Quality Time With MoreSteam

Hosted by Dan Swartwout

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Aug 2026

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On Quality Time with MoreSteam, a variety of guests will join host Dan Swartwout to discuss continuous improvement, operational excellence, and business-related issues. You can find new episodes of Quality Time with MoreSteam on moresteam.com.

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August 18, 2026Episode 6350 min

Leadership Culture and Organizational Change with Jason Barger

Jason Barger, leadership consultant and author of Thermostat Cultures, has a theory about why a n improvement effort can start strong and then fade a few months later. It's the difference between a thermometer and a thermostat. You might be thinking, "I don't get it." But after this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, you definitely will. Jason is also a keynote speaker, the author of three other books and the host of The Thermostat Podcast. As Jason had previously noted, " The most compelling leaders, teams, organizations, families or collection of humans of any kind operate in thermostat mode. They calibrate their mind and heart to set the temperature for the vision and culture they want to create." Jason describes what separates reactive teams from proactive ones. He breaks down his six A's for leading change and explains why rest matters as much as "grind" or "hustle" for truly elite performance. It's all here. Servant leadership. Organizational alignment. And what you learn from spending an entire week in airports. (Yes, you read that last part correctly.) For Lean Six Sigma and operational excellence professionals, this episode offers a new perspective on some familiar themes. You can't have lasting change without a culture that supports it. Listen and learn how leaders can set the temperature instead of just reacting to the heat. In this episode, you will hear about: 1:09 - Meet Jason 3:15 - Step Back From the Baggage Claim 7:09 - The six leadership mindsets: clarity, inclusivity, agility, grit, rest, and ownership 10:01 - Why rest is such an important mindset 13:14 - Making leaders understand the importance of rest 15:09 - Organizational alignment and aspirational thinking 18:39 - Thermostat cultures 22:24 - How thermostat cultures help organizations sustain change 26:18 - Capital L leadership versus lowercase L leadership 28:31 - Investigating cultural dissonance 32:01 - Jason's proactive culture case study 35:32 - Being a servant leader 38:24 - Inauthentic leadership 41:13 - Balancing hard data with the emotional and cultural side of change 44:35 - Something leaders can start doing right now 47:17 - What's next for Jason? Additional Resources: Jason Barger's Website The Thermostat Podcast Jason Barger on LinkedIn Jason Barger's Books on Amazon Jason Barger on YouTube MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

August 4, 2026Episode 6258 min

Kaizen Event Facilitation and Sustainability with Adam Lawrence

On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, the Kaizen Ninja Adam Lawrence joins the show. Adam is a recognized continuous improvement leader and Lean transformation coach who created The Wheel of Sustainability. Because he has led hundreds of Kaizen events, Adam has seen what happens when a team fixes a problem in a week. But he has also seen what happens when that fix slowly fades away. Adam and host Dan Swartwout talk about what really happens during a Kaizen event. As a facilitator, Adam works to make a team believe, "We did this," instead of, "Somebody else told us what to do." That is the ninja part. Just like a ninja disappears, the team senses no trace of Adam in resolving the problem. Adam shares the wins, the losses, and even the times where he kept quiet so the team could discover a solution for themselves. You will also learn how improv, humor, and a few bold questions can turn a scary change into something people celebrate. And what about The Wheel of Sustainability? It takes leadership commitment at the center and eight spokes shooting out from the hub. Those spokes include clear benefits, accountability, and recognition. Think of it as the flux capacitor of continuous improvement. This episode is for the Columbo in all of us. Are you stopping at "4 Whys"? Learn why you need to ask "just one more question." In this episode, you will hear about: 0:19 – What is a Kaizen event? 1:39 – Being a Kaizen Ninja 5:45 – Lessons from facilitating over 400 Kaizen events 7:36 – Letting the team discover the solution 16:10 – The mindset of a successful Kaizen facilitator 21:16 – Dealing with a Kaizen event that nearly goes off the rails 25:30 – Common mistakes in running Kaizen events 28:53 – The difference between a facilitator and a coach 32:11 – Introducing improv into Kaizen 37:55 – Dealing with potential bad actors during a Kaizen event 41:16 – Observing team members during a Kaizen event 46:59 – The Wheel of Sustainability: sustainable change 56:25 – Don't be afraid to give Kaizen a go Additional Resources: Adam Lawrence on LinkedIn Process Improvement Partners Process Improvements Partners on LinkedIn The Wheel of Sustainability on Amazon Sustainability System Assessment MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

July 21, 2026Episode 6128 min

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Insights with Kevin Yania

On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Kevin Yania joins the show. Kevin is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and the Senior Manager of Process Agility at Bread Financial. It started like this for Kevin. Years ago, he got an email. The signature said, "Black Belt." Kevin was confused because he thought it was about karate. Yes, Kevin honestly believed his co-worker's email signature included martial arts credentials. But that mix-up turned into a real career. Kevin earned his Green Belt, then his Black Belt, and now he's coaching the next generation of continuous improvement practitioners. Kevin and host Dan Swartwout have a conversation about actually doing the work of continuous improvement. What makes people believe in the data being presented? Because being right and being believed are not always the same thing. They talk about trust and readiness for change. They explore stakeholder and organizational alignment. Kevin also explains why operational excellence needs to be a part of everyday work. It can't just be a project that ends with a high five and a balloon. It's about sustaining change, which might be the hardest part of the job. Finally, you might wonder why Kevin is such a polished guest. It's because Kevin used to co-host his own podcast. It was called The Ohio Beer Cast. Yes, that was a real thing. Process improvement, karate confusion, and beer. Because it's Quality Time with MoreSteam, somehow it all fits. In this episode, you will hear about: 0:50 - Meet Kevin 2:20 - Black Belt training through MoreSteam 3:24 - Putting Lean Six Sigma concepts into practice 4:35 - Telling a story with data 7:51 - The day-to-day work of a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt 9:18 - Coaching new continuous improvement practitioners 11:04 - Stakeholder alignment 11:56 - Unexpected takeaways from project work 13:55 - Lean Six Sigma and change management 16:19 - Resistance to change 18:10 - The Center for Operational Excellence at The Ohio State University 19:23 - Common mistakes in operational excellence 21:53 - Kevin's old podcast: The Ohio Beer Cast 23:48 - Advice for people going through Black Belt training 26:03 - What Kevin would change about how organizations approach continuous improvement Additional Resources: Kevin Yania on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

July 7, 2026Episode 6050 min

Stakeholder Analysis And The Art Of Listening With Melissa Sherman

On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Melissa Sherman joins the show. Melissa is vice chair of the Michigan Lean Consortium. She is also an industrial engineer, longtime Lean practitioner, teacher, and consultant. Melissa spent years with utility companies before moving into consulting work that often brings Lean together with ISO standards. As you'll hear, she has the ability to make continuous improvement feel practical and human. Melissa and host Dan Swartwout talk about what it looks like to lead improvement in a regulated environment like utilities. They also discuss tips for winning over naysayers and why curiosity and listening beat a complicated toolkit every time. But there is one tool that Melissa consistently uses. That's stakeholder analysis. Melissa explains why stakeholder analysis is so important and, perhaps more importantly, how to actually conduct one. As a teacher and coach, Melissa uses everyday examples like loading a dishwasher or maintaining a car to help people see Lean ideas in their own lives. And because a change that doesn't stick isn't really a change, Melissa stresses the importance of setting calendar reminders and checking in with the team. Of course, the conversation with Melissa is informative. But Dan really appreciates how Melissa shares expert advice with so much positivity. Also, you may never hear a podcast episode that applies so many Lean principles to standup comedy. An expert Lean practitioner, positivity, and standup comedy? That sounds like the right pull system for a great podcast. In this episode, you will hear about: 0:23 - The Michigan Lean Consortium 3:43 - From Industrial Engineer to Lean Practitioner 4:55 - Continuous Improvement work in the utilities space 6:58 - Lean principles and ISO standards 8:32 - Melissa first step in a new improvement effort 10:27 - Dealing with people when the technical fix looks solid 15:02 - The importance of Stakeholder Analysis 16:19 - Conducting a Stakeholder Analysis 19:46 - Making change stick when the project is over 23:04 - Watching people see how Lean ideas connect to what they actually do 27:45 - Creating and empowering problem solvers 31:15 - Winning over naysayers 35:18 - How Lean is evolving 38:42 - Using everyday examples to teach Lean concepts 42:52 - Practical tips for leading improvement or change work 45:12 - What's next for the Michigan Lean Consortium Additional Resources: Melissa Sherman on LinkedIn The Michigan Lean Consortium Melissa's bio on the Michigan Lean Consortium website MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

June 23, 2026Episode 5929 min

The Current State of Continuous Improvement with Ken Robinette

On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Ken Robinette joins host Dan Swartwout. Ken is MoreSteam's Vice President of Business Development and a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt. He spends his days talking with OpEx leaders about what works and where things might be headed next. Ken has also been on the road at events like the ASQ World Conference and the IISE Healthcare Conference, where he heard what OpEx and CI leaders are talking about right now. With that perspective and his decades of experience, Ken gives a real‑world look at the current state of continuous improvement, operational excellence, and Lean Six Sigma. Ken talks about what it feels like to be "afflicted with busy" in the middle of an organization. Your calendar is packed. The work keeps piling up. But guess what? Continuous improvement still needs your attention. Ken also discusses what happens when experience walks out the door and the next wave of talent might not be ready yet. When that happens, people sometimes hope that AI or a new org chart will fix it. At one point, Dan asks Ken about coaching Ad Godinez through Ohio State's Master of Business in Operational Excellence program. One morning, Ad surprised Ken by showing up at MoreSteam HQ to thank him in front of the whole company. Ad told the story from his perspective on Episode 51. Now you get to hear Ken's take. Ken also talks about his recent presentations on problem statements and game-based simulation. By the end of this episode, you may look at the current state of your own CI efforts and ask a harder question. Are we building the conditions for real improvement? Or are we just asking people to squeeze it in around everything else? In this episode, you will hear about: 0:18 - Curren trends in operational excellence and continuous improvement 3:30 - Game-based learning and simulations 6:26 - Additional challenges facing OpEx leaders 11:04 - Conversations with OpEx leaders about AI 14:34 - Writing good Lean Six Sigma problem statements 17:51 - Lean Six Sigma experts who are also great leaders 20:48 - Coaching Ad Godinez in The Ohio State University's MBOE program 24:48 - Common challenges across multiple industries Additional Resources: Ken Robinette on LinkedIn Ken's Webinar on Lean Six Sigma Problem Statements Ken's First Appearance on Quality Time With MoreSteam Ken's Presentation on Generative AI Ad Godinez on Quality Time With MoreSteam MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

June 9, 2026Episode 5821 min

Scary Statistics Made Simple with Thomas DeMarco

On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Thomas DeMarco joins host Dan Swartwout. Thomas holds a master's degree in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences with a concentration in Applied Statistics. He is also MoreSteam's principal statistician. Thomas started his career helping engineers and operators at Eastman Chemical figure out what their data was actually saying, and he has been doing some version of that ever since. Many statisticians stay in the math, but Thomas would rather be where the work is happening. Thomas and Dan talk about why teams get into trouble when they skip the basics and reach for tools they cannot explain. You will also find out how Thomas can make a word like "orthogonality" feel like something you already understand, which is a pretty good trick. It turns out a lot of "scary" statistics work the same way. Once somebody explains a concept the right way, you wonder why it ever felt hard. By the end of the conversation, you may stop worrying about whether you are using the right model and start asking something more useful. Do the people closest to the work actually understand what the numbers are telling them? In this episode, you will hear about: 0:49 - Meet Thomas 3:15 - Being an industrial statistician at a chemical company 4:30 - What Thomas does at MoreSteam 5:41 - Thomas and EngineRoom 7:54 - Getting stuck on advanced statistics 11:47 - Making advanced statistics easier 15:34 - Using statistics to make software better for the end user 18:08 - What's next for Thomas and statistics at MoreSteam Additional Resources: Thomas DeMarco on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

May 26, 2026Episode 5739 min

Structural Readiness and Real Change with Kirk Harper

Kirk Harper is a longtime continuous improvement practitioner and the author of The Book on Successful Transformation: Structural Readiness and the Governance of Integrity Under Pressure . More importantly, he has seen quite a few "big transformations" that looked great in a slide deck but fell apart in real life. On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Kirk joins host Dan Swartwout to talk about what really determines whether change will stick. Kirk believes that most transformations do not fail because of the tools. They fail because people do not feel safe being honest when things are going wrong. Want to know something real about the culture of your organization? Plant a little "bad news" that might not be entirely accurate and see how it travels up the chain of command like a game of telephone. Does the story sound a lot better by the time it reaches the top? Then your organization is not ready for change. To assess readiness, Kirk explains how his iTransform method can help you decide whether your organization should stop, stabilize, or proceed with change. Kirk also explains what real organizational transformation feels like. When the people closest to the work feel a sense of ownership, the room sounds different. The hallway sounds different. Even the morning walk to the shop floor feels different. By the time Dan and Kirk reach the end of their conversation, you may find yourself asking a new question. Not "What tools should we use" but "What would it take for my place to feel like that?" In this episode, you will hear about: 0:38 - Introducing Kirk Harper 2:44 - The organization underneath the tools and methods 4:15 - Testing an organization's readiness for change 6:41 - Psychological safety 7:38 - The concept of Structural Readiness 11:04 - The governance of integrity under pressure 11:57 - Reverting back to safety 13:07 - The iTransform gate 18:28 - Being told "Do Not Proceed" or "Stabilize" 19:54 - The 90-day alignment period before implementing change 22:06 - A structurally unsafe transformation attempt 26:21 - The ASCEND transformation methodology 30:08 - Warning signs that a system isn't safe for change 31:06 - Practical steps leaders can take right now 33:03 - Neurosync Technologies Additional Resources: Kirk Harper on LinkedIn The Book on Successful Transformation: Structural Readiness and the Governance of Integrity Under Pressure on Amazon Neurosync Technologies MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

May 12, 2026Episode 5653 min

Billy Ray Taylor Has The Winning Link

Known worldwide as an expert in strategy and operational excellence, Billy Ray Taylor is the CEO and president of LinkedXL, chairman of the board of AME, and the author of The Winning Link. Before founding LinkedXL, Billy served as a global operations leader at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, where he led major manufacturing turnarounds and helped drive significant performance improvements and profits. On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, you will learn why Billy Ray Taylor is also one of the most engaging and entertaining speakers in the world of continuous improvement. Billy and host Dan Swartwout talk about what it actually takes to lead a transformation. Most leaders earn the technical right to change. They have the title, the tools, and the training. But according to Billy, the cultural right is what actually moves people. And you don't get the cultural right to change from a PowerPoint presentation. You have to earn it. Billy also makes a distinction that resonated with Dan (and will resonate with you, too). Everyone talks about KPIs. Billy Ray's company also focuses on KPAs, which stands for Key Performance Actions. The difference between KPIs and KPAs is the difference between knowing that you failed and knowing why you failed. And then there is the Fayetteville story. People told Dan he had to ask Billy about it. Listen and you will understand why. Billy's mother is also referenced several times throughout this episode. That is not an accident. Some of the best leadership advice in this episode did not come from a boardroom. It came from Billy's mom. In this episode, you will hear about: 0:51 - Introducing Billy Ray Taylor 1:39 - The value of people 3:17 - The technical right to change and the cultural right to change 5:09 - You can't manage a secret 6:46 - Celebrating the red 10:29 - Be hard on the process 13:17 - Dealing with a top performer 17:25 - Nick Saban and leadership 19:59 - Ownership, leadership, and psychological safety 25:24 - Key Performance Indicators and Key Performance Actions 29:56 - LinkedXL 34:27 - The Fayetteville Story 38:53 - Success and humble leadership 46:04 - How Billy Ray Taylor builds a team 48:04 - Making people feel like participants in change 51:24 - Making people feel valued 53:12 - Make people visible and they'll make you valuable Additional Resources: Billy Ray Taylor on LinkedIn LinkedXL The Winning Link on Amazon MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

April 28, 2026Episode 5550 min

Your Culture Is In Your Data With April Thomas

April Thomas first joined the show six months ago for Episode 40. A lot has happened since then. For example, April has been on the road sharing her expertise. April has presented at the ASQ Lean and Six Sigma Conference and the Virginia and DC SHRM Conference. Her message is the same everywhere she goes. The soft stuff can actually be the hardest stuff. And your organization's success with the soft stuff shows up in your data whether you're paying attention or not. As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt who began her career as a hospice social worker, April brings a unique perspective to leadership and continuous improvement. On this episode, she explains why psychological safety isn't just a feel-good concept. It's the condition that makes accurate data collection possible. April also gets into what happens to a team after a layoff and how they are watching to see leadership's response. April explains what leaders get wrong in those moments and what they should consider doing instead. And if your organization has a retention problem, April has a message for you. Retention is not a strategy. It's an outcome. The real question is, what kind of organization are you building? Ask yourself, would you want to work there? This episode is for everybody. Even the data people. And maybe, especially the data people. In this episode, you will hear about: 2:14 - What's April been up to lately? 3:39 - April's presentation at ASQ's Lean and Six Sigma Conference 7:31 - How a lack of psychological safety affects data 9:47 - Discussing psychological safety with data-driven practitioners 12:09 - Recognizing a psychologically safe environment 16:20 - How practitioners in on-leadership roles can help build psychological safety 18:07 - How participants reacted during April's session at ASQ's Lean and Six Sigma Conference 22:43 - Organizational strategy and project prioritization 26:43 - One thing you can do this week to improve the culture of your organization 28:22 - Retention is an outcome, not a strategy 31:58 - The intersection of continuous improvement and Human Resources 34:39 - Layoffs and the ongoing work of continuous improvement 38:01 - The SCARF Model in the aftermath of layoffs 40:59 - Catching up with April since Episode 40 44:49 - The Kaytlyn Madison Thomas Memorial Foundation 49:06 - The soft skills can bring in the hard dollars Additional Resources: April Thomas on LinkedIn April's PSA from MADD Mid-Atlantic The Kaytlyn Madison Thomas Memorial Foundation The first annual Kaytlyn Madison Thomas Memorial Walk Episode 40 with April Thomas MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube

April 14, 2026Episode 5434 min

You Can't Spell DMAIC Without AI

AI is making things faster. Find out why that's not always the same as making things better. On this episode of Quality Time With MoreSteam, Xander Hathaway joins the podcast. Xander studied computer science at Notre Dame. He earned his master's in information and data science from UC Berkeley. And for nearly five years, he has been VP of Product Development at MoreSteam, which means he spends his days thinking about software, Lean, and AI all at once. That background matters for Xander's conversation with host Dan Swartwout. Xander and Dan explore the intersection of continuous improvement and artificial intelligence. Speed and improvement are not the same thing, and the gap between them is exactly where continuous improvement lives. Measuring output has always been easier than measuring value. Because of that, faster tools can make it easier to go all in on producing the wrong things. What about standard work and process knowledge? When AI is doing the building, standard work matters more than ever. And process knowledge does not become less important as technology improves. Rather, Xander says the opposite is true. And every system has a tolerance for error. Knowing your tolerance can change how your system is built. Finally, it's Quality Time with MoreSteam, so expect a few laughs along the way. In particular, stick around for the birthday story. Nine months later, Dan still can't explain it. As it turns out, neither can AI. In this episode, you will hear about: 2:39 - Software engineering and operational excellence 5:07 - The "Gemba" in Software Engineering 6:45 - Using AI to improve the process, not just move faster 8:51 - AI and output metrics 10:12 - AI, software development, and standard work 13:45 - Adopting AI in both operational excellence and technology 16:03 - Dealing with "hallucinations" 20:46 - AI adding complexity to software systems 22:23 - AI predictions in the past versus the future state of AI 26:07 - Rapid AI improvement and deep process knowledge 27:55 - Tips for OpEx leaders as their organizations adopt AI 30:28 - Dan's baseball story (cliffhanger alert!) Additional Resources: Xander Hathaway on LinkedIn MoreSteam's YouTube Channel Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn MoreSteam's Website Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter MoreSteam on LinkedIn Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn Subscribe to Quality Time With MoreSteam Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music YouTube