Lean Whiskey

Episode page In Episode 45, Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban join the Just-in-Time Cafe team of Elisabeth Swan and Tracy O’Rourke as a special nod to their 100th Episode, while also having a chance to toast Mark’s accomplishment of 250 episodes of My Favorite Mistake podcast and 500 episodes of the Lean Blog Podcast. This episode blended the two formats a bit, but you can be sure whiskey was one of those elements that we retained.    We each selected a cocktail to make. Jamie made his original recipe, the Black Forest Kiss. Since you can’t Google it, the recipe is 2 oz bourbon, ½ oz sweet vermouth, 1 oz Cherry Herring, 5 dashes chocolate bitters, and garnished with cherries. Mark made a Perfect Manhattan with walnut bitters. Elisabeth made Remember the Maine. Tracy was stuck with wine, but you’ll have to listen for the story as to why that was. We also checked in about the various books we’ve written, including Mark’s The Mistakes That Make Us, Jamie’s People Solve Problems, Elisabeth’s Picture Yourself a Leader, and the forthcoming 2nd edition from Tracy and Elisabeth of the Problem Solver’s Toolkit.    We shared our Hot Apps personal choices, which included Trello, Kainexus, Asana, and the combination of Evernote and Scannable. In the episode you’ll hear how we utilize these apps. We then turned our attention to podcasting, sharing our origin stories, what we love about it, and some mistakes that we’ve learned from through the process.  Just in Time Cafe podcast My Favorite Mistakes podcast Lean Blog podcast People Solve Problems podcast Picture Yourself a Leader book The Mistakes That Make Us book  People Solve Problems book Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey  Please review us and follow!  Notes for everyone on what’s below. Please add links for preferred website and books for the show notes (going both directions): Jamiehttps://www.jflinch.com/ https://www.jflinch.com/people-solve-problems/ Elisabethhttps://www.jitcafe.com/ https://elisabethswan.com/book/ Tracyhttps://www.jitcafe.com/ The new edition of the Problems Solver’s Toolkit will be released soon, but no link yet.  Markhttp://markgraban.com/  https://www.mistakesbook.com/

Episode page with video and more In Episode 44, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh get back together for this first episode of 2024. Since we’re not doing Dry January, we go right into the whiskey first by talking about old bottles, including one very old one found at auction. We then did our own comparison tasting, with Jamie trying two different age statements of Knob Creek bourbon and Mark trying two different expressions of Glen Scotia scotch from Campbeltown.  Dry January is like a New Year’s Resolution that you don’t intend to keep past a month. We discuss New Year’s Resolutions and their reasons for failure. We relate all this to goals, hoshin kanri, SMART goals, systems, and small steps. So, if you’re still working on clarifying your goals or resolutions for the year, take a listen.  Boeing’s recent troubles with an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX-9 door plug falling out mid-flight was also discussed, including Boeing’s resolution / commitment to add more inspectors to the process. Will more inspectors and more inspections make a difference? If not, what will make a difference? We may not know the final answer, but we break it all down for you in this discussion.  We wrap things up with a little football talk, both the NFL and College. Cheers!  Vintage bottle sold at auction, from York, PA Jamie’s selection: Knob Creek Mark’s selection: Glen Scotia NPR on abandoned New Year’s resolutions Jamie’s 2010 blogpost on goals Jamie’s 2021 short video on working with goals  Boeing’s own updates on the 737-9 On Senator Cantwell’s letter to the FAA Yup, University of Michigan wins the National Championship Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey  Please review us and follow!  

Episode page with video and more In Episode 43 of the “Lean Whiskey” podcast, Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban begin by talking about each of our interviews regarding the new book by Steve Spear and Gene Kim, Wiring the Winning Organization. Mark interviewed Steve and Gene for the Lean Blog Interviews podcast, and Jamie interviewed Steve for a forthcoming episode of the People Solve Problems podcast. We then shifted our attention to celebrating 100 years of Suntory Distilling by each pouring different expressions from the Japanese side of the company, Hibiki and Yamazaki. We also discussed the Jim Beam side, its progression and integration into the Suntory ownership.  We eventually jumped into our primary In the News segment discussing a detailed investigative journalism report from Reuters on the objectively poor safety record at SpaceX. The data is compelling, from a fatality to a coma, and eight amputations. But the safety rate is six times the industry average, coming in at 4.8 per 100 workers. Yes, space travel and doing anything breakthrough is inherently dangerous, but there's two arguments with this. First, the injuries are things like falling out of trucks and not related to launching a rocket. Second, there are numerous examples of doing inherently dangerous work with a great safety record. Alcoa, under the leadership of Paul O'Neill, is a great example of this, where not only is the work done safely, but with increasing profits along the way.  We explore the importance of leadership — through policy to system to culture — in the outcomes of safety. Elon Musk, as the leader of SpaceX, has signaled in many ways that safety is secondary. This includes a distaste for safety yellow on aesthetic grounds to statements that workers are responsible for protecting themselves. Both SpaceX and Tesla have a tendency to withhold reporting required data to OSHA, which might not be visible to employees, but it likely is to management. We make clear that safety practice and culture is the responsibility of management.  We wrap up this episode sharing fun facts about our hometowns, wishing everyone a happy holidays, and a final cheers to 2023! Links From the Show: Mark interviewed Steve Spear and Gene Kim in episode 493 of the LeanBlog Podcast, and Jamie interviewed Steve for a forthcoming episode of People Solve Problems Podcast on their new book, Wiring the Winning Organization Celebrating 100 years of Suntory Distilling  Mark's blog about the culture clash when Suntory acquired Jim Beam Jamie's selection: Hibiki Japanese Harmony Mark's selection: Yamazaki Distiller's Reserve NAS Japan Release and the Legent Yamazaki Cask Finish Blend  Kaizen & Culture Clash Between Suntory & Jim Beam? Reuters' investigative report on safety at SpaceX COSH's Dirty Dozen of companies with poor safety records  Examples of Paul O'Neill's take on prioritizing safety and being profitable here and here Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform!

Episode page In Episode 42, Jamie Flinchbaugh visits Mark Graban in northern Kentucky and they get to record an episode in person. This was the origin of the podcast series — getting together in person, enjoying whiskey, and talking about Lean stuff.  In the last episode, we did an experiment that was inconclusive — sometimes that's how it goes. We had moved the whiskey talk to the end of the episode, but since we had no firm evidence that it was better, we moved it back to the beginning. Since we were together, Jamie selected something from Mark's shelf, the Boone County Amburana Wood, as it isn't something you'd regularly find on the shelf. Mark had received a special package in the mail from the Jim Beam distillery — two different expressions of Little Book — and so he did a side-by-side comparison.  They then discussed the GE Lean Mindset Event, held for employees, customers, and suppliers. The bulk of the speakers are available on a YouTube playlist. We primarily discussed the discussion between Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, and Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. We also discussed the conversation with Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E (the primary power utility in California if you don't recognize the name). We explored the key nuggets from those speakers.  After the recording stopped, the conversation continued at the outstanding Prohibition Bourbon Bar in Newport, Kentucky, ranked as one of America's Best Bourbon Bars by The Bourbon Review (that's where the photo was taken… and yes, they allowed us behind the bar).   Links From the Show: Jamie's selection, Amburana Wood finished Bourbon from Boone County Little Book, the experimental expressions from Freddie Noe of Jim Beam  The playlist for the GE Lean Mindset Event  Mark's podcast episode recorded on-site with Jim Womack, Katie Anderson, and Jamie Parker  California Burning, the book about PG&E mentioned by Patti Prohibition Bar in Newport, Kentucky, featured in The Bourbon Review Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey  Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform!   

Episode link with video and more In Episode 41, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh try a couple experiments, in the spirit of continuous improvement. You’ll first notice that we moved the whiskey talk to the end. The hypothesis here is that some people don’t want to hear the whiskey talk, so they can just exit the podcast when we finish the lean talk. We also used a different platform for recording, so it may affect your listening or viewing experience. We would really appreciate any feedback at all on these experiments.  In lean talk, we explore the question of whether lean can and should be forced. We examine this from different angles, including terms like accountability and quotas. We even evoke the words of Dr. Deming in the process. We quote Toyota’s Jamie Bonini who said “if the employees are upset by it, it’s not really TPS.” We explore 5S, audits, incentives, and more.  We finally get around to talking about the whiskey that we were sipping on during the episode. After all, this is kinda the point. For this episode’s theme, we are pulling the bottle off our shelf that is the least expensive, but still worth sipping on its own. Mark is drinking Benchmark, and Jamie went with Rebel. Cheers!  Mark’s audiobook of The Mistakes That Make Us is now available  Tennis’ Western and Southern Open The Michigan Lean Consortium, where Mark recently presented Mark’s famous Office 5S video Jamie’s whiskey… Rebel Bourbon 80 proof at $19 Mark’s whiskey… Benchmark Bourbon 100 proof between $17-19 Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey  Please review us and follow!

Episode page with video and more In Episode 40, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh get back together after their in-person visit where they enjoyed the origins of this podcast: talking about lean stuff while enjoying some whiskey. We get to celebrate the launch of Mark’s new book, The Mistakes That Make Us, as well as Jamie’s new podcast titled People Solve Problems. We recap our in-person visit and some of the great whiskey we were able to try. And we taste one of the expressions we were able to try at the distillery, New Riff’s Straight Bottled-in-Bond Malted Rye.  We then pivoted to talking about pivots, starting with the example of how Instagram originally started as Burbn check-in app to share your drinking experiences with others. It then pivoted to photo sharing, and the rest is history. We compare and contrast other pivots, including Play-Doh, the pacemaker, Slack and Twitter, 3M Post-its, and a purple dye found when trying to cure malaria. We share some lessons from each of our books about how to enable and / or embrace the pivot when the opportunity presents itself.  We wrap up talking a bit about the book writing process, and the joys and pains that accompany it. Cheers!  Mark’s book, The Mistakes That Make Us, is now available for purchase Jamie launched a new podcast, People Solve Problems, interviews based on his book Mark and Jamie’s analog in-person Lean Whiskey We visited Revival Vintage Bottle Shop, Prohibition Bourbon Bar, and New Riff Distilling Mark and Jamie both pouring the New Riff Kentucky Straight Bottled-in-Bond Malted Rye Whiskey Instagram pivoted from Burbn Instagram, or Meta, also recently launched Threads. You can find Mark here and Jamie here Making purple dye from a failed malaria drug  Hold on Loosely by 38 Special on Spotify  Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey  Please review us and follow! 

Episode page with links, video, and more In Episode 39, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh toast the completion of Mark's new book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation (coming soon!). We also acknowledge Jamie's forthcoming podcast based on the book People Solve Problems. That's already plenty to cover before we even get into our whiskey.  Our whiskey theme was sourced juice, or essentially whiskey producers that buy whiskey from other distillers. This practice takes many different forms. Jamie is drinking Holla Bourbon Whiskey, a 4 year wheated bourbon, while Mark is drinking The Senator Straight Rye Whiskey sourced from MGP. Holla Spirits is primarily a vodka company with an incredibly wide range of infused vodkas, from jalapeno to pickle to cotton candy. They use higher grade ethanol from either corn or cane. Our lean topic was CEOs who “go to the gemba,” specifically referencing recent Wall Street Journal articles featuring Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi driving an Uber and Starbucks brand-new CEO Laxman Narasimhan being trained and working as a barista. While there is a lot these articles don't tell you, we have to draw some conclusions about whether these efforts are well-intentioned or not. We didn't like the barista with gold cufflinks or the Uber driver ignoring important calls from his General Counsel.  We did conclude that there are three dimensions to this practice to get right, and all three must be right for this practice to be worth the effort. First, you have to get the intention correct. Second, you must execute it with the right spirit and curiosity. Third, you have to do the right things with what you learn, not just fixing specific problems but challenging business model assumptions or improving major systems of how the company works. Links From the Show: Mark's book page to find out more when The Mistakes That Make Us will be released Jamie's blog, where you can find the People Solve Problems podcast release Mark's recent blog post about Glenns Creek Distillery and creativity-before-capital kaizen NBC News covering sourced whiskey Whiskey Advocate covering sourced whiskey Jamie's whiskey from Holla Spirits, a 4-year Wheated Bourbon, distilled by Southern Distilling Company in North Carolina and blended by Cloonaughill Celtic Malts in York, PA Mark's whiskey, The Senator Straight Rye Whiskey, a 4-grain blend distilled by MGP in Lawrenceburg, IN  Uber's CEO driving covered by Wall Street Journal as well as Business Insider and Inside Hook  Starbucks CEO trains and works as a barista, as covered by Wall Street Journal Jamie's past blog about Undercover Boss, and Mark's past blog about a hospital CEO going undercover  Mark's recommended podcast is Culture by Design Jamie's recommended podcast is Stuff You Should Know  Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey  Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform! 

Episode page with video and more What do you do when you are chosen as Jim Murray’s US Micro Whiskey of the Year? You pop in to join Mark and Jamie on Lean Whiskey to talk about it. At least that’s what our friend David Meier of Glenns Creek Distilling did in Episode 38. While we were able to drink, and celebrate, the success of OCD #5, we also explored David’s continued learning, problem solving, and improvement of whiskey production. We also learned that he was featured on an episode of Moonshiners: American Spirit, more of a documentary exploring the production of American spirits than the original show.  After David departs, Mark and Jamie discuss a recent report featured on NBC outlining that 1 in 4 hospital visits result in adverse events. This comes from a recent study on patient safety published in the New England Journal of Medicine. We break down the statistics, explore the real meaning behind those numbers, and discuss the causes and contributing factors. Throughout the dialogue we cover process improvement, problem solving, near misses, organizational learning, and psychological safety. We also spend time looking at Dr. Don Berwick’s editorial about the study, and at least try to summarize his contributions to patient safety.  Mark and Jamie wrap up the first episode of 2023 talking about books. We hope everyone has a wonderful 2023. Happy New Year, and Cheers!  Glenns Creek Distilling’s OCD #5 selected US Micro Whiskey of the Year Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible website Moonshiners: American Spirit Glenn’s Creek Distilling  NBC’s reporting that 1 in 4 patients experience adverse effects, and the New England Journal of Medicine published study behind the statistic Patient safety advocate Don Berwick’s Commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine Upcoming webinar hosted by Mark on the proposed National Patient Safety Board The Economist’s reporting on today’s healthcare system challenges around the world Jamie’s book recommendation Ikigai Mark’s future read: If I Betray These Words: Moral Injury in Medicine and Why It's So Hard for Clinicians to Put Patients First  Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey  Please review us and follow!   

Mark Graban & Jamie Flinchbaugh Alternative title: “I’ll have a half-caff no-whip soy-milk chestnut praline latte… to-go” Episode page with video and links In Episode 37, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays with some new (to us) holiday cocktails. Mark tries the Bourbon Flip, and Jamie makes a Hot Buttered Bourbon. Neither will likely be in our regular rotation of cocktails, but they suit the “spirit” of the holiday season and might be a nice treat to make for guests.  Your hosts explore the possible reinvention of Starbucks, which began with the return of CEO Howard Schultz. The stores have faced numerous pressures…increasing volume, increasing complexity, and growing barista dissatisfaction. Can these challenges be overcome by lean applied at the store level, or are more structural changes and innovations needed to get the job done? We explore a recent Wall Street Journal article about Starbucks' transformation and walk back to the beginnings of their lean journey over 10 years ago. Some of the problem statements examined: SKU proliferation, new blenders, and store layouts. We may start seeing a brand new layout for Starbucks stores, although the promised improves do not appear to be imminent.  The hosts finish by exploring gift giving in the whiskey, and wine, genre, including a book recommendation from Mark on the history of the prohibition era in the US.  Links From the Show: Ted Stiles from Stiles Associates David Meier's Glenn's Creek Distilling Toyota's Georgetown, Kentucky plant Four Roses' hot buttered bourbon recipe Used Mellow Corn Bottled in Bond for hot buttered bourbon Bourbon Flip recipe Made with Benchmark Bonded bourbon Mark's 2nd pour, a Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10 Heavily Peated  WSJ article Starbucks is Rethinking Almost Everything  WSJ wrote about lean at Starbucks in 2009, and the same year, John Shook wrote about it for LEI Starbucks' 3-day strike LEI's 2020 book about lean at Starbucks, Steady Work Book on the history of prohibition: Last Call Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey   

In Episode 36, Jamie Flinchbaugh is joined by Chris Kauzmann, an Adjunct Faculty and Innovator in Residence at Lehigh University. Chris, a self-described “bottom shelf” whiskey drinker, joins Jamie to sample some Nikka Coffee Malt Whiskey and Blue Run High Rye Bourbon.  We explore design thinking, which is both distinct from lean but also inherently consistent. The terminology is often quite different, but the essence of the work is very similar. Removing our biases and gaining insight through genuine exploration, whether to develop a business idea or improve a process or anything else, is one such example. Along the way, we cover many aspects of our shared experiences…the student entrepreneurs of Lehigh University that Chris supports and teaches full time and Jamie occasionally shows up to make a contribution.  We close by deciding which building on Lehigh University's beautiful campus we would most want to convert into a whiskey bar, although we are quite certain that no one will allow us to do this. Links From the Show: Chris Kauzmann on LinkedIn Old Crow, a typical selection for Chris Nikka Coffey Malt Whiskey Blue Run High Rye Bourbon Lehigh University's Baker Institute   Giana Jarrah's With Meraki Co, a student-founded startup Sam Benchaghib's Make A Change World and Sungai Watch Practicing Lean by Mark Graban  Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey

In Episode 35, Mark is recently back from his Scotland gemba visit. He isn't tired from jet lag, or from whiskey, but nevertheless, Mark and Jamie both end up complaining about being tired. Maybe we're just…old (gasp). We also didn't plan our color coordination (for those on video). Episode page with video and more  "We’re tired, but not tired of whisky. A gemba walk will pick us up..." We focus this episode on going to the gemba in the making of scotch whisky, from Mark's recent trip. We talk about what is learned by going to the gemba, both in general and specific to whisky. You can hear more about peat, malting, distilling, and maturing, including is maturing inventory or a value-adding step?  Of course, we also select scotch as our whisky of choice, opting for more obscure selections that you may not have heard of. Both were excellent.  We also spend a little time talking about work retreats, whether it be for writing a book as both Mark and Jamie do, strategic thinking as Bill Gates would do, or just simply reflection and planning. We conclude by discussing what job at a distiller we would most like to do, although neither of us likely has the requisite skills. Slainte! Links From the Show: Jamie at the National Association of Corporate Directors Summit Mark heading soon to the Association of Manufacturing Excellence and the Iowa Lean Consortium conferences. Look for him! GE's Larry Culp's message.  Former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, Admiral Stavridis at NACD Jamie's whisky selection Kilchoman Mark's whisky selection Glen Scotia Where are Islay, Jura, Campeltown? Ron Swanson's visit to Lagavullin Journeyman in western Michigan, Two James in Detroit, and Traverse City Whiskey up north The Multnomah Whiskey Library in Portland Jamie's post: how to do an effective personal work retreat

Episode page: https://leanblog.org/whiskey34 In Episode 34, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh begin by belatedly celebrating the 3rd birthday of Lean Whiskey. No, this wasn’t a pandemic-launched podcast, although if we hadn’t started it yet it probably would have become one. We also learn of Mark’s pending trip to Islay, where an awful lot of good whisky is produced. Apparently, Jamie wasn’t invited to record an “on location” episode.  Most of the episode we explore the challenges, benefits, and approaches to developing and seeing through the crazy ideas. This conversation builds from an episode of Mark’s My Favorite Mistake podcast in which he interviews 1-800-FLOWERS founder Jim McCann. FedEx founder Fred Smith told McCann that shipping flowers via FedEx wouldn’t work. Not only did Jim not fold in the face of Fred’s advice, he eventually partnered with FedEx to bring this program to life. But bringing big ideas to life is about more than just ignoring the doubters, but adjusting or trimming the idea, learning through rapid testing, and having the courage to move forward through adversity as our explanation of the Netflix story examines.  We wrap up exploring another crazy idea, whiskey made from crabs. Well, that’s not technically true, but it is distilled crab stock added to a bourbon base, and specifically to raise awareness about the invasive green crabs that destroy the mussel population. Tamworth Distilling from New Hampshire are the brains behind this particular project. Thanks to our friend Dan Markovitz introduced us to this idea. Maybe Mark will detour his trip to Scotland towards New Hampshire instead.   Happy 3rd birthday to Lean Whiskey, so here’s Episode 1 Mark heading to the Isle of Islay with their classic distilleries  Jamie working with Lehigh University on building an accelerator (back of Jamie’s head in the photo while leading the design team) Mark and Jamie both engaged with KaiNexus Mark’s Moscatel Finished Straight Bourbon Whiskey from Woodinville near Seattle  Jamie’s Four Roses Private Selection Single Barrel, see their bourbons and recipes Our discussion builds on this episode of Mark’s My Favorite Mistake podcast with 1-800-FLOWERS founder Jim McCann, with this excerpt of the featured point What’s crab whiskey all about? Check out Crab Trapper Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey  Please review us and follow!

Episode page: https://leanblog.org/whiskey33 In Episode 33, we recognize some of the back to normal which includes Mark heading out on the road to do consulting again. That brings Mark close enough to Jamie for a new first: an in-person recording of Lean Whiskey. Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh meet up in Philadelphia to drink some Garrison Brothers special barrel selection from Mark as well talk about Lean 101 training.  In many ways, this is an origin story for Lean Whiskey. Mark and Jamie would be opportunistic about their travels, end up in the same city, find a good whiskey bar, and talk shop. “We should record this” became almost a joke, until it became reality and Lean Whiskey was born. Now, 33 episodes in, we return to an in-person visit.  Philadelphia becomes our destination, and after recording Mark and Jamie get to go sample some of the great food the city has to offer. We also get to share a bottle (ok, not the whole bottle, but the same bottle), compare hotel glasses to tasting glasses, and set up a different recording approach which unfortunately resulted in there being no video. However, the discussion was as rich as ever, so give Episode 33 a listen. Links From the Show: Our whiskey of choice is Garrison Brothers, and Mark's “One Off” — Episode 29 is where we talked about the story of this barrel and Mark's blog post about Garrison Brothers Jamie's blog post “Skip the Intro to Lean Training“ Any Toyota / lean geek who wants to understand the history should be reading Michael Cusumano's The Japanese Automobile Industry: Technology and Management at Nissan and Toyota How NOT to do Lean 101: Big Bang's Sheldon teaches physics to Penny (via YouTube) In Philly, the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the Franklin Institute  Double Knot and Morimoto restaurants, and Pat's and Geno's cheesesteaks

Episode page: https://www.leanblog.org/whiskey32 In Episode 32 of “Lean Whiskey,” Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh have a first… comparing two similar whiskeys from the same distiller. In this case, family-owned Willett and their Willett Pot Still Reserve bourbon and the Johnny Drum bourbon. We definitely both have our favorite of the two, but you'll have to listen to find out which. We also spend a little time exploring the history of this old brand, their departure, and their recent return to the spirits world. This all happens between NFL conference championship games where neither of our teams are playing.  We discuss The Great Resignation and all of the many facets… the underlying long-term trends, the short-term adjustments, the data, the causes, and the solutions. Breaking the problem down is important, as there is neither one cause nor one solution. We need to move beyond “jerk bosses” such as seen at Better.com, underappreciation as seemingly demonstrated at former-lean-role-model Thedacare, and bad cultures found in many places. 2022 may finally be the year to truly make employee engagement a real strategic imperative.  We finish talking about industrial-based movies and shows, such as the new NBC series “American Auto” or the movie “Gung Ho.” Please tell us your favorites… we'd love to hear from you!  Links From the Show Willett Pot Still Reserve  Johnny Drum Private Stock Insights by Jamie January 2022 newsletter  Thedacare's employee issues, how it started and how it finished Mark interviews the Lean dentist Dr. Sami Bahri in Lean Blog Podcast Episodes 29, 69, and 82 Some articles may require signup or subscription… New York Times No More Working for Jerks The Economist How to Manage The Great Resignation “American Auto” TV Show Movie “Gung Ho“ Movie “Mr. Mom“ Movie “Tucker“

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/whiskey31 In Episode 31 of “Lean Whiskey,” Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh discuss the routines and practices of wrapping up a year, and kicking off a new year. In that spirit, we either finish a bottle of whiskey, or start a new one. We also invite three guests to share their thoughts. Past Lean Whiskey guests Jim Benson, Deondra Wardelle, and Chris Burnham join and share their thoughts on finishing up a year and starting a new one. Routines, habits, practices that help you transition the year and set up for success in the new year. Lean thinkers know the fallacy of just having good intentions, such as New Year's Resolutions, and tend to focus more on purpose, reflection, structure, and systems. We put that hypothesis to the test by asking three lean thinkers how they approach this time period, and didn't know in advance what they would share.  Jim Benson talked about their discussions within his company, which take place during huddles which allow the conversation to emerge. This is much different than the once-and-done offsite approach. They are exploring how to increase collaboration, as that is certainly the central theme of their work with clients. Deondra Wardelle celebrates, which she often models for all of us. She also shared how she develops a theme for each year, which drives her plans and actions. The theme for 2022 is “laser focus” which was very intriguing. Chris Burnham, who is Senior Lean Strategy Director, KaiNexus, shared his evolution of daily practices which includes reflection, prioritization, and planning. His methods include journals and digital tools and of course, having important conversations about the right topics with the right people.  Mark and Jamie also share a bit of their perspective on the challenge, including the fact that the turning of a calendar is relatively arbitrary when it comes to performance management and continuous improvement, and Mark notes how often he sees people zero-out their measurements to start the new year (please don't do this). Jamie observes that the open space often (but not always) created between your last and first meeting gives you more room to mentally breathe (inbox = zero helps too) which allows deep work, whether that is reflection or planning.  Links From the Show We record this episode just after Repeal Day  Mark's whiskey selection: a new bottle of Yamazaki 12 – Thanks, Ralphs!! Jamie's whiskey selection: finishing bottles of Larceny and Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon Jim Benson's rum selection: Kohana Rum  Jim Benson's guest appearance on Lean Whiskey Episode 25, and his Personal Kanban site Deondra Wardelle's whiskey selection: starting a bottle of Old Pogue Deondra Wardelle's guest appearance on Lean Whiskey Episode 23, and her own company and #rootcauseracism  Chris Burnham's whiskey selection: finishing a bottle of Blanton's  Chris Burnham's guest appearance on Lean Whiskey Episode 3, and his own podcast Lean Leadership including guest appearances by Mark on Episode 1 and Jamie most recently on Episode 62 Mark's post about starting the year with blank charts Since both books came up, we might as well mention Jamie's People Solve Problems and Mark's Measures of Success.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/whiskey30 In Episode 30 of “Lean Whiskey“, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh find things to celebrate, starting with the fact that we have hit 30 episodes. In that time, we've had 14 guests or co-hosts, and tasted 56 different whiskeys (not counting the gin and coffee detours) covering 5 countries and 7 states. We've also had over 10,000 downloads which is a celebration of its own right, and while we do not record this show just to get lots of listeners, we are extremely grateful for all of you who have tuned in.  Having both just returned from our alma maters, Lehigh University (Jamie) and Northwestern (Mark), we share our whiskeys under the theme of the bottle you would pull off the shelf when you are in the mood to celebrate. Jamie had a 21 year old Glenfarclas and Mark finished off his bottle of the 6th release of the WhistlePig Boss Hog titled “The Samurai Scientist.”  We are also celebrating the pending (October 26th) release of Jamie's latest book, People Solve Problems: The Power of Every Person, Every Day, Every Problem. Instead of In the News, we cover On the Bookshelf, and talk about why we write a book, how to pick a title, how to publish, and more. Mark has written several books, including Lean Hospitals, Healthcare Kaizen, The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen, Practicing Lean (as editor and publisher — and Jamie was a contributor), and most recently Measures of Success. Jamie has published two books now, starting with The Hitchhiker's Guide to Lean and now People Solve Problems.  Links From the Show Jamie's whiskey, a 21 year old Glenfarclas Mark's whiskey, the WhistlePig Boss Hog Samurai Scientist Mark's various books Jamie's various books Book The Complete Whiskey Course Book resources such as editor and publisher Rob Worth, Bethany Brown of The Cadence Group, and coach Cathy Fyock   Impactful books included Out of the Crisis, Understanding Variation, and Man's Search for Meaning.

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/whiskey29 In Episode 29, it's been a little while since Mark and Jamie got together for Lean Whiskey. We catch up on what's new, which includes Mark's new certification with distinction with the WSET Level 2 Spirits certification, and Jamie's new side-hustle as a soccer referee. We return to making cocktails, this time building on our coffee theme from the pour-over edition of Episode 27. We both make coffee cocktails. Jamie's is a whiskey espresso martini, equal parts bourbon, Kahlua, and freshly pulled espresso, shaken and served in a martini glass. Mark worked his way towards his own concoction, based on the Revolver cocktail, using bourbon and coffee liqueur, but he used a couple Texas-based brands and named it the Texas Revolver. We both follow our cocktails with some Glenn's Creek Cafe Ole and discuss Mark's lost barrel of bourbon.  We did "In the News" with a twist, building on our coffee theme we used something close to the Lean Coffee format and covered many news stories for 5 minutes each. These stories covered Starbucks as a talent pool, CEO pay and diversity, wage inflation, what work really needs to be in-person, people leaving the restaurant industry, and using lean to help get jabs in arms. There was no theme here, just two guys sitting around talking about the news from a lean thinker's perspective. Scroll down for links galore. After covering a lot of ground, Mark and Jamie look forward to the fall, including football. We hope you enjoy this episode. Please send Mark or Jamie questions, suggestions, or comments for our future discussions. Until next time, cheers!  Links From the Show Mark's WSET Level 2 Spirits certification  Jamie's retirement from coaching announcement and kickoff of a referee side-hustle  Lean Coffee episode of Lean Whiskey, Episode #27 Jamie's new ECM Casa V espresso machine  Jamie's Town Branch bourbon used for the espresso martini Jamie's Buzzopolis espresso blend from Whole Latte Love The base Revolver recipe that Mark started with  Mark's "Texas Revolver" included 2 oz Garrison Brothers Hye Rye Bourbon, 0.5 oz Caffe del Fuego Reserve, 3 dashes orange bitters, 0.25 oz Dry Curacao, and 3 dashes coffee bitters We both finished with David Meier's Cafe Ole Mark's My Favorite Mistake episode with David Meier The Lean Coffee method we somewhat followed  In the News News item #1: More U.S. companies tie CEO pay to diversity metrics News item #2: Wage Growth Among U.S. Job Switchers Increased 5.8 Percent Since June 2020 as Businesses Struggle to Attract Workers News item #3: Starbucks Is the New Talent Factory Powering Corporate America News item #4: When Do We Actually Need to Meet in Person? News item #5: How Lean Thinking and Practice Helped Put Shots in Arms, Part 1: Building the Process and Part 2: Wind-down and Reflection News item #6: Restaurants Will Never Be the Same. They Shouldn't Be. Our college football schedules for tailgating at Lehigh and Northwestern  

Show notes: https://www.leanblog.org/whiskey28 In Episode 28, Mark and Jamie begin by having our spouses pour mystery whiskeys for us. We don’t know what they are when we start drinking them. Mark’s wife at least joins him occasionally in a dram, but Jamie’s wife is truly pouring without experience, but he’s safe since it is from his own shelf. Mark and Jamie give their best guess, so listen and see if they get it right (or at least partially correct).  Jamie and Mark then build on Mark’s highly successful, and prolific, podcast My Favorite Mistake. We talk about the podcast, its neat origin story, and then we dive into a couple of our own favorite mistakes, although without the systematic breakdown he includes in his podcast. We explore the whole point of examining our favorite mistakes.  Along the way we cover old label designs and baseball and sushi.  Links: Mark celebrated his 10 year anniversary as part of the KaiNexus team Mark’s mystery pour, Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Duncansby Head Lighthouse and his 2nd pour from Teeling Jamie’s mystery pour from 10 year old Whistle Pig rye and his second pour, a 10-year-old Jura scotch Mark’s My Favorite Mistake podcast Episodes that were lean-related, including Karyn Ross, Billy Taylor, and Karen Martin Whiskey-related episode about Garrison Brothers The favorite mistake story behind Angostura bitters’ label Redemption Whiskey and Tyler’s Mistake   Chicago Cubs baserunning mistake that wasn’t Food: uni and poutine, just not together

https://www.leanblog.org/whiskey27 In Episode 27, Mark and Jamie switch things up a bit with a morning recording of the show. While we could have just started our whiskey early, instead we decided to switch to a beverage that shares much of the same culture, craft, and appreciation as whiskey, and that is coffee. Although a bit of throwback in terms of usages, the trend towards pour over coffee embraces the culture of single origin coffee, much like the shift from whiskey blends towards more single casks. The pour over method is meant to extract more of the “good stuff” and less of the “bad stuff” from freshly ground coffee beans. So Mark and I poured our coffee and got into our topics of the day. You can see our coffee selections and equipment setups in the links below. We didn't want to lose the whiskey theme, so we used an article exploring whether 10 million barrels of whiskey resting, or aging, in Kentucky is a good thing or a bad thing. This became a launchpad to talk about whether just-in-time is dead (as the Wall Street Journal likes to claim) or just misunderstood. We explore MIT's The Beer Game, system dynamics, supply chain design, decision making, and the glut of face masks and hand sanitizer. We could have likely talked about this topic for a very long time, and had we been into a glass of whiskey, perhaps we would have.  In addition to a little detour into Mark's many hats, including the reason he wears two different hats in one episode, we close on a personal note of how we both like to start our day: with coffee, reading news, and a view.  Jamie's coffee, Death Wish, and Mark's coffee, Yellow Caturra Jamie's KitchenAid grinder, Chemex pour over, and kettle Mark's different KitchenAid grinder, Bodum pour over, and electric kettle 10 Million bourbon barrels resting – too much or not enough?  The Wall Street Journey's misinformed piece on JIT, Jeff Liker on JIT, Dr. Jonathan Byrnes on supply chain shockwaves, and Dr. Byrnes as a guest Mark's LeanBlog podcast MIT's The Beer Game, system dynamics and accumulators and delays, and supply and demand Mark's hat and Jamie's morning view 

Show notes and links: https://www.leanblog.org/whiskey26 In Episode 26, we accidentally celebrate St. Patrick's Day with some Irish whiskey, lightly mourn some NCAA March Madness losses (or absences, and Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban welcome guest co-host Adam Zak. We selected Irish whiskey as a category because we hadn't used it yet, but after changing the date of the scheduled recording, we ended up quite close to St. Patrick's Day (which was officially a dry holiday until 1970, but that pendulum certainly swung the other way).  In the spirit of Adam Zak's career as an executive recruiter with a Lean lens, we discuss many of the new CEO appointments, in particular, Carol Tomé at UPS, Rosalind Brewer at Walgreens, and Jane Fraser at Citigroup. These appointments are historic in one sense, but also highlight the fact that only 41 of the Fortune 500 are run by women (and Brewer is the only Black woman of the group). We explore what matters when selecting a new CEO, how that fits the strategic needs of the company, and how Lean thinking might influence or be leveraged by some of these leaders.  We explore a common listener question: Do you think it's possible for a Lean organization to do well with quality and safety? As we certainly don't feel this question takes much nuance to answer, we make our way through this fairly quickly and on to our closing question about what books we are reading these days, with a slight detour into our reading habits.  Adam Zak's website, his book Simple Excellence with Bill Waddell, and 2008 guest appearance on Mark's Lean Blog podcast #105  Adam's whiskey selection, 18 YO Tullamore D.E.W. Jamie's selection, Green Spot aged in zinfandel barrels from Chateau Montelena Mark's selection, a special bottle of Teeling that he filled at the Dublin distillery, along with an honorable mention of Writers' Tears (since we're all published authors) A little about new UPS CEO Carol Tomé on Wikipedia and an interview  A little something about new Walgreens CEO Rosalind Brewer on Wikipedia and Financial Times     Stuff about new Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser on Wikipedia and NYT Our collective reading list, Believe in People, The Girl Who Never Makes Mistakes, Constant Comedy, and Team of Rivals Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or at leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or at jflinch.com/leanwhiskey