Continuous Improvement Lean Collaborative

Leading Through Change: The Role of Respect for People
2025-05-06 11:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Break through cultural friction, strengthen execution, and build a resilient,
engaged workforce—at scale.
If you’re working to sustain Lean, improve operational consistency, or strengthen
workplace dynamics but keep hitting resistance, misalignment, or communication
breakdowns, the Respect for People Roadmap is the results-driven framework you
need to systematically overcome cultural bottlenecks and drive lasting improvement.
Register at this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/uuMnzEPMTTOthK1Cjh3Dmg

Using AI to Streamline Your CI/Lean Thinking
2024-03-28 12:00 - 13:00 | Video recorded–use link below
The words “artificial intelligence” and “AI” seem to be in everyone’s vocabulary these days and it can mean a lot of different things to many different people. If you’re involved with continuous improvement or if you simply want to learn more about AI, this special session is for you!
During this one-hour session, John Paul O’Connor will provide answers to questions such as:

What is artificial intelligence (AI)?
What are some common AI platforms?
How can AI be used with Lean initiatives?
What are some pros and cons of AI?
And many others.

Come prepared to learn how to apply CI/Lean thinking with AI to get better, faster, more responsive, engaging, and streamlined results.
See the recorded video at this link: https://youtu.be/d5Un6TGdOWc

John Paul O’Connor
JP O’Connor’s purpose is to understand the “why” behind the “what”. He advises boards and executive teams throughout the banking industry regarding compensation and performance-based decisions. He has built a reputation as a trusted advisor, leveraging his expertise to provide strategic guidance and insights that drive meaningful impact on organizational performance and employee engagement/retention.

Get back to basics with AME
2024-03-06 10:00 - 2024-03-27 11:30 | Virtual–Register at the Website link below.
Refresh your knowledge or lay the foundation for your lean journey at the virtual AME Back to Basics Lean Summit. Join us March 6, 13, 20, and 27 from wherever you access the internet. Thought leaders and practitioners will share expert knowledge on the fundamental lean tools and concepts that you need to know. Participate in presentations and tours designed to help you with the essential building blocks for a lean transformation.

An Essential Summit Covering All the Essential Topics
Whether you’re taking your first steps, seeking new perspectives on foundational topics, or looking to refresh your knowledge, the AME Back to Basics Lean Summit will lay the groundwork for your lean journey. You’ll hear directly from industry-leading voices on topics around the following themes:
March 6 – Culture
March 13 – Operational excellence
March 20 – Leadership
March 27 – Basic tools
A Virtual Summit to Fit Your Schedule
The AME Back to Basics Lean Summit will be presented virtually on four Wednesdays in March. Join us March 6, 13, 20, and 27 from wherever you access the internet via AME’s Zoom platform and hear foundational examples and information from lean leaders from around the globe. Each session will take place from 10 – 11:30 a.m. central, allowing you to balance your professional responsibilities and your professional development needs. You’ll hear basic lean concepts and come away with actionable takeaways.
Free Registration for AME Members
AME members must complete the free summit registration process to receive session login details and other important information.
Not yet an AME member? Join our thriving community of lean, continuous improvement practitioners today to gain access to the AME Back to Basics Lean Summit and all of our membership benefits. You may also register for the AME Back to Basics Lean Summit for $150.
Register now

Hi, CILC Lean Systems Summit champion,
2023-10-03 08:00 - 2023-10-04 17:00
Here’s an opportunity to learn about the upcoming GBMP October 3-4 2023 Northeast Lean Conference!

https://www.gbmp.org/ne-lean-conference
The Northeast Lean Conference was created by GBMP to provide information and inspiration to Lean practitioners – from those just starting out to seasoned Lean leaders from the manufacturing, healthcare, service and other vital industry sectors. ​The practical learning format features exceptional keynote and breakout presentations, interdepartmental panels, peer-to-peer discussions, hands-on simulations, interactive learning and sharing, and unlimited networking opportunities. Meet more than 500 passionate Lean, Six Sigma and Continuous Improvement professionals just like you. Subscribe for email updates to get all the event news as it breaks here! Learn about this year’s conference theme below.

About this year’s theme: “It’s About Time”

​“We don’t have time for continuous improvement.” Time has long been a reason given for foregoing process improvement, but lately, it’s even more prevalent. Is this because we are too busy expediting material or searching for someone to run a machine or help a patient? Or, maybe our race to re-supply pent-up demand from the pandemic is the problem; or the increase in tactical meetings to locate local sources of supply for material no longer available from overseas manufacturers. As the saying goes, “We’re too busy fighting alligators to drain the swamp,” except now there are far more alligators. So, how can we reclaim this valuable lost time? With a singular source of inexhaustible energy: employee creativity. According to Shigeo Shingo, unlocking that creativity requires just two ingredients: methods and motivation. These will be the focus of our 19th Annual Northeast L.E.A.N. Conference. Our theme, It’s About Time, has a double meaning:

First, the correct use of Lean methods – from 5S to SMED to Standardized Work – absolutely reclaims and repurposes wasted time for the betterment of customers, employees, and the company. Provide employees with these methods and watch the creativity surge.
Second, there has never been a better time than today when so many organizations regardless of industry share a common motivation: How to satisfy increased customer demand in the face of scarce resources? Doesn’t that sound like Lean? It’s about time for management to make a visible commitment to continuous improvement.

Now is the time for every organization to invest in the benefits of Lean transformation. GBMP’s 2023 Northeast Lean Conference will bring together thought leaders and experienced Lean practitioners to give you and your team the knowledge and inspiration to accelerate your ROI on all of your continuous improvement efforts. Join us.

* Read more about Membership in GBMP here. Save on conference registration and enjoy the benefits of membership in our Lean Community all year long.
** For information about our group discount (for groups of 5 or more), email LGlikes@gbmp.org.
^ Can’t join us in person? Stream the event LIVE through Whova on your mobile device or desktop.

Registration is Now Open for the 2023 CILC Lean Systems Summit
2023-08-10 - 2023-08-11 | Holiday Inn By The Bay (Portland, ME), 55 Spring St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
Registration is now open for the 2023 CILC Lean Systems Summit
August 10th & 11th, 2023 at the Holiday Inn By the Bay, 88 Spring St, Portland Me, 04101.
To access details of this year’s keynotes and sessions and the registration link click here.
Or use the Website link at the bottom.

Elisabeth Swan--Overcoming Obstacles to People-Centered Leadership
2023-05-30 12:00 - 13:00 | Video recorded–use link below
Have you ever underestimated your influence on others? Do you fail to recognize the impact you have on people, their work, and their ability to solve problems and thrive?
Whether you hold a formal leadership position or not, you have the power to affect those around you. However, the way you think, speak, and act may not always bring out the best in yourself or those you interact with. This can lead to missed opportunities, strained relationships, and less than ideal outcomes.
This 1-hour webinar will demonstrate what can get in the way and help participants identify new ways of operating for better success.
Biography:
Elisabeth has consulted in the business process performance industry for over 30 years. Her experience spans from helping local non-profits expand their reach to guiding Fortune 100 companies through Lean Transformations. She has trained and mentored thousands of people in improvement projects generating millions in savings. She has deep experience coaching problem solvers and facilitating leadership retreats, strategic planning sessions, process walks, and kaizen events.
Elisabeth is the co-designer and lead Instructor for the Lean Six Sigma Leadership Course at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) as well as the instructor and coach for the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt at UC San Diego Health. She also designs and runs Lean Six Sigma courses at UC Davis, and the University of Denver.
She is a co-founder of Just-in-Time Café, and co-host of the Just-in-Time Café podcast. Her latest book is, Picture Yourself a Leader: Illustrated Micro-Lessons in Navigating Change, and she also co-wrote the Problem Solver’s Toolkit: A Surprisingly Simple Guide to Your Lean Six Sigma Journey.
Elisabeth is a former cast member of ImprovBoston and holds a BA in English from Barnard College and Columbia University.

Leili McKinley--Winning the Talent War Requires Inclusive Leadership
2023-03-27 12:00 - 13:00 | Video recorded–use link below
Key Learnings: Comprehending the labor crisis and how to adapt for it. Understanding how the Inclusive Leadership model motivates talent, drives revenue and sustainability, required to attract and keep the best. Identifying how executives and managers can use specific leadership skills to address the gap in the labor force participation rate.

The current labor crisis is fueled by a blend of societal and workforce dynamics that are changing the way employers and employees interact with each other. Understanding what’s at play is essential to adapting to these changes and successfully navigating through them. A new Inclusive Leadership model, which sheds light on what motivates talent, drives revenue, and ensures sustainability, provides specific leadership skills executives and managers can use to effectively address the gap in the labor force participation rate.
The labor force participation rate has been falling in this country for nearly two decades. With a perfect storm of aging boomers, the wage gappers, and women who have left the workforce, we now have a war to win what talent is left. You can’t fully automate your way out. The sustainability of your organization depends on a reliable and productive workforce. But now potential employees have changed their expectations towards the companies they want to work for. You need to adapt to find and keep them.
This session will cover the following topics:

The declining labor participation rate.
Mitigating the effects of the Talent War.
Evidence-based leadership skills required to adapt.
Explaining the Inclusive Leadership model.

Leili McKinley: Founder at The Identitype Group LLC connect@myidentitype.com
Video recorded at the link below.

ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH ENGAGEMENT: An Evidence-Based Framework to achieve outstanding results with high employee satisfaction
2023-01-26 11:00 - 12:00 | Video recorded–use link below
Peter Winiarski
Founder & CEO, WIN Enterprises
Countless studies show that lack of accountability is one of the most common frustrations that many leaders and team members struggle with every day. Although we all know there’s a correlation between accountability and results, we don’t always know the best approach to getting there; and if done incorrectly, the impact can be devastating to our customers, the organization, and moral.
During this session, Peter Winiarski will go deeper into defining what accountability REALLY means and why it’s critical to address accountability gaps before it’s too late. He will share an evidence-based framework and approach that has been proven to get results along with best-practice examples and lessons learned.
At the end of this session, you will have a better understanding of what it means to improve accountability through engagement at your company in addition to having a tangible framework and approach that can be applied to your organization.
Recorded video at the link below.

Lessons in Lean: The Human Spectrum Creating Meaningful Work Environments - The Journey to One System – One Team
2022-11-02 12:00 - 13:00 | Video recorded–use link below
Register at the website link below.
Technology, pandemics, social and political dynamics, and disruptive business models are fundamentally changing the nature of work and the relationships between people and the work we perform. While nobody knows for certain how work will evolve into the future, we do know that leadership strategies and organizational cultures will also evolve as we connect the roles and relationships of people to these new work dynamics.
Adding to these changes, we now have decades of experience and lessons learned through our efforts in Lean thinking and the building of business cultures focused on continuous improvement. While there have been many lessons learned, we know for certain that the future of work will have a focus of One System – One Team.
Join Robert Martichenko as he discusses some of these Lessons in Lean as they relate to the Human Spectrum.
In this session, Robert will discuss …

How is work and workforce development fundamentally changing and what may be the future implications of these changes?
What are some of our most important Lessons in Lean that will allow us to build upon a solid foundation of learning for the future of work and leadership?
What do we mean by the Human Spectrum and how do we lead within a human-focused environment?
What will it mean for us as leaders in order to achieve a goal of One System – One Team?
How will we create a roadmap to bridge conceptual insights to tangible action items in order to determine, “What will we do with this on
Monday morning?”

Video at the link below

Biography:
Robert O. Martichenko
Business Leader | Author | Speaker| Educator| Strategic Advisor
Robert Martichenko is a business leader, author, speaker, educator, and strategic advisor.
As a business leader with an entrepreneurial focus, Robert spent over fifteen years as the founder and CEO of the LeanCor Supply Chain Group. LeanCor was acquired by Transplace (Uber Freight) in 2020, and Robert subsequently transitioned to strategic advisory work in early 2022.
In addition, Robert has created TrailPaths to focus on research and education to better understand the “People and Human” side of Lean thinking, leadership, and workforce development. In particular, Robert is collaborating with like-minded professionals to trailblaze the paths that will help organizations and individuals to develop, engage within and sustain meaningful work environments and cultures of respect. This work is looking into the past, present and future to disseminate and leverage our “Lessons in Lean relative to the Human Spectrum.”
A continuous thought leader, Robert sits on multiple not-for-profit and educational advisory boards, including the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN), the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) and The University of South Florida Supply Chain Program. In addition, he has received several prominent industry awards, most notably, the Distinguished Service Award from the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), the highest recognition achievable for professionals in the supply chain industry.
Robert has written and co-written several business books, most recently, Discovering Hidden Profit. His other books include two Shingo Research award-winning books: People: A leader’s day-to-day guide to building, managing, and sustaining lean organizations and Building a Lean Fulfillment Stream. Additionally, Robert is the author of Everything I Know About Lean I Learned in First Grade and co-author of Lean Six Sigma Logistics. His debut fiction novel, Drift and Hum, has won multiple awards including the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Gold Winner Award for Best First Book-Fiction. He has also written the poetic verse for two children’s books, It’s Perfect Being Me and A Day Well Spent.
Robert is an active speaker addressing topics such as Lean, Operations Management, the Future of Workforce Development, Narrative Leadership, Supply Chain Risk and Creating Meaningful Work Environments.
Robert complements his professional experience with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, an MBA in Finance, and a Six Sigma Black Belt. Born in Timmins, Ontario, Canada, he and his family have lived in the United States for the past three decades.
Video at the website link below.

What Lean Leaders Should Know About Neuroscience and Productivity
2022-09-20 14:00 - 15:00 | Video recorded–use link below
Carlos Arce
Chief Learning and Engagement Officer
Elation Health

We’ve all been living with the effects of the pandemic. Hear how neuroscience can help us to understand human dynamics in the workplace and discover new ways to optimize peak performance.
Key Take-aways:

Understand how the human brain/body system influences individual and group performance.
Explore which organizational practices enhance wellbeing and which undermine the ability of a workforce to adapt and thrive.
Discuss how science of human performance can be applied to renew and enhance workforce well-being.

Biography:
Carlos Arce is a leadership and organizational development coach using neuroscience and mindset research to improve individual and organizational performance. He is the Chief Learning and Engagement Officer at Elation and, formerly, the Chief Learning Officer of a nationally recognized healthcare organization in areas of service, leadership, and quality.
He has combined his expertise from healthcare with applied neuroscience and mindset research to offer business leaders innovative approaches to organizational change and improvement efforts.
With over 20 years of expertise in leadership and workforce development, Carlos has helped teams and companies, in a wide array of industries including banking, telecom, energy and government, achieve outstanding business results by improving the effectiveness of leaders, organizational culture, and employee engagement (professional burnout and employee disengagement).
He is a senior-level learning strategist who understands the drivers and obstacles that create both a thriving business and healthy employee culture. His application of innovative and engaging learning methods has helped transform and improve a variety of organizational operations including: executive team effectiveness, multi-disciplinary collaboration, and hiring and onboarding.

Recorded video at the Website link below.

Future of the Supply Chain and Lean: a Panel Discussion
2022-08-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Video recorded–use link below
David Tweedt, Panelist

President and Chief Financial Officer, Win Enterprises, LLC
Best-selling author

Brian Waild, Panelist

Director of Supply Chain, Precinmac, LP

What does the future of our global supply chain look like? What Lean concepts need to be reconsidered? Join us to hear insights from subject matter experts and participate in an engaging panel discussion.
Key Take-aways:

Understand how Lean supply chain management may (or may not) be the most effective way to stay ahead of supply chain issues.
Discuss lessons learned and best practices.
Explore potential triggers to proactively manage, monitor, and predict future performance.

Biographies:
David Tweedt is a best-selling author, President and Chief Financial Officer of Win Enterprises, LLC, and a thought leader in operations improvement, leadership, and team effectiveness. He is an innovative transformation expert with over 30 years of experience working with and creating high performance teams. Combining Lean principles with business acumen, critical problem solving, and technical innovation, he has built a strong track record of implementation & execution for true transformation in his work at Wiremold, Newell Rubbermaid, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Brian Waild is an operations and supply chain executive with 30 years of experience bridging organizational strategy with extended supply chain relationships. He is currently leading the supply chain transformation as Director of Supply Chain Precinmac, LP and, formerly, Global Planning and Logistics Manager for Elmet Technologies and Sr Manager Operations and Supply Chain for Newell Brands. He specializes in merging LEAN principles and Theory of Constraints thinking to transform his supply chain and help his suppliers increase their performance.
View the recording of the session at the website link below.

The Future State: Leading in Uncertainty
2022-02-08 14:00 - 15:00
Hear how Dr. Dickson is able to apply lean leadership in times of crisis and establish management systems with leaders at all levels across the system to engage every person, every day and drive results.

Eric W. Dickson MD, MHCM, FACEP
President & CEO UMass Memorial Health Care, Inc.
Dr. Dickson is President and CEO of UMass Memorial Health Care, the largest not-for-profit health care system in central Massachusetts with $2.6 billion in annual revenue, 1,700 physicians and more than 14,000 employees.
The system includes three owned hospitals on eight campuses with more than 1,000 licensed beds; four affiliated hospitals; 70 office-based community practices; a behavioral health services agency and hospital; six urgent care centers; and an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). UMass Memorial trains 550 residents and fellows annually and performs world-class research in partnership with the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Dickson also serves as a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
Dr. Dickson has served as a member of the Baldrige National Quality Award Board of Examiners, lectures nationally on the use of the Toyota Production System in health care and is an active faculty member for the Institute of Healthcare Improvement, where he works with health systems around the world to reduce health care costs while improving quality.
Dr. Dickson completed his medical degree and residency training in emergency medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and has a master’s degree in Health Care Management from Harvard University. Dr. Dickson is the incoming Board Chair of the Massachusetts Hospital Association and the incoming Board Treasurer for America’s Essential Hospitals, which is the national association for safety net hospitals.

Innovation and Digital Solutions
2021-11-16 11:00 - 12:00
Register Now!
for this free virtual Special Session with 3M’s
Michael Muilenburg
Operational Technology & Strategic Planning Manager,
3M Film and Material Science, Technology, and Engineering Group
Innovation and Digital Solutions
driven by systemic problems or crisis
November 16, 2021
11 AM – Noon EST
-You will learn: How do leaders drive digital solutions, capture value, create positive culture change, and guide employee experiences to truly transform operations.
Registration will be limited to 100 registrants.
