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In a thought-provoking episode of the People Solve Problems Podcast, host Jamie Flinchbaugh has an engaging conversation with Jim Huntzinger, Founder and President of Lean Frontiers. Jim’s background is in manufacturing, engineering, and the lean enterprise. Jim’s understanding and experience provide listeners with a wealth of knowledge applicable to a

        In an engaging episode of the podcast, host Jamie Flinchbaugh welcomes distinguished guest, Mark Graban. The conversation provides invaluable insights into management, problem-solving, and risk mitigation methodologies, drawing from Mark’s wealth of experience and expertise. Mark begins the discussion by emphasizing the importance of failure modes

Episode 40: “New Riff, a new book, and exploring lessons from examples of pivots”  In Episode 40, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh get back together after their in-person visit where they enjoyed the origins of this podcast: talking about lean stuff while enjoying some whiskey. We get to celebrate the

In this episode, guest Andy Carlino and host Jamie Flinchbaugh delve into an intricate discussion on the complexities of problem-solving within organizations and the crucial role of precise language in defining problems and solutions. They emphasize the importance of a clear problem statement, underlining that without one, efforts to solve

Sharing my third article for Forbes: The Two Kinds Of Visionary Leader You Can Be Very often, when a leader is highlighted in the press, “visionary” is used as a descriptor. But what exactly does that mean? We use it so often that, perhaps, it’s lost all meaning. Read More

Is problem-solving more or less important in an AI-enabled world? There is a lot of talk about AI, and ChatGPT in particular, and mostly whether it is inherently good or inherently bad. But let’s accept the premise that it is part of our future.   We’ve actually been heading here

Why is rigorous thinking and the Business Model Canvas vital for entrepreneurs? The BMC has been a popular tool and method for the entrepreneurial world. Books are written, workshops are attended, and people talk about it. Yet hardly anyone seems to do one, and many who do will not maintain

On Forbes: Hire Skills, Not Certifications For years, many operations and engineering jobs came with a requirement for a Six Sigma Green Belt (or Black Belt). It was an easy “check the box” requirement that allowed the human resources team to cull the herd of applicants. That particular requirement has faded in

Why does problem-solving seem so different to many from waste elimination? Why is the creation of a standard such an act of sheer will rather than a set of skills?   If we see the creation of standards and the elimination of waste as just different types, or specific types,

Episode 39: Does Starbucks’ CEO Serving Coffee and Uber’s CEO Shuttling Passengers Do Any Good? In Episode 39, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh toast the completion of Mark’s new book, The Mistakes That Make Us: Cultivating a Culture of Learning and Innovation. We also acknowledge Jamie’s forthcoming podcast based on