On this episode of Quality Time with MoreSteam, Kevin Yania joins the show. Kevin is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and the Senior Manager of Process Agility at Bread Financial. It started like this for Kevin. Years ago, he got an email. The signature said, "Black Belt." Kevin was confused because he thought it was about karate. Yes, Kevin honestly believed his co-worker's email signature included martial arts credentials. But that mix-up turned into a real career. Kevin earned his Green Belt, then his Black Belt, and now he's coaching the next generation of continuous improvement practitioners.
Kevin and host Dan Swartwout have a conversation about actually doing the work of continuous improvement. What makes people believe in the data being presented? Because being right and being believed are not always the same thing. They talk about trust and readiness for change. They explore stakeholder and organizational alignment. Kevin also explains why operational excellence needs to be a part of everyday work. It can't just be a project that ends with a high five and a balloon. It’s about sustaining change, which might be the hardest part of the job.
Finally, you might wonder why Kevin is such a polished guest. It’s because Kevin used to co-host his own podcast. It was called The Ohio Beer Cast. Yes, that was a real thing. Process improvement, karate confusion, and beer. Because it’s Quality Time with MoreSteam, somehow it all fits.
In this episode, you will hear about:
0:50 - Meet Kevin
2:20 - Black Belt training through MoreSteam
3:24 - Putting Lean Six Sigma concepts into practice
4:35 - Telling a story with data
7:51 - The day-to-day work of a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
9:18 - Coaching new continuous improvement practitioners
11:04 - Stakeholder alignment
11:56 - Unexpected takeaways from project work
13:55 - Lean Six Sigma and change management
16:19 - Resistance to change
18:10 - The Center for Operational Excellence at The Ohio State University
19:23 - Common mistakes in operational excellence
21:53 - Kevin’s old podcast: The Ohio Beer Cast
23:48 - Advice for people going through Black Belt training
26:03 - What Kevin would change about how organizations approach continuous improvement
Additional Resources:
Kevin Yania on LinkedIn
MoreSteam's YouTube Channel
Quality Time With MoreSteam on Facebook
Quality Time With MoreSteam on Instagram
Quality Time With MoreSteam on LinkedIn
Subscribe to MoreSteam's Newsletter
MoreSteam on LinkedIn
Dan Swartwout on LinkedIn
Selecting the Right Black Belt Training and Certification Program for You
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