Episode 57: Improvement as a Human Endeavor
From Shingo Principles Podcast by Shingo Institute, Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University
March 3, 2026 · 29 min · Episode 57
About this episode
This episode discusses the importance of people in sustainable continuous improvement, using The Gund Company's journey as a case study.
In this episode, we explore why sustainable continuous improvement depends less on tools and more on people. Using The Gund Company as a case study, we trace its two-decade journey from Lean tool adoption to a deeply embedded, people-centered system grounded in the Shingo Model. You’ll hear how leaders shifted from driving compliance to developing people—integrating respect, humility, and listening with practices like A3 problem-solving and meaningful gemba engagement. The result? World-class...
People in this episode
Host: Shingo Institute
Topics covered
- continuous improvement
- lean tools
- people-centered systems
- leadership development
- A3 problem-solving
- gemba engagement
Keywords
- continuous improvement
- lean
- Shingo Model
- leadership
- A3 problem-solving
- gemba
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Gund Company, Shingo Model
More episodes of Shingo Principles Podcast
- Episode 5: Back to Basics: How Leadership Style Shapes Culture with Alisha Garrett · June 8, 2026 · 16 min
- Episode 60: You Can Be Lean and Creative · May 29, 2026 · 31 min
- Episode 59: Leading Enterprise Excellence: Achieving Sustainable Results · April 30, 2026 · 33 min
- Episode 58: Redefining Excellence - From Maturity to Mastery · March 31, 2026 · 32 min
- Episode 56: Leading Through Healthcare Disruption · January 29, 2026 · 26 min
- Episode 4: Back to Basics - Tech, Lean, and Shingo · January 20, 2026 · 30 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Shingo Principles Podcast podcast page.