20 Years of the Lean Blog Podcast: Norman Bodek on Quick and Easy Kaizen

Twenty years ago, on July 16, 2006, the Lean Blog Podcast began with a conversation with Norman Bodek. Episode page Norman was Mark Graban’s friend and mentor—and the person who suggested starting the podcast. To mark the show’s 20th anniversary, Mark revisits highlights from that first episode. Norman explains the difference between kaizen and kaizen events, why employees should be trusted to implement small improvements, and how one idea at Gulfstream produced thousands of hours in savings when it was copied across the plant. He also reflects candidly on his own leadership mistakes, including his tendency as a company owner to tell employees what to do rather than ask for their ideas. Other topics include: • Quick and Easy Kaizen • Kaizen versus kaikaku • Employee suggestion systems • Respect for people • Trust and employee autonomy • Asking instead of telling • The risks of poorly designed incentives • How supervisors can encourage—or shut down—employee participation • Why organizations overlook the knowledge of their own employees Norman passed away in 2020, but his influence continues through the people he taught, the books he wrote and published, and the ideas he helped introduce to a much wider audience. Listen to the complete original episode at leanblog.org/1.