Why do Lean tools fade away in so many organizations? And what actually makes improvement stick?

In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Marcial Portillo, a global operations and continuous improvement leader with more than 30 years of experience improving manufacturing and supply chain performance across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Marcial currently leads deployment of Spirax’s operational excellence framework across its global supply network.

🔻 Why Lean tools without cultural foundation eventually fade away

🔻 Blending Shingo principles with a global operational excellence framework

🔻 Defining expected behaviors for every pillar and element of deployment

🔻 Leadership standard work and the importance of going to the Gemba

🔻 Structuring tiered meetings (Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3) to drive engagement

🔻 Measuring behaviors alongside SQDCP metrics

🔻 How daily management improves communication and problem escalation

🔻 Using KPIs and KBIs to reinforce systems and culture

🔻 The role of presence, authenticity, and consistency in sustaining change

🔻 Building dashboards that track maturity, financial impact, and culture

🔗 Connect with Marcial Portillo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcial-portillo-54388188/

🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/

🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

What separates organizations that struggle from those that truly win?

In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Jennifer Ralston. As CEO & Founder of HKPO and the HKPO Veterans Academy, she empowers organizations to innovate, execute, and sustain excellence. From Lean Six Sigma transformations at the American Red Cross to global strategic planning and culture assessments, Jennifer shares practical insights on cascading strategy, measuring what truly matters, and building trust-driven organizations.

🔻 Why strategic alignment is the foundation of strong culture

🔻 How to cascade strategy so every employee knows their role

🔻 The difference between SOPs and true standard work

🔻 Trust and respect as core cultural principles

🔻 How to run an effective strategy refresh session

🔻 Why organizations measure too much—and how to measure what truly matters

🔻 How leadership behaviors shape accountability

🔻 Why variation is the enemy—and how to eliminate it

🔻 Empowering transitioning service members through the HKPO Veterans Academy

🔗 Connect with Jennifer Ralston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeralston/

📘 Sign up for free Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Training for Veterans: https://gohkpo.com/training/

🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/

🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

Is AI coming for your job—or just the parts of it you never liked doing in the first place?

In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Reed Shell, a project management leader with more than 30 years of experience in enterprise delivery and transformation. Reed teaches project management and artificial intelligence at the University of Utah and advises organizations on applying AI responsibly without losing human accountability.

🔻 Why quality must be integrated throughout a project—not inspected in at the end

🔻 How focusing on value instead of plans accelerated delivery before Agile was formalized

🔻 Lessons from Nike’s culture and why culture drives execution speed

🔻 Why respect for people is foundational to Lean and transformation

🔻 The real risk of AI: automating broken processes

🔻 Why value stream mapping and Lean thinking will be even more critical in an AI-driven world

🔻 AI as an “overly ambitious intern” that removes low-value work

🔻 Why change management is the missing ingredient in most AI rollouts

🔻 The autopilot analogy: AI handles the instruments, humans still fly the plane

🔻 How leaders can help teams embrace technology instead of fearing it

🔗 Connect with Reed Shell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reedshell/

📘 Learn more about Reed's Work: https://www.bluehippoconsulting.com

🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/

🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

Why does Agile fail even when teams are trained and processes are in place? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris talks with Dean Kynaston, co-author of Agile Project Management for Dummies and Scrum for Dummies, about the leadership gaps that quietly derail Agile.

🔻 Why Agile is about adaptability, not process compliance

🔻 The difference between Agile values and the Scrum framework

🔻 What actually happens in an effective daily standup

🔻 The real role of Product Owners, Scrum Masters, and team members

🔻 Why story points are not a measure of productivity

🔻 How transparency and accountability emerge naturally on strong teams

🔻 Why leadership behavior determines whether Agile succeeds or fails

🔗 Connect with Dean Kynaston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deankynaston/

📘 Buy "Agile Project Management For Dummies" on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0gcZEJBG

🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/

🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

Why do large organizations invest heavily in technology and still fail to deliver real value? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Chris Gunderson, a former oceanographic officer who spent decades working inside U.S. defense programs.

🔻 Why “technology without value is worthless” and how organizations confuse output with impact

🔻 How Porter’s value chain connects upstream activity to downstream customer value

🔻 Why incentives, not strategy decks, determine behavior

🔻 The danger of rewarding PowerPoint instead of results

🔻 What effective executives consistently do differently when allocating people, money, and attention

🔻 How fear, hierarchy, and compliance quietly undermine execution

This episode connects strategy, value, metrics, and culture through hard-earned lessons from some of the most complex systems in the world.

🔗 Connect with Chris Gunderson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgunderson/

📘Buy "Founders Fear" on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0UsaCfb

🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/

🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

How do leaders unknowingly create cultures of compliance instead of commitment? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Michael Stevens, Presidential Professor of Leadership Studies and a global expert on the people side of performance, to explore what truly separates management from leadership and why respect, not authority, is the real driver of execution.

🔻 Why leadership is less about directing work and more about influencing how people choose to show up

🔻 The critical difference between managing processes and leading people

🔻 Michael’s two-axis leadership model: assertive vs passive and respectful vs disrespectful

🔻 Why intent does not matter nearly as much as how leadership behavior lands with employees

🔻 The concept of “intelligent disobedience” and why leaders must create space for employees to challenge decisions

🔻 Why asking questions before giving answers dramatically increases ownership and execution

🔻 How emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and empathy enable better leadership conversations

🔻 The four barriers that prevent managers from becoming leaders: knowing, doing, feeling, and being

🔻 Why “clear is kind” even when feedback stings and how respectful candor builds trust

This conversation is a masterclass in why leadership development is not about learning more techniques, but about rethinking how power, respect, and influence actually work inside organizations.

🔗 Connect with Michael Stevens on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstevensphd/

🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/

🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

How do bad meetings quietly destroy culture, morale, and execution? In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Evan Unger, a leadership and culture expert with more than 30 years of experience helping organizations improve how decisions actually get made.

🔻 Why meetings are where leadership actually shows up—and why people judge leaders based on how meetings feel

🔻 The real cost of 50% effective meetings on culture, morale, and execution

🔻 Evan’s POPRA model for effective meetings: Purpose, Objectives, Process, Roles, and Agreements

🔻 The difference between informational meetings, status updates, and true collaborative decision-making sessions

🔻 Why the “highest paid person’s opinion” (HPPO) often derails better decisions

🔻 How collaborative facilitation leads to stronger buy-in and faster execution

🔻 Practical techniques for running better virtual meetings, including timeboxing and simultaneous chat

🔻 Why leaders must “go slow to go fast” when designing meetings that actually stick

🔻 How improving meetings becomes one of the fastest ways to change organizational culture

🔗 Connect with Evan Unger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-unger-6553597/

🔗 Learn more about the Collaborative Leadership Virtual Facilitation Skills Program:: https://www.terischwartzassociates.com/virtual/

🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/

🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

In this episode of KPI Fireside, host Keith Norris sits down with Bryan Schmidt, a CPA, author, and finance transformation leader who spent more than two decades turning manual, paper-heavy finance processes into streamlined, automated systems.

🔻 Why ERP systems are the foundation of any successful finance transformation

🔻 The simple ROI math executives expect and how to frame improvement ideas for approval

🔻 Why quick wins matter more than big projects early on

🔻 How automation can improve morale, not just efficiency

🔻 Why honesty and trust are essential when leading change

🔻 Practical advice for CI leaders on prioritization, governance, and learning from every project

🔗 Connect with Bryan Schmidt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-schmidt99/

🔗 Learn more about Bryan's book: https://www.financeautomationblueprint.com/my-book

🔗 Learn more about KPI Fire: https://www.kpifire.com/

🎙 Hosted by Keith Norris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithnorris/

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere you get your podcasts.