System Design, Psychological Safety, and When Lean Quotas Backfire

Episode page with links, video, and more In this episode, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh respond to listener questions about system design, leadership behavior, and navigating misguided Lean requirements. They explore why some systems—like college football playoffs or improvement quotas—fail to deliver their intended results, and what leaders can do instead. Topics include cultivating psychological safety in higher education, getting Lean started when the broader organization isn’t supportive, and how to redirect “check-the-box” improvement mandates into something more meaningful. Along the way, they also cover fresh coffee beans, local roasters, AI-generated music playlists, and a low-key holiday performance by Brandi Carlile—because culture matters too.

💡 Submit your question (and maybe win a Lean Coffee Talk mug!) at: LeanBlog.org/coffeequestions In this short bonus episode of Lean Coffee Talk, hosts Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh share an invitation for you to help shape future conversations. They’re asking for your toughest, most thought-provoking questions about Lean, leadership, culture, and continuous improvement — the ones without easy answers. Mark and Jamie will select some listener questions to feature in upcoming episodes and share their perspectives on each. Whether you’re a Lean practitioner, leader, or curious learner, your question could spark a conversation that helps others, too. Hosts: Mark Graban — LeanBlog.org Jamie Flinchbaugh — JFlinch.com  

In Season 2, Episode 5, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh are going back in time (apologies to Huey Lewis and the News) to the 1990s and examining companies that were iconic then and trying to find new ground today. But we start with coffee mugs - our most vintage mugs. A coffee mug can make coffee better, or ruin it, or bring back memories. The vessel may not be more important than what’s in it, but it’s up there. And this is our first, but perhaps not our last, Miss Piggy reference.  Episode page with video and more Before we delve into AOL finally ending its dial-up service, we take a deep dive into Starbucks’ new CEO and his efforts to revive the brand. Both the substance and the approach to decision-making matter here. On the approach, making too many decisions at the top can undermine those you’re asking to make their decisions, but the right decisions in the right way can break things loose or shift your culture.  However, this also raises the question of what Starbucks customers value and how to consistently deliver that value. There are many systematic barriers put in the way of baristas trying to deliver value. Will Starbucks and its CEO remove those barriers and find value? We will see (or at least their customers will).  We wrap up sharing our experiences with jazz flutist Frank Wess and the new movie "Spinal Tap II."  Links From the Show: MiiR carafe  - via Amazon WSJ on Starbucks' efforts to reestablish its customer value  And their efforts to get baristas to smile  AOL shuts down dial-up The Machine That Changed The World MACI   Improvement Nerds Podcast with Mark Jazz artist Frank Wess on Spotify Spinal Tap II: The End Continues   Podcast feed at LeanCoffeeTalk.com or jflinch.com/leancoffeetalk Please review us and follow! Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform! 

In Episode 4 (Season 2), Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh are joined by the hosts of the Just-in-Time Cafe podcast, Elisabeth Swan and Tracy O’Rourke. This is the second joint episode, the first being episode 45 of Lean Whiskey. In part, we celebrate the launch of Tracy and Elisabeth’s new book, the 2nd edition of "The Problem-Solver’s Toolkit," which we discuss on the show.  We talk quite a bit about our respective daily routines, beginning with how coffee fits into our day. This includes peaceful time, walk time, time with family, and time for health. Coffee fits in many different ways. And once again, Jamie sounds like Paul Giamatti in the movie Sideways in his avoidance of Starbucks. We also share our personal routines that help us stay focused and productive. There are different flavors and tools, but there are definitely some common themes across the group that prioritize our calendars and our to-do priorities over our email inbox.  Episode page with video and more In a meta discussion about podcasts during a podcast, we talk about the trend towards longer podcasts and video podcasts, as the NY Times covered. It is only a coincidence that this episode went a bit longer as well. We explore this trend, why it exists despite some contrary trends, and how we prefer consuming podcasts as well. We finish as always with our cultural shares, ranging from Charlie Brown to Brad Pitt.

In Season 2, Episode 3, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh both share specific episodes of their other podcasts. Jamie shares his People Solve Problems episode featuring Crayola CEO Pete Ruggiero, and Mark shares a repeat guest for My Favorite Mistake with NFL Players Association Dr. Thom Mayer to talk about the experiment of new kickoff formats and the impact (pun intended) on concussions. We then share our coffees, with the caffeine-laden Red Eye being the drink of choice, including Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell’s extreme coffee order.  EPISODE PAGE They then jump into lean coffee discussion format covering a wide range of topics. We discuss why Americans aren’t filling the half-million manufacturing jobs already available, two new lean books on problem solving and hoshin kanri, and why it may be ok for it only to take 2 days to select Pope Leo XIV but five rounds of interviews to hire a remote worker (picking up on a popular meme).  The discussion then turns to the MIT Sloan School of Management Work / 25 online conference, beginning with a bit of a rant about a poorly run event that wraps up in lessons of how to respond to customers when you do make mistakes. Then two speaker topics were explored from the conference, including Sharon Parker’s SMART model for how to prevent burnout in your employees, and then moving to Lynda Gratton’s presentation on the value of mastery in your career.  The final segment of cultural shares includes two items to watch, featuring Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson in Friendship (in theaters now) and National Geographic’s Endurance about Sir Ernest Shackleton's journey on Disney Plus. We hope you enjoy the listen! Links From the Show: Jamie’s podcast with Crayola CEO Pete Ruggiero Mark’s podcast with NFL Player Association’s Dr. Thom Mayer Dan Campbell’s coffee order NPR on manufacturing job openings The Problem Solver’s Toolkit 2nd Edition Managing on Purpose: Using hoshin kanri to develop strategy, align teams, grow leaders, and innovate your enterprise Jamie’s Short on the difficulties in deciding between two options   Jamie on YouTube about leveraging your superpower Mark’s Cultural Shares: SNL Roundball Rock sketch Netflix: I Think You Should Leave Netflix: Detroiters “Friendship” movie trailer Podcast feed at LeanCoffeeTalk.com or jflinch.com/leancoffeetalk Please review us and follow!

In Season 2, Episode 2, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh begin with Mark sharing about his Australia and New Zealand workshop tour with the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. Even koalas find their way into the conversation. Episode page with videos and more We then shift to our coffee selection of the day - pour overs. This old school method has found a resurgence not for being inexpensive but for giving you more control over the extraction process making it the best method for the best coffees. Jamie explains and demonstrates the process with enough details to get you going.  We then get to our main topics, beginning with some interesting statistics. 80% of Americans believe we’d be better off with more people working in manufacturing, but 25% of them believe that they would be better off if they worked in manufacturing. Whether skilled trades or engineers, we discuss why jobs in manufacturing are still getting a bad wrap. Continuing with manufacturing, we discuss the possible defunding and impact of the Manufacturing Extension Partnerships, a nationwide network of support centers for small- and medium-sized manufacturing businesses, which gets a significant amount of their funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.  Boeing is announcing a new, or refreshed, culture in an effort to turn the company around from a seemingly never-ending parade of crisis issues over several years. Are declarations of values enough? Do they need to be better defined? How do you back them up? We discuss all of this, including a mention of Jamie’s video course on culture change. While discussing blue chip names, this is the 40th anniversary of New Coke, an introduction that was likely never needed. Was it a mistake, and how do you recover when the product and the brand is this iconic? We do not include a taste test of New Coke or Coke Classic. Links From the Show: Reflections from Mark’s world tour  Pour over methods explained by coffee expert James Hoffman  The Chemex and V60, two popular pour over options  Manufacturing Extension Partnerships and their role supporting small manufacturers, their potential defunding written about by IndustryWeek, Manufacturing Dive, and an Op-Ed by the Urban Manufacturing Alliance  Being is resetting their culture  Jamie’s Learning Lab course on shaping culture  40 Years Ago, New Coke was introduced, and Mark’s take on the mistake Watch The Americas with Tom Hanks and Sea Lions of the Galapagos Podcast feed at LeanCoffeeTalk.com or jflinch.com/leancoffeetalk Please review us and follow! Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform! 

We would have called this Episode 51 of the Lean Whiskey podcast with Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban. Episode page with video and more Lean Whiskey is transitioning to a new brand, Lean Coffee Talk, so stay tuned for more episodes from Mark and Jamie. We're also calling this Episode #1 of Season 2 of the podcast series. If you're subscribed, the podcast logo will change but the feed will continue as is. We are just as passionate about their coffee beverages as the whiskey. We’ll still talk about lean stuff, ranging from in-the-news to our own topics of choice. In this first installment, Mark and Jamie each have an espresso. Mark from an automated home machine and Jamie’s from a more manual process. In future episodes, we’ll likely get more into the process.  In this episode, we begin exploring the challenges of supply chain risk and dealing with the disruptions of tariffs. Uncertainty is having a huge impact on the economy. We discuss the impact on coffee from Columbia, the Risk Index from the Center for Supply Chain Research at Lehigh, and even Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. We move on to discuss the changes being made at Starbucks. What allowed them to grow may not allow them to stay strong, but then again, there may be some subtle magic in those changes from free refills in store to having your name on your cup.  We explore the deliberate breakup of Honeywell, following in the footsteps of GE. This helps make an organization more focused on customers, value delivery, and the needed operations to make it all work. Is this a trend? If so, there are several reasons we believe it's a favorable one. We close out the topics with Mark’s Toyota experience during a recent tour seeing examples of "raku", or devices that provide comfort or ease for team members. SNL 50th feature of Coffee Talk The threat of tariffs drives up coffee prices Ben Stein on tariffs from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Center for Supply Chain Research at Lehigh’s Supply Chain Risk Index Jamie’s IndustryWeek article on Supply Chain Risk Starbucks adds in-store free refills and writes names on cups again Honeywell breaks itself up, but is still acquiring  Mark’s TMMK tour and writing about "raku" Podcast feed at LeanCoffeeTalk.com or jflinch.com/leancoffeetalk  

Episode page It's Episode 50 of the Lean Whiskey podcast with Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban! tl;dr: Lean Whiskey will transition to a new brand Lean Coffee Talk, so stay tuned for more episodes from Mark and Jamie In their 50th and final episode of Lean Whiskey, hosts Mark and Jamie announce a significant transition, revealing that while this marks the end of “Lean Whiskey,” the podcast will continue under a new title called “Lean Coffee Talk.” The change is partially influenced by Jamie's lifestyle choices, which is reflected in their drink selections for this episode – both hosts opt for non-alcoholic spirit alternatives, with Jamie choosing Almave (co-founded by F1 legend Lewis Hamilton). Mark made a non-alcoholic Manhattan (with Bourbon alternative and a Sweet Vermouth substitute), but as he found it undrinkable, we'll spare you the brand name. The bulk of the episode focuses on the current state of the whiskey industry, which is experiencing its first significant downturn since 2002. Drawing from multiple sources, they discuss how the bourbon boom appears to be over, with distilleries facing waning demand and a supply glut. The situation is particularly stark in Kentucky, where 14.3 million barrels are aging at the start of 2024, representing approximately 2 billion bottles of whiskey. The hosts explore how this oversupply mirrors historical patterns, referencing the 1980s when 22 Scotch distilleries closed between 1980 and 1986 and bourbon sales plummeted 50 percent in the US. They also discuss how this situation exemplifies principles from The Beer Game, a famous MIT supply chain management simulation that Jamie has facilitated many times over 20 years (and Mark has played a few times). The episode concludes with details about the podcast's rebranding to “Lean Coffee Talk,” which will maintain the casual, conversational format while using a loose version of the Lean Coffee structure that has been part of many Lean Whiskey episodes. The new format pays homage to both the Lean Coffee methodology and the classic radio program “Car Talk,” with the hosts emphasizing that while the name and logo will change, the podcast will continue in the same feed, ensuring continuity for their listeners. Cheers!  Links From the Show: Jamie's choice, Almave from Lewis Hamilton Bourbon sales a dropping, as reported by the Wall Street Journal and New Wine Review Signs of overheating include bottle buying restrictions A piece on the cyclical nature of the whisky market The Beer Game as featured by the MacNeil Lehrer Newshour in 1989, talked about by Professor Nelson Repenning at MIT, Professor John Sterman's research on order stability in supply chains Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey  Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform! 

It's Episode 49 of the Lean Whiskey podcast with Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban! Episode page with video and more Mark shares tales of his holiday / study tour trip to Japan. Since we start with the whisky (like scotch, note the lack of an ‘e’), and Mark’s opportunity to visit bottle shops, his favorite whisky bar, and even a whisky museum, along with the many samples he had a chance to try along the way. He brought one home, an Ichiro’s Malt Wine Wood Reserve, which he was able to find for a fair price (and also a ridiculous one), and it was the featured bottle for Mark’s pour. Jamie used Hibiki Japanese Harmony, a good entry-level Japanese blended whisky that is both easy to find and relatively affordable.  Mark and Jamie then discussed the Japan Study Tour itself, organized by Katie Anderson. This included Isao Yoshino as a co-host and Toyota alum, and another Toyota retiree sharing his story as well. It included trips to Toyota suppliers and Japanese food manufacturers, including Ina Foods. There were many themes, including providing an environment where employees have the opportunity to speak up, the benefits of a long-term view including a 100-year calendar, and a focus on employee development as a primary goal. Mark also introduced a word he learned about similar to kaizen and kaikaku, and that word is kaiteki which means comfort for the employee. We also discuss the benefit of study tours in general, including Jamie’s long-ago effort to organize one for the continuous improvement team at DTE Energy.  They finish by talking a bit about Thanksgiving, including how Lehigh University football won the Patriot League and went on to the FCS playoffs and also lost very heavily to Northwestern in basketball. I guess you can’t win them all. Happy Thanksgiving, and Cheers! Links From the Show: Jamie’s pour: Hibiki Japanese Harmony Mark’s pour: Ichiro’s Malt Wine Wood Reserve  Jiro’s Sushi Restaurant (Sukiyabashi Jiro) Katie Anderson’s Japan Study Trip Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey  Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform! 

In Episode 48 of the Lean Whiskey podcast, Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban begin by comparing two whiskeys from the same distillery. OOPS! We recorded this in October... and I released it via YouTube and my blog. But it somehow ended up stuck in "Draft" unreleased status on the podcast. That's why we had two episodes released in the same week... Episode page with video and more Mark selected Woodford Reserve, and had a pour of both the Double Oaked (which we both agree is underrated) and their Historic Barrel Entry, a nod to production methods in the past. Jamie selected Southern Distilling after a recent visit to North Carolina. He poured their heated bourbon, the Paragon Bottled-in-Bond, and their Double Rye, a surprisingly smooth drink at 95% rye.  Mark and Jamie repeat their “lean coffee modified for whiskey-sipping speed” approach of covering multiple topics. All three topics were prompted by Wall Street Journal articles. The first was whether AI was overhyped. The article focused on the return on investment, but we spend more time on both the organizational and individual approach of experimentation and learning. We then explored the trend (although more anecdotal than a large data trend) of “unbossing”, which hopefully doesn’t become a new term. Individuals further into their career are wanting to give up managing people due to the burden and stress of the role. We explored a bit of “what is the problem we are trying to solve?” with exploration of spans and layers, too much bureaucracy,  and just needing more focus on growing people.  Finally, we tackled an increase in fatalities and injuries from failure to use proper lockout tagout procedures. These should be fundamental, habitually focused processes. Lack of training and lack of enforcement are some of the causes, and increased turnover throughout and past the pandemic is a contributing factor, as is a cultural focus on output over safety. We explore a bit of the history, importance, and some possible steps forward. We end by sharing what books we’ve been reading. A book and a glass of whiskey aren’t a bad combination. Cheers! Links From the Show: Jamie’s whiskeys, both from Southern Distilling Company, are their Paragon Bottled-in-Bond and their Double Rye Mark’s whiskeys are both from Woodford Reserve, featuring the Double Oaked and the Historic Barrel Entry  Is AI overhyped? from the Wall Street Journal The trend of ‘unbossing’ from the WSJ Factory Workers Are Dying Because Machines Aren’t Being Turned Off from the WSJ What we’re reading now, 4 books: India: A History Homecoming: The Path to Prosperity in a Post-Global World by Rana Foroohar The Psychological Safety Playbook, and watch for a future episode of My Favorite Mistake featuring one of the authors  Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn by Katie Anderson Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey  Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform!