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.
Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. Insights about improvement, innovation, and leadership… Operational Excellence, Improvement, and…
Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. Insights about improvement, innovation, and leadership… Operational Excellence, Improvement, and…
Long story short: Things were broken on my blog where readers couldn’t comment. That’s now fixed. But I’ll share the story of my problem solving adventures. In the first decade or more of this blog (2005 to 2015 we’ll call…
Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! Subscribe to get these directly from Ryan via email. Insights about improvement, innovation, and leadership… Operational Excellence, Improvement, and…
I’m looking forward to reading the new book by Uri Levine, the founder of Waze. It’s titled: Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs I hope to interview him on “My Favorite MIstake” because…
Listen: What do you do when you are chosen as Jim Murray’s US Micro Whiskey of the Year? You pop in to join Mark and Jamie on Lean Whiskey to talk about it. At least that’s what our friend David…
Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! Get these directly from Ryan via email. Insights about improvement, innovation, and leadership… Operational Excellence, Improvement, and Innovation Deliberate…
I don’t blog about every mistake I make (although it might seem otherwise, sometimes). I do try to share stories that might help illustrate concepts about Lean or problem-solving. This past week, within about 24 hours, there were three examples…
It seems ironic. Maybe this is my fate in life. Or, I’m tempting fate by podcasting, writing (my book project), and presenting so much on the topic of mistakes and learning from mistakes. Learning from mistakes means we first must…
Listen: Here is the episode if you want to stream the audio: In Episode 34, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh begin by belatedly celebrating the 3rd birthday of Lean Whiskey. No, this wasn’t a pandemic-launched podcast, although, if we hadn’t…
Thanks as always to Ryan McCormack for this… there’s always so much good reading, listening, and viewing shared here by him! News, blogs, articles, resources, and links about creating value, continuous improvement, innovation, and leadership. Healthcare – Creating Value for…
One lesson I’ve learned from Toyota people about problem solving is that you have to work to “grasp the situation.” This is true whether you’re reacting to a “big vague concern” (as expressed in a statement such as “all of…
