Uncommon Sense - Tools to Improve your Work Forever

Hosted by Process Management International (PMI)

Business Management Education

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Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

PMI’s podcast, Uncommon Sense – Tools to Improve your Work Forever, gives you the opportunity to listen to our expert Consultants talk about a wide variety of tools so that you can refresh your memory and gather inspiration for which tools might help you solve your latest improvement challenge or problem. Each podcast is a rapid 10 – 15 minute download of what the tool is, when you would use it, and tips for effective application to enable you to decide quickly whether this tool is the one you need, avoiding hours of searching through manuals, books or online platforms for those nuggets of inspiration. Find out more about Tools for Business Excellence and how to transform your organisation at pmi.co.uk

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 9, 2026Episode 10015 min

Creating Workplace Problem Solvers

If improvement is everyone's responsibility, why does problem solving so often end up belonging to a select few? Consultant Niall Coney explores what stops people taking ownership of improvement, including barriers within systems, measures and management habits that often go unseen. Drawing on first-hand experience, he shares how organisations can create the conditions for problem solving to spread, so that spotting issues, taking action and driving change become part of everyday work. More resources: AI For Smarter Problem Solving Lean Thinking is About Abnormailty at a Glance Going to Gemba More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar Follow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. Explore On Demand >> Explore Distance Learning >>

August 12, 2026Episode 9914 min

Quality Management Systems and Their Vital Role in Improvement

Improvement and quality often share the same goals, yet in many organisations they operate in separate worlds, with one focused on projects and change, and the other on control and compliance. But what if that divide is limiting your ability to embed lasting improvement? Join Director Consultant Warren Knight as he explores the connection between Continuous Improvement and Quality Management, challenging common assumptions and revealing why a well-designed QMS may have far more to offer than many improvement practitioners realise. More resources: 5 Things That Quality Is (and Isn’t): A Guide for Practitioners Control Charts: Walter Shewhart’s Gift to Quality Quality in Action: On-Demand Webinar More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar Follow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. Explore On Demand >> Explore Distance Learning >>

July 15, 2026Episode 9818 min

Flowcharting: The Three Steps to Clarity and Value

How confident are you that your team sees the process the same way you do? You might view flowcharting as a drawing exercise, but in reality, it’s a thinking tool. A framework for helping teams explore messy processes to reveal what people assume, what they disagree on, and what they’ve never properly surfaced. Drawing on his own improvement project experience, Senior Consultant, Mark Allison talks through three levels of flowcharting that help improvement practitioners move from high-level clarity into the deeper issues sitting in handoffs, rework, and unclear ownership. More resources: 5 Flowchart Challenges You’ll Want Your Team to Know About How To Get The Best Out Of Your Improvement Team Agile & Lean Six Sigma in Action: An Improvement Project Case Study More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar Follow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. Explore On Demand >> Explore Distance Learning >>

June 10, 2026Episode 9714 min

Why ADKAR Needs SOPK

ADKAR is familiar territory for many improvement practitioners. Awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, reinforcement… a neat pathway to guide people through change. But what happens when you’ve ticked every box and adoption still falls short? Join Laurence Restarick as he invites you to step back, think system-wide, and see change through a different lens, as he reframes ADKAR from a checklist to a diagnostic tool. Because sometimes resistance has less to do with people themselves, and more to do with the system they’re working within. More resources: Systems Thinking From a Leadership Perspective The Response to Change Model Struggling to Drive Change? More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar Follow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. Explore On Demand >> Explore Distance Learning >>

May 13, 2026Episode 9616 min

How to Start Your Improvement Habit

You understand the theory. You care about making things better. What comes next is finding a practical way to build improvement into the flow of your everyday work. Join Consultant Alex Gumery as he shares what it takes to build your improvement habit, starting with how a willingness to notice work differently can unlock confidence and momentum. There’s thoughtful guidance on involving others, aligning improvement to what matters most, and shaping a routine that works in the reality of busy roles. An encouraging listen for anyone ready to turn everyday curiosity into lasting habits. More resources: PDSA and Disconfirming Evidence Our Improvement Toolbox – Flowcharts Transform Your Problem Solving Mindset More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar Follow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. Explore On Demand >> Explore Distance Learning >>

April 8, 2026Episode 9515 min

Toyota Kata and the Shift to Better Thinking

Why is it that some organisations default to firefighting while others think their way to breakthrough performance? Join us as Consultant Niall Coney introduces Toyota Kata; the patterns of behaviour that underpin real problem solving cultures. Habits so familiar they blend into the background, yet powerful enough to change how teams learn, lead and improve. It might just prompt you to look at the routines shaping your own team’s thinking. More resources: PDSA Your Work, Your Project, Your Programme Operational Excellence Insights with Marvin Cooke of Toyota Motor Europe Essential Reading for Your Lean Six Sigma and Improvement Journey More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar Follow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. Explore On Demand >> Explore Distance Learning >>

March 11, 2026Episode 9410 min

Using PDSA With Your AI Use Cases

Ever felt that AI experiments seem to start with excitement, then stall when the results don’t quite land? PMI Senior Consultant Anthony Richardson digs into why that happens, and why the real breakthrough often comes when you stop hunting for the “perfect prompt” and start treating AI like any other improvement experiment. It’s a conversation that reframes AI work as iterative, scientific and far more familiar to improvement practitioners than they might expect. A small shift in mindset; a big shift in outcomes. More resources: PDSA Your Work, Your Project, Your Programme Discover Your AI Readiness Mindset The AI Ready Practitioner More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar Follow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. Explore On Demand >> Explore Distance Learning >>

February 18, 2026Episode 9316 min

Johari Window: What Don’t You Know About… You?

What if the biggest thing holding you back as a leader is something everyone can see, except you? Join PMI Partner Consultant Des Kelly as he explores the Johari Window, and how expanding your “open” area changes the way you show up at work. From habits you didn’t realise others notice to the untapped potential sitting in the unknown, this deceptively simple 1950s model still triggers big “aha” moments for today’s improvement practitioners. Listen now and start developing the kind of self‑awareness that will quietly change how you lead. More resources: Building Trust as a Leader Employee Engagement, Starting with Listening Psychology Essentials That Leaders Need to Know More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar Follow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. Explore On Demand >> Explore Distance Learning >>

February 4, 2026Episode 9215 min

Connecting Strategy to Process Management

Tired of overloaded functions and fragile strategies that don’t hold up in reality? Improvement lives where strategy meets process management. When you connect strategic goals to owned value streams and day-to-day process management, you create a pull for change instead of another cycle of overcommitted teams and stalled initiatives. Join PMI Director Consultant Sean Buckland as he explores the principles behind connecting strategy to process management, using clear explanations, relatable examples, and practical clarity that will help your organisation move from strategy on paper to progress you can see. More resources: Has Strategy Deployment Lost Its Lean? Reinvigorate Your Strategy Value Stream Mapping – from our Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar Follow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. Explore On Demand >> Explore Distance Learning >>

January 21, 2026Episode 9113 min

The AI Questions Leaders Are Struggling With

Leadership decisions around AI are still forming, and a lack of clarity is starting to show. Hear from Anthony Richardson, PMI Senior Consultant guiding leaders on AI adoption in real organisations, as he answers the questions we’re hearing most often: Should everyone in the organisation get a licence? How do we know which AI tools people should be using? How Much Does AI Remember About Us? Will my people become too dependent on AI? This is a focused 13-minute conversation offering the guidance you need to lead AI adoption with confidence. More resources: AI’s True Power Is Confidence, Not Capability The Role of Leaders in AI Adoption AI for Performance Improvement Courses More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographics Join us for a PMI LIVE Webinar Follow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you. Explore On Demand >> Explore Distance Learning >>