When we think about how change happens in organizations, especially those practicing Lean, we often focus on tools, plans, and communication strategies. But what about the actual conversations we’re having? Too often, those conversations look like this: That’s not engagement…
Think about the last time you made a major career decision. I’m thinking of one of mine, in particular. Was it about leaving a job for a new one? Changing directions in your career altogether? Was it a debate about…
Wednesday, I hosted and moderated (through KaiNexus), the latest webinar in our continuous improvement webinar series. It was presented by Paola Torres, a Senior Performance Improvement Manager at Healthfirst in NYC. Click here to register to view the recording and…
Joining me today for Episode #374 of the podcast are two colleagues, Brittany Wilson and Mark Valenti. The topic, as Mark and I discussed in Episode #306, is “Motivational Interviewing.” We will all be exploring this topic in the context…
Today, I hosted and moderated the latest in our KaiNexus Continuous Improvement Webinar series. I’m really excited that the presenter will be Mark Valenti — he’s been a bit of a mentor and coach for me on the topic of…
Why do people fear change? Why are adults afraid of talking about their fears? My guest today is eminently qualified to answer such questions and to provide advice that can help us. My guest for Episode #315 is Robert Maurer, Ph.D., author of the outstanding book Mastering Fear.
Bob was previously my guest for Episode #153, where we discussed one of his earlier books on Kaizen, One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way. By the way, earlier this year I noticed that his other book The Spirit of Kaizen was one of the few books by an American author that Toyota was selling at the Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology in Nagoya (see photo below).
I hope you enjoy today's discussion on Mastering Fear. As the subtitle says, can we "harness emotion to achieve excellence in health, work, and relationships"?
My guest for Episode #306 is Mark D. Valenti, the manager of training, education, and workflow integration for the Enhanced Community Care Management (ECCM) at Highmark Health.
In this episode, Mark and I talk about the use of "Motivational Interviewing" methods and mindsets in the ECCM program and how "everyday closer to better" is part of their mantra.
My guests for Episode 292 are the three co-authors of an excellent book, Motivational Interviewing for Leadership: MI-LEAD:
Jason Wilcox, Director of Education and Connected Care at VA Roseburg
Dr. Brian Kersh, Clinical Psychologist at New Mexico VA Health System
Dr. Elizabeth Jenkins, Clinical Psychologist/Courtesy Assistant Professor at University of South Florida
Back in December, I wrote about a method called “Motivational Interviewing” (MI), something I learned about from a social worker who was also at the Lean Startup Conference. It’s funny how these worlds intersect sometimes. I saw parallels between people…
Being “right” is often the wrong strategy for change. Sustainable Lean change happens when leaders shift from telling people what to do to engaging them through questions, empathy, and motivation–using approaches like motivational interviewing to help people choose change rather…
If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know that the practice of "Motivational Interviewing" has been a big interest of mine for a few years. Although this method comes from the clinical practice of addiction counseling, there are many applications in the workplace.
This week on the Lean Enterprise Institute's "The Lean Post" site, former Toyota leader Ron Oslin is asked about Motivational Interviewing and how leaders might be "addicted to the status quo" (a phrase Ron has trademarked).
I've been going through the book by the late Peter Scholtes: The Leader's Handbook: Making Things Happen, Getting Things Done. His work builds upon the legendary W. Edwards Deming and Russell Ackoff, among others.
I often quote Scholtes (something also attributed to Peter Senge and others) as saying:
"People don't resist change, they resist being changed."
I think that's very insightful and that thought has led me to study change management, "motivational interviewing" and other related topics. It turns out that having the right answer and pushing it on others isn't the best strategy for effecting sustainable change. I had to learn those lessons the hard way and I'm still learning.
