KaiNexus: Continuous Improvement, Leadership, and More

Mark Graban Podcasts
  • 4.7 (27)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

We deliver practical insights and real-world strategies for Lean, Six Sigma, and Operational Excellence. Through lessons from KaiNexus webinars and conversations with customers, improvement leaders, and team members, each episode explores what it takes to build a resilient culture of Continuous Improvement. Learn how organizations engage employees, strengthen problem-solving capability, and sustain meaningful operational results across industries. Whether you're new to CI or leading major transformation, this podcast offers tools and perspectives you can put to work immediately.

  1. FEB 19

    Mutual Trust and Respect in Lean: Toyota’s Real Competitive Advantage

    Read the blog post TL;DR: Toyota’s real competitive advantage is not its tools -- it is mutual trust and mutual respect. Leaders are responsible for cultivating both. When trust is present, employees speak up, problems surface early, and continuous improvement accelerates. Without it, Lean becomes mechanical and unsustainable. When executives discuss Toyota, the conversation often centers on tools. Kanban. Andon. Standardized work. A3 thinking. Those matter. But Toyota’s sustained performance does not come from tools alone. It comes from the leadership philosophy that makes those tools work. At the center of that philosophy is mutual trust and mutual respect. Not as cultural decoration.As operational necessity. Toyota is explicit: improvement depends on people surfacing problems quickly. That only happens when trust flows in both directions. Toyota's own guiding principles website says they: "Foster a corporate culture that enhances both individual creativity and the value of teamwork, while honoring mutual trust and respect between labor and management." Leaders must trust employees to act responsibly.Employees must trust leaders to respond constructively. Without that reciprocity, performance deteriorates.

    10 min

  2. FEB 14

    Respect for People in Lean: What It Really Means and Why It Drives Continuous Improvement

    Read the post TL;DR: Respect for People is the foundation of Lean management. It means engaging employees as problem solvers, creating psychological safety so people speak up, developing standardized work with teams instead of forcing it on them, and implementing improvement software with people -- not to them. It includes high standards and accountability. Without Respect for People, continuous improvement becomes mechanical and unsustainable. Respect for People in Lean management is the principle that employees are capable problem solvers who must be engaged, developed, and trusted in order for continuous improvement to succeed.

    13 min

  3. FEB 5

    5 Signs of a Dysfunctional Workplace Culture (And How to Fix It)

    Read the blog post A dysfunctional workplace culture isn’t just an HR problem—it’s an operational one that directly affects retention, innovation, safety, and financial performance. In this episode, we explore the most common warning signs of a broken culture, including resistance to change, disengaged employees, burnout, lack of diversity in leadership, and the “black hole” where ideas and feedback disappear. Drawing on research and real-world examples, we unpack why culture should be measured and managed as seriously as revenue or quality, and why surface-level fixes like perks or pizza parties don’t work. The conversation highlights three foundational pillars of a healthy, high-performance culture: strong employee engagement, alignment between people’s strengths and their roles, and continuous learning supported by psychological safety. If your organization struggles with turnover, stalled improvement efforts, or chronic frustration on the front lines, this episode offers a practical lens for diagnosing the real issues—and a continuous improvement approach for fixing them at the system level.

    11 min

  4. JAN 20

    The Unified Approach to Operational Excellence: Connecting Strategy, Process, and People

    Read the blog post Operational Excellence rarely fails because of a lack of ideas. More often, it breaks down when strategy, daily work, and improvement efforts operate in silos. In this episode, Mark Graban explores what it really means to take a unified approach to OpEx—one that connects strategy deployment, process discipline, employee-driven improvement, and leader-led initiatives into a single, coherent system. You’ll hear how organizations move beyond disconnected spreadsheets, emails, and project tools to create visibility, alignment, and learning across all levels of the organization. Mark also discusses how platforms like KaiNexus support this work—not by replacing leadership or Lean thinking, but by strengthening the management system that makes continuous improvement sustainable. This conversation is especially relevant for leaders trying to: Bring strategy to life at the frontline Balance top-down direction with bottom-up improvement Create visibility without micromanagement Turn Operational Excellence into how the business actually runs

    8 min

  5. 12/10/2025

    Webinar: Unlock the Power of Leadership: The Electrolux Manufacturing System (EMS) Way

    Webinar page with video, slides, and more What makes a Lean transformation last not just a few years, but two decades? At Electrolux, the answer wasn’t more tools, more training, or more Kaizen events. The breakthrough came when the company realized that leadership behaviors — not Lean mechanics — were the deciding factor in whether improvement stuck. In this episode, Sandro Casagrande shares the story behind the Electrolux Manufacturing System (EMS), now in its 20th year. He explains why the early years of EMS produced uneven results, what changed when Electrolux shifted its focus to leadership habits, and how coaching routines, visual management, and leader standard work became the backbone of a sustainable improvement culture. Drawing from more than 30 years with Electrolux, Sandro details: • Why early EMS efforts succeeded in some plants but stalled in others• How leadership behaviors became the turning point in creating organizational habits• What neuroscience and habit loops taught Electrolux about sustaining change• How coaching — not directing — accelerates team development and problem solving• How sites reach gold and platinum performance levels, and why those gains hold even through turnover, new products, and process changes• Why zero-injury safety goals became both realistic and expected• How digitalization and platforms like KaiNexus now support global consistency and scale Sandro also lifts the curtain on Electrolux’s leadership academy: a months-long experiential system where leaders learn by doing — running improvement cycles, receiving coaching, and ultimately becoming coaches themselves. If you’re trying to build a culture where improvement happens every day, not just during events or crises, Sandro’s journey offers practical, hard-earned insight into what it really takes. About the GuestSandro Casagrande is the Group Methodology & Documentation Leader at Electrolux. His Lean journey began in 1994, and he has been central to EMS from its earliest pilot projects through today’s global digitalization efforts. He was the first Italian to achieve EMS Master Gear certification and continues to guide EMS implementation across all business areas.

    1h 4m

  6. 11/28/2025

    Unlock the Power of Leadership: Inside the Electrolux Manufacturing System (EMS) with Sandro Casagrande

    In this preview episode, Mark Graban talks with Sandro Casagrande of Electrolux about the upcoming KaiNexus webinar: “Unlock the Power of Leadership: The Electrolux Manufacturing System (EMS) Way.” Register for the full webinar (Dec 10, 1 pm ET):https://info.kainexus.com/unlock-the-power-of-leadership-the-electrolux-management-system-ems-way/webinar Sandro shares insights from more than 30 years at Electrolux, including:• How continuous improvement started with Total Quality Management in Italy• The evolution of EMS from early pilots to a global system• Why strong leadership behavior—not just tools and training—determines sustainability• Lessons learned from uneven progress across sites• How EMS Way reframed the company’s strategy to focus on culture, people development, and leader capability If you're interested in Lean, leadership, cultural transformation, or sustaining improvement across a global enterprise, this discussion sets the stage for a powerful webinar. Learn more about KaiNexus webinars: https://www.kainexus.com/webinars

    8 min

  7. 10/23/2025

    How UMass Memorial Health Built a Culture of Continuous Improvement

    The blog post This blog summarizes key insights from a comprehensive whitepaper detailing UMass Memorial Health's remarkable transformation journey.  When Dr. Eric Dickson stepped into the CEO role at UMass Memorial Health (UMMH) in 2013, he inherited what most would consider an impossible situation. The healthcare system was hemorrhaging money with a record $55 million operating loss, teetering on the edge of defaulting on publicly traded debt, and struggling with poor patient and staff satisfaction scores. Decision-making had ground to a halt, with executive departures leaving leadership gaps throughout the organization. Fast-forward eleven years, and UMMH tells a dramatically different story. One that offers powerful lessons for any organization seeking sustainable transformation through continuous improvement. Here are the key takeaways from their journey:

    10 min

  8. 10/21/2025

    Ask Us Anything: Habits, Leadership, and What’s Next at KaiNexus

    In this special “Ask Us Anything” episode, Mark Graban and KaiNexus CEO Greg Jacobson answer listener-submitted questions and share candid thoughts on: 🔁 The five habit cues (and how to use them for lasting change)📚 Books that shape how leaders think and grow—including new takes on familiar topics🔍 What it really means when a measure becomes a target🔊 Why audio learning fits modern leadership lifestyles💡 Trust as the lubricant of continuous improvement—and why that matters now more than ever📈 What’s coming next at KaiNexus to support improvement at scale This episode blends practical insights, thoughtful reflection, and a little humor—ideal for anyone passionate about continuous improvement, Lean leadership, or building a better workplace culture. 🔗 Learn more: https://www.kainexus.com📘 Mark’s book: https://www.mistakesbook.com

    30 min
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4.7
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About

We deliver practical insights and real-world strategies for Lean, Six Sigma, and Operational Excellence. Through lessons from KaiNexus webinars and conversations with customers, improvement leaders, and team members, each episode explores what it takes to build a resilient culture of Continuous Improvement. Learn how organizations engage employees, strengthen problem-solving capability, and sustain meaningful operational results across industries. Whether you're new to CI or leading major transformation, this podcast offers tools and perspectives you can put to work immediately.

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