Keep Your Gemba Walks Fresh & Meaningful – Engage Your People–Michael Bremmer
Getting started with Gemba Walks isn’t hard, but maintaining their effectiveness, engagement, and impact is another story.
Too often, leaders fall into the trap of turning every walk into a “waste walk.” While identifying waste is valuable, that’s only a fraction of what’s possible. In this one-hour session, we’ll explore how to:
> Keep your walks engaging—for you and your team
> Make each walk a learning experience, not a routine
> Use walks to actually drive performance improvement
We’ll also touch on Virtual and Office Gemba Walks—how they differ from a physical walk.
Join us to re-energize your Gemba Walks and deepen their impact.
Take aways:
> Practical actions to improve your gemba walks
> Ideas on how to coach others in improving their walks
Who should attend:
> “C” level senior leaders
> Operations leaders
> Continuous improvement practitioners
Michael S. Bremer – Author & Improvement Leader
Michael Bremer is a semi-retired business executive and award-winning author, with a diverse career spanning productivity, information systems, financial leadership, and global consulting.
He began his corporate career at Beatrice Foods, serving as Director of Productivity and later Director of Information Systems. He served as Chief Financial Officer and Board Member of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME). Michael spent 28 years as President of The Cumberland Group, a Chicago-based global consulting firm.
Michael was also involved in education and innovation, serving as adjunct faculty at the University of Chicago’s Graham School for 15 years, and mentoring manufacturing-focused startups at mHUB Chicago, an innovation incubator.
Awards & Recognition
- 2016 Shingo Prize for Research & Publication Award– How to Do a Gemba Walk
- 2019 Mac McCulloch Lifetime Achievement Award– Association for Manufacturing Excellence
Publications
Michael has authored five books on leadership and performance improvement, including:
- How to Do a Gemba Walk(2025, Self-Published 4th Edition)
- Learn to See the Invisible(2025, Productivity Press)
Current Activities
Michael continues to serve as volunteer Vice President for AME’s Excellence Award activities, coordinating over 50 volunteer assessors. Assessments focus on elevating organizational improvement maturity. He also moderates a bi-weekly discussion group on global issues.
Tom Lawless–Problem Solving: Towards Better Outcomes and Fewer Headaches
Problem Solving Session Outline:
1. What is Problem Solving – Problem solving is a structured approach to identifying the root
cause of an issue and developing effective, lasting solutions.
2. Why Use It – It helps teams move beyond temporary fixes by using data, collaboration, and
analysis to improve processes and prevent recurrence.
3. Brief Takeaway – With the right tools and mindset, anyone can solve problems more
efficiently and sustainably, leading to better outcomes and fewer recurring issues.
4. Who Should Attend – Anyone involved in daily operations, team leaders, frontline
employees, and decision-makers who want to improve results and reduce frustration.
Dr. Tom Lawless, PhD, MBB, CEPA, is a seasoned leader in Lean Six Sigma, change
management, and business transformation. As President of LeanTAC, he has trained
over 3,000 professionals and led initiatives that have saved companies more than $50
million in under two years. His expertise spans process improvement, leadership
development, and exit planning for business owners.
With a distinguished military background, Dr. Lawless served over 25 years in the U.S.
Navy and Army, retiring as a Major. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Combat
Action Badge for his service during Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he managed
logistics operations involving thousands of daily movements across Iraq.
An adjunct professor at Nebraska Methodist College, Dr. Lawless is also a frequent
speaker at global leadership events, including HaradaCon. His academic credentials
include a PhD and certifications as a Master Black Belt and Certified Exit Planning
Advisor.
Through LeanTAC, he continues to help organizations reduce waste, improve quality,
and prepare for successful business transitions.
Using AI to Streamline Your CI/Lean Thinking
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.
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.