Graham Canning

Co-owner @People Centred Excellence

Newcastle-under-Lyme, GB

People Centred Excellence was formed in Summer 2019 with the goal of developing our clients to become Learning Organisations. We believe that an imperative for any organisation wanting to improve its results and performance – and build a culture where these levels are sustained and further developed – is that this is done through the involvement and engagement of their people.Much of our teaching and coaching is based on the Toyota Production System – but we don’t teach just tools and techniques. We recognise that respect for people through development, involvement and enrichment of skills is placed in equal value at Toyota to the use of ‘lean’ tools. The fact that the TPS is a learning system appears to have been over-looked by many other training companies and consultancies. And that is where we differ.Our methods encourage an environment where mistakes and failure are seen as key parts of an individual or teams learning. We coach people in use of the ‘scientific method’, where failures are valued as much as successes, as they promote a deeper understanding of processes. We coach and train leaders in how to manage in these new environments – where their role is not one of having ‘all the answers’, but to encourage a ‘growth mindset’ within their teams and departments. Supervisors and managers become teachers and coaches themselves.

Lancaster University

MSc, Manufacturing Leadership

Sheffield Hallam University

B.Eng (Hons), Engineering with Business Studies