Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement

Longtime manufacturing process engineer and trainer John Dyer discusses operational excellence and continuous improvement with Professor Mohamed Saleh, a Lean, Six Sigma and continuous improvement expert. Between them, the two share nearly 60 years of continuous improvement expertise. IndustryWeek has partnered with Dyer and Saleh to present their insights to a wide audience of manufacturing professionals.

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Behind the Curtain/John Dyer/Mohamed Saleh
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Gemba-focused leaders go to the action and engage with the workforce, learn what the problems are and remove obstacles to resolving those problems.
Sept. 29, 2025
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In this episode, hosts John Dyer and Dr. Mohamed Saleh launch a series on the 10 characteristics of a good leader.
Sept. 25, 2025
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Hosts John Dyer and Dr. Mohamed Saleh discuss key elements to developing a training roadmap that successfully guides a lean transformation.
Sept. 23, 2025
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In an effective training course, knowledge is transferred, knowledge is retained and knowledge is applicable to the trainee's day-to-day job.
Sept. 22, 2025
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Podcast hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer tackle the topic of how to design training that is engaging, effective and makes a lasting impact.
Sept. 18, 2025
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Hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer discuss how to recognize innovation fatigue, understand it and reengage employees who have seen it all before and aren’t enthused to see ...
Sept. 16, 2025
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Organizational change impacts not only frontline workers, but also leaders. In this episode, podcast hosts Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer discuss leadership resistance to lean transformati...
Sept. 15, 2025
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You can’t improve without change, but resistance to change can be powerful. Podcast hosts John Dyer and Mohamed Saleh discuss key factors that drive resistance to change and stress...
Sept. 11, 2025
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Horizontal organization fosters open communication and shared mental models.
Sept. 9, 2025
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Co-hosts John Dyer and Dr. Mohamed Saleh discuss the destructive nature of silos to a team-based continuous improvement organization. They explore why silos form and delve into...
Sept. 4, 2025
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Our podcast hosts discuss why communication methods intended to encourage transparency, foster open communication and promote improvement seemingly do the opposite instead—and...
Sept. 2, 2025
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In this episode of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement, podcast hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer discuss the positives and negatives of several communication...
Aug. 28, 2025
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Co-hosts Mohamed Salah and John Dyer discuss why employees may be reluctant to participate in improvement programs and, more importantly, what you as a leader can do about it....
Aug. 26, 2025
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Our podcast hosts discuss how employee language reflects an organization’s culture and share leadership strategies to break down silos, choose change agents and develop a team...
Aug. 21, 2025
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In this episode, podcast co-hosts Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer explore how to address employees who undermine efforts to instill culture change.
Aug. 14, 2025
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In this episode, co-hosts Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer provide practical examples of how committed leaders can actively cultivate a culture of continuous improvement, including...
Aug. 7, 2025
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Dive deep into the four distinct leadership styles, ranging from dictator to collaboration, and explore how recognizing and adapting these styles can drive organizations toward...
Aug. 5, 2025
Behind the Curtain/Mohamed Saleh/John Dyer
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Explore the behaviors of leaders at varying levels of commitment and discover the stark differences between involvement and true dedication.
July 31, 2025
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Fear and bonuses fail as winning strategies. Empathy drives progress.
July 29, 2025
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Goals don't always drive progress and can actually hinder team success. Learn strategies to foster improved outcomes.
July 24, 2025
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Delve into the crucial topic of effective team decision-making techniques, warning against one particular method that can irreparably harm team dynamics and spill over into the...
July 22, 2025
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Friction and conflict are not the hallmarks of a team destined to solve important problems, but it’s a phase teams typically go through. In this podcast, co-hosts Professor Mohamed...
July 17, 2025
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It pays to understand the four phases of team development: form, storm, norm and perform.
July 15, 2025
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Learn the importance of team design, including team types, team tasks, team size and the skills required of team members.
July 10, 2025