In Season 2, Episode 3, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh both share specific episodes of their other podcasts. Jamie shares his People Solve Problems episode featuring Crayola CEO Pete Ruggiero, and Mark shares a repeat guest for My Favorite Mistake with NFL Players Association Dr. Thom Mayer to talk about the experiment of new kickoff formats and the impact (pun intended) on concussions. We then share our coffees, with the caffeine-laden Red Eye being the drink of choice, including Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell’s extreme coffee order.

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They then jump into lean coffee discussion format covering a wide range of topics. We discuss why Americans aren’t filling the half-million manufacturing jobs already available, two new lean books on problem solving and hoshin kanri, and why it may be ok for it only to take 2 days to select Pope Leo XIV but five rounds of interviews to hire a remote worker (picking up on a popular meme).

The discussion then turns to the MIT Sloan School of Management Work / 25 online conference, beginning with a bit of a rant about a poorly run event that wraps up in lessons of how to respond to customers when you do make mistakes. Then two speaker topics were explored from the conference, including Sharon Parker’s SMART model for how to prevent burnout in your employees, and then moving to Lynda Gratton’s presentation on the value of mastery in your career.

The final segment of cultural shares includes two items to watch, featuring Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson in Friendship (in theaters now) and National Geographic’s Endurance about Sir Ernest Shackleton's journey on Disney Plus. We hope you enjoy the listen!

• Jamie’s podcast with Crayola CEO Pete Ruggiero
• Mark’s podcast with NFL Player Association’s Dr. Thom Mayer
• Dan Campbell’s coffee order
• NPR on manufacturing job openings
• The Problem Solver’s Toolkit 2nd Edition
• Managing on Purpose: Using hoshin kanri to develop strategy, align teams, grow leaders, and innovate your enterprise
• Jamie’s Short on the difficulties in deciding between two options
• Jamie on YouTube about leveraging your superpower
• Mark’s Cultural Shares:
  • SNL Roundball Rock sketch
  • Netflix: I Think You Should Leave
  • Netflix: Detroiters
  • “Friendship” movie trailer
• Podcast feed at LeanCoffeeTalk.com or jflinch.com/leancoffeetalk
• Please review us and follow!

We would have called this Episode 51 of the Lean Whiskey podcast with Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban.

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Lean Whiskey is transitioning to a new brand, Lean Coffee Talk, so stay tuned for more episodes from Mark and Jamie. We're also calling this Episode #1 of Season 2 of the podcast series. If you're subscribed, the podcast logo will change but the feed will continue as is.

We are just as passionate about their coffee beverages as the whiskey. We’ll still talk about lean stuff, ranging from in-the-news to our own topics of choice.

In this first installment, Mark and Jamie each have an espresso. Mark from an automated home machine and Jamie’s from a more manual process. In future episodes, we’ll likely get more into the process.

In this episode, we begin exploring the challenges of supply chain risk and dealing with the disruptions of tariffs. Uncertainty is having a huge impact on the economy. We discuss the impact on coffee from Columbia, the Risk Index from the Center for Supply Chain Research at Lehigh, and even Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. We move on to discuss the changes being made at Starbucks. What allowed them to grow may not allow them to stay strong, but then again, there may be some subtle magic in those changes from free refills in store to having your name on your cup.

We explore the deliberate breakup of Honeywell, following in the footsteps of GE. This helps make an organization more focused on customers, value delivery, and the needed operations to make it all work. Is this a trend? If so, there are several reasons we believe it's a favorable one. We close out the topics with Mark’s Toyota experience during a recent tour seeing examples of "raku", or devices that provide comfort or ease for team members.

• SNL 50th feature of Coffee Talk
• The threat of tariffs drives up coffee prices
• Ben Stein on tariffs from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
• Center for Supply Chain Research at Lehigh’s Supply Chain Risk Index
• Jamie’s IndustryWeek article on Supply Chain Risk
• Starbucks adds in-store free refills and writes names on cups again
• Honeywell breaks itself up, but is still acquiring
• Mark’s TMMK tour and writing about "raku"
• Podcast feed at LeanCoffeeTalk.com or jflinch.com/leancoffeetalk

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It's Episode 50 of the Lean Whiskey podcast with Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban!

tl;dr: Lean Whiskey will transition to a new brand Lean Coffee Talk, so stay tuned for more episodes from Mark and Jamie

In their 50th and final episode of Lean Whiskey, hosts Mark and Jamie announce a significant transition, revealing that while this marks the end of “Lean Whiskey,” the podcast will continue under a new title called “Lean Coffee Talk.”

The change is partially influenced by Jamie's lifestyle choices, which is reflected in their drink selections for this episode – both hosts opt for non-alcoholic spirit alternatives, with Jamie choosing Almave (co-founded by F1 legend Lewis Hamilton). Mark made a non-alcoholic Manhattan (with Bourbon alternative and a Sweet Vermouth substitute), but as he found it undrinkable, we'll spare you the brand name.

The bulk of the episode focuses on the current state of the whiskey industry, which is experiencing its first significant downturn since 2002. Drawing from multiple sources, they discuss how the bourbon boom appears to be over, with distilleries facing waning demand and a supply glut. The situation is particularly stark in Kentucky, where 14.3 million barrels are aging at the start of 2024, representing approximately 2 billion bottles of whiskey.

The hosts explore how this oversupply mirrors historical patterns, referencing the 1980s when 22 Scotch distilleries closed between 1980 and 1986 and bourbon sales plummeted 50 percent in the US. They also discuss how this situation exemplifies principles from The Beer Game, a famous MIT supply chain management simulation that Jamie has facilitated many times over 20 years (and Mark has played a few times).

The episode concludes with details about the podcast's rebranding to “Lean Coffee Talk,” which will maintain the casual, conversational format while using a loose version of the Lean Coffee structure that has been part of many Lean Whiskey episodes. The new format pays homage to both the Lean Coffee methodology and the classic radio program “Car Talk,” with the hosts emphasizing that while the name and logo will change, the podcast will continue in the same feed, ensuring continuity for their listeners. Cheers!

• Jamie's choice, Almave from Lewis Hamilton
• Bourbon sales a dropping, as reported by the Wall Street Journal and New Wine Review
• Signs of overheating include bottle buying restrictions
• A piece on the cyclical nature of the whisky market
• The Beer Game as featured by the MacNeil Lehrer Newshour in 1989, talked about by Professor Nelson Repenning at MIT, Professor John Sterman's research on order stability in supply chains
• Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey

Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform!

It's Episode 49 of the Lean Whiskey podcast with Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban!

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Mark shares tales of his holiday / study tour trip to Japan. Since we start with the whisky (like scotch, note the lack of an ‘e’), and Mark’s opportunity to visit bottle shops, his favorite whisky bar, and even a whisky museum, along with the many samples he had a chance to try along the way. He brought one home, an Ichiro’s Malt Wine Wood Reserve, which he was able to find for a fair price (and also a ridiculous one), and it was the featured bottle for Mark’s pour. Jamie used Hibiki Japanese Harmony, a good entry-level Japanese blended whisky that is both easy to find and relatively affordable.

Mark and Jamie then discussed the Japan Study Tour itself, organized by Katie Anderson. This included Isao Yoshino as a co-host and Toyota alum, and another Toyota retiree sharing his story as well. It included trips to Toyota suppliers and Japanese food manufacturers, including Ina Foods. There were many themes, including providing an environment where employees have the opportunity to speak up, the benefits of a long-term view including a 100-year calendar, and a focus on employee development as a primary goal.

Mark also introduced a word he learned about similar to kaizen and kaikaku, and that word is kaiteki which means comfort for the employee. We also discuss the benefit of study tours in general, including Jamie’s long-ago effort to organize one for the continuous improvement team at DTE Energy.

They finish by talking a bit about Thanksgiving, including how Lehigh University football won the Patriot League and went on to the FCS playoffs and also lost very heavily to Northwestern in basketball. I guess you can’t win them all. Happy Thanksgiving, and Cheers!

• Jamie’s pour: Hibiki Japanese Harmony
• Mark’s pour: Ichiro’s Malt Wine Wood Reserve
• Jiro’s Sushi Restaurant (Sukiyabashi Jiro)

• Katie Anderson’s Japan Study Trip
• Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey

Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform!

In Episode 48 of the Lean Whiskey podcast, Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban begin by comparing two whiskeys from the same distillery.

OOPS! We recorded this in October... and I released it via YouTube and my blog. But it somehow ended up stuck in "Draft" unreleased status on the podcast. That's why we had two episodes released in the same week...

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Mark selected Woodford Reserve, and had a pour of both the Double Oaked (which we both agree is underrated) and their Historic Barrel Entry, a nod to production methods in the past. Jamie selected Southern Distilling after a recent visit to North Carolina. He poured their heated bourbon, the Paragon Bottled-in-Bond, and their Double Rye, a surprisingly smooth drink at 95% rye.

Mark and Jamie repeat their “lean coffee modified for whiskey-sipping speed” approach of covering multiple topics. All three topics were prompted by Wall Street Journal articles.

The first was whether AI was overhyped. The article focused on the return on investment, but we spend more time on both the organizational and individual approach of experimentation and learning.

We then explored the trend (although more anecdotal than a large data trend) of “unbossing”, which hopefully doesn’t become a new term. Individuals further into their career are wanting to give up managing people due to the burden and stress of the role. We explored a bit of “what is the problem we are trying to solve?” with exploration of spans and layers, too much bureaucracy, and just needing more focus on growing people.

Finally, we tackled an increase in fatalities and injuries from failure to use proper lockout tagout procedures. These should be fundamental, habitually focused processes. Lack of training and lack of enforcement are some of the causes, and increased turnover throughout and past the pandemic is a contributing factor, as is a cultural focus on output over safety. We explore a bit of the history, importance, and some possible steps forward.

We end by sharing what books we’ve been reading. A book and a glass of whiskey aren’t a bad combination. Cheers!

• Jamie’s whiskeys, both from Southern Distilling Company, are their Paragon Bottled-in-Bond and their Double Rye
• Mark’s whiskeys are both from Woodford Reserve, featuring the Double Oaked and the Historic Barrel Entry
• Is AI overhyped? from the Wall Street Journal
• The trend of ‘unbossing’ from the WSJ
• Factory Workers Are Dying Because Machines Aren’t Being Turned Off from the WSJ
• What we’re reading now, 4 books:
  • India: A History
  • Homecoming: The Path to Prosperity in a Post-Global World by Rana Foroohar
  • The Psychological Safety Playbook, and watch for a future episode of My Favorite Mistake featuring one of the authors
  • Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn by Katie Anderson
• Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey

Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform!

In Episode 47, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh attempt another experiment in format, covering a range of quick-hit topics in the news rather than a single deep dive. As always, we welcome feedback.

Before we got to that, however, our whiskey theme was also new, or new to us: we each picked a whiskey we hadn’t tried before.

Jamie’s pick was Four Walls Irish American Whiskey, a celebrity whiskey from a group of stars from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, including Rob McElhenney, who famously co-owns Wrexham AFC, a 3rd tier football club in the UK, along with Ryan Reynolds.

Mark’s pick was inspired by his My Favorite Mistake podcast with the founder of Jeptha Creed with their Bloody Butcher’s Creed 4 Grain Bourbon Whiskey, made from Bloody Butcher red heirloom corn grown on their own farm.

In the news, we covered four topics.

First was Kentucky’s decision to decriminalize medical errors, which allows healthcare providers to focus on providing care the best method possible and not going to jail just for a mistake, lessons from the RaDonda Vaught case in Tennessee.

Next, while not really news, we discussed Jamie’s Forbes article about Hanlon’s Razor, including what a razor is, what it has to do with the lean principle of Respect for People, and how it can help choose a more productive path of action.

Third we explore the Labor Notes’ article declaring the end of lean production. Of course, we disagree, although both motivation and validly bad lean practices both contribute to their perspectives.

Finally, we cover a Wall Street Journal article titled The Jiggle Is Up, about how companies are defeating attempts to manipulate work with mouse jigglers. There is so much wrong here, from culture to process to metrics, that we start to unpack.

We finally end, with July being so hot seemingly everywhere, with our favorite summer refreshing non-whiskey cocktails. But, you’ll have to either listen to or skip to the end of hear our choices.

• Jamie’s pick: Four Walls Irish American Whiskey
• Mark’s pick: Jeptha Creed Bloody Butcher’s Creed 4 Grain Bourbon Whiskey
• My Favorite Mistake podcast featuring Jeptha Creed founder
• Kentucky decriminalizes medical errors
• More misunderstanding of lean
• Jamie on Hanlon’s Razor in Forbes
• WSJ on eliminating mouse jiggles as productivity
• Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey

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In Episode 46, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh spend a lot of time talking about AI, but that still, as always, begins with the whiskey.

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We both asked ChatGPT to consider all our ingredients for making a whiskey-based cocktail, and to invent an original recipe. Jamie's is called The Bourbon Harmony, although there was a lot in there to try to reach harmony, and Mark's was called the Spiced Cherry Rye Cocktail.

The verdict for both drinks was that they were good, but probably wouldn't be made a second time. We had slightly different tactics in prompting ChatGPT to generate our recipes, which we discussed.

We then spent a little time recognizing the passing of Don Petersen, former CEO of Ford in the late 1980s. Peterson was very different from an automotive CEO at the time, disrupting many practices whose time had come. Most notably, he brought in Dr. Deming to help influence the transformation.

The discussion then turned into a deeper dive into how a lean thinker might look at artificial intelligence, machine learning, and more. This explored governance of AI, having good standard work and workflow design around AI usage, lessons of effective delegation while treating AI like an employee, when to use it, and even a few tips and tricks along the way. We saved the discussion of whether AI will be the end of humanity for when we might have a stronger cocktail.

Have AI design your new cocktail, make it yourself since AI can't do that, and sit down for this interesting discussion. Cheers, or in binary... 01100011 01101000 01100101 01100101 01110010 01110011

• Jamie's Bourbon Harmony recipe:
  • 2 oz Bourbon (used Elijah Craig Small Batch), 0.5 oz Lillet Blanc, 0.5 oz Aperol, 0.25 oz Drambuie, 2 dashes Orange Bitters, 1 dash Angostura Bitters, Orange peel (for garnish)
• Mark's Spiced Cherry Rye Cocktail recipe:
  • 2 oz Rye Whiskey, 0.5 oz Tart Cherry Liqueur, 0.5 oz Italicus, 0.25 oz Green Chartreuse, 0.25 oz Aperol, 0.5 oz Lemon Juice, Garnish: Lemon twist or a few cherries
• News of former Ford CEO Don Petersen passing away and Mark's blog post adding much context, including Dr. Deming
• GrantThornton's report on AI risks
• Jamie's YouTube video linking AI and problem solving
• Wall Street Journal on whether AI causes job loss
• Wall Street Journal on how AI changes jobs
• Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey

Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform!