Developing People~ Archives

01Jun 2026 by Jennifer Ayers

TWI Job Instruction – Aug 17-20

Application~, Classes, Developing People~

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: TBD (Clackamas Oregon) 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 war, they were introduced around the world and, most notably, are still in wide use in Japan today. The Toyota Production System approach of going to the source, observing…

06Jul 2025 by Jennifer Ayers

Lean Leadership Skills to Engage the Heart, Head, and Hands (3H) – Starts Sept 24th (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…

05Jul 2025 by Jennifer Ayers

Change that Sustains – Unlocking the Key to Successful Lean Transformations – Oct 14th

Application~, Classes, Developing People~, Leadership~

Learn how to effectively lead through change and transition. Ready to take your lean initiatives to the next level? Join this interactive workshop, grounded in the Lean Transformation Framework and shaped by Lynn Kelley’s executive experience at two Fortune 200 companies. Discover how to create lasting change by exploring the essential Change Questions—adaptable to any lean initiative or organization. Through real-world examples, stories and actionable tools, you'll gain the skills to tackle challenges and deliver meaningful, sustainable results. Participants will receive the Change Questions Digital Workbook, which can be used with their teams after the workshop, as well as a print copy of The Change Questions book by Lynn Kelley with John Shook. Topics Customized Change Strategies: Learn to develop robust plans tailored to your organization's unique needs. Insights from an Industry…

14Apr 2025 by Jennifer Ayers

Building Your Lean Management System – April 2, 16, & 30th (FULL)

Application~, Deploying Strategy~, Developing People~, Events, Intermediate~

Reach out if you want to join the waitlist. Join us for this 12-hour Lean Management System workshop, spread out over five weeks to provide a fully immersive experience where you design your pilot program, tweak, or revamp your existing LMS. Summary Most initial attempts at lean and continuous improvement focus on tools and improvement events (aka kaizen events). Unfortunately, after a while, people notice that the “lean journey” has lost most of its momentum, energy, engagement, focus, and breakthrough results. The lean management system (LMS) is a framework for building a culture of continuous improvement and shared learning. Its focus is on developing people to solve problems to improve performance. In this environment, improvement is not driven by a few lean champions but by everyone. Now everyone has a…

23Dec 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Coaching for Engagement – March 7

Application~, Classes, Developing People~, Leadership~

Class Summary The true role of a leader is a coach. This includes coaching to develop, coaching to improve, and coaching to engage. Engagement comes when people feel supported and trusted to make decisions and to accept failures as learning opportunities. This class focuses on teaching the foundational skills required to create engagement within your team. When done effectively, coaching for engagement helps develop capability and creates motivation to innovate, improve, and solve problems. This course will teach you a different approach to conversations, ones that focus on development vs. just sharing information. This ultimately translates into a team that is motivated, engaged, and empowered to drive improvement and solve problems.Join us for this interactive four hour in person class to learn the critical coaching skills that allow you to…

30Jul 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Lean Leadership Skills to Engage the Heart, Head, and Hands (3H) – Starts Sept 18th (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…

07May 2024 by Jennifer Ayers

Lead with Respect – May 15 & 22 (FULL)

Application~, Classes, Developing People~, Intermediate~, Leadership~

Practices to Enable Engagement, Teamwork & Accountability Facilitated by Mike Orzen, Shingo Prize Winning Author & Lean Enterprise Institute, Shingo Institute and The Ohio State faculty member How We Lead Matters Building a great organization requires effective leadership at all levels. How we lead determines the quality of our connection with others. Perhaps now more than ever, we need to connect with our people to build safety, trust, and healthy relationships. It turns out these skills can be learned. A key element that is often misunderstood is what it means to Lead with Respect (LwR) and connect with people on a level which inspires engagement, teamwork, and accountability. This hands-on workshop explores why leading with respect is essential, how to put LwR into practice to inspire people to drive better relationships…

Category: Developing People~