This presentation is on transforming how problems are managed and solved in organizations today. It is being delivered for the Iaccoca Institute at Lehigh Unversity.

1. The 25 Straws
That Broke The Manager’s Back
Jamie Flinchbaugh

2. Introduction
Manager’s
Workload
Right amount?
Overloaded?
Overwhelmed?
What percentage of the manager’s time is
spent on problems?
 Those chosen
 Those that pop up and demand attention
How many would describe their jobs entirely as
solving problems?

3. The 25 Problems Problem
You Your
Team
Your
Team’s
Problems
Not Your Problems
Your team has 25 problems. But these are NOT your problems.
Your problems are not the sum total of your direct reports’
problems. You do not have 25 problems. You have your own
problems.

4. What are your problems?
You
Your Problems
What
Problems
+ Barriers
Get In
Their
Way
Your problems are:
 The barriers that prevent progress
 Breakdowns in your systems
 Opportunities that enable success across the work
of your direct reports

5. PROBLEMS
PROBLEM
SOLVING
CULTURE +
BEHAVIORS
PROBLEMS
MGMT +
SYSTEMS
PROBLEM
SOLVING
METHOD +
SKILLS
The Manager as System Architect
The role of the manager is not
to solve all of the problems
but to build the systems
capable of solving problems
at every level.

6. What capabilities do we
cultivate to surface and
solve problems.
• Good problem statements
establish our vector for
improvement
• The ability to explore current
reality begins with the
question of what do we need
to learn more about?
• Turning the Plan – Do –
Check – Act wheel as we
improve through
experimentation
• Tools may include A3s,
DMAIC, 5 Whys and more –
but how they are used
matters most
PROBLEM
SOLVING
METHOD +
SKILLS

7. How do we manage the
process of surfacing,
engaging in, and solving
problems.
• Build the work in order to
make problems visible – 5S,
just-in-time, kanban are all
mechanisms to accomplish
this objective
• A process to surface
includes definition of what
is a problem, how to
surface it, to whom, and
how they will respond
• Are we tracking the
problems and the response
PROBLEMS
MGMT +
SYSTEMS

8. Surface Problems by a Process

9. What behaviors support a
strong problem solving
culture
• Do we surface problems
quickly?
• Do we write down the
really hard problems that
we have no idea how to
solve?
• Do we dig deeper and
understand cause and
effect?
• Do we work problems
across boundaries?
PROBLEM
SOLVING
CULTURE +
BEHAVIORS

10. A Behavior Change
How it’s done How it should be done

11. Problem Solving Dimensions
PROBLEMS
PROBLEM
SOLVING
CULTURE +
BEHAVIORS
PROBLEMS
MGMT +
SYSTEMS
PROBLEM
SOLVING
METHOD +
SKILLS

12. Jamie Flinchbaugh, Lean Learning Center
Jamie@LeanLearningCenter.com /
www.LeanLearningCenter.com
Blog: www.JamieFlinchbaugh.com
Find Me
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