People Solve Problems

In this episode of People Solve Problems, host Jamie Flinchbaugh welcomes Mark Reich, Senior Coach and Chief Engineer of Strategy at the Lean Enterprise Institute. Mark brings a wealth of experience from his 23 years at Toyota, where he learned and led management systems, followed by 13 years at the Lean Enterprise Institute spreading that knowledge across industries. The conversation centers around Mark's new book "Managing on Purpose," which focuses on Hoshin Kanri, a strategic management methodology that was adopted by Toyota in the early 1960s based on Deming's teachings. Mark explains that Hoshin Kanri goes far beyond typical strategy development that often ends with a PowerPoint presentation to the board. Instead, it creates a comprehensive management system that defines long-term direction, builds both vertical and horizontal alignment throughout the organization, manages annual execution, and develops people's capabilities. Mark emphasizes that the real power of Hoshin Kanri lies in its dual approach to alignment. Vertical alignment ensures that high-level objectives are broken down meaningfully throughout the organization, giving everyone ownership of problems to solve. Horizontal alignment addresses the more challenging task of getting different functions to work together toward broader organizational goals rather than focusing solely on their individual metrics. This requires a cultural shift where leaders must reward people for leading by responsibility rather than authority, encouraging influence across the organization rather than just managing down. The methodology serves as both a strategic framework and a leadership development tool. They compare it to learning soccer through playing the game rather than just practicing drills. Leaders develop crucial skills by working through the complex interpersonal mechanisms of what he calls "catch ball" - the process of building alignment both vertically and horizontally throughout the organization. However, Mark warns that this is high-risk work since it deals with the future of the entire organization, requiring significant investment from top leadership. When discussing how to handle uncertainty and volatility, Mark acknowledges that plans rarely survive contact with reality unchanged. Drawing from military strategist Helmut von Moltke's famous observation about battle plans, he explains that the key lies not in the plan itself but in building the organization's planning capability. Teams that practice planning together can quickly realign when circumstances change. The focus should be on developing the skill of alignment rather than rigidly sticking to any particular plan. Mark identifies rigor as the critical factor that separates successful Hoshin Kanri implementations from failures. This includes rigorous upfront planning, systematic processes for building alignment, and disciplined execution with monthly reviews in visual management spaces. Organizations need to establish standards around the process itself, treating Hoshin Kanri as a systematic approach rather than a one-time exercise. The conversation reveals Mark's perspective that Hoshin Kanri is essentially company-wide problem solving. By framing strategic objectives as problems to solve, organizations can break them down into specific elements that engage everyone from leadership to frontline workers. This creates a unified approach where strategy deployment becomes a systematic way of distributing problem-solving responsibilities throughout the organization. Mark concludes by defending his choice of the word "managing" in his book title, distinguishing management systems from leadership capabilities. While leadership involves developing people and drawing out their best abilities, management involves creating robust systems that allow organizations to function effectively even as leaders move on to new challenges. For more information about Mark's work, visit www.lean.org or connect with him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/markareich. Find his book here: www.lean.org/mop

Laurie Harbour, Partner at Wipfli LLP, joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on the People Solve Problems podcast to discuss leadership's critical role in integrating the next generation of manufacturing talent. Laurie, author of Tradition Meets Transformation, brings over 35 years of manufacturing experience helping companies improve efficiency and profitability. Laurie explained that American manufacturing faces a significant generational gap. During the 1990s and early 2000s, parents encouraged their children to pursue four-year degrees rather than manufacturing careers, creating a shortage of workers in the 35-45 age range. This gap widened after the Great Recession further diminished interest in manufacturing careers. The result is an aging manufacturing workforce alongside a gradual influx of younger talent with different skillsets. This talent gap has created serious consequences. Laurie noted that many companies relocated manufacturing to lower-cost regions worldwide partly due to domestic worker shortages. When COVID increased manufacturing demand in North America, companies struggled to find qualified workers, often hiring undertrained temporary labor that negatively impacted quality, delivery, and safety metrics. Many manufacturers now experience 30-40% turnover rates because they fail to engage and retain younger workers. The new generation brings valuable technology skills to manufacturing, Laurie emphasized. Young workers excel at using tools like Excel, programming languages, and Power BI to analyze data effectively. Their efficiency with technology often exceeds that of experienced workers, and they naturally identify process inefficiencies that veterans might overlook. However, they lack the manufacturing process knowledge that experienced workers possess. Laurie advised that successful manufacturers create environments where generations collaborate rather than compete. Some older leaders mistakenly believe younger workers need decades of experience before making meaningful contributions. The best companies instead form cross-generational teams where experienced workers share tribal knowledge while younger staff contribute technological insights. This engagement reduces turnover, as younger workers particularly want to feel their contributions matter. For senior leaders approaching retirement, Laurie recommended embracing transformation rather than coasting on experience. She shared examples of companies that thrived after promoting younger leaders with proper support structures like advisory boards and mentorship programs. For younger manufacturing professionals, Laurie stressed the importance of humility. She observed that successful young leaders recognize they don't need to be the smartest person in the room but must facilitate dialogue and ask good questions. The most effective emerging leaders actively seek mentorship and embrace being uncomfortable as they grow. Laurie remains passionate about revitalizing manufacturing's image, particularly among women who represent 50% of the potential workforce. She's dedicated to educating school counselors and others who might discourage manufacturing careers despite their excellent compensation and technological sophistication. Learn more about Laurie Harbour's work at www.wipfli.com or connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-harbour-264a253/.

Kevin Tarrant, Ex-CHRO of WABCO and current President of HR Co-Pilot Consulting, brings 40 years of human capital experience to Jamie Flinchbaugh's People Solve Problems podcast. With a background spanning manufacturing, high tech, software development, and service industries across global organizations, Kevin shares insights from his extensive career, including his last corporate role as Chief Human Resources Officer for Westinghouse Airbrake Company (WABCO). Kevin emphasizes that problem solving has a significant human component beyond just tools and processes. He notes that employees must trust and respect each other while understanding the different strengths each person brings to a problem-solving team. He explains that employees need to directly impact revenue, reduce costs, or contribute to continuous improvement to remain valuable as companies constantly seek efficiency. From an HR perspective, Kevin observes a shift toward hiring for competencies rather than specific experience. He encourages job seekers to demonstrate how they've applied their competencies in different situations rather than simply listing their work history. These competencies—like building relationships, problem-solving, resilience, and adaptability—can transfer across industries. He shares a compelling example from the 2008-2009 financial crisis when WABCO lost 42% of its revenue in one year. Facing potential bankruptcy, the company implemented creative solutions when cash was scarce. They replaced cash bonuses with stock options at the then-low price and conducted "stay interviews" with critical talent to understand what would keep them engaged beyond money. The result: they retained all key employees, and many became millionaires when the stock rebounded. The foundation for this creativity, Kevin explains, came from WABCO's culture which valued diverse thinking and outside-the-box solutions. He warns that many companies claim employees are their greatest asset on their websites, but actual behaviors during tough times reveal the true culture. Kevin recommends that organizations build teams around solving problems and implement processes to understand each member's strengths before tackling challenges. He notes that jobs that don't contribute measurably are at risk. Finally, he emphasizes that successful companies focus on continuous improvement and reinvention. For more information about Kevin Tarrant and his work, visit www.buildwithtact.org or connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbtarrant/

Ryan McCormack, Director of Operational Readiness and Optimization at The Wawanesa Mutual Company, joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on the People Solve Problems podcast to discuss his approach to problem-solving in organizations. Ryan has spent over two decades seeking to understand and apply principles that enrich the working lives of people in large organizations, with experience spanning manufacturing, healthcare, management consulting, and insurance. Ryan explained that his role in problem solving shifts depending on circumstances, but primarily involves consulting and facilitation. He leads a team of problem solvers and determines how hands-on or hands-off to be based on the capability of people who own the problem and the complexity of the issue. Ryan learned to start by asking questions to understand these factors before deciding whether to take ownership or develop others' skills. When evaluating his team's capacity to solve problems, Ryan focuses on finding people who have the will and joy for problem-solving—qualities he believes are difficult to teach. His team development strategy centers on a mix of technical problem-solving skills, people skills, and consulting abilities. Rather than keeping people on his team permanently, Ryan prefers to rotate members in and out, giving them skills they can take back to the organization. He measures his career success not by projects completed but by seeing people he's developed go on to leadership roles. For effective collaboration, Ryan emphasized the importance of having a shared problem that everyone is desperate to solve. Without genuine alignment, collaboration becomes artificial. He shared a pragmatic insight that includes actively resistant people on problem-solving teams who have "worked 0% of the time" in his experience. He also highlighted the crucial role of sponsorship, noting that while most leaders believe they're great sponsors, few actually are, and some can't resist taking over the problem. When addressing root cause analysis in knowledge work, he pointed out unique challenges. Unlike manufacturing environments, knowledge work involves "decision factories" where the quality of decisions is rarely measured. Traditional techniques like asking why five times are less effective in these settings. Ryan's approach starts with understanding the decision-making process and establishing what quality looks like. He noted that in complex organizations, almost no one actually understands how decisions are made, making it difficult to assess root causes without first agreeing on what constitutes quality. Ryan lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba with his wife and daughter. Learn more about Ryan's work at https://www.wawanesa.com/ and https://ryanmccormack.substack.com/, or connect with him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/rjmccormack.

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.