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I Only Know What I’ve Experienced

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 11-16-21

Why do people resist change? Don’t they want things to be better? Of course, they want things to be better. We all do. However, what is the snake-oil salesman really pitching? What kind of dystopian world is planned? We don’t fear change but fear that the change will bring something

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Lean Whiskey Episode #30

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 10-22-21

Episode 30: “Celebrating 30 Episodes, Writing Books, and Great Whiskey” In Episode 30, Mark Graban and Jamie Flinchbaugh find things to celebrate, starting with the fact that we have hit 30 episodes. In that time, we’ve had 14 guests or co-hosts and tasted 56 different whiskeys (not counting the gin

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Lean Whiskey Episode #29

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 08-20-21

Episode 29: “Yellow Cards, Coffee Cocktails, and a Barrel Down the Drain”  In Episode 29, it’s been a little while since Mark and Jamie got together for Lean Whiskey. We catch up on what’s new, which includes Mark’s new certification with distinction with the WSET Level 2 Spirits certification, and

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Do you coach intuitively or by a process?

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 08-12-21

Coaching is a very personal thing. Some coaches are more driven by their intuition. Some coaches are more driven by a process. Where do you fall on that spectrum? This is a question I ask participants in our coaching workshop. There is no right answer, but there are limitations based

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Lean Whiskey Episode #28

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 06-18-21

Episode 28: “Mistakes make us better, and make whiskey necessary”  In Episode 28, Mark and Jamie begin by having our spouses pour mystery whiskeys for us. We don’t know what they are when we start drinking them. Mark’s wife at least joins him occasionally in a dram, but Jamie’s wife

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The Many Meanings of the Word “Coaching”

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 06-10-21

Coaching means many different things to different people and within different organizations. Often I find someone believes they are coaching when in fact they are just sharing their experiences and points of view at opportune moments. I remember one executive I was coaching, who is now retired, saying “People can’t

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The History of PDSA, PDCA, and Dr. Deming

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 06-02-21

PDCA, or “Plan Do Check Act”, is perhaps one of the most well-known concepts in lean and continuous improvement. Not the most understood, but well known about. Anything this ubiquitous and broad is with understanding its historical use and origins. I love diving into histories like this; read economics and

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Lean Whiskey Episode #27

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 05-21-21

Episode 27: “Lean Coffee: Pour Over Edition”  In Episode 27, Mark and Jamie switch things up a bit with a morning recording of the show. While we could have just started our whiskey early, instead we decided to switch to a beverage that shares much of the same culture, craft,

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One Question That Will Change How You Think About Strategy

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 05-19-21

The easiest strategic choice is to just keep doing what you’re doing. Stay the course. And sometimes that’s also the right choice, but when it is the wrong choice, it often sneaks up on you. By the time a current or future competitor makes you irrelevant, it is likely too

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My Definition of Entrepreneurship

by Jamie Flinchbaugh on 05-11-21

A famous, but false, anecdote about entrepreneurship is when George W. Bush told Tony Blair that the problem with the French economy is that they don’t have a word for entrepreneurs. This would have been funnier if it were true, but this French word has grown in popularity over the

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