blog

Reflections from the National Association of Corporate Directors Summit

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 10-29-24

I recently attended the National Association of Corporate Directors Summit, which I’ve done several times since being appointed to my first board seat 15 years ago. The lineup was impressive, including Bill Gates, Wayne Peacock, CEO of USAA, James Gorman, longtime CEO of Morgan Stanley, Clare Martorana, Federal Chief Information

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Why Naming a Conflict Unlocks Progress

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 10-08-24

Conflict is everywhere. It’s not inherently a bad thing. When managed properly and worked through, it’s actually beneficial and productive. When left unchecked and left to fester, it is toxic and can destroy a relationship, team, or even an organization. There are many methods and strategies that are helpful in

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Don’t Forget About Problem Identification

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 10-01-24

Almost every problem solving tool, method, and template begins with problem definition. But is that the beginning? It is not. One of the oldest models for problem solving, from John Dewey, begins with problem identification. That’s fundamentally important to get right, especially when our email inbox alone has more problems

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The Power of Narrowing Your Focus: Finding Your Perfect Customers

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 09-24-24

Narrow Your Focus to Find Your Ideal Customer Every company, product manager, sales leader, and CEO should be thinking about their target market. Who would make their best customers? I believe that the parameters used to define target markets are too broad and vague and that efforts to significantly narrow

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The Hidden Use of AI: Why Transparency Matters

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 09-17-24

As AI continues to gain momentum within companies, it’s important to distinguish between two main categories of AI usage: stationed, strategic projects, and the personal, often hidden, use of AI by individuals in their workflows. One challenge in the latter category is that people are hiding the fact that they

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Be Careful Before Standardizing Your Problem Solving

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 09-03-24

On LeanMag: Be Careful Before Standardizing Your Problem Solving You might be surprised to hear a lean advocate warning against a standardization. To be clear, I’m warning against both over-standardization and overly-rigid application of standardization. Standardization within problem solving is tremendously beneficial. First, it helps us train people on methods.

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Rigorous Empathy?

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 08-20-24

Empathy is a popular concept these days, for many valid reasons. However, it is often conveyed as a sense of acceptance and sometimes even passiveness. What I mean is that empathy often means that you CAN’T understand someone’s perspective because it is different from yours and so therefore accept the

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We Enjoy the Comfort of Opinion without the Discomfort of Thought

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 06-11-24

I recently rediscovered a great quote from President John F. Kennedy. It was during Lehigh University’s commencement, where I was observing my daughter Emma’s graduation. The original quote is from Kennedy’s commencement speech at Yale University on June 11th, 1962, and was echoed by Lehigh’s President Joseph Helble in his

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Adopting a Tool-Agnostic Approach to Problem Solving (venturemag.com)

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 05-29-24

When someone utters the phrase “problem solving”, what is the first image that comes to mind? For most people, those words immediately take you into problem solving tools and templates. This is because many of us have gone through training program after training program to learn various tools. For myself,

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What Is OpEx?

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 05-21-24

OpEx, a common shortening of the term Operational Excellence, has gotten plenty of traction in both program names and job titles. But what does it mean? The quick answer is…it means whatever you want it to mean. Let’s first look at the origins of OpEx. There are two primary driving

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