Effective problem solving is not about quick decisions, templates, or expert opinions—it’s about shared understanding, scientific thinking, and learning at the system level. These posts explore how leaders and teams approach real problems in complex environments, from executive decision-making to daily improvement work.
Drawing on Lean thinking, Toyota practices, healthcare, manufacturing, and knowledge work, this archive emphasizes problem-solving as a leadership capability: asking better questions, testing assumptions, and building systems that make problems visible instead of hidden.
Listen: In Season 2, Episode 4, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh are joined by the hosts of the Just-in-Time Cafe podcast, Elisabeth Swan and Tracy O’Rourke. This is the second joint episode, the first being episode 45 of Lean Whiskey.…
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #532 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Anne Frewin, a seasoned Lean leader with over 12 years of improvement experience in healthcare, laboratories, and manufacturing. Anne’s…
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #531 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Dr. Melisa Buie, a seasoned operations and engineering leader with decades of experience in high-tech manufacturing. Melisa has held…
Your organization already has a mistake policy–it just might not be the one you think it is. Most companies say they support learning and continuous improvement. But here’s the real test: What actually happens when someone makes a mistake? No,…
This edition of Ryan McCormack’s Operational Excellence Mixtape explores why real improvement depends on disciplined thinking, leadership habits, and cultural integrity–not slogans or shortcuts. From reflections on problem solving, Leader Standard Work, and the limits of healthcare “systems,” to lessons…
Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. News, articles, books, podcasts, and videos about how to make the workplace…
Lean succeeds when people focus on scientific thinking and action, not perfect templates. A3s, hoshin kanri, and other tools only work when they support real learning, experimentation, and reflection–mindset and behavior matter far more than format. During my recent Japan…
Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. From Ryan: Thank you for your continued readership and support. 2024 marked…
Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. News, articles, books, podcasts, and videos about how to make the workplace…
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #507 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Wendy K. Smith, co-author of the book Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems. She will…
Scroll down for how to subscribe, transcript, and more My guest for Episode #506 of the Lean Blog Interviews Podcast is Tim Hobbs, the founder and president of Hobbs Technical Consulting. He is an author and an in-demand international keynote…
Thanks, as always, to Ryan McCormack for this. He always shares so much good reading, listening, and viewing here! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. News, articles, books, podcasts, and videos about how to make the workplace…
