Respect First - Running Kaizen Successfully in a Union Environment

Kaizen Snapshot

Setting: Unionized distillery in Kentucky
Challenge: Excessive changeover time between bottle sizes
Stakes: Many thousands of additional bottles per year
Approach: Gemba walk, union alignment, Kaizen Waiver
Outcome: Constraints removed, continuity protected, team fully engaged
Key Lesson: Respect builds alignment, even in complex environments

The Situation

I’ve been running Kaizen events for more than 30 years in all kinds of environments, union and non-union alike.

While the rules may differ, one thing never does:
people are people, and everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

During a recent site visit to a distillery in Kentucky, leadership shared their most pressing need: reduce changeover time when switching between bottle sizes.

If we could cut the time in half, the plant would unlock capacity for many thousands of additional bottles each year. The business case was obvious and worth pursuing.

What Was Getting in the Way

The plant was unionized, and two contract constraints surfaced immediately:

• Division of labor: Production, maintenance, and management roles were clearly defined. In a Kaizen event, however, everyone needs to test ideas regardless of title.

• Overtime by seniority: If overtime was required, a more senior employee could replace a team member mid-event, disrupting continuity and momentum.

I knew from experience that if we didn’t address these issues before the event, the team would be constrained and the results would suffer.

What We Did

In similar environments, I’ve used what I call a Kaizen Waiver, a temporary, transparent agreement that allows:

• Any team member to do the work the team needs

• Team continuity if overtime is required

My team leader hadn’t used this approach before, so I suggested we take a Gemba walk and meet directly with union leadership.

That’s when we met Sam, the union vice president.

“We’ve tried this before. What are you going to do that other consultants couldn’t?”

I didn’t deflect the question.

I told him exactly what I planned to do:

• Listen to the team.

• Prioritize improvements that would make the biggest impact on safety, quality, and effort.

Sam’s next concern was one I hear often:

“What happens when you’re gone?”

I explained that if we made the process safer, truly safer, no one would want to go back. And I would rely on both union leadership and plant leadership to hold people accountable to the new standard.

When Sam asked about the contract, I walked him through the Kaizen Waiver and why it was critical to the team’s success.

After thoughtful questions and discussion, he agreed to support the approach.

I asked if he wanted to be on the team. He declined, which was understandable. That would have put him in a difficult position with his membership. But his support was enough.

What Changed

With constraints removed up front, the team was able to:

• Fully engage in testing and implementing improvements

• Maintain continuity throughout the event

• Focus on solving the real problem, not navigating rules

The Kaizen event itself was a success. But more importantly, it was done in a way that respected everyone involved.

The Takeaway

When you explain why you want to work differently, and you do it with respect, alignment is possible.

Union or non-union, Kaizen works best when trust comes first.

Why This Matters

Too many improvement efforts stall because leaders avoid hard conversations or try to work around constraints instead of addressing them directly.

Respect, clarity, and alignment remove friction — and create space for real results.

Ready to Apply This Approach?

If you’re navigating improvement in a complex environment and want results that stick:

When the Work Speaks for You

Kaizen Snapshot

Setting: Global Lean Summit at Indiana University
Challenge: Sustaining Kaizen momentum at scale
Stakes: Culture, credibility, and long-term capability
Approach: Hands-on Kaizen facilitation, leader development, culture building
Outcome: Public CEO endorsement, new relationships, expanded opportunities
Key Lesson: Consistent results build credibility and credibility opens doors

The Situation

At the 2025 Global Lean Summit, I was scheduled to deliver five workshops over two days. That alone made it a memorable event.

What made it even more meaningful was learning that Andrew Koenig, CEO of CITY Furniture, would also be speaking. I had worked closely with Andrew and his team for two years, helping them re-energize their Kaizen culture and build internal capability.

I reached out and let him know I’d be tracking him down when he arrived. He was happy to reconnect.

We finally met early on the final conference day at my booth.

What Happened Next

After catching up and sharing recent adventures, Andrew looked at me and said something I didn’t expect:

“Adam, you’ve done so much for us. What can I do for you?”

Honestly, I hadn’t thought about that. I felt he had already given me plenty through the opportunity to work with his organization.

Still, a few thoughts crossed my mind:

• It would be nice to be acknowledged as part of CITY Furniture’s Lean journey

• Introductions to leaders he thought I could help would mean a lot

• And maybe, just maybe, he’d wear the Kaizen Ninja socks I hand out

He smiled and said he’d do what he could.

The Moment I Didn’t See Coming

When Andrew took the stage later that morning, he began telling the story of CITY Furniture’s Lean journey.

Early in his talk, he shared how we met and how my work helped re-energize their Kaizen culture.

Later, he spoke again about the role I played in building their long-term Kaizen strategy.

Then he asked me to stand.

“Adam became part of how we grew our Kaizen capability not just our events.”

The response from the audience was immediate. After the talk, leaders came up to me wanting to understand my perspective, my approach, and how I supported CITY Furniture’s transformation.

Andrew’s words carried weight. Far more than anything I could have said myself.

What Changed

Later that day, Andrew came over, gave me a hug, and invited me to attend the CITY Furniture vendor conference.

I hadn’t been a vendor for more than two years. But I knew I needed to go, if for no other reason than to reconnect with the Kaizen team members and see how they were doing.

The conference itself was outstanding. But the real impact was something else entirely.

The Takeaway

When you do good work, consistently, respectfully, and with the long view in mind, others will tell your story for you.

Credibility isn’t built through self-promotion. It’s built through results.

Why This Matters

Leaders are flooded with claims and credentials.

What cuts through the noise is proof, especially when it comes from someone they trust.

Sustainable Kaizen cultures grow when results speak louder than words.

Want Results Like This?

If you’re looking to build Kaizen capability that leaders stand behind. Not just events that check a box:

Why Great Kaizen Starts Before the Event

Kaizen Snapshot

Setting: Armstrong World Industries Technology Group
Challenge: Poorly defined Kaizen charters wasting time and energy
Stakes: Misaligned priorities, weak engagement, limited business impact
Approach: Clear standards, disciplined gatekeeping, simplified chartering
Outcome: Stronger business cases, better-aligned teams, higher-impact Kaizen
Key Lesson: If the problem isn’t clear, the Kaizen won’t be either

The Situation

During my final six years as Global Lean Champion for Armstrong’s Technology group, I encouraged leaders to sponsor Kaizen events to solve critical business problems.

One requirement never changed: every Kaizen needed a charter.

The charter wasn’t bureaucracy. It was how we ensured:

• The right problem was being solved

• Leaders were aligned

• The work justified pulling people away from their daily jobs

As momentum grew, more leaders reached out for support. As the gatekeeper for Kaizen events, I reviewed every charter before an event was approved.

That’s when I met Stan.

What Was Getting in the Way

Stan was an experienced engineer who wanted to run a Kaizen in his area. We talked through what he hoped to accomplish, and I shared the standard charter template.

I asked him to complete it before our next meeting.

Three days later, he hadn’t.

“I just want to make sure you understand what I’m trying to do.”

I explained why the charter mattered. It forces clarity, alignment, and commitment.

Stan tried again.

And again.

And again.

After more than a dozen iterations, a pattern became clear.

What We Discovered

Stan wasn’t struggling with the template.

He was struggling with the why.

The charter never articulated a compelling business case. It sounded less like a Kaizen event and more like a request for people to do his work for him.

I told him I couldn’t approve the event.

He wasn’t satisfied, so we met with his sponsor to see if we could clarify the value together.

We couldn’t.

The event never happened.

What Changed (for Me)

There’s a risk in being strict about Kaizen charters. But I owed it to the organization to protect people’s time and energy.

More importantly, I realized something uncomfortable:

Chartering wasn’t as easy as I thought it was.

So I changed my approach.

The Improvements I Made

I did two things that changed everything:

1. Simplified the process
   I created a clear, four-step approach called Chartering to Win, with explicit intent and critical questions for each step.

2. Took ownership of the starting point
   Instead of asking leaders to start from a blank page, I began drafting a first version of the charter with them.

It’s far easier to edit than to create from scratch.

The Takeaway

Strong Kaizen events don’t fail in the room.

They fail before they ever start when the problem isn’t clear and the purpose isn’t compelling.

Today, I use the same Chartering to Win approach with my clients, and I teach leaders how to do it themselves.

And I owe that lesson to Stan.

Why This Matters

Too many organizations jump into Kaizen because it feels productive, not because it’s focused.

Clear chartering protects people’s time, builds alignment, and dramatically increases the odds that improvement will stick.

Want Better Kaizen Outcomes?

If your Kaizen efforts feel busy but not impactful, the problem may not be execution — it may be chartering.

Don't Go Down the Rabbit Hole

Kaizen Snapshot

Setting: Armstrong World Industries – St. Helens, Oregon plant
Challenge: Multiple simultaneous operational issues overwhelming leadership
Stakes: Safety, uptime, morale, and credibility
Approach: Prioritization, delegation, team ownership
Outcome: Clear focus, aligned action, stronger leadership discipline
Key Lesson: You don’t win by fixing everything. You win by fixing the right thing

The Situation

One thing you learn quickly in manufacturing is this:
Even when things are going well, there’s no guarantee they’ll stay that way.

People, processes, equipment, weather, raw materials, any one of them can tip a good day into a bad one.

At the St. Helens ceiling tile plant, we were in the middle of one of those weeks. Equipment downtime was high. Safety concerns were surfacing. People issues were piling up.

As Operations Manager, I felt responsible for all of it.

What Was Getting in the Way

I approached the situation the way many engineers do, by trying to solve every problem at once.

I believed:

• Every issue mattered equally

• I needed to stay on top of everything

• Speed meant touching everything personally

In our morning review meeting, I rattled off dozens of problems.

What I didn’t have was a clear direction.

The Moment That Changed Everything

As I started diving deep into a relatively small issue, one that wasn’t driving major loss, Olivia, our plant manager, stepped in.

“Adam, stop worrying about all the little details.
Let’s focus on the key problem, build the plan, and execute it.
Then we’ll move on to the next.”

It was obvious. And I had completely missed it.

What Changed

Olivia had the team identify the top three problems for the day.

Then she did something even more important. She had them self-assign ownership.

Suddenly:

• Focus replaced overwhelm

• The team leaned in

• Progress accelerated

I took one of the assignments myself and learned more about leadership that day than I had in months.

The Takeaway

Trying to fix everything is a fast way to fix nothing.

Strong leaders create focus, trust their teams, and resist the pull to dive into every detail.

Why This Matters

When leaders chase every problem, teams hesitate.

When leaders create clarity, teams act.

Focus isn’t avoidance, it’s discipline.

Ready to Build Focused Improvement?

If your organization feels overwhelmed by competing priorities, Kaizen may not be the problem, focus might be.

Squarely in the Middle of the Action

Kaizen Snapshot

Setting: Armstrong World Industries’ Pensacola ceiling tile plant
Challenge: Inconsistent board squareness affecting downstream processes
Stakes: Reliability, quality, and future changeover success
Approach: Observation, cross-functional collaboration, high-speed analysis
Outcome: Root causes identified and eliminated, lasting reliability gains
Key Lesson: Some problems aren’t solvable until you ask the right question

The Situation

During my corporate career at Armstrong, I was known as someone who would do whatever it took to help the team win.

In the late 1990s, we were reconfiguring the Pensacola plant to dramatically expand the range of ceiling tile sizes and shapes we could produce.

That meant one thing: far more changeovers.

Before we could make changeovers fast, we had to make the process reliable.

What Was Getting in the Way

After the dryer, large ceiling boards were cut down to size by a massive panel saw. We called it the Dry Saw.

I noticed something subtle but concerning.

The boards appeared to enter and exit the saw at a slight angle. That small misalignment was enough to create downstream quality problems and it was happening consistently.

Bob, a highly experienced engineer, was scheduled to rebuild the saw. I shared what I was seeing.

At first, he was skeptical. Then he looked and saw it too.

Going Where the Problem Lived

We locked out the saw and climbed onto the table.

We raised the blades and lay directly beneath them, close enough that I could see the teeth inches above my face. Nothing obvious appeared out of square.

Then Bob had an idea.

“What if we use high-speed cameras and slow everything down?”

At the time, this was cutting-edge technology.

We rented the equipment, set up cameras at critical points, and recorded the process.

What We Learned

When we slowed the footage down, three issues became obvious:

• The pusher bar feeding the first saw was slightly misaligned

• The conveyor chains feeding the second saw weren’t square

• The saw shaft slipped slightly with each full rotation

None of this was visible at full speed.

What Changed

All three issues were corrected during the next maintenance downday.

Immediately:

• Boards ran square

• Downstream processes stabilized

• Changeovers became predictable

Bob designed the fixes into the rebuild and added preventative maintenance to keep it that way.

The Takeaway

Until we slowed the process down, we were guessing.

Once we asked a better question, the answer became obvious.

Why This Matters

Many reliability problems persist not because teams lack skill, but because they haven’t found the right way to see the problem.

The right question changes everything.

Want More Predictable Changeovers?

If reliability issues are undermining your improvement efforts, it may be time to look at the problem differently.

My First Kaizen Event as a Consultant

Kaizen Snapshot

Setting: Large consumer brands manufacturing facility
Challenge: Running multiple Value Stream Mapping efforts simultaneously
Stakes: Event effectiveness, team engagement, credibility
Approach: Internal facilitator development, real-time course correction
Outcome: Successful event and a permanent change in approach
Key Lesson: If you can’t properly support the work, it’s been scoped wrong

The Situation

When I left my corporate role, I was fortunate to land a contract facilitating a company’s first Value Stream Mapping event.

The challenge was scale.

Instead of one value stream, the plant had three independent value streams, each operating differently.

In my corporate role, this would have meant multiple experienced facilitators.

As a new consultant, I had one. Me.

The Plan

I proposed a hybrid approach:

• I would facilitate one value stream

• I would train two internal leaders, Ken and David, to facilitate the others

Ken had some facilitation experience.
David had none but he had curiosity and commitment.

We prepared extensively. I spent weeks coaching them through the Value Stream Mapping process.

I felt ready.

What Actually Happened

The kickoff included more than 50 participants. After alignment and logistics, we split into teams and went to Gemba.

That’s when reality hit.

While all teams were walking the process, I had no visibility into how the other two were doing.

After my team’s walk, I rotated.

One team was stuck.
One team was doing fine.

I helped where I could.

The Wake-Up Call

When I returned to my own team, more than 40 minutes had passed.

They were waiting.

Without guidance, momentum stalled. Not because they lacked capability, but because I wasn’t there.

The event ultimately succeeded. But the lesson was clear.

The Takeaway

If the work can’t be properly supported, it’s been scoped incorrectly.

From that point on, Value Stream Mapping events were run one value stream at a time, whether I was involved or not.

That lesson still shapes how I design Kaizen today.

Why This Matters

Good intentions don’t guarantee good outcomes.

Clear scoping protects teams, credibility, and results.

Want Kaizen That’s Designed to Succeed?

If your improvement efforts feel stretched or diluted, the issue may not be execution, it may be design.

Tearing Down the Monuments of Poor Leadership

Kaizen Snapshot

Setting: Armstrong World Industries’ Lancaster, Pennsylvania vinyl flooring plant
Challenge: Low morale, poor discipline, and eroding trust
Stakes: Productivity, safety, and plant survival
Approach: Visible leadership action, standards reinforcement, symbolic reset
Outcome: Behavior change, improved discipline, productivity lift
Key Lesson: Culture changes when leaders make standards visible and non-negotiable

The Situation

When I became Business Unit Manager at Armstrong’s Lancaster vinyl flooring plant, the history was obvious.

Demand was down. Trust was low. Discipline was inconsistent.
And when people lose confidence in the future, they find ways to disengage.

During a leadership rotation through all shifts, we decided to experience the plant the way every employee did, including nights.

That’s when I found something I didn’t expect.

What Was Getting in the Way

During an overnight walk, I noticed lines running with missing crew members.

Breakrooms were empty. Work areas were quiet.

So I started looking in unused areas of the facility, nine floors of old industrial space.
On the sixth floor, I found stacks of fabric arranged into makeshift “beds.”

The rumors were true.

What We Did

Instead of calling people out, accusing, or lecturing, we took a different approach.

We formed a “bed-hunting” team and searched the facility. Over several days, we found six sleeping areas.

On a Wednesday morning, without announcement, we gathered all the beds and dragged them outside where everyone could see them.

Then we destroyed them in a controlled burn.

No speeches.

No accusations.
Just a clear message: this is not how we work here.

What Changed

Sleeping on the job stopped.

Productivity improved.
The mood lifted.
People saw that leadership was serious about standards.

Sometimes discipline, applied consistently and respectfully, creates stability that people actually crave.

The Takeaway

Culture doesn’t change with posters and speeches.

It changes when leaders remove the monuments to poor behavior.

Why This Matters

When standards are unclear or inconsistently enforced, people fill the gaps.

Visible, consistent leadership resets expectations and restores trust.

Ready to Reset Culture?

If inconsistent standards are holding your organization back, disciplined Kaizen can help reset expectations.

Safety Taken to the Extreme

Kaizen Snapshot

Setting: Dal-Tile manufacturing plants (Southern U.S.)
Challenge: Asbestos sampling under extreme conditions
Stakes: Worker safety, compliance, personal resilience
Approach: Strict protocols, long-duration sampling, extreme heat exposure
Outcome: Complete audit, deeper respect for safety discipline
Key Lesson: True safety work demands discipline, endurance, and respect for risk

The Situation

During my time at Dal-Tile, I worked as the environmental, safety, and mining liaison for 12 manufacturing plants.

There was little trust between the plants and the corporate safety group, so I was assigned to shadow a corporate environmentalist during asbestos audits.

His name was Richard. He wasn’t exactly customer friendly, but he was meticulous.

What Was Getting in the Way

Asbestos sampling wasn’t done during normal shifts.

We worked nights, weekends, and off-hours, when plants were quiet.

Richard wore a full Tyvek suit in the middle of summer in the South.
I was told to stay at least 30 feet away.

Even from 30 feet, I was uncomfortable.

Going Where the Risk Was

At one plant, Richard climbed on top of a ceramic tile dryer, hundreds of feet long and extremely hot.

I followed him.

The surface temperature was between 120 and 140 degrees. He was sealed in Tyvek. I was not. I have no idea how he tolerated the extreme heat. I was melting.

We worked 14–16 hours per plant. In four days, we slept less than 12 hours total.

What Changed

Richard never slowed down.
He followed every protocol.
He documented everything precisely.

It was one of the most physically demanding and disciplined safety efforts I’ve ever witnessed.

And I learned something important about myself.

The Takeaway

I gained a deep respect for the rigor behind real safety work and clarity that this wasn’t my long-term path.

Safety isn’t a slogan. It’s discipline under pressure.

Why This Matters

Many organizations talk about safety. Few truly understand the rigor required to protect people in high-risk environments.

Discipline saves lives.

Want Safety That Actually Sticks?

If safety feels reactive instead of disciplined, Kaizen can help build systems that protect people consistently.

How I Accidently Became a Paid Speaker

Kaizen Snapshot

Setting: EPA Continuous Improvement Conference in San Francisco
Challenge: Transitioning from practitioner to professional speaker
Stakes: Personal credibility, brand growth, new opportunities
Approach: Coaching, preparation, value-driven content
Outcome: Paid keynote, workshops, expanded visibility
Key Lesson: Growth happens when you say yes before you feel ready

The Situation

I’ve spent decades in continuous improvement and nearly eight years as a business owner.

I’m known for Kaizen Ninja Facilitation and the Wheel of Sustainability, not for public speaking.

So when the EPA emailed me about speaking at their conference, I assumed it was a mistake.

What Was Getting in the Way

They found me through Google and the Gemba Academy podcast.

I was skeptical. They thought I spoke on sustainability. I don’t do environmental sustainability.

But curiosity won.

What We Did

I spoke with a professional speaker friend who coached me on pricing, scope, and positioning.

He gave me one piece of advice that stuck:

“Whatever price you set will feel too high to them.”

I proposed a fee. They negotiated. We agreed.

I also offered workshops and they accepted immediately.

The Moment on Stage

I prepared obsessively.

I opened with:

“I just read on the plane that the best speeches are 20 minutes or less—so I’ll be quiet for 70 minutes, then we’ll get started.”

They laughed. I relaxed.

The talk landed. Workshops were full. Conversations flowed.

What Changed

I realized something important:

People valued my perspective enough to pay for it.

And I enjoyed it.

The Takeaway

You don’t have to feel ready to take the next step.

You just have to be willing to step forward.

Why This Matters

Leaders often wait for perfect confidence before acting.

But confidence usually follows action, not the other way around.

Want Me to Speak or Work With Your Team?

If you’re looking for a speaker or facilitator who brings real-world Kaizen stories and practical frameworks:

Technology Doesn't Have to be Scary

For two years, I facilitated monthly Kaizen events at CITY Furniture. These weren’t just about fixing specific problems. They were about strengthening their culture of continuous improvement. By the time we completed six events, people were lining up to be on the next teams.

One memorable event focused on organizing a chaotic repair parts storage area. We removed 75% of the clutter and built ownership that became a model for future teams.

What I didn’t tell you was this: the team also automated the entire inventory tracking system. And the person who made it happen was a 17-year-old hourly employee named Rob.

Rob was the son of one of the supervisors on the team. During our Gemba walk, it was clear the cluttered space wasn’t the only problem. Our area owner was drowning in paperwork and unreliable data.

While most team members focused on the physical mess, Rob saw a deeper issue: fractured information streams, disconnected reports, and no real-time visibility.

His idea? Consolidate everything into one digital report, accessible on an iPad. Then, take it further by barcoding every bin and tracking inventory in and out with a scan.

The team loved it but had no clue how to make it happen. Rob just smiled and said, “I’ve got this.” And off he went.

By day three, he had a prototype. He coordinated with IT, repurposed a company iPad, and built a working application. By week’s end, barcodes were in place, the app was live, and the team could track every part in real time.

I personally told the CEO about Rob and urged him to nurture this rising star. “Don’t let him get away,” I said.

Today, Rob’s a sales rep for CITY Furniture with a stellar track record and the same customer-first mindset that powered his Kaizen breakthrough.

Innovation doesn’t care about age, title, or tenure. Sometimes, your quietest contributor holds the loudest solution if you’re willing to listen.

A Gemba Walk Like No Other

Before I facilitated my first Kaizen event at CITY Furniture, we agreed I should learn the business from the inside. So, I spent a week embedded in their distribution center, shadowing employees and learning the flow.

The culture was strong, engaged, and motivated. But people were frustrated. They hadn’t had a Kaizen in a while, and they were hungry for change. I was there to help reignite that spark.

I spent time in the repair shop, helped planners with order tracking, and eventually got paired up with an order picker named Andy. His job was to locate furniture across a 1.6 million square foot facility and deliver it to the floor for shipment.

Andy showed me how he used barcode scanners and optimized routes to work efficiently. Then he asked, “Want to help me with an order?”

Next thing I knew, I was wearing a harness and vest, clipped into an “order picker,” a lift with a platform designed to retrieve furniture from towering racks.

Up and down we went, pulling product from the sky. At one point, 45 feet in the air, Andy turned to me and said, “I forgot to ask, are you afraid of heights?” I laughed and replied, “You picked a fine time to ask!”

We kept working, and I gained a deep appreciation for the skill, care, and judgment required in that role. It’s easy to underestimate the complexity when you're watching from the ground.

By the time I returned to the office, everyone had heard about the consultant in the air. They also knew I wasn’t there to sit on the sidelines. I was there to understand, serve, and support.

You can’t lead improvement from behind a desk. Real change starts when you walk the floor, get your hands dirty, and show people that their work matters.

Get it Right Early, the Rest will take Care of Itself

I’d been running reliability and center lining events across the country, and it never ceased to amaze me how small adjustments like leveling rollers, aligning equipment, straightening processes, could transform an entire line. We were seeing 90% fewer jams, 20% higher yields, 40% productivity gains, and a massive boost in team ownership. It was life-changing.

I decided to convince another client to try this approach in his composite decking factory. While the product was thicker and more stable than others I’d worked with, I knew the principles would still apply.

When I reviewed the concept with my sponsor, he admitted they were battling jams that caused serious disruption. He immediately invited me to run a reliability Kaizen on a key production line.

At first glance, the line seemed simple: straight path, thick product. But once we dug in, the misalignment was obvious. Early in the process, a set of rollers fed stabilizing sheets into melted vinyl. The roller system was out of level, causing tension and stress at the mixing point. Once corrected, the sheets fed evenly, drastically improving flow.

Next, we tackled the water bath where the decking was formed. The “carrier” that transported product through the bath was tilted. That misalignment made the material rise or fall, throwing off the next equipment in the line and potentially causing jams.

We built custom brackets using materials on hand to support the carrier at the precise height and alignment. Then we created easy-to-use visuals to ensure it could be consistently set up.

Once everything was lined up and squared off, we started up the line. It ran beautifully. From that stable foundation, we aligned every piece of downstream equipment. The results? Significant productivity gains, reduced safety risks, and a team that now applies the method to other lines in the plant.

When you take the time to get it right early in the process, everything becomes easier downstream. In reliability Kaizen, precision builds momentum and momentum builds belief.

No Barrier Too Big for the Team

We were running a reliability and center lining Kaizen for a vinyl siding plant in Maryland. These events often unlock 5% gains in yield and productivity and drastically reduce safety risks by 90% or more.

It was cold, so cold you could see your breath on the shop floor. Still, the team stayed focused. We spent the first two days teaching principles and establishing a center line for the process, leveling equipment, and planning the rest of the week.

Then, on day three, disaster struck. A critical water line broke, shutting down the fire suppression system. The plant was evacuated. We couldn’t even grab our tools. The event was abruptly canceled.

I left wondering: What would happen to the half-done work? Would the changes help or hurt? Would the team lose momentum?

One week later, the plant was operational again. Two months after the shutdown, we were back. Not only to finish the first line but to tackle a second. We had mostly the same team, plus a few new faces. We did a quick refresher on reliability principles and techniques and then went to Gemba. I was amazed. During the downtime, the team had already improved results using what they’d learned. They were fired up and ready to go.

We deployed most of the team to the new line, which had many of the same reliability issues. A smaller group returned to the first line to finish what we started. Over the next few days, we aligned, leveled, and pinned every critical element on both lines.

By day three, both lines were running better than anyone could remember. We locked in improvements and implemented the Wheel of Sustainability to ensure long-term results.

The approach has now been replicated throughout the plant and across their entire network of four additional sites. Better yet, they’ve built a workforce that believes in improvement and is hungry for more.

Even when the plan falls apart, a committed team can rise to the challenge. Reliability work is about precision and attention to detail. Culture is about perseverance and the drive to get things done.

The Ultimate Leadership Commitment

When I engage with new clients, I always gauge one thing up front: Do they have true Leadership Commitment? Without it, even the best Kaizen efforts will fizzle. With it, anything is possible and sustainable.

One example I’ll never forget came during a follow-up 5S Kaizen in a New Jersey manufacturing plant. Our first event had reduced tool and supply search time by 90% and lit a fire in the maintenance team.

Not everyone had been part of that first event. Some sat out to keep operations running and were skeptical their voices would be heard. But once they saw the results, they were eager to join round two.

We expanded to new areas: the electrical repair shop, outside storage, a mezzanine, even a pair of old shipping containers in the parking lot. Deep into “Sort” on Day one, we got word of a serious chemical upset in the plant. Our team leader, the Maintenance Manager, had to leave. I assumed the Kaizen would be put on hold.

But the leadership team made a bold decision. They would personally handle the crisis. They donned hazmat suits and tackled the environmental emergency so our team could stay focused on improvement. We got the Maintenance Manager back quickly.

It wasn’t easy for our team leader to stay on the sidelines. Normally, this was his job. But the plant leaders valued the Kaizen event enough to step in themselves.

Yes, we lost a team member here or there for the emergency effort. But by the end of the week, the crisis was under control, and our Kaizen team had cut “find time” by over 70%.

The biggest breakthrough was the clear alignment and support that the team received from their sponsors. They felt like they were working on something important and they were. I have no doubt that their results will live on and more employees will want to engage in similar work. They now know that their leaders have their backs.

Leadership isn’t just about solving problems—it’s about creating space for others to do their best work. When leaders show up for their people, their people show up for the work.

Conference Challenge Accepted

In the early days of my entrepreneurial journey, I ran a lot of experiments. The biggest? Seeing if people would actually pay for my Kaizen Ninja approach. Spoiler alert: they did.

Once I had a small, but loyal client base, I wanted to grow. Then came the offer: speak at the Business Transformation & Operational Excellence Summit (BTOES) in Orlando.

I was skeptical. Why me? Was it legit? And how much would it cost?

I spoke with Jeff, one of the conference reps. He explained the audience, the platform, and the opportunity to sponsor. It came with a booth, a book signing, and two workshops. After some negotiation and soul searching, I signed up.

I talked to my marketing mentor. Her advice: “Don’t expect to get business by speaking. You’ll only be disappointed.” Challenge accepted.

I set three goals:

1. Have as much fun as possible.

2. Meet great people.

3. Land one new client.

I had no idea how to set up a booth, but I figured it out. I even brought dozens of Ninja squeeze toys to draw people in.

At a networking session, I met a guy with great energy. We hit it off instantly. When he asked what I did, I told him: “I get $!&% done!” He laughed and kept finding me throughout the conference.

That man was Ronald, the CEO of a hydrogen startup. By the end of the week, he told everyone I was going to help him. And I did. For the next year, I supported his growing company and built a great friendship along the way.

Opportunities don’t always knock, sometimes they whisper. Be bold enough to say yes, and prepared enough to follow through. That’s how doors open.

Turning the Factory Upside Down

When a packaging company reached out to me about facilitating a 3P (Production Preparation Process), I was intrigued. It’s the most advanced Kaizen approach I offer. They wanted this to be their very first experience.

Fortunately, I had an ally. Brett, a longtime colleague from my Armstrong days, had joined the company and believed 3P was the only way to address the plant’s design and operational constraints. The plant was bursting at the seams, and their lease made change feel impossible. But Brett believed they could break through.

Our goal: Develop 1–3 bold options to get the plant back on budget and positioned for growth, without relocating, if possible.

As expected, day one brought skepticism. In 3P, we ask people to suspend their constraints and imagine possibilities no one has yet seen. That’s a tall order.

The team followed the process, even when it didn’t fully make sense to them. At one point, I had to give tough love to a company veteran who wanted to skip a step and revert to his usual methods. He didn’t talk to me for a few hours, but by day three, everything changed.

The energy flipped. They saw it. They believed it. They were building something new and it could work.

By week’s end, we had two viable plans. One that reconfigured the current space and one that required a new building. Both met the business goals and sparked new thinking across the team.

At the report-out, the excitement was contagious. Brett strengthened his credibility and standing in the company. The team felt empowered. Some have since moved on, but they still reach out to say how much that 3P experience shaped them.

Breakthroughs don’t come from doing what you’ve always done. When you trust the process and your people new possibilities come into view.

Our Quest for the Holy Grail

This might sound dramatic, but in the world of suspended ceilings, we had a Holy Grail: a ceiling that looked like drywall but performed like an acoustical system. No visible grid. Total sound control. Full accessibility.

For decades, teams tried and failed. The problem? Suspended ceilings require grid for structure and access. Drywall doesn’t offer that and it also lacks acoustic performance.

Then our innovation manager had a bold idea: use the 3P Kaizen (Production Preparation Process) to tackle the problem. He knew we might not solve it in one go, but believed 3P could reveal the path forward.

I was asked to facilitate. The first sessions focused on hiding the visible grid. After many sketches and prototypes, the team landed on a clever idea: use overlapping fabric between tiles. It wasn’t perfect, but it disguised the seams better than anything we’d seen.

Some were disappointed it didn’t fully solve the challenge. But that first step revealed the next: develop a coating that could bind tiles together and create a seamless look without destroying acoustical performance.

The next 3P sessions pushed us farther. Dozens of experiments later, the team found a spray coating that did the trick. We brought in drywall contractors to test it. With their feedback, the final system was born.

After decades of struggle, we had invented a seamless, acoustical, accessible ceiling system. Within months, it hit the market. Today, that innovation drives a growing product category and is a cornerstone of the company’s success.

Breakthroughs rarely come in one giant leap. They’re built through persistence, process, and problem-solving. Sometimes the “Holy Grail” is one prototype away.

Pick Your Winning Team

I’ve told many stories from my time at Armstrong, especially about improving board flow in our Macon plant. This one’s about something less technical but equally vital: choosing the right team.

After years of helping improve various lines at Macon, leadership asked me to focus on their highest-demand line. I agreed on one condition: I wanted to hand-pick my team.

Their first response was, “Why? Can’t you just use a few operators and mechanics like you always do?”

I said, “Sure, but this time I want the best. No training, no convincing. Just execution. And we’ll need less downtime to make it happen.” They immediately said yes.

At the top of my list was Kevin. He was the most creative mechanic I’d ever worked with. He could build or fix just about anything. He wasn’t in that role anymore, but I convinced him to come out of “retirement” for this project.

We added two more top-tier mechanics, three experienced operators, and an operations manager I’d worked with before. That was our team.

Day one was spent reconnecting and joking about how I pulled Kevin back in. Then, we walked the line and laid out our plan: establish fixed “zero points,” align the equipment to those references, and lock everything down so it couldn’t drift.

Each equipment adjustment was done faster than expected. The team didn’t need to be sold. They were already bought in. And because the operations manager was on board, we had no roadblocks getting the downtime we needed.

I was amazed at how smooth it all went. Less oversight. Fewer obstacles. More results.

These days, I still love giving new people Kaizen opportunities. But when the stakes are high, I hand-pick the team. To this day, I encourage my sponsors to pick their winning team to tackle the most critical issues.

The Birth and Quiet Death of Definitions

Early in my career, I was the Quality Assurance Manager at the Sparrows Point, Maryland ceiling grid plant. Grid is the metal framework that supports ceiling tiles, and it’s a product where precision matters. The slightest variation in length—thousandths of an inch—can keep the tiles from fitting correctly, especially in long ceiling runs like you’d find in airports or large office buildings.

Most of the time, ceiling grid is meant to disappear into the background. Our corporate team was working on a product they believed would change that—a grid that would intentionally stand out. The idea was to improve the aesthetics of the ceiling using a three-dimensional face.

The product was called “Definitions.” It was a plastic cap, molded into various profiles, designed to snap onto the face of the ceiling grid to give it a bold, new look. Marketing was confident they could sell millions of feet of it. Our plant was chosen to be the first to bring it to life.

There was a technical challenge. Ceiling grid is made of metal and produced in a continuous process—roll formed, pressed, and finished all in one line. The plastic cap couldn’t be added as part of that process. It would have to be applied in a separate, manual operation.

We cleared out a section of the plant and set it up as the Definitions production area. Because the white plastic cap was highly susceptible to dirt and grime—and our main lines used lubricants—we enclosed the area with plastic curtains to keep it isolated and clean. Finished grid would be brought over, the caps snapped on, with the final product packaged and stored in a dedicated warehouse area.

Our first attempts to attach the plastic caps were unsuccessful. It wouldn’t locate properly and stay on the grid. Eventually, we designed simple fixtures to help guide and secure the cap during the process. Once we figured that out, we developed standard operating procedures and set up a two-person team: one to place the caps in position on the grid, and the other to apply the pressure, using a special piece of equipment.

Even with the process in place, everything had to be almost perfect. The cap had to be placed with pinpoint accuracy, and its width had to match the grid within .002” (less than the width of a human hair) or it would pop off.

Progress was painfully slow. Contamination, inconsistency, tight tolerances, and poor productivity constantly worked against us. Producing Definitions took many times longer than making standard grid.

We produced 250,000 linear feet of the product. By the time we wrapped up the first run, every operator on the line made it clear—they didn’t want to do it again. It was just too tedious, too frustrating, and too slow.

The product sat in our warehouse for years. If anyone ever bought a box, I don’t remember it. Feedback from installers was brutal: the caps were too delicate, required gloves to handle, and slowed them down so much that using it actually lost them money.

While Definitions itself was a failure, it sparked a line of thinking that led to real innovation. The idea of a dimensional grid look lived on—and eventually, we developed new products that achieved a similar aesthetic directly on the main manufacturing lines. Those products were far easier to make, faster to install, and went on to become successful alternatives to standard grid. They’re still sold today.

Working Like a Business Owner

During my career at Armstrong World Industries, I had the opportunity to travel across the U.S. and to many places around the world. I met impressive people everywhere, but the team I met in Team Valley, UK still stands out as some of the most invested employees I’ve ever encountered.

I was part of a four-person team visiting several of our European manufacturing plants to benchmark best practices and bring ideas back to our local manufacturing plants. The group included the industrial engineering manager, the capital engineering manager, a project engineer, and me.

As we visited plants across Germany and the Netherlands, we saw great examples of things we could adopt back home. We had some fun adventures, met interesting people, and saw some incredible sights.

Our final stop was the ceiling tile plant in Team Valley UK, which had a reputation for best-in-class performance, strong leadership, and a highly engaged workforce.

As we walked the plant floor in the morning, it was immediately obvious why the plant ran so well. Everyone was actively working to keep things running smoothly, following standard work, and using simple, effective tools to maintain operations. Operators and mechanics weren’t just doing their jobs—they were fully involved in improving them.

In the afternoon, we sat in on a technical review by the company’s leading dryer scientist. The room was full, and the discussion dove deep into the science of curing ceiling tiles. I was completely lost in the technical details—and I would’ve dozed if not for the energy in the room.

What kept it alive was the engagement. The most insightful, animated questions were coming from hourly operators. They weren’t there just to listen—they were trying to understand every detail so they could run their lines better. At one point, the scientist even told them, “You all understand this better than I do.” I don’t know if it was true, but it sure felt like it.

It was clear the leadership had built a culture where people truly cared. Not just about doing their jobs, but about understanding why things worked the way they did. Everyone from hourly operators to engineers was fully invested in the success of the plant.

That experience solidified something for me: the way we lead directly shapes the culture and performance of an organization. It’s not a new concept, but seeing it in action left a lasting impression. It still influences how I approach leadership and team engagement today.