S2 E16 - Tom West & Mark Ryan - Visual Management That Actually Works - Our Disney Experience

S2 E16 - Tom West & Mark Ryan - Visual Management That Actually Works - Our Disney Experience 🎙️ Episode Description:  Visual Management - From Strategy Development to Ride Lines at Disney  In this episode of The Improvement Nerds Podcast, Tom and Mark go full nerd on one of their favorite Lean topics: visual management — and then take that lens all the way to Disneyland. We start by unpacking why effective visual management is more than hanging a board on the wall. At its best, visual management creates a true line of sight between strategy and the work, making goals, problems, and progress visible and actionable for frontline teams, leaders, and executives alike. From there, we take Lean out into the wild. While walking the park at Disneyland, we observe visual management in action — from wait-time boards and queue design to ticketing, security flow, parade setup, and even pin trading. Along the way, we uncover real-world examples of PDCA, Little’s Law, flow, and customer experience design hiding in plain sight. If you’ve ever looked at a wall of charts and post-its and wondered “Is this actually helping anyone?”Or stood in a theme park line thinking “This flow could be so much better,”this episode is for you. So pull up a chair, eavesdrop on the conversation already in progress, and join us as we wage war on bad process. ⏱️ Episode Timestamps 00:00 – IntroWhy visual management is more than a board on the wall 02:10 – What Visual Management Is Really ForCreating true line of sight between strategy and frontline work 06:15 – When Visual Boards FailHow boards turn into clutter, noise, and decoration 10:45 – Designing Visuals That Get UsedClarity, flow, and information people can act on 15:30 – Taking Lean Thinking to DisneylandWhy a theme park reveals powerful process lessons 18:40 – Wait Time Boards vs. Queue DistractionsSeparating critical information from entertainment 22:55 – Arrival, Ticketing, and Security FlowWhere visual management could reduce confusion and anxiety 27:30 – Movement, Flow, and Perceived Wait TimeWhy moving makes waits feel shorter 31:20 – Little’s Law in the WildEstimating wait times through flow and capacity 35:45 – Could AI Improve Wait Time Accuracy?Exploring real-time data and flow visibility 39:50 – Pin Trading as PDCAHow a cardboard box became a strategy experiment 46:10 – Strategy Through Small StepsWhy iteration beats big-bang execution 51:30 – Visual Management During the ParadeTape, signals, standard work, and crowd flow 56:45 – Learning to See EverywhereWhy Lean makes you more curious — even on vacation 1:00:30 – What Disney Really SellsExperience, escapism, and customer value 1:04:45 – Measuring HappinessActive vs. passive voice of the customer 1:08:20 – Final ReflectionsHow visuals shape behavior, flow, and experience 1:10:15 – OutroKey takeaways and closing thoughts   If you enjoyed this episode: 👍 Like and subscribe for more Improvement Nerd content ⭐ Leave us a review to help other nerds find the show 🔄 Share this episode with a colleague who loves Lean or process improvement 💬 Drop us a note with examples of visual management you’ve spotted out in the wild And as always — remember to leave your processes better than you found them.   #LeanThinking#VisualManagement#ContinuousImprovement#ProcessImprovement#OperationalExcellence#CustomerExperience#Disneyland#GuestExperience