The Just-in-Time Cafe Podcast

Lean, Learning, and Legacy, with Michelle Formanczyk

In today’s episode, Tracy & Elisabeth sit down with process improvement pro Michelle Formanczyk to talk about her exciting new role for this year’s Michigan Lean Conference—and why you won’t want to miss it.

In our Hot Apps segment, we test drive Scribe, an app that magically turns your clicks into slick, step-by-step guides.

And for Q&A, we ask: Is AI a continuous improvement hero—or just another shiny tool in the toolbox?

Lean, learning, and a little splash of sass—let’s dive in!

• 00:00 - Intro
• 01:27 - What's on the Menu?
• 02:10 - Hot Apps

  • Scribe

• 08:24 - Q&A
  

  • Is AI a continuous improvement hero—or just another shiny tool in the toolbox?

• 18:06 - Featured Guest

  • Michelle Formanczyk

• 44:29 - Upcoming Events

Resources:

• New! Picture Yourself a Leader as an audiobook!
• Multiple-award-winning book, Picture Yourself A Leader
• 5S Baby!, Ms. Fix-a-Lot's latest Lean Rap Video

Thanks for Listening!

Listen to more podcasts at JITCafe.com.

Link to the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/8R-DxNeGcno

• Apple Podcasts
• Podbean
• Spotify
• RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/JITCafe/feed.xml

Seeing is Solving, with Gwendolyn Galsworth

Today’s spotlight shines on none other than Gwendolyn Galsworth—author, trailblazer, and the reigning doyenne of the visual workplace. In our feature interview, Gwendolyn shares powerful insights into how visual thinking transforms not just operations, but entire cultures. Get ready for sharp wisdom, strong convictions, and a dash of storytelling flair.

📚 Then, in a special Book Buzz/Q&A mashup, we turn the spotlight back on her writing—diving into a handful of her standout articles and books to explore one key question: What have we learned from Gwendolyn Galsworth?

Spoiler alert: A lot.

• 00:00 - Intro
• 01:24 - What's on the Menu?
• 02:03 - Book Buzz / Q&A
  • Book Buzz: The Visual Workplace
  • Q&A: What have we learned from Gwendolyn Galsworth?
• 16:04 - Featured Guest
  • Gwendolyn Galsworth
• 53:07 - Upcoming Events

Resources:

• New! Picture Yourself a Leader as an audiobook!
• Multiple-award-winning book, Picture Yourself A Leader
• 5S Baby!, Ms. Fix-a-Lot's latest Lean Rap Video

Thanks for Listening!

Listen to more podcasts at JITCafe.com.

Link to the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/BFfALBcMrxM

• Apple Podcasts
• Podbean
• Spotify
• RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/JITCafe/feed.xml

The Respect Effect: Engagement, Lean, and the Human Factor, with John Guaspari

It's Episode 111 highlight is Tracy & Elisabeth's interview with best-selling author John Guaspari–about his latest book, If Engagement the Why, then Respect Is the How. We quizzed John on how an aerospace engineer ended up writing what could be a how-to guide for the Lean tenet: “Respect for People.” For Hot Apps, we’ll explore an offering from your local library that’s free and worth thousands, and for today’s Q&A, we ask, “Do traditional hierarchies make it harder to foster true respect between leaders and employees?”

Let’s explore why respect isn’t just nice to have—it’s how the world actually works—when it works.

• 00:00 - Intro
• 01:27 - What's on the Menu?
• 02:20 - Hot Apps
  • Libby
• 11:39 - Q&A
  • "Do traditional hierarchies make it harder to foster true respect between leaders and employees?"
• 20:11 - Featured Guest
  • John Guaspari
• 48:30 - Upcoming Events

Resources:

• New! Picture Yourself a Leader as an audiobook!

• Multiple-award-winning book, Picture Yourself A Leader

• 5S Baby!, Ms. Fix-a-Lot's latest Lean Rap Video

Ready or not, here we come!

 

Thanks for Listening!

Listen to more podcasts at JITCafe.com.

Link to the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/wkibL5SHn34

- Apple Podcasts

- Podbean

- Spotify

- RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/JITCafe/feed.xml

Where Lean Meets Loss: Grief, Growth, and Continuous Change, with April Thomas

It's Episode 110, and the highlight is our interview with April Thomas, who has drawn on her clinical healthcare background to incorporate the stages of grief into change management. We’ll delve into how they intersect with and help drive Operational Excellence. For our Book Buzz, we’re revisiting the classic book Switch by Chip and Dan Heath. The cover has the iconic light switch–and we’ve learned the hard way that change does not happen at the flip of a switch. For Q&A, we asked, what are the most common change management obstacles you see continuous improvement professionals running into? Change, grief, and progress!

• 00:00 - Intro
• 01:35 - What's on the Menu?
• 02:29 - Book Buzz
  • Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
• 15:26 - Q&A
  • "What are the most common change management obstacles you see continuous improvement professionals running into?"
• 20:35 - Featured Guest
  • April Thomas
• 45:53 - Upcoming Events

Resources:

• New! Picture Yourself a Leader as an audiobook!

• Multiple-award-winning book, Picture Yourself A Leader

• 5S Baby!, Ms. Fix-a-Lot's latest Lean Rap Video

Ready or not, here we come!

 

Thanks for Listening!

Listen to more podcasts at JITCafe.com.

Link to the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/wkibL5SHn34

- Apple Podcasts

- Podbean

- Spotify

- RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/JITCafe/feed.xml

Lean into Mindfulness: Better Work, Less Suffering, with Dan Zigmond

It's Episode 109, and the highlight is Elisabeth & Tracy's interview with Dan Zigmond, ordained Buddhist Priest, tech professional, and author of The Buddha’s Office. He’s seen his share of offices, so he’s in the best position to describe how mindfulness alleviates workplace suffering. For Book Buzz, we’ll cover a guide that lays out the steps to designing fully transformative workshops. It shakes up the notion that experiential workshops are the pinnacle. And then for Q&A, we asked, when does describing a feeling mask blame, judgment, or criticism?

We’re taking a deep dive into the emotional underpinnings of modern work life. Although we may not discuss emotions in the workplace, we ignore them at our peril. Let’s get mindful!

• 00:00 - Intro
• 01:28 - What's on the Menu?
• 02:27 - Book Buzz
  • Designing & Leading Life-Changing Workshops
• 13:40 - Q&A
  • "When does describing a feeling mask blame, judgment, or criticism?"
• 20:06 - Featured Guest
  • Dan Zigmond
• 47:58 - Upcoming Events

  • LinkedIn Live Event: "From Page to Sound: The Making of a Leadership Audiobook" with Katie Anderson, featuring Elisabeth Swan

Resources:

• Multiple-award-winning book, "Picture Yourself A Leader"
• "5S Baby!" Ms. Fix-a-Lot's latest Lean Rap Video

Ready or not, here we come!

 

Thanks for Listening!

Listen to more podcasts at JITCafe.com.

Link to the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/u628h_nLgN4

- Apple Podcasts

- Podbean

- Spotify

- RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/JITCafe/feed.xml

Innovation on the City Scale, with Kate Parmelee

It's Episode 108, and the highlight is Tracy & Elisabeth's interview with Kate Parmelee. She's the Deputy City Manager for Strategic Initiatives & Innovation, and she's transforming the City of Port St. Lucie, Florida into a model for problem solving. Cities around the country are taking notes from her and her crackerjack team. For Hot Apps, we delve into a grade-school skillset paired with an automated teacher—get ready for A+ work. And for Q&A, we asked, do you have a habit of reflection, and if you do, how do you make use of it?

Ready or not, here we come!

• 00:00 - Intro
• 01:22 - What's on the Menu?
• 02:05 - Hot Apps
  • Grammarly
• 07:14 - Q&A

  • Do you have a habit of reflection, and, if you do, how do you make use of it?

• 13:04 - Featured Guest
  • Kate Parmelee
• 23:24 - Upcoming Events

Resources:

• Multiple-award-winning book, "Picture Yourself A Leader"

• "5S Baby!" Ms. Fix-a-Lot's latest Lean Rap Video

Thanks for Listening!

Listen to more podcasts at JITCafe.com.

Link to the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/qTFRqBi06D4

Find us on:

- Apple Podcasts

- Podbean

- Spotify

- RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/JITCafe/feed.xml

Buckle Up for Edition 2 (with Tracy & Elisabeth)

It's Episode 107 and it's the first menu of the year! Today’s highlight is an interview with Tracy and Elisabeth! Turns out they're the fascinating authors of the soon-to-be published second edition of the Problem-Solver’s Toolkit. Can’t wait to hear what they've got to say about that. For Book Buzz - You'll hear about the book, The Creative Act, by Rick Rubin and why it’s good for coaches and problem solvers. And for Q&A, the question is, what unconscious rules do we make that hold us back?

It’s a new year! Let’s get into the things that will make it a great year!

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:26 - What's on the menu?
• 2:11 - Book Buzz
  • The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
• 9:40 - Q&A
  • "What do you do when leadership won't let go of the reins?"
• 17:42 -Featured Guest
  • Elisabeth Swan and Tracy O'Rourke
• 27:50 - Upcoming Events

Resources:

• Multiple-award-winning book, "Picture Yourself A Leader"

• "5S Baby!" Ms. Fix-a-Lot's latest Lean Rap Video

Thanks for Listening!

Listen to more podcasts at JITCafe.com.

Link to the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/m2F_-DhdK1s

Find us on:

- Apple Podcasts

- Podbean

- Spotify

- RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/JITCafe/feed.xml

What's in a Name?, with Tracy Defoe

Last one of the year! And Today’s highlight is our interview with Tracy Defoe the Kata Coach and Adult learning specialist about how changing a label could make the difference between resistance and acceptance of change. For our Book Buzz segment We’ll dig into a book that breaks down what your brain is up against when you try to create. And creativity is something every one of us is engaged in every day. And then for Q&A, we asked, how do you influence leadership to let go and invite others to build their skills?

It’s December–so whether your eggnog is spiked or not—and let’s get into this!

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:23 - What's on the menu?
• 2:24 - Book Buzz
  • The War of Art
• 13:37 - Q&A
  • "What do you do when leadership won't let go of the reins?"
• 21:55 -Featured Guest
  • Tracy Defoe
• 50:54 - Upcoming Events
  • December Webinar: "Lean into AI: Using Artificial Intelligence to Transform Your Work" with Jessica Blake
  • Video Link to Last Month's Webinar: "How to Bring PDCA to Any Industry and Win Converts!", with Jen Tankanow

Resources:

• Multiple-award-winning book, "Picture Yourself A Leader"
• Lean Parody Video, "Baby Got Tools!"
• "5S Baby!" Ms. Fix-a-Lot's latest Lean Rap Video

Thanks for Listening!

Listen to more podcasts at JITCafe.com.

Link to the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/_KgkSC00pd8

Find us on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Podbean
• Spotify
• RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/JITCafe/feed.xml

Lean Courage: Sheetmetal meets Unconditional Love, with Meg Brown

It's Episode 105 and the highlight Tracy & Elisabeth's interview with Meg Brown, Vice President of Human Resources at Cambridge Air Solution, where they’ve built an amazingly successful Lean culture by combining sheet metal with unconditional love–you know you need to know more about that. For Hot Apps we’ve got a mobile diary that helps you form a practice of reflection and adjustment. And then for Q&A, we asked, what is it that makes us constantly try to fit 10 pounds of…STUFF… in a 5 pound bag?

Come hang at the cafe while we discuss!

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:29 - What's on the menu?
• 2:18 - Hot Apps
  • Grid Diary
• 10:34 - Q&A
  • "Do you make plans that are over-optimistic?”
• 17:33 - Featured Guest
  • Meg Brown - Cambridge Air Solutions
• 46:14 - Upcoming Events
  • September Webinar: "Stop the Insanity! Unplug Your Materials Resource Planning (MRP)" with Jerry Wright
  • Global Lean Summit
  • Video Link to Last Month's Webinar: "Personal Hoshin Planning: Why Leave Your Future to Luck"

Resources:

• Multiple-award-winning book, "Picture Yourself A Leader"
• Lean Parody Video, "Baby Got Tools!"

• "5S Baby!" Ms. Fix-a-Lot's latest Lean Rap Video

 Thanks for Listening!

Listen to more podcasts at JITCafe.com.

Link to the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/Hdx0W8LOd64

Find us on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Podbean
• Spotify
• RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/JITCafe/feed.xml 

First EVAH New England Lean Summit, with Paul Critchley

It's Episode 104 and the highlight is our interview with Paul Critchley, the President of New England Lean Consulting where we find out what’s in store at the first ever New England Lean Summit this September–there’s rumors of a DJ... For Hot Apps, we sampled a platform that could inject a stealth bit of productivity into your family’s day-to-day activities. And for Q&A, we asked, “Is there an optimal intersection of fun and productivity?” Is there ever enough fun? Can you have too much? We’ll settle that question AND have fun doing it. 😊 

Sit back and enjoy!

• 0:00 - Intro
• 1:20 - What's on the menu?
• 2:17 - Hot Apps
  • Family Wall
• 7:32 - Q&A
  • "Is there an optimal intersection of fun and productivity?”
• 14:49 - Featured Guest
  • Paul Critchley - New England Lean Consulting
• 43:25 - Upcoming Events
  • August Webinar: "Personal Hoshin Planning—Don’t Leave It To Luck" with Bob Wallner
  • New England Lean Summit
  • Global Lean Summit

Resources:

• Multiple-award-winning book, "Picture Yourself A Leader"
• Lean Parody Video, "Baby Got Tools!"

• "5S Baby!" Ms. Fix-a-Lot's latest Lean Rap Video

 Thanks for Listening!

Listen to more podcasts at JITCafe.com.

Link to the video version of this podcast: https://youtu.be/y4PI4JBaE-0

Find us on:

• Apple Podcasts
• Podbean
• Spotify
• RSS Feed: https://feed.podbean.com/JITCafe/feed.xml