People Solve Problems

It happens to even the most seasoned of business leaders. You’ve built momentum for your latest project, you’re excited to embrace new challenges and you’ve visualized success at the end of the road. But all of a sudden, an unexpected problem stops you dead in your tracks -- and this one seems impossible to solve. Yes, major hurdles are disheartening, and they’re often unavoidable. But the way you engage with and think about problems directly influences your ability to solve them.

After nearly three decades coaching at every level from entry-level employees to experienced CEOs of multi-billion-dollar corporations, author and advisor Jamie Flinchbaugh has worked with over 300 companies around the world in lean transformation, including Intel, Harley-Davidson, Crayola, BMW, and Amazon. His book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean has been used for over a decade as an introduction to lean behaviors and leadership.

In his new book, People Solve Problems: The Power of Every Person, Every Day, Every Problem, Flinchbaugh shifts the conversation and argues that organizations focus too much on problem-solving tools and templates and miss other critical elements that make a greater difference: getting the right behaviors and building the right capabilities. A must-have resource on the true strategy to address gaps organizations experience that wrap around problem solving, People Solve Problems provides a roadmap for leaders wanting to get problem solving right with practical solutions and tactical guidance including:

- What Leaders Should Know about Problem-Solving Tools and Why Behaviors and Principles are the Real Key to Success

- When the Right Coaching Leads to More Organizational Success in Problem Solving

- Adopting a Tool-Agnostic Approach to Problem Solving

- Business Leaders Not Skilled in Crafting Effective Problem Statements are More Likely to Fail at Problem Solving

- How People-Centric Capabilities Move Problem Solving Forward

- How the Problem-Solving Culture Matters to the Success of Organization

- How to Overcome the Gaps That Haven’t Been Identified Yet

- Why Curiosity and Initiative to Act Have a Much Greater Impact than Putting Information in the Right Box

- The Leader as System Architect: Managing and Prioritizing Problems

“If the problem-solving tool is the compass, then consider People Solve Problems the map,” Flinchbaugh says. “I cover topics not written about in the other books or taught in problem-solving classes. Most problem-solving courses begin right after you have pulled out the problem-solving tool and you’re ready to start using it. This is similar to teaching someone how to live a healthy lifestyle by teaching them how to hold a dumbbell, when it’s getting to the gym in the first place that is the gap worth bridging.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jamie Flinchbaugh is an accomplished Entrepreneur, Senior Executive, Consultant, and Board Member with 30 years of learning-oriented experience spanning a range of roles across exceptionally diverse industries and functions. Throughout his career, Jamie has held leadership positions with JFlinch (Founder), Qorvo (Executive), Old Dutch Group LLC (Founder), Lean Learning Center (Co-Founder), Rev! Motorcycles (Co-Founder), DTE Energy (Change Agent), and Chrysler (Operational Leader). As the Founder of JFlinch, Jamie helps teams accelerate their journey by solving their challenging problems and providing the resources, education, and tools needed to make lean leaders successful.

During his 15 years as Co-Founder, with Andy Carlino and Dennis Pawley, of the Lean Learning Center, Jamie built the organization to become one of the premium providers of lean transformation and advisory services, with their educational programs earning the highest marks. In 2006, he co-authored the lean bestseller, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean: Lessons from the Road, and he has worked with over 300 clients spanning manufacturing, healthcare, utilities, technology, government, and professional services, including Harley-Davidson, Intel, Mars, Amazon, Crayola, Fidelity, Whirlpool, among others.

Jamie has been a Contributing Editor for IndustryWeek and columnist for Assembly Magazine. His education includes two Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Michigan, an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University, where he has served in numerous volunteer capacities. He resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania with his wife and 3 children.