02Jun 2026 by Jennifer Ayers
Lean Happy Hour – June 17th

Lean Happy Hour – June 17th

Uncategorized
It's time to connect, socialize, and network while enjoying some tasty food and beverages! Our "westside" Happy Hour is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, 2024 from 4:15-6:30pm. Please join us! We’ll be getting to know each other better through conversations about summer, lean, and beyond. It’s a fun way to connect and network with others in the lean community. Open to everyone! Location: Lazy Days Brewing Co. 4505 SW Watson, Beaverton NWHPEC provides appetizers, attendees cover their own drinks and additional food (they have amazing pizza!). RSVP link
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01Jun 2026 by Jennifer Ayers
TWI Job Instruction – Aug 17-20 (FULL)

TWI Job Instruction – Aug 17-20 (FULL)

Application~, Classes, Developing People~
Reach out to Jennifer to be put on the waitlist for this class and to be contacted for future sessions. Title: TWI Job Instruction (JI) Training Description: This four-day (~3.5/4 hrs/day) hands-on class teaches the process for creating effective Job Instructions.  Participants will learn this four-step method using a part or process they bring to the class.  They will walk away with a complete Job Instruction Breakdown sheet for the part/process of their choice. Date: August 17-20, 2026 Time: 8am – noon Location: Clackamas Community College, Harmony Campus (7738 SE Harmony Rd, Milwaukie, OR 97222) Cost:  $500 per person Overview: The Training Within Industry (TWI) programs were developed in the United States sixty years ago and played a major role in boosting industrial production to the levels required to win the Second World War. After the…
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01Jun 2026 by Jennifer Ayers
Webinar: Expanding 3H “In Action” – Aug 26th

Webinar: Expanding 3H “In Action” – Aug 26th

Events, Webinar
Expanding 3H in Action: Practicing Connection & Consent Webinar Summary: The instrumental brain has no capacity for connection; when we, as leaders, move into "fix it" mode before connecting, we lose the trust and relational safety needed for people to speak up. Consent is how you get permission to enter into someone's relational space rather than assuming access to it. Kari Penca and Dan Miller will facilitate a hands-on activity about connecting before advising and asking for consent before entering someone's space, the two skills that make it possible for you to engage people in applying continuous improvement principles and problem solving in your organization. Did you miss the intro webinar Expanding 3H: What New Research Reveals About the Human Side of Leadership and Improvement on July 20th? View the…
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01Jun 2026 by Jennifer Ayers
Benchmarking Tour: Bob’s Red Mill – Sept 9th

Benchmarking Tour: Bob’s Red Mill – Sept 9th

Events, Learning Tours
Host Company: Bob’s Red Mill is an employee-owned food company based in Milwaukie, Oregon, best known for its whole-grain, natural, organic, and gluten-free products. Founded in 1978 by Bob and Charlee Moore, the company started with a mission to bring people wholesome, homemade-style food made with simple ingredients. Today, it offers a wide range of products including flours, oats, grains, baking mixes, cereals, and other pantry staples. They have a strong belief in sharing success with the people who helped build the business and emphasizes employee engagement and continuous improvement. Tour Summary: Bob’s Red Mill has been focused on building problem-solving capability across the organization. In this tour, they will show how they use data to identify, prioritize, prepare for, run, and sustain Kaizen events that drive meaningful improvement. Come…
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01Jun 2026 by Jennifer Ayers
Lean 101 (6-week virtual series) Sept 15-Oct 20

Lean 101 (6-week virtual series) Sept 15-Oct 20

Beginner~, Classes
Lean 101 - Fall 2026 series starting soon... Join us on a journey to discover the basic elements of lean principles and see the impact they make when you put them into practice. This course consists of six, 1.5 hour classes focused on the foundational elements of lean. During this course, you will learn more about the history/background of lean, why these principles are important to creating a culture of excellence, standard work, 8 wastes, 5S, PDCA, and visual management. Each week will include instruction, discussion, and simulations followed by small project assignments between each class to help you practice the concepts in your own environment.Lean 101 is a beginning-level course that teaches participants the basic concepts of Lean Thinking. It is suitable for those who work in office or…
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01Jun 2026 by Jennifer Ayers
Foundational AI for CI Professionals | Sept 21-Oct 8

Foundational AI for CI Professionals | Sept 21-Oct 8

Application~, Beginner~, Classes, Igniting Innovation~, Intermediate~
From Prompt to Standard Work This six-module virtual workshop is for people focusing on process improvements in their organization and want to use AI tools the right way, not just poke around and hope for good results. You'll start by learning how AI language models actually work and what makes them useful (or not) for your work. From there, you'll build your own simple, reusable files that AI can use to help with the recurring CI tasks you already do, like writing reports, standardizing templates, or summarizing data. Think of it as building standard work for AI collaboration: a repeatable process with built-in checks, so you can trust the results. Everything is taught through hands-on exercises based on real CI work, not abstract AI theory. Learning Outcomes By the end…
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01Jun 2026 by Jennifer Ayers
Lean Leadership Skills to Engage the Heart, Head, and Hands (3H) – Starts Sept 30 (50% full)

Lean Leadership Skills to Engage the Heart, Head, and Hands (3H) – Starts Sept 30 (50% full)

Application~, Classes, Developing People~, Leadership~
A day in the life of a Leader can be challenging.  Leaders are faced with pressures from the business (quality, delivery, productivity) along with the often highly emotional demands of managing people.  Your people are the foundation and critical link to the success of your business. To be an effective leader, one must first develop an understanding of and a system for building and maintaining relationships (engaging the heart 💜).  Culture begins with us.  If we are not primed to emulate the core values and culture of our organization, we can’t expect our team members to consistently perform and respond to situations and problems in ways we expect by engaging their critical thinking skills (using their head 😊). Unleashed potential is a hidden gem within your team/organization. The leading indicator for morale and engagement is the willingness of our employees to step…
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