for an insightful podcast as we navigate the complexities of the modern work landscape shaped by Industry 4.0 and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The global surge in Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity has accelerated the pace of change, demanding organizations to prioritize the psychological wellbeing of their workforce.

 Based on the upcoming book, "Why Care?", the authors Chris Butterworth and Caroline Greenlee delve into the crucial intersection of psychological health and continuous improvement. Informed by a 2023 global study by the Workforce Institute, which highlighted the impact of work on mental health, we explore strategies t...

In today's dynamic business environment, the ability to adapt and evolve is crucial. In this podcast, Jim Huntzinger, founder of Lean Frontiers will explore the essential building blocks for cultivating a robust culture of continuous improvement within your organization. We will dive into the foundational skills that lay the groundwork for fostering a culture where continuous improvement is not just a practice but a way of thinking.

To learn more about this topic, please visit: https://shingo.org/the-foundational-skills-of-a-continuous-improvement-culture/. 

In today’s fast-paced business landscape, it’s easy to get caught up in chasing short-term outcomes. But what if I told you there’s a better way to achieve lasting success? Join us as guest, Katie Anderson, Shingo Publication Award recipient, will dive into the principles of the Shingo Model and uncover the transformative power of her book, Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn. You’ll understand the core principles that have propelled Toyota to unparalleled success; discover how to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement and high performance in your organization; gain insights from Isao Yoshino, a 40-year le...

In this podcast, Emily Swaney, Senior Director, Lean Promotion Office at OhioHeath, will emphasize the shift from a finance-focused approach to a people-centric philosophy at OhioHealth. Starting in 2006, the organization initially concentrated on removing waste and achieving financial success but realized the importance of developing its most valuable asset—its people. In 2016, OhioHealth adopted the Shingo Model as its True North, guiding the creation of the OhioHealth Management System. This system focuses on integrating principles into daily operations, emphasizing the "why" to align individuals with organizational goals. Emily will emphasize the importance of supporting and empowering every individual, incorporating co...

Discover the secrets to fostering innovation beyond conventional methodologies in this podcast with special guests Norbert Majerus, a Shingo Faculty Fellow and Sam Landers, retiree from The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Learn from the experience of Goodyear, a company that transformed its innovation culture long before implementing Lean in the innovation center. The podcast will delve into universal and timeless principles that propelled Goodyear's success, including the explicit goal of obsoleting products, promoting courage and prudent risk-taking, and fostering collaboration across functions.

Explore how Goodyear's innovation culture, recognized with the AME Excellence award, not only facilitated a...

One of the primary challenges for leaders is helping people develop trust and confidence in the organization. Trust is an element in business that few leaders understand and, therefore, are unable to permeate to their people. Developing trust is the basis for creating real change and for eradicating paradigms and stigmas that exist within organizations. The lack of trust decreases the potential of integrating people with processes and results.

When team members feel trust and confidence in their organization, they show it in meetings with managers and leaders at different levels as they discuss what's happening in...

In this episode of the Shingo Principles Podcast, we hear from Cheryl Jekiel, Shingo Faculty Fellow and CEO of the Lean Leadership Center, on the topic “The Big Mistake with HR.” 

Organizations committed to fostering a Shingo culture find that Human Relations (HR) is critical to achieving operational and organizational excellence. However, while HR touches most people-related systems, it is often on the sidelines of continuous improvement. In this podcast, we will discuss specific ways to involve HR in continuous improvement initiatives for greater success. We will also introduce the newly developed Shingo HR Action Learning Community.

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