Behind the Curtain

undefined
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.

Subscribe to Behind the Curtain

Listen on Apple buttonListen on Spotify buttonListen on iHeartRadio buttonListen on Podbean button
© Khunaspix | Dreamstime.com
sun rising in the sky above an asphalt highway.
Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer, hosts of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement, discuss why the question 'When can we say we are lean?' is so concerning if...
April 27, 2026
Behind the Curtain/John Dyer/Mohamed Saleh
behindthecurtainhosts
Consider standard work as a baseline for improvement, not a prison, say the hosts of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement.
April 20, 2026
© Le Thuy Do | Dreamstime.com
multiple martial arts belts of different colors
Podcast hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer continue to explore difficult questions around lean, Six Sigma and continuous improvement, focusing their attention on the belt certificati...
April 13, 2026
© Mark Eaton | Dreamstime.com
printed out words 'lean thinking' and 'six sigma'
If you're talking continuous improvement and want to spark passionate debate, try this question: Which is better—lean or Six Sigma? Our podcast hosts tackle this turbulent topic...
April 6, 2026
© Gajus | Dreamstime.com
fingerpointing_dreamstime_l_28865925
One hint: It’s rarely an individual worker. Have you examined your system design lately?
March 30, 2026
Behind The Curtain/Mohamed Saleh/John Dyer
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
© Lukaszkochanek | Dreamstime.com
The word 'vision' in black on white tiles.
Delve into why organizational visions often fail and learn tactics to develop visions your workforce can embrace.
March 16, 2026
© Photoking | Dreamstime.com
respectdreamstime_l_113468524
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
Behind the Curtain/Mohamed Saleh/John Dyer
primarybehindthecurtain31
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
Behind the Curtain/Mohamed Saleh/John Dyer
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
© Jon Anders Wiken | Dreamstime.com
Outdoor signpost with 3 signs that say learning, training and education
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
Behind the Curtain
salehdyer3
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
Behind the Curtain
primarybehindthecurtain
Hosts John Dyer and Mohamed Saleh explore what they call Dr. Deming's most controversial point for management transformation.
Feb. 2, 2026
Behind the Curtain
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
© Leerobin | Dreamstime.com
red and white striped fence
Hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer discuss the destructive nature of silos and offer tips to bring then down.
Jan. 20, 2026
© Veremer | Dreamstime.com
hand making a shadow of a monster on the wall.
Podcast hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer explore Dr. W. Edwards Deming's eighth point for management: Drive out fear.
Jan. 12, 2026
Behind the Curtain
dyer_salehprimaryphoto
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
Behind the Curtain
primarybehindthecurtain
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
Behind the Curtain
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
© Kmitu | Dreamstime.com
price tag with words that say 15% off
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
© Joanne Zhe | Dreamstime.com
the word 'quality' inside a magnifying glass
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
© Alarmmarina | Dreamstime.com
alarm_clock
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
Behind the Curtain
behindthecurtainprimary
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
Courtesy of John Dyer
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