The 3-legged 5 Whys
When I wrote the book “People Solve Problems,” I approached the book in a tool-agnostic way. As far as the book is concerned, I don’t particularly care which problem-solving tools you are using. However, tools do still matter (which I also make clear in the book). Here’s a tool that
Read MoreIntegrating the Voice of Many Coaches
Most people get coaching from multiple people, whether it be on their work, on their career, or just within problem-solving. How do you decide which coach to listen to? Well, that’s the wrong question, and in this video, I explain why. Watch here: https://youtu.be/B5PpWaVX9vs
Read MoreShould Your Lean Journey Include Certification?
This article was originally published in March 2021. I’ve been asked to help dozens of clients with their lean certification plans at some point in my engagement. How should we design our lean certification program? This is often the question presented to me. Before you get to design, you
Read MoreDealing with Resistance to Being Coached
I coach coaches. That’s obviously the only thing that I do, but I spend a significant portion of my time coaching people who are trying to coach others. One of the most common questions I receive in this domain is… What do we do when someone is resistant to coaching?
Read MoreLean Whiskey Episode #31
Episode 31: “End a Year, End a Bottle; Start a Year, Start a Bottle” In Episode 31, Mark and Jamie discuss the routines and practices of wrapping up a year and kicking off a new year. In that spirit, we either finish a bottle of whiskey or start a new
Read MoreThe Power of Solving Small Problems
Fast Company published an article of mine, “The Power of Solving Small Problems.” I have observed even some of the most experienced and wise lean leaders struggle to get this principle correct, as I struggle with it as well. Perhaps that’s why I wrote it, to remind myself. Here’s a
Read MoreYour Legacy Is Day n+1
Whether you are providing a service to a client, or operating as a leader in an organization, how do you think about what you want to accomplish? I propose the most useful framing is to think about day n+1. In other words, what is there the day after you depart,
Read MoreHappy Heuristics Podcast Episode #2
Happy Heuristics is a podcast about using rules of thumb, decision criteria, or heuristics to help leaders operate with speed and effectiveness in a complex and uncertain world. Podcast partners Jamie Flinchbaugh and Jeff Grimshaw explore specific heuristics, one theme at a time, that you can either adopt or use
Read MoreThe Role of the Leader in a Problem Solving World
In “People Solve Problems,” I dedicate a whole section to the role of the leader. Whatever level of people-leader you find yourself in, this section of the book helps guide you to important aspects of your role. In this short video, I walk through a little bit of the role
Read MoreLearners Operate in “Perpetual Beta”
The very first problem-solving behavior I explore in People Solve Problems is to Learn Deliberately (Chapter 9). Learning is more than just a skill, just as problem-solving is more than just a tool. Learning deliberately is a mindset and behavior. One way to describe this is to hold our assumptions
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