I love to feature guest writers, and this week I am particularly pleased to share a letter from my friend and AME Champions Club member, Melisa Buie. She is reflecting on our AME Champions Club visit to O.C. Tanner last week and how “respect for people” is at the heart of what they do.
Melisa sees lean not as a toolkit, but as a transformative philosophy — one that threads through manufacturing, engineering and business like a quiet revolution. Her passion lies in dismantling complexity, empowering every corner of the enterprise with problem-solving mindsets and cultivating a culture where improvement is woven into the fabric of daily practice.
A recognized thought leader and global speaker, Melisa continues to work alongside dynamic international leadership teams, driving cultural transformation through lean principles. Her dedication to operational excellence is matched by her belief in human potential, particularly the ability to bounce forward from setbacks, not just back.
She is the author of “Problem Solving for New Engineers: What Every Engineering Manager Wants You to Know” and co-author of the refreshingly candid “Faceplant: FREE Yourself from Failure’s Funk.” With over 40 journal publications and five patents to her name, Melisa Buie’s work challenges conventional wisdom and builds bridges between technical rigor and behavioral insight.
Melisa holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, as well as M.S. and B.S. degrees from Auburn University and Troy University. She also holds certifications from Stanford and Santa Clara University, underscoring her lifelong commitment to learning.
Melisa Buie (author, engineer, AME Champions Club member)
Appreciating the people who power our progress
Written by: Melisa Buie
At the heart of lean is a powerful principle: respect for people. Not simply as contributors to a system, but as individuals with boundless potential, creativity and the determination to make things better. Lean isn’t just about removing waste or boosting efficiency; it’s about building environments where people can thrive, innovate and succeed.
Last week, a group of dedicated lean practitioners gathered for a two-day intensive at O.C. Tanner, reflecting on lessons from over 30 years of continuous improvement. One theme echoed throughout: Respect people. Empower people. Focus on people. Value people. Appreciate people.
And who are these people? Not just your internal teams, but your suppliers, your customers and especially your frontline team members — the hands, hearts and minds driving change every day. When we acknowledge their efforts and design systems that support their success, we create organizations rooted not just in performance, but in humanity.
Gratitude isn’t a soft gesture. It’s a powerful act of recognition. In our organizations, every improvement, every innovation and every moment of success is shaped by the hands and minds of those who show up, dig in and make things better. When we pause to appreciate these contributions — not just the outcomes, but the effort — we reinforce the human connection that fuels continuous improvement.
Whether it’s the quiet perseverance of someone refining a process, the spark of insight from a frontline team member or the resilience shown in a tough moment, every contribution matters. By expressing genuine gratitude, we cultivate trust, empower collaboration and nurture a culture where people feel seen and valued.
Lean gives us the framework — but it’s the people who give it life. Let’s never forget that our systems should serve humanity, not the other way around. So today, and every day, let’s lead with appreciation. Let’s celebrate the collective effort and honor the individual contributions that make success possible.
Thank you, Melisa, for your insightful overview of appreciating “The people who power our progress.”
If you want to learn more about lean, people-centric leadership and enterprise excellence, join 1,100 continuous improvement practitioners and subject matter experts in October at the AME St. Louis 2025 International Conference, where we will celebrate the “Gateway to the future: AI and beyond”.
Finally, I am excited to share a note and key takeaways from our very own senior marketing specialist, Jessi Elder, who joined me and the AME Champions Club on our gemba walk and tour of O.C. Tanner last week.
Jessi Elder (senior marketing specialist, AME); Gary Peterson (executive VP, supply chain & production, O.C. Tanner); Kim Humphrey (CEO & president, AME)
From screen to shop floor: A marketer’s gemba moment
Written by: Jessi Elder
In my fully remote role as a senior marketing specialist at AME, in-person work events are rare. While I wouldn’t trade the flexibility of remote work, I am deeply grateful for the occasional opportunity to connect in person. These experiences always leave me with glowing lightbulbs floating above my head.
The “aha moments” sparked by walking the gemba, engaging in in-person conversations, seeing and touching tangible products, hearing machines whir and feeling the energy of a dynamic workplace simply can’t be replicated from behind a computer screen. There’s tremendous value in experiencing the action firsthand rather than virtually.
Walking the gemba and hearing directly from a dedicated team of lean practitioners allowed me to bring lean concepts to life. Concepts I’ve read about suddenly clicked into place. I gained a richer, more practical understanding of these principles and how they’re applied on the shop floor and throughout the organization. This experience will not only help me apply lean thinking to my own work but also empower me to write more clearly and meaningfully about these practices for the AME community. It was truly eye-opening.
I was especially inspired to see how O.C. Tanner has embedded lean thinking into nearly every part of its organization. It was incredibly fulfilling and satisfying to witness the very things AME strives to do come to life right in front of my eyes: inspiring a commitment to enterprise excellence through experiential learning and bringing people together to share, learn and grow.
I also had the chance to connect with Raven, a member of O.C. Tanner’s marketing team. As a marketing team of one, I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to expand my network and gain a new peer to exchange ideas with.
Thank you to Kim, the O.C. Tanner team and the AME Champions Club for including me on this insightful tour. I’m walking away with new lean knowledge, amazing new connections and a renewed passion for everything AME stands for.
AME Champions Club at O.C. Tanner
Thank you, Jessi, for joining us on the O.C. Tanner tour. It was such a joy to have you with us and see you connect with everyone. Your marketing perspective added a valuable dimension to the experience, and we appreciated the fresh insights you brought back to the AME community.
As always, please stay safe and keep looking out for one another.
