KPI Fireside: A Continuous Improvement Podcast

KPI Fire
  • 5.0 (3)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

KPI Fireside is the podcast for business leaders, process improvement professionals, and anyone passionate about making things better. Through insightful interviews with industry leaders, innovators, and changemakers, we explore the stories behind successful Continuous Improvement journeys. Hosted by KPI Fire, this podcast dives deep into Lean Six Sigma, Strategy Execution, KPI Management, and Operational Excellence—helping you overcome obstacles and drive real impact in your organization.

  1. Reed Shell on Combining AI, Agile, and Lean for Real Execution

    1D AGO

    Reed Shell on Combining AI, Agile, and Lean for Real Execution

    Is AI coming for your job—or just the parts of it you never liked doing in the first place? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Reed Shell, a project management leader with more than 30 years of experience in enterprise delivery and transformation. Reed teaches project management and artificial intelligence at the University of Utah and advises organizations on applying AI responsibly without losing human accountability. 🔻 Why quality must be integrated throughout a project—not inspected in at the end 🔻 How focusing on value instead of plans accelerated delivery before Agile was formalized 🔻 Lessons from Nike’s culture and why culture drives execution speed 🔻 Why respect for people is foundational to Lean and transformation 🔻 The real risk of AI: automating broken processes 🔻 Why value stream mapping and Lean thinking will be even more critical in an AI-driven world 🔻 AI as an “overly ambitious intern” that removes low-value work 🔻 Why change management is the missing ingredient in most AI rollouts 🔻 The autopilot analogy: AI handles the instruments, humans still fly the plane 🔻 How leaders can help teams embrace technology instead of fearing it 🔗 Connect with Reed Shell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reedshell/ 📘 Learn more about Reed's Work: https://www.bluehippoconsulting.com 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

    38 min
  2. Dean Kynaston on Leadership Gaps That Kill Agile

    FEB 9

    Dean Kynaston on Leadership Gaps That Kill Agile

    Why does Agile fail even when teams are trained and processes are in place? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris talks with Dean Kynaston, co-author of Agile Project Management for Dummies and Scrum for Dummies, about the leadership gaps that quietly derail Agile. 🔻 Why Agile is about adaptability, not process compliance 🔻 The difference between Agile values and the Scrum framework 🔻 What actually happens in an effective daily standup 🔻 The real role of Product Owners, Scrum Masters, and team members 🔻 Why story points are not a measure of productivity 🔻 How transparency and accountability emerge naturally on strong teams 🔻 Why leadership behavior determines whether Agile succeeds or fails 🔗 Connect with Dean Kynaston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deankynaston/ 📘 Buy "Agile Project Management For Dummies" on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0gcZEJBG 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

    42 min
  3. Chris Gunderson on Putting Your Money Where Your Powerpoint Is

    FEB 2

    Chris Gunderson on Putting Your Money Where Your Powerpoint Is

    Why do large organizations invest heavily in technology and still fail to deliver real value? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Chris Gunderson, a former oceanographic officer who spent decades working inside U.S. defense programs. 🔻 Why “technology without value is worthless” and how organizations confuse output with impact 🔻 How Porter’s value chain connects upstream activity to downstream customer value 🔻 Why incentives, not strategy decks, determine behavior 🔻 The danger of rewarding PowerPoint instead of results 🔻 What effective executives consistently do differently when allocating people, money, and attention 🔻 How fear, hierarchy, and compliance quietly undermine execution This episode connects strategy, value, metrics, and culture through hard-earned lessons from some of the most complex systems in the world. 🔗 Connect with Chris Gunderson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgunderson/ 📘Buy "Founders Fear" on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0UsaCfb 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

    40 min
  4. Michael Stevens on Culture as a Leadership Tool

    JAN 26

    Michael Stevens on Culture as a Leadership Tool

    How do leaders unknowingly create cultures of compliance instead of commitment? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Michael Stevens, Presidential Professor of Leadership Studies and a global expert on the people side of performance, to explore what truly separates management from leadership and why respect, not authority, is the real driver of execution. 🔻 Why leadership is less about directing work and more about influencing how people choose to show up 🔻 The critical difference between managing processes and leading people 🔻 Michael’s two-axis leadership model: assertive vs passive and respectful vs disrespectful 🔻 Why intent does not matter nearly as much as how leadership behavior lands with employees 🔻 The concept of “intelligent disobedience” and why leaders must create space for employees to challenge decisions 🔻 Why asking questions before giving answers dramatically increases ownership and execution 🔻 How emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and empathy enable better leadership conversations 🔻 The four barriers that prevent managers from becoming leaders: knowing, doing, feeling, and being 🔻 Why “clear is kind” even when feedback stings and how respectful candor builds trust This conversation is a masterclass in why leadership development is not about learning more techniques, but about rethinking how power, respect, and influence actually work inside organizations. 🔗 Connect with Michael Stevens on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstevensphd/ 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

    1h 9m
  5. Evan Unger on Transforming Meeting Culture

    JAN 19

    Evan Unger on Transforming Meeting Culture

    How do bad meetings quietly destroy culture, morale, and execution? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Evan Unger, a leadership and culture expert with more than 30 years of experience helping organizations improve how decisions actually get made. 🔻 Why meetings are where leadership actually shows up—and why people judge leaders based on how meetings feel 🔻 The real cost of 50% effective meetings on culture, morale, and execution 🔻 Evan’s POPRA model for effective meetings: Purpose, Objectives, Process, Roles, and Agreements 🔻 The difference between informational meetings, status updates, and true collaborative decision-making sessions 🔻 Why the “highest paid person’s opinion” (HPPO) often derails better decisions 🔻 How collaborative facilitation leads to stronger buy-in and faster execution 🔻 Practical techniques for running better virtual meetings, including timeboxing and simultaneous chat 🔻 Why leaders must “go slow to go fast” when designing meetings that actually stick 🔻 How improving meetings becomes one of the fastest ways to change organizational culture 🔗 Connect with Evan Unger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-unger-6553597/ 🔗 Learn more about the Collaborative Leadership Virtual Facilitation Skills Program:: https://www.terischwartzassociates.com/virtual/ 🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/ 🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

    1h 3m
  6. Bryan Schmidt on Building Systems That Win

    JAN 12

    Bryan Schmidt on Building Systems That Win

    In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Bryan Schmidt, a CPA, author, and finance transformation leader who spent more than two decades turning manual, paper-heavy finance processes into streamlined, automated systems. 🔻 Why ERP systems are the foundation of any successful finance transformation 🔻 The simple ROI math executives expect and how to frame improvement ideas for approval 🔻 Why quick wins matter more than big projects early on 🔻 How automation can improve morale, not just efficiency 🔻 Why honesty and trust are essential when leading change 🔻 Practical advice for CI leaders on prioritization, governance, and learning from every project 🔗 Connect with Bryan Schmidt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-schmidt99/ 🔗 Learn more about Bryan's book: https://www.financeautomationblueprint.com/my-book 🔗 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.

    36 min
  7. Claire Quigley on Fixing Failing Transformations

    JAN 5

    Claire Quigley on Fixing Failing Transformations

    How do you make innovation and transformation actually stick instead of stalling out in planning decks and dashboards? In this episode, Keith Norris talks with Claire Quigley, founder of Tech Team Whisperer. With more than 20 years of experience spanning strategy, innovation, digital transformation, and people leadership across startups and global organizations, Claire explains why most transformations fail and what leaders must do to become truly transformation-ready. 🔻 Why transformation success rates have barely changed in the last decade and what leaders overlook. 🔻 What it really means to be “transformation ready” before launching major initiatives. 🔻 Why purpose, not technology, is the anchor for successful innovation and change. 🔻 How leadership assumptions quietly derail improvement efforts. 🔻 The difference between tracking green dashboards and recognizing real progress on the floor. 🔻 Why adoption and utilization matter more than rolling out new digital tools. 🔻 How AI anxiety and “AI shame” show up inside organizations and what leaders can do about it. 🔻 Why visual thinking, value stream mapping, and simple CI tools still matter in digital teams. 🔻 How storytelling and better questions help leaders drive alignment and engagement. 🔗 Connect with Claire Quigley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-quigley-innovation-change-strategy-culture-consultant/ 🔗 Learn more about Tech Team Whisperer: https://www.techteamwhisperer.com/ 🔗 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.

    47 min
  8. Keshawn Cupid on Mindset, Metrics, and Momentum

    12/29/2025

    Keshawn Cupid on Mindset, Metrics, and Momentum

    How do you build a continuous improvement system that works across industries, scales with growth, and actually changes how people think and act? In this episode, Keith Norris talks with Keshawn Cupid, CEO of Modern Kaizen. Drawing on his journey from the U.S. Navy to consulting across manufacturing, healthcare, food service, government contracting, and more, Keshawn shares why mindset comes before tools and how organizations can move from good intentions to real, repeatable results. 🔻 How mindset shifts unlock better problem solving, ownership, and engagement. 🔻 Why standard work is essential for consistency, learning, and sustainable improvement. 🔻 The difference between solving the current state and solving the gap. 🔻 Why over-motivated employees can unintentionally create risk without clear structure. 🔻 How CI managers act as translators between leadership goals and frontline execution. 🔻 Real-world examples of how chasing the wrong metric drives the wrong behavior. 🔻 Why Lean works in any industry where work is repeatable, from manufacturing to hospitals to food service. 🔻 How AI can turn complexity into clarity when paired with sound improvement thinking. 🔗 Connect with Keshawn Cupid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keshawn-cupid-2ba86855/ 🔗 Learn more about Modern Kaizen: https://modernkaizen.com/ 🔗 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.

    55 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

KPI Fireside is the podcast for business leaders, process improvement professionals, and anyone passionate about making things better. Through insightful interviews with industry leaders, innovators, and changemakers, we explore the stories behind successful Continuous Improvement journeys. Hosted by KPI Fire, this podcast dives deep into Lean Six Sigma, Strategy Execution, KPI Management, and Operational Excellence—helping you overcome obstacles and drive real impact in your organization.

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