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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
93 Episodes
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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‑awa...
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 ex...
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 guid...
If your strategy deployment feels like a box-ticking exercise, it’s a sign that something fundamental has been lost along the way. In this episode of Uncommon Sense, PMI Director Consultant Sean Buckland explores how Lean strategy deployment has quietly drifted away from its roots. Instead of connecting strategy to value streams, teams and learning, many organisations have replaced process with targets, and called it progress. Listen now and discover what true Lean strategy deployment looks l...
Which everyday leadership behaviours are building trust… and which might be eroding it? Join Partner Consultant, Des Kelly, in conversation with Susannah Clarke as they explore what it really takes to earn trust as a leader. Using the simple but powerful “Trust Equation,” Des shares how credibility, reliability and emotional safety combine, and how unchecked self-interest quietly undermines them all. More resources: Essential Reading for Your Lean Six Sigma and Improvement Journey Le...
Improvement practitioners know the fear: you’ve done the work, you’ve found the solution… but your improvement project just doesn’t progress. The reality is that sometimes budget shifts, priorities change, stakeholders block. But stalled improvement projects aren’t wasted. In this episode, Damion Albinson joins Susannah Clarke to unpack what you still gain when implementation doesn’t happen. From uncovering hidden quick wins, to spotting strategic misalignment early, to resetting how teams th...
If your team isn’t using AI yet, it’s not just their problem. It’s yours. The innovators will dive in fearlessly, while the survivors hold back. Your challenge? Create the conditions for confident experimentation without risking chaos. Join Anthony Richardson in the studio with Susannah Clarke as they explore how leaders can anchor AI adoption in process thinking and turn hesitation into action. Drawing on real examples from PMI’s AI for Leaders programme, Anthony shows how recognising the sp...
Sometimes the biggest risks in your business aren’t obvious. They’re hidden in the gaps between teams. Work gets done, but critical information gets lost, compliance slips, and frustration builds. In this episode, Damion Albinson and Susannah Clarke reveal how understanding the internal voice of the customer transforms how teams collaborate. Using real examples from a complex logistics environment, Damion shows how moving from “I didn’t know you needed that” to consciously understanding your ...
Even the best-designed processes can drift over time, but Process Confirmation stops small deviations from becoming major gaps. In this episode, PMI Senior Consultant Damion Albinson explains why Process Confirmation isn’t about auditing but understanding how work really happens. He explores how this approach helps leaders stay connected to operational reality, using the insights to strengthen performance and build capability at every level. From frontline operators to leaders managing impr...
You’ve delivered the project. The results are in. But six months later… the old ways of working have crept back in. So how do you stop progress from slipping away? Join PMI Senior Consultant Damion Albinson as he shares how to close the Improvement Cycle with confidence, turning delivery into lasting impact. Learn how thoughtful implementation, genuine stakeholder engagement, and building team capability can help change take root and grow. If sustaining improvement feels like the toug...
What exactly is the problem? And what isn’t? It sounds simple, but getting clarity here can be the difference between chasing assumptions and finding the real root cause. Join PMI Director Consultant Stuart Gibson in the studio with Susannah Clarke as they discuss Is/Is Not, a beautifully simple tool often underused in problem solving. With a practical example involving soggy pizzas, Stuart shows how moving beyond scoping questions can generate powerful clues, test theories, and steer y...
Different approaches, same goal: better performance. That’s why Agile and Lean Six Sigma work together; aligning people, roles, and responsibilities to get the best out of every team. Join Anthony Richardson in conversation with Susannah Clarke as they reveal how Lean Six Sigma roles like Green Belts, Black Belts, and Sponsors align with Agile roles such as Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers. Learn when and how these roles intersect, why it matters for delivering improvements, and ho...
It’s a classic tool. But its reach is far wider than you might think. Join PMI Consultant Des Kelly as he explains what Failure Modes Effects Analysis (FMEA) really is, how the 2019 global standard changed the game, and why Process FMEA now belongs in hospitals, call centres, control rooms and corporate functions as much as on the shop floor. If you run, design, or depend on any process (yes, that means you!), you’ll see how FMEA can strengthen performance where it matters most, and sta...
It’s a bold claim, but one worth exploring. Join PMI Consultant Niall Coney as he challenges one of the most persistent misconceptions in improvement: that Lean is about efficiency. Through real-world examples and a return to the purpose behind Lean tools, Niall reframes Lean as a way to see abnormality at a glance. Not as a shortcut to efficiency, but as a foundation for problem solving. From 5S to standardised work, Andon to process confirmation, he explores how these tools expose ...
AI is reshaping problem solving. But can it follow the methods you trust? Join PMI Director Consultant Dennis Crommentuijn-Marsh as he shares an improvement-in-action story where conventional thinking reached its limit, and a custom AI agent opened new possibilities. He explains the difference between generic AI tools and tailored agents, how prompt engineering is shaping the future of work, and why this isn’t about replacing expertise, but amplifying it. If you’ve ever wond...
8D has a reputation for being thorough, rigorous, and methodical. But is it always the best choice? Join PMI Director Consultant Stuart Gibson as he takes us though three digestible scenarios to highlight the difference between everyday fixes, improvement work, and when 8D is exactly the right tool. Cutting through the confusion, he unpacks the method step-by-step and explains how to use it with discipline, not by default. If you’ve ever asked, “Should we just fix it or dig deeper...
“If I change this… what happens over there?” It’s a familiar question in improvement, and one that correlation helps us explore with rigour and insight. Join PMI Consultant Niall Coney as he breaks down the concept of correlation and its role in uncovering meaningful relationships. Using practical examples, from machine settings to wellbeing initiatives, he explains how correlation and regression support evidence-based decisions, help avoid blind spots and focus improvement where it matters.&...
On the surface, everything seems aligned. But improvement just won’t stick. Why? Join PMI Director Consultant Warren Knight as he unpacks five leadership behaviours that quietly derail progress. From staying too far from the frontline to clinging to outdated thinking, these pitfalls are easy to miss but hard to work around. If you’ve ever struggled to get traction, build momentum or gain support for your improvement work, this conversation will help you see what might really be go...
It’s a deceptively simple question: What is the purpose of this process? An unclear process purpose is one of the most overlooked causes of waste, misaligned priorities, poor decisions, and missed improvement opportunities. Yet too often, teams dive into complex redesign without first agreeing on why the process exists at all. Join PMI Director Consultant Stuart Gibson as he shows how stepping back to define process purpose clearly and collaboratively can uncover hidden value, pre...
It’s simple: identify what’s valuable and do more of it. But in practice, defining what truly adds value and what doesn’t, can be far from straightforward. PMI Consultant Damion Albinson explores why defining “value add” is one of the trickiest yet most essential concepts in improvement. From legislative red tape to emotional resistance, he shares how well-intentioned tasks can cloud our view of what's really worth doing. Hear how to distinguish truly necessary work from dis...
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