Behind the Curtain

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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, they share nearly 60 years of continuous improvement expertise. IndustryWeek partners with Dyer and Saleh to bring their insights to manufacturing professionals.

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Mohamed Saleh on left speaks with John Dyer on right.
Dive into the topic of suboptimization, or the “illusion of excellence,” which occurs when individual departments focus on improving their own metrics at the expense of the overall...
March 23, 2026
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Delve into why organizational visions often fail and learn tactics to develop visions your workforce can embrace.
March 16, 2026
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While 'respect for people' is a tenet many organizations claim, podcast hosts Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer delve into the truth of that statement. Does your leadership always show...
March 10, 2026
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Podcast hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer share their favorites among Dr. Deming's 14 points for management and reflect on the management guru's most controversial principles...
March 2, 2026
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Podcast hosts Mohamed Saleh on the left and John Dyer on the right speaking into their individual webcams
Hosts John Dyer and Dr. Mohammed Saleh discuss Dr. Deming's 14th point for management, weighing in on the importance of including every department and every layer of the workforce...
Feb. 23, 2026
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Hosts Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer explore Dr. Deming’s 13th point for management, delving into the importance of education and how modern technologies like AI impact learning ...
Feb. 16, 2026
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John Dyer and Dr. Mohamed Saleh explore Deming’s 12th point for management, discussing why pride of workmanship is important and common barriers that destroy it within an organization...
Feb. 10, 2026
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Hosts John Dyer and Mohamed Saleh explore what they call Dr. Deming's most controversial point for management transformation.
Feb. 2, 2026
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Screen capture of Mohamed Saleh on left and John Dyer on right, talking. Only their heads are visible.
Co-hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer delve into Dr. Deming’s profound dislike for slogans, exhortations and targets for workers.
Jan. 26, 2026
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Hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer discuss the destructive nature of silos and offer tips to bring then down.
Jan. 20, 2026
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Podcast hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer explore Dr. W. Edwards Deming's eighth point for management: Drive out fear.
Jan. 12, 2026
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Podcast hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer dive into Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s seventh point of management transformation: Institute leadership.
Jan. 6, 2026
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Podcast hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer explore Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s emphasis on on-the-job training, highlighting its role in fostering continuous improvement and developing...
Dec. 29, 2025
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Podcast cohosts Mohamed Saleh on the left and John Dyer
Hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer dive into Dr. W. Edwards Deming's fifth point for management transformation.
Dec. 22, 2025
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Hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer discuss the fourth of Dr. W. Edwards Deming’s 14 points for management transformation and his assertion that choosing suppliers based on ...
Dec. 15, 2025
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Hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer focus on Dr. Deming’s call for built-in quality, sharing examples from the workplace and discussing the benefits of poka-yoke, also known...
Dec. 8, 2025
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Hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer explore Deming’s second point for management transformation, which they say takes aim at management and leaders who persist in pursuing outdated...
Dec. 1, 2025
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Cohosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer begin their review of Dr. Deming’s 14 points of management, starting with “constancy of purpose.”
Nov. 24, 2025
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Behind the Curtain podcast co-host John Dyer had the opportunity to meet Dr. W. Edwards Deming face to face and learn from him.
Hosts John Dyer and Dr. Mohamed Saleh delve into the teachings of Dr. W. Edwards Deming, often referred to as the father of the quality movement, and his influence on the Toyota...
Nov. 18, 2025
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Hosts John Dyer and Dr. Mohamed Saleh reflect on their favorite discussion topics from past episodes and highlight the No. 1 driver of successful organizational change.
Nov. 10, 2025
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Hosts John Dyer and Dr. Mohamed Saleh say a union environment typically is more challenging to a transformational journey and provide tips to lessen the strain.
Nov. 3, 2025
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Hosts Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer explore how change management differs in an older, established organization versus a younger, entrepreneurial enterprise.
Oct. 30, 2025
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Learn how an organization’s size impacts access to resources, cultural agility and leadership bandwidth.
Oct. 28, 2025
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Yes, it does. Step one navigating the challenges is recognizing that they exist.
Oct. 27, 2025