People Solve Problems

Krista Smith, Director, Project Management Center of Excellence at Sandia National Laboratories, joins Jamie Flinchbaugh on the People Solve Problems podcast to share insights on leadership development and organizational management. As an executive at the nation's largest national security engineering laboratory, Krista leads Sandia's project management capability while drawing from her extensive experience in facilities, infrastructure, supply chain, and business operations. Krista discusses what she calls "the inner game of leadership" - a concept focusing on self-care, positive self-talk, and personal preparation that allows leaders to show up authentically for their teams. She explains that early in her leadership journey, she recognized the need for tools to manage multiple challenges while caring for herself. This awareness led her to explore how leaders can authentically engage with their teams without sacrificing their own wellbeing. One of Krista's hardest leadership lessons has been learning to be gentle with herself when making mistakes. She references the Buddhist concept of "the second arrow" - how we often compound our suffering by criticizing ourselves for our initial errors. Krista shares how she's learned to recognize and interrupt her negative self-talk patterns, particularly when her natural tendency to move quickly conflicts with her organization's collaborative culture. When addressing leadership improvement, Krista explains her methodical approach to organizational development. She maintains a "someday maybe" list of potential improvements and assesses organizations against a baseline system that includes prioritization, service delivery, quality assurance, and people management. This balanced approach allows her to address immediate concerns while maintaining focus on long-term development. Krista offers valuable insights on management operating systems, emphasizing the importance of predictability and stability. She focuses on managing energy versus time and creating predictable meeting cadences that allow team members to rely on consistent anchor points throughout their week. When facilitating problem-solving sessions, she carefully observes engagement levels and adapts her approach based on team dynamics. Working with highly analytical colleagues at Sandia National Laboratories has taught Krista to accommodate different thinking styles. She visualizes these styles in a multi-dimensional grid, considering factors like learning preferences (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) and strategic orientation (tactical vs. big picture). This awareness allows her to design problem-solving approaches that engage diverse thinkers. As advice for early-career professionals, Krista emphasizes the importance of understanding your personal "why." She reflects that outward signs of success haven't provided the satisfaction she once expected and encourages focusing on finding meaning in the work itself rather than always chasing the next achievement. To learn more about Krista Smith and her work at Sandia National Laboratories, visit www.sandia.gov or connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-smith-3b98176/.

Jennifer Peterson, Manager of Continuous Improvement at Muscatine Power and Water (MPW) in Muscatine, Iowa, joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on the People Solve Problems podcast to share insights about her approach to problem solving. Jennifer's mission at MPW is to reduce frustration for coworkers through process improvement and problem solving. Working in a utility that provides critical services and never shuts down, Jennifer explains that prioritization is essential. At MPW, safety concerns come first, followed by reliability issues. Jennifer shares a practical example of how they tackled the recurring problem of squirrels chewing through utility lines by installing special pole wraps that prevent squirrels from climbing, significantly reducing outages. Rather than accepting this as an inevitable issue, her team actively sought solutions. When it comes to collaboration, Jennifer believes in inclusivity. She prefers having more stakeholders in the room rather than too few, aligning with Jamie's philosophy that problems can't be solved in isolation. Jennifer employs several facilitation strategies to ensure all voices are heard, especially from quieter team members. Her preparation includes learning about participants beforehand, sometimes through conversations with their supervisors, and creating a comfortable environment for contribution during sessions. Jennifer connects problem-solving effectiveness to the organization's mission. MPW revised their mission statement in 2023 to empower Muscatine residents and businesses to thrive, which has helped employees see the direct impact of their work. This connection to community creates natural motivation, as employees often serve their family members, friends, and neighbors. For tackling complex problems like safety and reliability, Jennifer recommends breaking them down into smaller, less intimidating parts. She draws a powerful connection between this approach and psychological safety, noting that when problems seem less overwhelming, people are more likely to embrace solutions and understand different perspectives. After 17 years at MPW, Jennifer recognizes the challenge of blind spots that come with long tenure. Her team documents processes for potential single points of failure and questions long-standing practices. They also use benchmarking and comparative data to challenge themselves, recently shifting from measuring against industry averages to top quartile performance. She notes that MPW's culture embraces holding themselves to high standards, with leadership promoting a standard of excellence throughout the organization. Jennifer combines her MBA from Western Illinois University, Bachelor's in English from St. Martin's University, and certifications as a PMP and Lean Black Belt to bring both analytical rigor and clear communication to her continuous improvement work. Learn more about Jennifer and Muscatine Power and Water at www.mpw.org or connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-peterson-muscatine/.

David Edelman, Executive Advisor and Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School, joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on the People Solve Problems podcast to discuss personalization and customer strategy in the age of AI. As the founder of Edelman Advisory Services, David brings over 30 years of experience as a thought leader in marketing, personalization, and technology. David emphasized that AI in personalization goes beyond marketing to transform the entire customer experience. He explained the distinction between mass customization of the 1990s and today's AI-powered personalization. While mass customization focused on modularity and customer selection, modern personalization uses proactive data analysis to anticipate customer needs and create new value. To illustrate this, David shared the example of Sysco, the food delivery company. Their app uses customer data to identify a restaurant's menu style, price points, geographic considerations, and purchasing patterns. Within 300 milliseconds of opening the app, Sysco can provide personalized recommendations, even suggesting new menu items that incorporate discounted ingredients from nearby warehouses. This approach has helped Sysco grow 50% faster than industry averages since launching the app. When discussing how the C-suite should approach AI and customer engagement, David noted that while organizational structures vary, many companies now designate someone to lead customer experience initiatives. This might be a Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Experience Officer, or Chief Digital Officer. He stressed that whoever takes this role must prioritize empowering customers rather than merely manipulating them or cutting costs. Companies growing fastest through personalization consistently start with the goal of addressing customer challenges. For executives who didn't grow up in the AI age, David recommends getting "hands dirty" with the technology. While having a strong sense of strategy remains essential, leaders need to pair this with understanding the art of the possible in AI. He shared his experience as CMO at Aetna, where he identified that customers struggled to understand their health insurance. By partnering with a digitally savvy team member, they implemented personalized videos explaining each member's specific plan. This resulted in 70% of people watching the videos and a 20% reduction in call center volume. David addressed the challenges of integrating AI with legacy systems and data quality issues. He explained that generative AI is increasingly able to integrate disparate databases, but organizations must still prioritize data as an asset. At Sysco, for example, salespeople must input detailed account information, including menus and prices, before receiving credit for signing a new customer. On the topic of data privacy, David noted that perceptions vary widely – "one customer's creepiness is another customer's 'wow'." He recommends small-scale, rapid-cycle testing to determine appropriate boundaries for different customer segments. David concluded with advice for leaders looking to explore AI: spend 15 minutes daily using Large Language Models as assistants, experiment with image generation capabilities, and challenge functional teams to improve throughput by 30% using AI – not to eliminate jobs but to scale operations and create new customer value. For more insights from David Edelman, visit his website at https://www.edelmanadvisoryservices.com, learn about his book "Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI", or connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveedelman/.

Chuck Wisner, President of Wisner Consulting, joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on the People Solve Problems podcast to share his insights on improving human dynamics in conversations. With 25 years of experience advising Fortune 200 companies, Chuck has developed a unique approach to understanding and enhancing how people interact. Chuck introduced the concept of the "conversational bypass," a common pitfall in problem-solving and decision-making. He explained that people often jump from storytelling directly to action, skipping over the crucial middle steps of collaboration and creativity. This tendency can lead to hasty decisions and missed opportunities for innovative solutions. To combat this issue, Chuck emphasized the importance of conscious effort in conversations. He suggested that both individuals and groups need to take responsibility for fostering more productive dialogues. For individuals, this means being willing to set aside one's ego and perspective, opening up to different viewpoints. In group settings, leaders should encourage taking extra time to hear all perspectives without judgment or bickering. Chuck shared four key elements to consider in conversations: desires and goals, concerns about the future, authority issues, and standards. By examining these aspects, people can better understand the thinking behind their perspectives and share them more effectively with others. The discussion then turned to the importance of learning in conversations. Chuck stressed that while making decisions is often the perceived goal, the real product of these interactions is the learning that occurs. He advised that to ensure learning is at the center of a conversation, individuals must set aside their judgments and private conversations to truly listen and absorb others' positions. Chuck also explored the role of self-awareness in changing conversational patterns. He shared a personal anecdote about recognizing and altering his own trigger responses with his children, illustrating how awareness can lead to positive change in communication habits. The conversation shifted to creativity and intuition, with Chuck highlighting the importance of embracing the right side of the brain in problem-solving. He encouraged listeners to give themselves permission to dream and wonder about possibilities, moving away from resignation and towards openness. Chuck also discussed his journey in writing his book, "The Art of Conscious Conversations: Transforming How We Talk, Listen, and Interact." He revealed how the process helped him overcome his own limiting beliefs about his writing abilities and provided a structure for connecting various communication tools and concepts. For those interested in learning more about Chuck's work and insights, his website can be found at chuckwisner.com, and his book is available at https://a.co/d/5dw54us. You can also connect with Chuck on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-wisner/.

Brian DeVries, Senior Advisor at Lean Fox Solutions, joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on the People Solve Problems podcast to share his insights on problem-solving methodologies and leadership. Brian recently authored a children's book, "The Big Thinking of a Small Knight," which teaches leadership and continuous improvement principles through storytelling. Brian explained his preferred problem-solving approach, the nine-box methodology, which begins with what he calls a "rally cry" - a clear, concise problem statement that teams can consistently return to throughout the process. He shared a compelling story about a meeting where team members wrote down their understanding of the problem they were trying to solve, only to discover that no two descriptions matched. This experience reinforced the importance of having a unified understanding of the problem at hand. The conversation explored the significance of breaking down complex problems into manageable pieces. Brian described how he looks for specific triggers that indicate when a problem needs to be broken down, such as when teams struggle with measuring improvements or when the path forward isn't clear. He drew parallels to personal health goals, where large objectives are achieved through smaller, actionable daily steps. One of the most powerful moments Brian shared was from his work with a nonprofit organization, where a program participant remarked, "I didn't know my mind could think about a problem that way." This experience highlighted the transformative power of teaching problem-solving skills and continues to inspire his work today. Brian emphasized the crucial role of psychological safety in creating an effective problem-solving culture. He shared a personal story from his early days as a manufacturing supervisor, where showing vulnerability and admitting his lack of knowledge to his team helped build trust and led to significant improvements over time. This approach exemplifies his belief that leaders should be intentional about creating an environment where it's safe to make mistakes and learn from them. Throughout the conversation, Brian demonstrated his passion for helping others develop their problem-solving capabilities and creating environments where people feel empowered to contribute their ideas. His approach combines structured methodologies with human-centered leadership principles. To learn more about Brian's work and perspectives, visit his websites at https://www.devriesii.com/ and https://leanfoxsolutions.com/, connect with him on LinkedIn  Be sure to check out his children's book at https://www.amazon.com/Big-Thinking-Small-Knight/dp/B0DW1LB3HZ/.

Liz Guthridge, Managing Director of Connect Consulting Group, is a leadership coach specializing in neuroscience and cultural transformation. She challenges traditional brainstorming methods, advocating for independent idea generation that enhances creativity. Liz emphasizes the importance of a learning mindset and personal autonomy, especially for introverts, in problem-solving. She also discusses how aligning personal values with daily activities can significantly improve leadership effectiveness and foster continuous growth.

Melia Tourangeau joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on People Solve Problems to share her experience as President & CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, where she made history as both the first woman and youngest CEO in the organization's 129-year legacy. In the conversation, Melia revealed one of her most significant challenges occurred shortly after joining the Symphony. While initially identifying what appeared to be a manageable $1 million structural deficit on a $30 million budget, deeper analysis uncovered the actual deficit was closer to $5 million annually. This discovery, combined with her status as a newcomer to Pittsburgh where 75% of the budget relies on charitable sources, created an especially complex situation. The challenge intensified when contract negotiations with the musicians' union led to a 55-day strike, marking the Symphony's first work stoppage since the 1970s. Melia acknowledged this was one of the most difficult periods in her career, noting that leaders rarely survive such conflicts. However, her ability to rebuild relationships and trust afterward has been evidenced by her successful ten-year tenure.   Melia shared her leadership philosophy, emphasizing the importance of bringing together the right people to solve problems. She described how she approaches complex decisions by gathering small groups of board members with diverse expertise rather than trying to get everyone in one room. This collaborative approach has helped address various challenges, including developing innovative solutions for the Symphony's endowment strategy. When discussing prioritization, she highlighted the challenge of balancing urgent daily needs with critical long-term planning. This is particularly relevant as the Symphony executes a 10-year financial recovery plan following COVID-19, working to close the gap between expenses that are 8% below pre-pandemic levels and costs that have risen 12%. One of Melia's innovative initiatives is "Disrupt," a new concert series designed to meet audience desires for more casual, contextualized experiences with shorter programs and enhanced production elements. Despite initial skepticism from staff who recalled similar past attempts, Melia committed to a five-year timeline with clear metrics and a willingness to adapt based on results. Throughout the conversation, Melia emphasized how she stays grounded during challenging times by returning to the concert hall to listen to the orchestra perform, reconnecting with the fundamental purpose of supporting artists and their work. To learn more about Melia Tourangeau and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, visit https://pittsburghsymphony.org/ or connect with her on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/melia-tourangeau-092985121.  

Scott Post, Operational Excellence and Lean Leadership Coach with S Post Consulting, joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on the People Solve Problems podcast to share his insights on effective problem-solving and leadership. With over two decades of experience in leadership, lean methodology, and process improvement, Scott brings valuable perspectives from both his corporate roles and consulting work. Drawing from his extensive experience, Scott highlighted a common pitfall in problem-solving: poorly defined or misunderstood problems. He shared an example from a company where emotional attachment to a product design issue led to years of ineffective problem-solving attempts. The team kept jumping to solutions without truly understanding the core problem, resulting in wasted time and resources. When discussing product design challenges, Scott emphasized the importance of customer focus. He suggested spending 80% of time understanding customer requirements and fundamental needs before moving forward with solutions. This thorough understanding makes the actual product creation process more straightforward and effective. Scott shared valuable insights about handling emotions in problem-solving situations. Drawing from his experience at Pella Windows, he emphasized the importance of leaving position and rank at the door. While acknowledging that human beings are brilliant and creative, he noted that ego and inappropriate use of authority can negatively impact problem-solving efforts. However, when egos are in check and there's good teamwork, emotions can contribute positively to the process. As a consultant, Scott's approach centers on listening. He believes that solutions often already exist within organizations but may be buried under day-to-day operations and reactionary firefighting. His role involves helping to quiet the noise and bring different voices together, using tools like Kaizen events to facilitate positive outcomes. He highlighted the importance of curiosity in effective listening. He suggested that the moment we stop being curious and believe we have all the answers is when problem-solving becomes less effective. He advocates for maintaining a childlike curiosity, continuously asking questions and staying open to learning. In discussing his transition to consulting, he shared that while entrepreneurship presented expected challenges, he was surprised by the different nature of community in his new role. He finds joy in experiencing the unique communities within each client organization, appreciating the diversity of businesses and people he encounters. For those interested in connecting with Scott Post or learning more about his work in operational excellence and lean leadership coaching, visit www.spostconsulting.com or connect with him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/scott-post.

Jason Schulist, Executive Director of the Fox Valley Data Exchange, brought his extensive problem-solving experience to the People Solve Problems podcast hosted by Jamie Flinchbaugh. With over 30 years of experience across construction, automotive, utility, and paper industries, Jason shared valuable insights about understanding and addressing different types of problems. At Fox Valley Data Exchange, Jason works to make community data accessible across three counties in Northeast Wisconsin. The organization helps stakeholders understand how people thrive by examining factors like meaningful work, wealth, physical health, and transportation. In addition to this role, Jason leads the Generative Local Community Institute, focusing on creating economic models that help people flourish. Jason introduced listeners to the Cynefin model, which provides a framework for categorizing problems into clear, complicated, complex, and chaotic domains. He emphasized that different types of problems require different approaches and tools. For example, while manufacturing problems might have clear cause-and-effect relationships, community issues often fall into the complex domain where patterns shift and traditional solutions may not work. Drawing from his experience addressing poverty in his community, Jason shared a compelling case study. His team discovered that earning $18 per hour represented a crucial threshold for stability in their area. They identified three key factors that helped people overcome poverty: some post-secondary education, having or expecting a child, and maintaining consistent employment for six to twelve months. Using this information, they set a goal to double the rate at which people moved out of poverty, from 3.5% to 7%. The project involved 27 parallel experiments, demonstrating Jason's approach to complex adaptive problems. One successful initiative identified eight certification programs - dubbed the "Elite Eight" - that consistently led to stable employment above the target wage. Another successful experiment involved connecting with people who were just a few classes short of completing their certifications, helping them finish their education and secure better-paying jobs. He emphasized the importance of collaboration in community problem-solving. He highlighted the success of CI Squared (Continuous Improvement times Community Improvement), a volunteer group of more than 55 continuous improvement professionals who have participated in over 80 interactions with nonprofits. These volunteers apply their professional skills to help community organizations address challenges and develop strategic plans. Throughout the conversation, he demonstrated how different problem-solving approaches can be adapted and combined to address complex community challenges. His work shows that while some problems can be solved directly, others - particularly in the complex domain - need to be addressed through iteration, observation, and pattern recognition. To learn more about Jason's work, visit www.fvdex.org or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Danyel Bischof-Forsyth, Chief Technology Officer at 7 Brew Coffee, joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on the People Solve Problems podcast to share her experiences leading technology transformation in a rapidly growing company. With 35 years of technology experience, including 28 years at Hallmark Cards and 5 years at Tyson Foods, Danyel brings extensive expertise to her role at 7 Brew Coffee, a drive-through beverage company experiencing explosive growth. Danyel explained that 7 Brew Coffee is expanding from 180 locations at the start of 2024 to 330 by year-end, with commitments for 3,000 future locations. Each location generates over $2 million in revenue, creating what Danyel describes as "growth like a rocket ship." To manage this rapid expansion, she has implemented both technological and human solutions. This includes daily stand-up meetings, monitoring systems for KPIs, ticketing systems, and comprehensive analytics. The daily stand-ups, led by a certified project manager, use a Kanban board to track progress and surface issues quickly. Danyel noted that while team members were initially skeptical about daily meetings, they've embraced the practice over the past year as they've seen its value in problem identification and cross-team learning. When it comes to problem-solving and ideation, Danyel emphasizes the importance of preparation. She actively maintains a network of fellow technologists in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) space to learn from their experiences. Before brainstorming sessions, her team researches industry practices and clearly defines the problem they're trying to solve. In balancing speed with thoroughness, Danyel uses the metaphor of "pouring concrete" - distinguishing between decisions that will have long-lasting implications and those that allow for experimentation. She considers factors such as system interconnectedness, organizational impact, and reversibility when determining which decisions require more rigorous analysis. When building her team from scratch, Danyel prioritized "high learning agility" as a key characteristic, knowing team members would need to handle diverse responsibilities in a fast-paced environment. She also strategically brought in specific expertise in project management, cybersecurity, and full-stack development. Danyel shared a valuable lesson about coaching less experienced team members, realizing she needed to adjust her questioning approach. Rather than assuming team members had already considered certain angles, she learned to help them develop their own problem-solving framework through more foundational questions. To learn more about Danyel Bischof-Forsyth's work and insights, connect with her on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/danyelbischof.