Advertise on podcast: Uncommon Sense - Tools to Improve your Work Forever

If improvement is everyone's responsibility, why does problem solving so often end up belonging to a select few? Consultant Niall Coney explores what stops people taking ownership of improvement, including barriers within systems, measures and management habits that often go unseen. Drawing on first-hand experience, he shares how organisations can create the conditions for problem solving to spread, so that spotting issues, taking action and driving change become part of everyday work. More resources: AI For Smarter Problem SolvingLean Thinking is About Abnormailty at a GlanceGoing to Gemba More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

Improvement and quality often share the same goals, yet in many organisations they operate in separate worlds, with one focused on projects and change, and the other on control and compliance. But what if that divide is limiting your ability to embed lasting improvement? Join Director Consultant Warren Knight as he explores the connection between Continuous Improvement and Quality Management, challenging common assumptions and revealing why a well-designed QMS may have far more to offer than many improvement practitioners realise. More resources: 5 Things That Quality Is (and Isn’t): A Guide for PractitionersControl Charts: Walter Shewhart’s Gift to QualityQuality in Action: On-Demand Webinar More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

How confident are you that your team sees the process the same way you do? You might view flowcharting as a drawing exercise, but in reality, it’s a thinking tool. A framework for helping teams explore messy processes to reveal what people assume, what they disagree on, and what they’ve never properly surfaced. Drawing on his own improvement project experience, Senior Consultant, Mark Allison talks through three levels of flowcharting that help improvement practitioners move from high-level clarity into the deeper issues sitting in handoffs, rework, and unclear ownership. More resources: 5 Flowchart Challenges You’ll Want Your Team to Know AboutHow To Get The Best Out Of Your Improvement TeamAgile & Lean Six Sigma in Action: An Improvement Project Case Study More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

ADKAR is familiar territory for many improvement practitioners. Awareness, desire, knowledge, ability, reinforcement… a neat pathway to guide people through change. But what happens when you’ve ticked every box and adoption still falls short? Join Laurence Restarick as he invites you to step back, think system-wide, and see change through a different lens, as he reframes ADKAR from a checklist to a diagnostic tool. Because sometimes resistance has less to do with people themselves, and more to do with the system they’re working within.   More resources: Systems Thinking From a Leadership PerspectiveThe Response to Change ModelStruggling to Drive Change? More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

You understand the theory. You care about making things better. What comes next is finding a practical way to build improvement into the flow of your everyday work. Join Consultant Alex Gumery as he shares what it takes to build your improvement habit, starting with how a willingness to notice work differently can unlock confidence and momentum. There’s thoughtful guidance on involving others, aligning improvement to what matters most, and shaping a routine that works in the reality of busy roles.  An encouraging listen for anyone ready to turn everyday curiosity into lasting habits. More resources: PDSA and Disconfirming EvidenceOur Improvement Toolbox – FlowchartsTransform Your Problem Solving Mindset More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

Why is it that some organisations default to firefighting while others think their way to breakthrough performance?     Join us as Consultant Niall Coney introduces Toyota Kata; the patterns of behaviour that underpin real problem solving cultures. Habits so familiar they blend into the background, yet powerful enough to change how teams learn, lead and improve.    It might just prompt you to look at the routines shaping your own team’s thinking.  More resources: PDSA Your Work, Your Project, Your ProgrammeOperational Excellence Insights with Marvin Cooke of Toyota Motor EuropeEssential Reading for Your Lean Six Sigma and Improvement Journey More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

Ever felt that AI experiments seem to start with excitement, then stall when the results don’t quite land? PMI Senior Consultant Anthony Richardson digs into why that happens, and why the real breakthrough often comes when you stop hunting for the “perfect prompt” and start treating AI like any other improvement experiment. It’s a conversation that reframes AI work as iterative, scientific and far more familiar to improvement practitioners than they might expect. A small shift in mindset; a big shift in outcomes. More resources: PDSA Your Work, Your Project, Your ProgrammeDiscover Your AI Readiness MindsetThe AI Ready Practitioner More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

What if the biggest thing holding you back as a leader is something everyone can see, except you? Join PMI Partner Consultant Des Kelly as he explores the Johari Window, and how expanding your “open” area changes the way you show up at work. From habits you didn’t realise others notice to the untapped potential sitting in the unknown, this deceptively simple 1950s model still triggers big “aha” moments for today’s improvement practitioners. Listen now and start developing the kind of self‑awareness that will quietly change how you lead. More resources: Building Trust as a Leader Employee Engagement, Starting with ListeningPsychology Essentials That Leaders Need to Know More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

Tired of overloaded functions and fragile strategies that don’t hold up in reality? Improvement lives where strategy meets process management. When you connect strategic goals to owned value streams and day-to-day process management, you create a pull for change instead of another cycle of overcommitted teams and stalled initiatives. Join PMI Director Consultant Sean Buckland as he explores the principles behind connecting strategy to process management, using clear explanations, relatable examples, and practical clarity that will help your organisation move from strategy on paper to progress you can see.    More resources: Has Strategy Deployment Lost Its Lean?Reinvigorate Your StrategyValue Stream Mapping – from our Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

Leadership decisions around AI are still forming, and a lack of clarity is starting to show. Hear from Anthony Richardson, PMI Senior Consultant guiding leaders on AI adoption in real organisations, as he answers the questions we’re hearing most often: Should everyone in the organisation get a licence?How do we know which AI tools people should be using?How Much Does AI Remember About Us? Will my people become too dependent on AI?This is a focused 13-minute conversation offering the guidance you need to lead AI adoption with confidence. More resources: AI’s True Power Is Confidence, Not CapabilityThe Role of Leaders in AI Adoption AI for Performance Improvement Courses More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

If your strategy deployment feels like a box-ticking exercise, it’s a sign that something fundamental has been lost along the way. In this episode of Uncommon Sense, PMI Director Consultant Sean Buckland explores how Lean strategy deployment has quietly drifted away from its roots. Instead of connecting strategy to value streams, teams and learning, many organisations have replaced process with targets, and called it progress. Listen now and discover what true Lean strategy deployment looks like, and how to spot when your strategy is drifting into a wish list.    More resources: Lean Thinking Is Not About EfficiencyReinvigorate Your StrategyImplementing Lean in Different Management Cultures More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

Which everyday leadership behaviours are building trust… and which might be eroding it? Join Partner Consultant, Des Kelly, in conversation with Susannah Clarke as they explore what it really takes to earn trust as a leader. Using the simple but powerful “Trust Equation,” Des shares how credibility, reliability and emotional safety combine, and how unchecked self-interest quietly undermines them all. More resources: Essential Reading for Your Lean Six Sigma and Improvement Journey Lead Change: A Guide to Shaping Organisational CultureThe Role of Leaders in AI Adoption More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

Improvement practitioners know the fear: you’ve done the work, you’ve found the solution… but your improvement project just doesn’t progress. The reality is that sometimes budget shifts, priorities change, stakeholders block. But stalled improvement projects aren’t wasted. In this episode, Damion Albinson joins Susannah Clarke to unpack what you still gain when implementation doesn’t happen. From uncovering hidden quick wins, to spotting strategic misalignment early, to resetting how teams think about feasibility, Damion shows why these moments are some of the richest learning opportunities in the improvement cycle. More resources: How to Identify your First Green Belt ProjectSelecting a ProblemCelebrating Success, Learning from Failure More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

If your team isn’t using AI yet, it’s not just their problem. It’s yours. The innovators will dive in fearlessly, while the survivors hold back. Your challenge? Create the conditions for confident experimentation without risking chaos. Join Anthony Richardson in the studio with Susannah Clarke as they explore how leaders can anchor AI adoption in process thinking and turn hesitation into action. Drawing on real examples from PMI’s AI for Leaders programme, Anthony shows how recognising the spectrum of adoption helps leaders create the conditions for safe experimentation, early wins, and lasting impact. How can you bring AI into your team in a way that treats it as a valued digital colleague? Tune in to find out. More resources: AI’s True Power Is Confidence, Not CapabilityDiscover Your AI Readiness MindsetThe AI Ready Practitioner More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>

Sometimes the biggest risks in your business aren’t obvious. They’re hidden in the gaps between teams. Work gets done, but critical information gets lost, compliance slips, and frustration builds. In this episode, Damion Albinson and Susannah Clarke reveal how understanding the internal voice of the customer transforms how teams collaborate. Using real examples from a complex logistics environment, Damion shows how moving from “I didn’t know you needed that” to consciously understanding your role in the wider process can make a real difference. If you want practical insight into bridging the hidden gaps in your processes and building a team that’s consciously competent, this episode is a must-listen.  More resources: SIPOC TemplateUnderstanding the Voice of the CustomerSystems Thinking From a Leadership Perspective More from PMI: Dive into our Knowledge Hub for more tools, videos, and infographicsJoin us for a PMI LIVE WebinarFollow us on LinkedIn Take your improvement career to the next level with PMI's Lean Six Sigma Certifications - now available in two new and accessible formats, built around you.  Explore On Demand >>Explore Distance Learning >>