Enterprise Excellence Podcast with Brad Jeavons

Brad Jeavons
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Management
  • Updated Monthly

In this Podcast we interview experts on all things Enterprise Excellence, sharing their story and their insights. Experts who believe in achieving sustainable change that betters more than just an organisations' profit line. Experts who help organisations achieve a symbiotic relationship between environment and economics. Experts who believe in a culture of continuous improvement. We share world best practice and knowledge in achieving a win-win outcome for people, profit and the planet. Join us on this journey to excellence and help to create a better world for organisations, people and the planet. 

  1. Stephen Nicoll: The Playbook Approach — Why Shared Clarity is the Starting Point Every Leader Misses - Ep 220

    22h ago

    Stephen Nicoll: The Playbook Approach — Why Shared Clarity is the Starting Point Every Leader Misses - Ep 220

    What if the biggest barrier to transformation in your organisation is not a lack of tools, strategy, or resources — but a lack of shared clarity about where you actually are right now? In Episode 220 of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast, host Brad Jeavons is joined by Stephen Nicoll, founder of The Lean Orange and one of the world's most experienced guides on the journey to enterprise excellence. Stephen led the team at News Corp's Scottish newspaper manufacturing facility to become the first — and only — organisation in the United Kingdom to win the prestigious Shingo Prize. He has since spent decades helping organisations across the globe build cultures of continuous improvement and innovation. Stephen and Brad explore the foundational concept of shared clarity: why organisations that skip this step almost always underachieve on their transformation ambitions, and how getting it right creates the conditions for everything else to work. Stephen shares the 12-step flow model that The Lean Orange uses with clients, including the critical step zero of building a community of excellence before any formal change work begins. He explains why the best playbooks are built by the people who will use them, how agile sprints make transformation manageable and sustainable, and why leaders who coach key behavioural indicators outperform those who manage key performance indicators. Two insights from this episode stand out. First, Stephen's challenge to flip the idea ratio: in most organisations, 90% of improvement ideas come from leadership and 10% from frontline workers. The goal is to invert that — and the result is leaders who finally have time to lead. Second, his closing provocation, inspired by a 40-year Lean veteran in California: unplug technology and plug back into people. Real engagement, he argues, is built through conversation, physical presence, and the simple question: "What do you think?" Key topics covered in this episode: •       Why shared clarity — not tools or strategy — is the true starting point of excellence •       How to conduct a benchmarking conversation that reveals what surveys and dashboards miss •       The 12-step flow model and how to build a playbook your people will actually use •       Agile sprints: making transformation manageable in the real rhythm of your business •       KBIs versus KPIs: why coaching behaviour beats managing numbers •       The 90/10 idea ratio and how to flip it in your favour •       Why technology can unintentionally de-skill and disengage your people •       The shift from 'culture' to 'character' — and why it changes what leaders do Ready to start your excellence journey with clarity? Listen to Episode 220 now and connect with Brad Jeavons on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradjeavons/ or visit the podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1120772/episodes/19266727. To learn more about what we do, visit https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.

    36 min
  2. Effectiveness vs Efficiency: What Most Leaders Get Wrong with Gary Stewart - Ep 219

    Jun 1

    Effectiveness vs Efficiency: What Most Leaders Get Wrong with Gary Stewart - Ep 219

    What if the reason your business isn't growing has nothing to do with efficiency — and everything to do with whether you are solving the right problems at all?  In Episode 219 of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast, Brad Jeavons sits down with Gary Stewart — a former CEO of a Toyota Group company and one of Australia's most experienced systems thinkers — to explore one of the most important and misunderstood distinctions in organisational performance: effectiveness versus efficiency. Gary brings decades of experience inside the Toyota system to this conversation, and he pulls no punches. While efficiency focuses on the producer — doing things with less waste — effectiveness focuses on the customer: solving the right problems, creating the right outcomes. Both matter, but most organisations are so obsessed with efficiency metrics that they are inadvertently destroying their own effectiveness — and often don't know it, because the metrics they are using are being gamed. Gary shares two powerful case studies. The first involves a production manager claiming 103% efficiency — a mathematical impossibility that turned out to mask a true gross efficiency of just 50%. The second is a microbiology company on the verge of collapse that, by mapping its perfect system and systematically removing problems, errors, delays, and frustrations, reduced its project timeline from 116 weeks to just 26 weeks — and in the process solved science problems no one had ever solved, creating global patents and a new revenue stream. This is what effectiveness innovation looks like in practice. The conversation also challenges some deeply held assumptions about Lean, describing it as fundamentally a 'watching the hands' method that can take organisations to 3 or 3.5 out of 10 on the perfect line — but never to 4. The shift required to go further is not a technical one; it is a human one. And that requires leaders to give up command and control in favour of a model that develops the human mind as its primary purpose.   Key topics covered in this episode: •       The difference between effectiveness innovation (customer-focused, revenue and profit) and efficiency innovation (producer-focused, working capital and cash flow) •       Campbell's Law: why manipulable targets always get gamed, and how to use absolute benchmarks to expose the truth •       The microbiology case study: from near-bankruptcy to global patents in three years •       The factory as a dojo: Toyota's philosophy that the purpose of work is to train the human mind •       Why Lean is a 'watching the hands' method — and why that limits it to 3 out of 10 on the perfect line •       Command and control vs the ascending spiral curve: what it really takes to build excellence •       The QA network: a practical tool for building frontline ownership of quality and system control •       How to start: study Russell Ackoff, map the perfect system, and teach people how their system fails   If you lead an organisation and you are serious about building something genuinely excellent — not just efficient — this episode will change how you think about performance, leadership, and people development.   Connect with Brad Jeavons: linkedin.com/in/bradjeavons/ Enterprise Excellence Group Podcast: buzzsprout.com/1120772/episodes/19266509 To learn more about what we do, visit https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.

    1h 4m
  3. Leading Excellence In Innovation and Productivity with Mr Gary Stewart

    May 6

    Leading Excellence In Innovation and Productivity with Mr Gary Stewart

    Discover why most organisations focus too heavily on efficiency while missing the deeper architecture required for true enterprise excellence. In this thought-provoking episode, Gary Stewart shares lessons from Toyota Group companies on systems thinking, effectiveness innovation, and why operational excellence starts with developing people and systems — not just processes. Summary KeywordsEnterprise Excellence, Systems Thinking, Toyota Production System, Operational Excellence, Innovation, Effectiveness Innovation, Efficiency Innovation, Lean, Productivity, Human Systems, Technical Systems, Russell Ackoff, Deming, Continuous Improvement, Leadership, Organizational Transformation, Manufacturing, Economic Complexity, Business Architecture, Absolute Benchmarks   Episode Summary:Gary Stewart joins Brad Jeavons on the Enterprise Excellence Podcast to challenge conventional thinking around innovation, Lean, and operational excellence. Drawing on decades inside Toyota Group companies including Denso and Aisin, Gary explains why most organizations focus too heavily on efficiency while neglecting the deeper systems architecture required for long-term effectiveness, productivity, and innovation. The episode explores: The “Perfect Line” concept Human systems vs technical systems Effectiveness innovation vs efficiency innovation Systems thinking and Russell Ackoff Why productivity and innovation decline when organisations focus only on efficiency How Toyota Group companies build sustainable enterprise excellence This is a thought-provoking conversation for leaders interested in continuous improvement, systems thinking, operational excellence, and long-term organisational transformation.   Episode Links: Youtube: https://youtu.be/6CRhQXgGQhw  Enterprise Excellence Group: https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/enterprise-excellence-podcast/ Contacts  Connect with Brad on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradjeavons/. Call him on 0402 448 445 or email him at bjeavons@iqi.com.au.  If you’d like to connect with Mr Gary Stewart, please reach out to us.   Suggested Next Steps for ListenersRequest Gary Stewart’s worksheet from us through contact us on our website, or email.Study Russell Ackoff and Deming Assess whether your organisation focuses too heavily on efficiency over effectiveness Explore how architecture and systems design influence operational performance Evaluate whether your organisation uses absolute or relative benchmarks Reflect on where your organisation sits on the “ascending vs descending spiral” To learn more about what we do, visit https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.

    1 hr
  4. Speaking to Influence: Mastering Your Leadership Voice with author Dr Laura Sicola.

    Apr 13

    Speaking to Influence: Mastering Your Leadership Voice with author Dr Laura Sicola.

    Listen to the episode and take the next step—download the first two chapters of Speaking to Influence here: https://laurasicola.com/sti-chapters-1-2-free Summary Keywords#Leadership #Communication #Influence #EmotionalIntelligence #OperationalExcellence #TeamAlignment #Trust #LeadershipDevelopment #PublicSpeaking #EnterpriseExcellence Episode SummaryIn this episode, Dr. Laura Sicola shares how leaders can strengthen their ability to influence through voice, vocal delivery, and body language. She unpacks the hidden gap between what we think we communicate and what others actually hear. This conversation provides practical tools to help leaders build trust, align teams, and communicate with greater impact. Episode Links:Youtube: https://youtu.be/ffUmf5oTOHg Enterprise Excellence Podcast: https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/podcast Three Quotes1.     “The gap between what you think you said and what they think they heard is where results are won or lost.” 2.     “It’s not about which is more important—words, voice, or body language—it’s about the alignment between them.”  3.     “Authenticity is not a synonym for comfort zone—you need to learn to flex.”  ContactsBrad Jeavons: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradjeavons/ Phone: 0402 448 445 Email: bjeavons@iqi.com.au Dr. Laura Sicola: Website: https://laurasicola.com Book + resources available via website and major platforms (Amazon, Audible, Kindle) What's next?1.     Record a 1-minute video of yourself communicating a key message and review your words, vocal delivery, and body language. 2.     Identify one area (words, vocal, or body language) to improve and focus on that first. 3.     Practice flexing your communication style to better connect with different audiences across your organisation. 4.     Listen to the episode and take the next step—download the first two chapters of Speaking to Influence here: https://laurasicola.com/sti-chapters-1-2-free To learn more about what we do, visit https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.

    37 min
  5. No Bullsh*t Strategy: How Leaders Create True Competitive Advantage with author Alex Smith

    Mar 31

    No Bullsh*t Strategy: How Leaders Create True Competitive Advantage with author Alex Smith

    Listen now and challenge the way you think about strategy—are you building something truly different, or just slightly better? Summary Keywords#Strategy #CompetitiveAdvantage #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #Differentiation #OperationalExcellence #EnterpriseExcellence #AI #MarketPositioning Episode SummaryIn this episode, Alex Smith challenges conventional thinking on strategy and explains why most businesses get it wrong. He shares a practical approach to creating true competitive advantage—by focusing on uniqueness, not incremental improvement. This is a must-listen for leaders looking to move beyond “better” and build something truly different. Episode Links: Youtube: https://youtu.be/6a6KAqi7Tx0  Enterprise Excellence Group:https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/podcast    Three Quotes“The perfect business is one with very high demand and very low supply.” [00:14:00] “Any attempt to become better than your competitors will only make you more similar to them.” [00:16:00] “Strategy isn’t about solving customer problems—it’s about creating needs that didn’t exist before.” [00:22:00] ContactsConnect with Brad on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradjeavons/ . Call him on 0402 448 445 or email him at bjeavons@iqi.com.au. Connect with Alex Smith on LinkedIn and via his website: https://basicarts.org/welcome What's next?Identify one area in your business where you are competing on “better” rather than “different.” Explore what unique value you could create that customers can’t get elsewhere. Run a small experiment to test a bold, differentiated idea within your current capabilities. To learn more about what we do, visit https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future. To learn more about what we do, visit https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.

    35 min
  6. 215 Using AI the Right Way: Engaging People, Eliminating Waste, and Driving Productivity

    Mar 16

    215 Using AI the Right Way: Engaging People, Eliminating Waste, and Driving Productivity

    Summary Keywords #AI productivity, #continuous improvement, #frontline engagement, #eliminating waste, #value creation, #technology strategy, #operational excellence, #future prosperity, #innovation, #enterprise excellence Episode Summary In this episode of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast, Brad Jeavons speaks with guest Richard about how organizations should approach artificial intelligence to drive meaningful productivity and innovation. A key theme of the conversation is that although AI is a powerful new technology, the fundamentals of improvement have not changed. Organizations must still begin by engaging the people who do the work at the frontline, mapping and understanding processes, and identifying waste before applying technology solutions. When AI is used in this structured way, it can help eliminate inefficiencies and amplify value creation for customers. The discussion also explores the broader role of productivity in shaping economic prosperity and quality of life for future generations. The speakers emphasize that technology alone does not guarantee productivity improvements. Instead, organizations must apply technology thoughtfully within a strong improvement culture. The episode highlights how leaders can combine continuous improvement thinking with emerging technologies like AI to achieve sustainable productivity gains while improving employee and customer experiences. Three Quotes with Timestamps ·      “Considering AI, the way you go about getting results hasn’t changed from any form of technology.” (00:54:30) ·      “We need to start with engaging the people that do the work, who create the value at the frontline.” (00:54:45) ·      “Productivity is such an important thing. Without it, the quality of living declines.” (00:55:40) Episode Links: Youtube: https://youtu.be/pwD7CnjUolQ Enterprise Excellence Group: https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/podcast Contacts Connect with Brad on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradjeavons/. Call him on 0402 448 445 or email him at bjeavons@iqi.com.au.  Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/richardjsteel What's next? Subscribe to the Enterprise Excellence Podcast to continue learning how leaders around the world are improving organisations through operational excellence, leadership, and technology. In upcoming episodes, we will continue exploring how organizations can combine continuous improvement, strategy deployment, and emerging technologies like AI to create better outcomes for customers, employees, and society.   To learn more about what we do, visit https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/  Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future. To learn more about what we do, visit https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.

    56 min
  7. Profit Sharing: Turning Employees into Owners Through Shared Success with Author Rob Gallaher

    Mar 2

    Profit Sharing: Turning Employees into Owners Through Shared Success with Author Rob Gallaher

    Reflect on one action you could take this quarter to strengthen ownership and accountability in your organisation. Whether it’s improving financial transparency, developing leadership capability, or exploring profit sharing, small disciplined steps can shift culture meaningfully. Summary Keywords Profit Sharing, Leadership, Financial Transparency, Cash Flow, Accountability, Culture, Ownership Mindset, Engagement, Continuous Improvement, Sustainable Growth Episode Summary In this episode, Brad Jeavons speaks with Rob Gallaher, CEO and author of Profit Sharing: The Power of Shared Success, about how structured profit sharing can strengthen performance and culture. Rob’s interest in profit sharing came after building a growing business that was financially successful but personally unsustainable. Long hours, high stress, and the common frustration that “no one cares like the owner does” led him to search for a better model  He realised the gap was alignment. Employees were paid regardless of profitability, so daily decisions weren’t directly connected to business outcomes. Profit sharing became a way to bridge that gap — helping team members think and act more like owners. Rob emphasises that profit sharing is not simply a bonus system. Done well, it: Aligns effort with financial resultsBuilds accountability and cost awarenessEncourages long-term thinkingStrengthens trust and transparencySupports a high-performance cultureHowever, success depends on strong foundations. Key principles include: Pay profit share monthly.Ensure the payout is meaningful.Set attainable targets.Provide clarity on how profit is calculated.Demonstrate consistent leadership and integrity.Keep profit sharing visible in conversations.Support employees with financial education.Protect long-term customer and team relationships.Understand cash flow and true profit.Always follow through on commitments The conversation reinforces that profit sharing alone won’t fix weak leadership or poor systems. It works best when combined with trust, transparency, and disciplined financial management. A powerful outcome Rob shares is seeing team members treat customers with such ownership that clients assume they are the business owner — a strong sign of cultural alignment  The broader message is clear: financial systems can reinforce culture. When structured well, they help create sustainable excellence. Episode Links YouTube:  https://youtu.be/KKqxaikbQR0  Enterprise Excellence group: https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/podcast  Contacts Connect with Brad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradjeavons/ Call: 0402 448 445  Email: bjeavons@iqi.com.au Connect with Guest on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertgallaher/ What’s Next? If you’re considering profit sharing, begin with the basics: Do you have accurate monthly financial reporting?Do leaders understand cash flow versus profit?Is there trust and transparency in your culture?Do employees understand how their actions affect results?Profit sharing can be powerful, but it must sit within a broader excellence framework of leadership, operational discipline, and continuous improvement. To learn more about what we do, visit https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.

    31 min
  8. Ep 213, Don’t Repeat Our Mistakes With Co-Author, Dale Lucht

    Feb 16

    Ep 213, Don’t Repeat Our Mistakes With Co-Author, Dale Lucht

    If you’re leading a transformation and seeing early gains fade, this episode will challenge how you think about leadership, systems, and culture. If you want to sustain continuous improvement, embed ideal leadership behaviours, and avoid the mistakes that derail culture change — this episode is for you. Connect with Brad Jeavons on LinkedIn, call 0402 448 445, or email bjeavons@iqi.com.au Episode SummaryIn this episode of the Enterprise Excellence Podcast, Brad Jeavons is joined by Dale Lucht, co-author of Don’t Repeat Our Mistakes, written with Morgan Jones and Peter Barnett. Drawing on decades of experience across manufacturing, supply chain, healthcare, and financial services, Dale explains why most improvement and culture initiatives stall after a few years — and what leaders must do differently to sustain results. The conversation explores the book’s nine leadership lessons, showing that tools and process improvement alone are not enough. Without a shift in leadership behaviours and systems thinking, early gains inevitably plateau. Key themes include connecting people to a meaningful purpose, defining principles that drive ideal behaviours, and building systems that consistently reinforce those behaviours. Dale highlights the need for leaders to move from heroic problem-solving to becoming system builders and coaches. This episode offers practical, experience-based guidance for leaders who want transformation that truly lasts. Summary Keywords#Leadership #CultureTransformation #EnterpriseExcellence #SystemsThinking #ContinuousImprovement #LeadershipBehaviours #OperationalExcellence #PurposeDrivenLeadership    Episode Links: Youtube:  Enterprise Excellence Academy: https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/  Don’t Repeat Our Mistakes is available via Routledge Productivity Press, Amazon, and major book retailers.   Contacts  Connect with Brad on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradjeavons/. Call him on 0402 448 445 or email him at bjeavons@iqi.com.au.  Connect with Dale on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dalelucht What's next?• Reflect on your leadership behaviours — What do your actions reinforce every day?  • Clarify purpose — Is it meaningful and relatable to everyone in the organisation?  • Shift from firefighting to systems thinking — Ask which system failed, not who failed. • Build routine and visibility — Create time to observe, listen, and coach. • Invest in coaching — For yourself and for the leaders around you. To learn more about what we do, visit https://enterpriseexcellencegroup.com.au/ Thanks for your time, and thanks for helping to create a better future.

    37 min
See All (219)

Trailers

About

In this Podcast we interview experts on all things Enterprise Excellence, sharing their story and their insights. Experts who believe in achieving sustainable change that betters more than just an organisations' profit line. Experts who help organisations achieve a symbiotic relationship between environment and economics. Experts who believe in a culture of continuous improvement. We share world best practice and knowledge in achieving a win-win outcome for people, profit and the planet. Join us on this journey to excellence and help to create a better world for organisations, people and the planet. 

Information

You Might Also Like