Respect First - Running Kaizen Successfully in a Union Environment

How clarity, respect, and one simple agreement unlocked engagement and protected results.

Customer focus, Kaizen Success Stories, LeadershipAdam LawrenceJanuary 26, 2026Process Improvement Partners LLCUnion environment, Changeover reduction, Accountability, Respect for people

When the Work Speaks for You

How years of consistent Kaizen work turned into unexpected recognition and new opportunity.

Customer focus, Kaizen Success Stories, Leadership, ServicesAdam LawrenceJanuary 12, 2026Process Improvement Partners LLCLeadership & Culture, Kaizen Facilitation, Continuous Improvement, Manufacturing Leadership, Organizational Capability, Sustainability

Why Great Kaizen Starts Before the Event

How one frustrated engineer reshaped the way I prepare leaders for successful Kaizen.

Customer focus, Kaizen Success Stories, Leadership, Learning, ServicesAdam LawrenceDecember 29, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCChartering, Leadership Alignment, Kaizen Facilitation, Accountability to Standard, Process Discipline, Continuous Improvement

Don't Go Down the Rabbit Hole

How a tough day on the plant floor reshaped my understanding of leadership, focus, and trust.

Customer focus, Kaizen Success Stories, Leadership, Learning, OperationsAdam LawrenceDecember 15, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCLeadership, Focus, Operations Management, Team Ownership, Process Discipline, Manufacturing Leadership

My First Kaizen Event as a Consultant

The early lesson that reshaped how I scope, support, and design Kaizen events.

Leadership, Learning, Kaizen Success Stories, Customer focus, ServicesAdam LawrenceNovember 17, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCValue Stream Mapping, Kaizen Facilitation, Leadership Development, Continuous Improvement, Event Design

Tearing Down the Monuments of Poor Leadership

How visible discipline and consistency helped reset culture in a struggling manufacturing plant.

Leadership, Kaizen Success Stories, Operations, Customer focusAdam LawrenceNovember 3, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCCulture, Leadership, Discipline, Accountability to Standard, Manufacturing Leadership, Continuous Improvement

How I Accidently Became a Paid Speaker

Why stepping outside your comfort zone can open doors you never expected.

Customer focus, Kaizen Success Stories, Leadership, Learning, ServicesAdam LawrenceOctober 6, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCLeadership, Speaking, Personal Growth, Continuous Improvement Thought Leadership, Wheel of Sustainability

A Gemba Walk Like No Other

Kaizen Success Stories, Customer focus, Leadership, Learning, OperationsAdam LawrenceJuly 2, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCVoice of the Customer, Gemba walk, Kaizen, leadership commitment

The Ultimate Leadership Commitment

Kaizen Success Stories, Customer focus, Leadership, OperationsAdam LawrenceMay 21, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCleadership commitment, Teamwork, Kaizen, Wheel of Sustainability

Conference Challenge Accepted

Kaizen Success Stories, Leadership, Learning, Customer focusAdam LawrenceMay 7, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCExperimentation, leadership commitment, Leadership commitment

Pick Your Winning Team

Leadership, Kaizen Success Stories, Customer focus, LearningAdam LawrenceMarch 26, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCteamwork, Kaizen, leadership commitment

The Birth and Quiet Death of Definitions

The research and development team created a product that they thought would change the ceiling grid market. The bad news is that it was hard to produce and no one bought it. The good news is that it lead to future innovations that the market loved.

Customer focus, Innovation, Learning, LeadershipAdam LawrenceMarch 20, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCVoice of the customer, manufacturing, efficiency

Working Like a Business Owner

During our benchmarking tour of our European plants, we met hourly operators who were so engaged in their work that they had process understanding that rivaled one of our highest level scientists. And, they wanted to know more!

Kaizen Success Stories, Customer focus, Operations, LeadershipAdam LawrenceMarch 6, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCOwnership, Leadership commitment, Teamwork

Butt Ugly by Friday

Kaizen is messy. It should be so accessible that anyone can do it. So, I use a phrase that I was taught many years ago, to make it okay to try and fail and learn quickly. The phrase? Butt Ugly by Friday!

Kaizen Success Stories, Customer focus, Leadership, ServicesAdam LawrenceFebruary 20, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCLeadership commitment, Kaizen, Teamwork, Voice of the customer

An Incorrect Measure of Success

I used to think customer acquisition was the most difficult and challenging aspect of my business. Once I realized customer retention is top priority, it changed my perspective and approach.

Customer focus, Leadership, ServicesAdam LawrenceFebruary 6, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCCustomer focus, Voice of the customer, Alignment

Shining Like a Star

Kaizen events can be life-changing for team members. This is the story of Steve, who grew so much during the week that his co-workers almost didn’t recognize him.

Leadership, Kaizen Success Stories, Services, Customer focusAdam LawrenceJanuary 23, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCKaizen, Teamwork, Facilitation

Value for the Customer

After many years, I was able to influence my number one client to take their Gemba walk to the next level of performance. When the hourly production operator stood up and gave his perspective, it changed the mind set of the leadership team.

Leadership, Kaizen Success Stories, Customer focus, ServicesAdam LawrenceJanuary 9, 2025Process Improvement Partners LLCCustomer focus, Voice of the Customer, Gemba walk, Workforce engagement

Does Continuous Improvement Work Have to Be Industry-Specific? You Decide.

I often meet people who are interested in the work I do, and sometimes, these conversations turn into future business opportunities. One statement I hear quite frequently goes something like this: “I see you’ve made great strides working with manufacturers in [insert industry here]. But we’re different, so I want to know what experience you have in my industry.”

Customer focus, Leadership, Operations, ServicesAdam LawrenceNovember 27, 2024Process Improvement Partners LLCVoice of the customer, customer focus, leadership commitment

Know Your Niche

As a Kaizen Ninja, I like to believe I can help any team solve any problem. Maybe I can, maybe I can’t—but believing it was causing me to dilute my message to my target audience. Let’s face it: no one believes you can be all things to all people.

Leadership, Learning, Services, Customer focusAdam LawrenceOctober 16, 2024Process Improvement Partners LLCVoice of the customer, Leadership commitment, Marketing, Innovation

Creative Problem Solving Happens at Any Age

Problems are everywhere. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and give up, thinking there are more problems than solutions. While it’s true we can’t solve everything—and some things are simply out of our control—my advice is to focus on the problems you can solve and be willing to experiment until you get the results you’re looking for.

Innovation, Customer focus, Learning, LeadershipAdam LawrenceOctober 2, 2024Process Improvement Partners LLCProblem solving, Teamwork, Voice of the customer