Agenda & Presenters

Details:  This interactive workshop focuses on the human side of change, highlighting the emotional impacts—such as grief, confusion, and resistance—that often accompany transformation. While organizational change can bring innovation and improvement, the personal experience of those undergoing change is sometimes neglected. Participants will explore how to lead with compassion, combining change management theory with grief models and practical communication tools

Details:  In this training workshop, we will discuss the need to focus on improving the way work is done (process), the importance of developing a culture that supports improvement (leadership), and what the future might look like if all of this is done well (direction).

Details:  We all crave recognition, yet we often hesitate to give it. The paradox? While authentic praise energizes and motivates, we don’t always see ourselves as the source—creating a cycle of unrecognized efforts. Employees who feel unseen are three times more likely to quit, while those who feel valued are more engaged, productive, and committed.

Details:  What can the Pixar movie “Finding Nemo” teach us about building psychological safety, demonstrating respect for people, and enhancing A3 thinking? More than you might expect. During this two-hour workshop, we will discuss how developing strong listening and storytelling skills are crucial for effective Lean process improvement. We will also provide opportunities to apply listening and storytelling techniques to strengthen Lean problem-solving.

Details:  Companies throw teams at problems, making the assumption they know what to do, what’s in scope, and they have the support needed to succeed. Because of this, teams may flounder and lose time, effectiveness, and quality of results, while feeling disengaged and misaligned from the overall business objectives. In this session, you'll learn to clearly define a process for chartering work that will reduce completion time by 20+% and improve engagement, alignment, and quality of results by 10+%.

Details:  It is well known that continuous improvement has a positive impact on the performance of any process or value stream. What is often not clear is the actual financial impact of one improvement event or a series of improvement events. To understand the true impact of continuous improvement, it is necessary to connect continuous improvement to the bottom line.

Details:  Discover how to align your unique CliftonStrengths with Lean project principles to boost efficiency, collaboration, and impact. This interactive session will help you use your strengths to streamline processes, improve communication, and lead with greater confidence.

Details:  Increasing job satisfaction is no easy feat. In this session, we’ll hear about lessons learned while coaching Unit-Based Teams (UBTs), and the factors that helped some of these frontline-driven process improvement teams succeed while others struggled.

Details:  Skipping lunch isn’t a power move—it’s a fast track to burnout. Burnout is not a personal failure - it’s a leadership and workplace culture challenge. In this powerful keynote, Colleen shares how you can prevent burnout by modeling healthy habits, setting boundaries, and creating a culture where well-being is part of the job. Because when leaders eat lunch, everyone wins!

Details:  Leadership lessons can come from the most unexpected places. Whether you lead a division, a department, or a team, continuously improving your leadership style is crucial to ensure that people want to follow you. In this learning session, Bob will share 10 lessons he learned - the hard way - during his time as a leader.

Details:  Imagine improving productivity by 10+% and reducing safety risk by 90+%. Reliability Kaizen events have been accomplishing these results and more. In this learning session, attendees will learn simple techniques being applied to manufacturing lines around the country. Don’t let your competition beat you to these results!

Details:  During this workshop, attendees will learn the basics of OEE (measuring the 6 major losses), see real life examples (pictures, data from the shop floor), discuss categories of losses, and how to approach each loss and eliminate/minimize them.

Details:  No joke, communication skills from the world of improv comedy can make you better at your job. Practicing improv’s listening and response techniques is a great way to create Lean work environments where employees feel safe sharing ideas and surfacing problems. These techniques can even make you a better manager. Come and learn how in this interactive (but not intimidating) session.

Details:  GKN Aerospace has established a continuous improvement initiative known as “The Brilliant Basics.” This strategic approach is championed by top management and is designed to permeate the entire organization, engaging every frontline associate.

Details:  This session will explore how integrating vision, mission, and values through a logic model provides a robust framework for guiding continuous improvement. Participants will learn practical methods to measure these foundational elements, contextualizing improvement within their organization.

Details:  In today’s fast-moving and resource-conscious workplace, effective leadership requires more than just technical skill—it demands clarity, efficiency, and human connection. This dynamic session explores how leaders can integrate Lean management practices, emotional intelligence, and employee engagement strategies to build teams that are both high-performing and highly motivated.

Details:  Join us as we have a candid panel discussion with talented Lean leaders! In this moderated panel discussion, panelists will highlight their professional ups and downs as they share significant experiences that shaped them in their Lean careers. They will share their insights and real-life experiences, and share with us significant experiences that shaped them as a Lean leader.

Details:  Change is inevitable, but let’s be real—resistance isn’t the real problem. The real issue? How change agents perceive the people resisting! Too often, we see resistance as an obstacle when, in reality, it’s an opportunity. This session flips the script on resistance, exploring the psychology behind it and revealing how change leaders must first transform their own mindset before expecting others to change.