My guest for Episode #509 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Ankit Patel, the founder of My Business Care Team, a BPO company providing services for optometrists, and co-founder with his wife Classic Vision Care, an optometry group in Atlanta.

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With a strong background in Lean methodology, Ankit has worked as a Lean consultant at Dell and the Cleveland Clinic, driving process improvements and coaching executives.

He holds a Master's degree in Positive Organizational Development and a Bachelor's in Industrial Engineering.

Recognizing talent acquisition challenges, Ankit partnered with a Filipino team to source skilled, cost-effective staff for various business functions. He now leverages AI for hiring and automation to optimize his optometry practice and BPO services, applying Lean principles to drive efficiency and growth.

In this episode, Ankit shares insights from his journey, starting as a lean consultant at Dell and the Cleveland Clinic, and transitioning into optometry, where he focuses on building patient relationships and enhancing processes through lean principles and AI technology.

Mark and Ankit discuss the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI in business processes, the importance of positive organizational development, and how appreciative inquiry can drive team alignment and engagement. Ankit also highlights the role of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) in managing small businesses and improving training and development with AI tools, offering valuable lessons for anyone interested in continuous improvement and innovative approaches in healthcare and beyond.

• What is positive organizational development, and how did you come to study it?
• How did your experience at Cleveland Clinic influence your involvement in your current business?
• How do you balance focusing on optometry with the potential to expand into other medical practices?
• How do you prioritize where to use AI in your processes without falling into the trap of using it because it's trendy?
• Can you share an example of improving a process before thinking about automating it with AI?
• How rapidly is AI technology advancing, and how does that impact your ability to adjust its use in your business?
• How do you see AI tools facilitating faster PDCA or PDSA cycles in continuous improvement practices?
• What led you to the positive psychology approach, and how does it differ from traditional organizational development?
• How do you apply appreciative inquiry in your work, and what impact does it have on team alignment and engagement?
• Can you discuss the origin and growth of your new business involving AI and BPO for optometry?
• What role does EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) play in managing your business?
• How do you evaluate the effectiveness of training and development using AI tools?
• How do you communicate your practice's focus on building patient relationships in your marketing and branding?

The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.

This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.

My guest for Episode #508 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Mike Hoseus, Executive Director of the Center for Quality People and Organizations and President of Lean Culture Enterprises.

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He supports organizations in their lean journey, focusing on leadership and cultural aspects of the lean transformation. He is an adjunct professor with the University of Kentucky's Center for Manufacturing.

Michael Hoseus developed his TPS skills at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky, where he worked at the General Manager level in both Production and Human Resources, being mentored by his Japanese sensei. His Toyota process experience includes production, engineering, maintenance, safety, personnel, employee relations, benefits/payroll and training and development.

He learned first-hand how Toyota's success hinges on integrating their production and human systems to create the Toyota Way.

He's co-author, with Jeff Liker, of Toyota Culture: The Heart and Soul of the Toyota Way — which received the Shingo Publication Award in 2009

In this episode, Mike shares his extensive experience with Toyota, where he developed his TPS skills at TMMK in Georgetown, Kentucky. We take a deep dive into key topics such as the importance of psychological safety in lean leadership, the origins of the andon cord, and how to build a high-performance culture.

Mike discusses his journey from Toyota to helping other organizations with lean transformation, emphasizing the critical role of leadership in fostering a culture of continuous improvement. He shares insights on problem identification and problem-solving, the significance of respect and trust, and the intentional development of a lean culture.

Join us for this engaging conversation with valuable lessons and stories from Mike's career. Don't miss out on the chance to learn from one of the leading experts in lean culture and transformation.

Mike is also organizing a Kentucky learning tour, “High-Performance Culture and Lean Leadership,” from October 15 to 17… I'll be there and am very much looking forward to it. Use code GRABAN to save $500.

My guest for Episode #507 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Wendy K. Smith, co-author of the book Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems. She’s also one of the keynote speakers at this year's AME (Association for Manufacturing Excellence) annual conference.

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Enter to win a copy of the book!

Wendy is the Dana J. Johnson professor of management and faculty director of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at the Lerner College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware.

She earned her PhD in organizational behavior at Harvard Business School, where she began her intensive research on strategic paradoxes—how leaders and senior teams effectively respond to contradictory yet interdependent demands.

Working with executives globally, she has been a noted keynote speaker and teacher for audiences worldwide. Her research, published among the top journals in the field, has received numerous awards, including the Web of Science Highly Cited Research Award (2019, 2020, and 2021) for being among the one percent most-cited researchers in her field. Wendy lives in Philadelphia with her husband, three children, and the family dog.

In this episode, Wendy discusses strategic paradoxes and how leaders can effectively navigate contradictory yet interdependent demands. Our conversation covers practical examples from Lean Manufacturing and the Toyota Production System, highlighting how "both/and thinking" can lead to innovative solutions and improved performance. Wendy also shares the emotional and cognitive challenges of embracing paradoxes, offering insights into how organizations can create environments that support dynamic, integrative thinking. This episode is a deep dive into the nuances of leadership, organizational behavior, and the power of embracing complexity in problem-solving.

• What are strategic paradoxes?
• The need or opportunity to break paradoxes?
• Good examples of both/and thinking in different businesses?
• Origins in lean manufacturing
• Just-in-time but hold no inventory
• High quality but also super fast
• Focusing on both short-term and long-term?
• Opportunities for startups to exploit new both/and thinking?
• Process as a dirty word in startups?
• We can’t vs. we haven’t figured it out yet?
• Both/and focus on customers and employees?
• Connections to Amy Edmondson and Psychological Safety?
• The Dr. Brian Goldman TED Talk
• Give us a preview of your keynote talk for AME? A teaser…

The podcast is brought to you by Stiles Associates, the premier executive search firm specializing in the placement of Lean Transformation executives. With a track record of success spanning over 30 years, it's been the trusted partner for the manufacturing, private equity, and healthcare sectors. Learn more.

This podcast is part of the #LeanCommunicators network.