GEMBAfication

The results of improvement work at Comrod were significant, with sites doubling turnover while reducing team stress and increasing operational productivity. Yet Lean Manager, Frode Steinsland, reveals that 90% of the effort went into helping people see what was really happening and recognise that change was needed, because when teams are already working hard, simply being told things need to change isn't always enough.“People were working hard. A lot of effort was not creating value.”In this episode:00:00 Introduction and why performance problems are often visibility problems02:46 When the numbers don't reflect what's happening in reality05:44 Why seeing the data still wasn't enough06:40 Getting leaders out of the office and onto the Gemba08:30 Uncovering capacity that was always there10:00 Why 90% of the effort went into helping people want to change13:25 A different site, a different challenge, and the same underlying problem15:37 Making time for leadership, problem solving, and support17:05 Why people have to see the problem for themselves18:20 Working harder without creating more value20:29 Applying the same thinking to AI, risk, and governance24:15 Creating the conditions that allow change to stick25:29 OutroWhen Hard Work Isn't the Problem Most organisations don't suffer from a lack of effort. The challenge is understanding where effort is being lost. Our performance improvement consultancy helps organisations create the visibility, leadership focus and operating rhythms needed to turn effort into value.Explore Consultancy: https://pmi.co.uk/consultancy/Visit us at pmi.co.uk for more:Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarExplore Lean Six Sigma CertificationsFollow us on LinkedIn

What happens when the ability to build solutions starts to outpace understanding of the problem?That tension is very real at BCN. Fraser Dear, experienced improvement practitioner and Head of AI and Data Innovation, reflects on the highs and lows of introducing AI into environments already built on structured, trusted ways of working, and the growing gap between doing more and doing what adds value. “Stop thinking ‘I have this tool - how can I ram the tool into the problem?’” In this episode:00:00 Introduction and the shift from structured improvement work01:15 Plenty of data, but still no clear answers03:29 Trying to introduce something new into systems people already trust05:47 Three very different reactions, and no obvious way forward06:43 Moving the conversation away from decisions, and back to understanding09:09 When people don’t trust the tool because they don’t understand it10:52 The pressure to move faster, even when things aren’t fully clear14:14 Building something impressive but not useful16:08 Going back to the work before building anything else18:53 When language creates confusion instead of clarity20:55 Moving too fast and leaving stakeholders behind22:56 Outro Make new capability work in practiceHaving the capability to build quickly is only part of the challenge. Our performance improvement consultancy helps organisations build the clarity and confidence to make sure new approaches deliver value where it’s needed.Explore Consultancy: https://pmi.co.uk/consultancy/ Visit us at pmi.co.uk for more:Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarExplore Lean Six Sigma CertificationsFollow us on LinkedIn

When everyone is working towards the same goal, it’s easy to assume everyone can see the same picture.Carla Smith, Innovation, Strategy and Planning Programme Manager at the Midlands Cancer Alliances Life Science Hub, reflects on what it took to bring more structure and visibility to a complex mix of stakeholders, priorities and communication styles across NHS and industry partners, and what she learned about data, ownership, and different ways of working along the way.“There are completely different levels of digital readiness, and that changes how people work, how they communicate, and what they need.” In this episode:00:00 Introduction and the challenge of visibility across complex teams02:01 Why shared goals don’t guarantee a shared view of progress06:13 Bridging different ways of working across stakeholders07:16 Building alignment at pace through sprints09:20 The uncomfortable discovery: the solution already existed11:31 Making work visible through data and challenging perception13:53 When too much openness slows progress and the need for clear scope20:11 Advice for first-time improvers: start with scope, then get the data21:13 OutroHelp Your Teams See the Full PictureWhen progress lives in different places, decisions slow down. Our performance improvement consultancy helps organisations bring clarity to complex work, align teams, and create the visibility needed to keep improvement moving.Explore Consultancy: https://pmi.co.uk/consultancy/ Visit us at pmi.co.uk for more:Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarExplore Lean Six Sigma CertificationsFollow us on LinkedIn

As improvement activity grew at Currys, so did the number of ideas.Phil Knowles shares what happened when that pipeline became harder to manage, and how focusing on specific operational challenges, with clearer governance and faster feedback, helped create the conditions for improvement to work across the business.“If colleagues only see the polished success stories, then they assume that failure is unacceptable.”In this episode:00:00 Introduction and the challenge of scaling improvement01:57 Why improvement was inconsistent and reactive05:23 Building a bottom-up framework across 2,500 colleagues08:12 The metrics that proved it was working11:22 The gaps in the sustain model and early rollout14:41 When the ideas pipeline becomes the problem19:14 Moving from generic ideas to targeted challenges22:38 Keeping change relevant across different teams25:11 OutroMaking improvement work across the businessBuilding momentum is a significant step. Our performance improvement consultancy supports organisations to put the structure, clarity, and capability in place to sustain improvement at scale.Explore Consultancy: https://pmi.co.uk/consultancy/Visit us at pmi.co.uk for more:Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarExplore Lean Six Sigma CertificationsFollow us on LinkedIn

An honest conversation with Fraser Cowe about readiness for change, bottom-up improvement, and why success in one part of the business doesn’t guarantee success everywhere else.“We assumed the capability was there. It wasn’t. And that was on us.” In this episode:  00:00 Introducing Continuous Improvement at scale in Tesco’s contact centres 03:21 From hearts and minds to boot camps: building frontline capability 08:47 Why facilitation skills matter as much as CI tools 10:27 Making performance visible through PQCD dashboards 11:54 What success actually looked like 14:49 Getting it wrong first time and why 18:55 Leadership alignment as the missing piece 20:30 Readiness for change and avoiding fatigue 24:07 OutroMake Continuous Improvement stick in your organisationRolling out CI tools is one thing. Embedding the capability, building trust, and sustaining change at scale is another. Our performance improvement consultancy supports organisations to assess readiness for change, build real problem‑solving capability, and create improvement systems that last.Explore Consultancy: https://pmi.co.uk/consultancy/ Visit us at pmi.co.uk for more:Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarExplore Lean Six Sigma CertificationsFollow us on LinkedIn

Alannah Martin shares what really happened when her team replaced a traditional Interactive Voice Response telephone system with natural language technology in a live contact centre.“We knew that understanding our customers’ needs and why they were contacting us was fundamental to being able to improve anything.” In this episode:  00:00 Introduction and the problem with call transfers   02:08 Why traditional phone menus fail customers   05:23 Testing change safely with a phased rollout   08:55 Unlocking self‑service without forcing it   13:58 What success actually looked like   16:19 What didn’t go to plan   20:22 Lessons on stakeholder trust and leading change   27:01 Outro How to unlock your full potential with expert performance improvement consultancyIf you’re serious about improving your organisation’s performance, then you need to get serious about process improvement. Our consultancy services can help you achieve your goals.Explore Consultancy: https://pmi.co.uk/consultancy/ Visit us at pmi.co.uk for more:Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarExplore Lean Six Sigma CertificationsFollow us on LinkedIn

Most organisations set out with clear goals and good intentions.But change is rarely simple. It’s often messy, non‑linear, and full of surprises.GEMBAfication is PMI’s new podcast for improvement professionals looking for an honest view of what improvement really looks like in practice. Because in our world, every experience is valuable.Hosted by Susannah Clarke, Managing Partner at PMI, the series goes behind the scenes with leaders and practitioners who’ve driven change in their organisations. Sometimes with great success, sometimes with unexpected setbacks. You’ll hear about the methods that helped them mobilise, measure, and deliver results, and what they learned when things didn’t go to plan. These are candid conversations about what it really takes to improve, adapt, and lead when change meets the realities of day-to-day work.Launching on 18th March, GEMBAfication explores change as it really happens.Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.Visit us at pmi.co.uk for more:Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarExplore Lean Six Sigma CertificationsFollow us on LinkedIn