Lean Six Sigma: Beyond the Belts

In this episode, Matt is joined by Stacey Franklin, a widely recognised Lean thinking leader and one of Ireland’s most respected voices in continuous improvement. Stacey is the founder and CEO of Kanso, a consultancy inspired by the Japanese concept of simplicity, helping organisations cut through complexity and create clarity in how they work. With experience spanning telecommunications, healthcare, service industries, and higher education, Stacey brings a grounded, practical, and refreshingly honest perspective on what Lean really looks like in the real world. Together, Matt and Stacey explore the reality behind Lean belts, what they truly represent, and why the way we teach and learn continuous improvement needs to evolve. They unpack the gap between certification and capability, the pressure placed on CI professionals to justify their existence, and why behaviours and culture matter far more than rigid frameworks and toolkits. The conversation also dives into modern Lean, micro learning, accessibility, and how technology and AI should support learning rather than replace thinking. Stacey shares insight from her work designing accredited programmes and lecturing at Master Black Belt level, alongside candid reflections on leadership, decision making, and the loneliness that can come with CI roles. This episode is for anyone who wants Lean to mean something more than a certificate on the wall, and who cares about building improvement capability that actually lasts. Key Takeaways Lean belts show a pathway, not proficiency Belts can provide structure and direction, but they do not automatically equal capability. Real competence comes from application, reflection, and experience. Certification without standards creates confusion Not all belts are equal. Without robust accreditation and assessment, the value of Lean qualifications becomes diluted and misleading. Continuous improvement is about people, not project plans CI professionals are often expected to be project managers and change managers. These are different disciplines. Lean works best when people are supported, not overloaded. Culture beats firefighting every time Fixing problems one by one without changing behaviours only creates new problems later. Sustainable improvement starts with how people think and work together. Learning must reflect how people actually learn today Long courses, static slides, and textbook heavy delivery no longer work for many learners. Learning needs to be relevant, practical, engaging, and designed around real life. Tools support understanding, they are not the goal Lean tools exist to help people think clearly and solve problems. They should be adapted to context, not applied rigidly. Decision-making is one of the biggest blockers to improvement Fear of making the wrong call often stalls progress, even when evidence and data are clear. Strong leadership is required to move from analysis to action. AI is a support, not a substitute for thinking Technology can help with research and structure, but it cannot replace judgement, context, or human insight. The thinking still belongs to the practitioner. Respect for people is not optional When improvement becomes something done to people rather than with them, it fails. Engagement, ownership, and trust are essential. Stacey’s Resources Website 👉 https://kanso.ie/ LinkedIn 👉 https://ie.linkedin.com/company/kansolean Find out more about Ever-So-Lean, including our learning programmes at 👉 www.eversolean.com Explore the Lean Competency System 👉 https://www.leancompetency.org/ Learn more about the British Quality Foundation 👉 https://www.bqf.org.uk/ If you’re enjoying the Ever-So-Lean Podcast, please take a moment to rate and review it. It genuinely helps more people find the show and keeps these conversations going. Where people thrive, performance follows.

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