Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape: July 24, 2026
Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email.
News, articles, books, podcasts, and videos about how to make the workplace better.
This edition looks at how Lean and AI can work together, why standardized work must reflect what people actually do, and how GE Aerospace is using a consistent management system to improve safety. It also highlights the leadership conditions that make improvement possible: welcoming bad news, listening to frontline ideas, reducing complexity, and building excellence through disciplined habits.
Operational Excellence, Improvement, and Innovation
The past, present, and future of lean and AI
Many readers liked the article posted last month, “Who thrives in the AI Workforce?“, where Art Smalley shares a far less dystopian view of the future of work with AI. Smalley returns this week with Gene Kim and Tyson Heaton to discuss how AI is changing lean practice. The discussion mirrors my own experience so far with using AI: paired thoughtfully, it improves many of my work processes, but it also leaves me feeling “superficial” in many cases. The experiments continue though.
Gummy bears and standardized work
There's what's written in the SOP, and then there's what the operator actually knows and actually does. But how do organizations capture this information and communicate it effectively, even when operators speak different languages? Traditional top-down methods are cumbersome and often miss the nuance that drives actual outcomes. Allen Yeung shares how a Dozuki platform can help a large confectionery manufacturer establish clear, digital standardized-work information faster than traditional methods.
GE's not-so-secret sauce for improving safety
“We tried that Lean stuff 15 years ago and it didn't work.” Some organizations dabble in tools, while others change the way they think, work, and lead. GE Aerospace, under Larry Culp, is doing the latter, and the results speak for themselves. GE Aerospace in Greenville, SC embraces a standardized lean operating model, FLIGHTDECK, to drive measurable improvements in employee safety.
Creating a Culture of Improvement
Bad news first
I've witnessed many organizations avoid discussing problems first, or at all; ensuring leaders only see “green” status indicators. Leaders will say talking about problems is “bad for morale” or, worse, will shoot the messenger who dares to raise an issue that needs support or attention. The result? Problems go unsolved. If you truly want a high-performance culture, create the conditions where bad news is welcome.
How leaders unlock innovation on the front lines
Employees have great ideas. Better yet, employees want to share them and be heard. We (mostly) all know this, yet front-line innovation remains a vastly underused capability at most organizations. Here's how leaders can unlock innovation on the front lines.
Simplicity remains the ultimate sophistication
It's pretty common for organizations to evolve towards greater complexity, whether by addition or by chasing the latest management consulting fad. The problem? Everything becomes harder: for employees, customers, and leaders. Dr. Ian Hallett shares why demanding simplicity is the defining leadership challenge of our time.
Coaching – Developing Self & Others
How to change your habits
“There's an ‘everyday-ness' to excellence”, according to performance psychologist Dr. Gio Valiante. It remains tempting to chase the latest innovation, step-change, or bio-hack to shortcut our way to excellence. Dr. Valiante shares the evidence – discipline, habits, and compounding results are the path to sustainable excellence.
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