by Jamie Flinchbaugh
People Solve Problems is an engaging new podcast hosted by Jamie Flinchbaugh, the author of the book with the same title. In this insightful series, Jamie interviews a diverse array of guests – from thought leaders and authors to practitioners and everyday individuals, delving into their unique perspectives on problem solving. This compact, interview-style podcast offers valuable insights into what constitutes effective problem-solving, the challenges faced in the process, and the strategies employed. It aims to equip listeners with a wealth of ideas, best practices, and approaches to enhance their problem-solving skills. Stay tuned for the upcoming episodes by clicking the follow button and signing up today.
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🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/12/2023
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April 30, 2025
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">David Edelman, Executive Advisor and Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School, joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">People Solve Problems</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> podcast to discuss personalization and customer strategy in the age of AI. As the founder of Edelman Advisory Services, David brings over 30 years of experience as a thought leader in marketing, personalization, and technology.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">David emphasized that AI in personalization goes beyond marketing to transform the entire customer experience. He explained the distinction between mass customization of the 1990s and today's AI-powered personalization. While mass customization focused on modularity and customer selection, modern personalization uses proactive data analysis to anticipate customer needs and create new value.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To illustrate this, David shared the example of Sysco, the food delivery company. Their app uses customer data to identify a restaurant's menu style, price points, geographic considerations, and purchasing patterns. Within 300 milliseconds of opening the app, Sysco can provide personalized recommendations, even suggesting new menu items that incorporate discounted ingredients from nearby warehouses. This approach has helped Sysco grow 50% faster than industry averages since launching the app.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When discussing how the C-suite should approach AI and customer engagement, David noted that while organizational structures vary, many companies now designate someone to lead customer experience initiatives. This might be a Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Experience Officer, or Chief Digital Officer. He stressed that whoever takes this role must prioritize empowering customers rather than merely manipulating them or cutting costs. Companies growing fastest through personalization consistently start with the goal of addressing customer challenges.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For executives who didn't grow up in the AI age, David recommends getting "hands dirty" with the technology. While having a strong sense of strategy remains essential, leaders need to pair this with understanding the art of the possible in AI. He shared his experience as CMO at Aetna, where he identified that customers struggled to understand their health insurance. By partnering with a digitally savvy team member, they implemented personalized videos explaining each member's specific plan. This resulted in 70% of people watching the videos and a 20% reduction in call center volume.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">David addressed the challenges of integrating AI with legacy systems and data quality issues. He explained that generative AI is increasingly able to integrate disparate databases, but organizations must still prioritize data as an asset. At Sysco, for example, salespeople must input detailed account information, including menus and prices, before receiving credit for signing a new customer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the topic of data privacy, David noted that perceptions vary widely – "one customer's creepiness is another customer's 'wow'." He recommends small-scale, rapid-cycle testing to determine appropriate boundaries for different customer segments.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">David concluded with advice for leaders looking to explore AI: spend 15 minutes daily using Large Language Models as assistants, experiment with image generation capabilities, and challenge functional teams to improve throughput by 30% using AI – not to eliminate jobs but to scale operations and create new customer value.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For more insights from David Edelman, visit his website at <a href="https://www.edelmanadvisoryservices.com">https://www.edelmanadvisoryservices.com</a>, learn about his book <a href="https://a.co/d/5gg2Bmk">"Personalized: Customer Strategy in the Age of AI"</a>, or connect with him on LinkedIn at </span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveedelman/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveedelman/</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
April 16, 2025
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chuck Wisner, President of Wisner Consulting, joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on the People Solve Problems podcast to share his insights on improving human dynamics in conversations. With 25 years of experience advising Fortune 200 companies, Chuck has developed a unique approach to understanding and enhancing how people interact.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chuck introduced the concept of the "conversational bypass," a common pitfall in problem-solving and decision-making. He explained that people often jump from storytelling directly to action, skipping over the crucial middle steps of collaboration and creativity. This tendency can lead to hasty decisions and missed opportunities for innovative solutions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To combat this issue, Chuck emphasized the importance of conscious effort in conversations. He suggested that both individuals and groups need to take responsibility for fostering more productive dialogues. For individuals, this means being willing to set aside one's ego and perspective, opening up to different viewpoints. In group settings, leaders should encourage taking extra time to hear all perspectives without judgment or bickering.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chuck shared four key elements to consider in conversations: desires and goals, concerns about the future, authority issues, and standards. By examining these aspects, people can better understand the thinking behind their perspectives and share them more effectively with others.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The discussion then turned to the importance of learning in conversations. Chuck stressed that while making decisions is often the perceived goal, the real product of these interactions is the learning that occurs. He advised that to ensure learning is at the center of a conversation, individuals must set aside their judgments and private conversations to truly listen and absorb others' positions.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chuck also explored the role of self-awareness in changing conversational patterns. He shared a personal anecdote about recognizing and altering his own trigger responses with his children, illustrating how awareness can lead to positive change in communication habits.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The conversation shifted to creativity and intuition, with Chuck highlighting the importance of embracing the right side of the brain in problem-solving. He encouraged listeners to give themselves permission to dream and wonder about possibilities, moving away from resignation and towards openness.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chuck also discussed his journey in writing his book, "The Art of Conscious Conversations: Transforming How We Talk, Listen, and Interact." He revealed how the process helped him overcome his own limiting beliefs about his writing abilities and provided a structure for connecting various communication tools and concepts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For those interested in learning more about Chuck's work and insights, his website can be found at <a href="chuckwisner.com">chuckwisner.com</a>, and his book is available at</span><a href="https://a.co/d/5dw54us"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">https://a.co/d/5dw54us</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. You can also connect with Chuck on LinkedIn at</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-wisner/"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-wisner/</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
April 2, 2025
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brian DeVries, Senior Advisor at Lean Fox Solutions, joined Jamie Flinchbaugh on the People Solve Problems podcast to share his insights on problem-solving methodologies and leadership. Brian recently authored a children's book, "The Big Thinking of a Small Knight," which teaches leadership and continuous improvement principles through storytelling.</span></p> <p>Brian explained his preferred problem-solving approach, the nine-box methodology, which begins with what he calls a "rally cry" - a clear, concise problem statement that teams can consistently return to throughout the process. He shared a compelling story about a meeting where team members wrote down their understanding of the problem they were trying to solve, only to discover that no two descriptions matched. This experience reinforced the importance of having a unified understanding of the problem at hand.</p> <p>The conversation explored the significance of breaking down complex problems into manageable pieces. Brian described how he looks for specific triggers that indicate when a problem needs to be broken down, such as when teams struggle with measuring improvements or when the path forward isn't clear. He drew parallels to personal health goals, where large objectives are achieved through smaller, actionable daily steps.</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the most powerful moments Brian shared was from his work with a nonprofit organization, where a program participant remarked, "I didn't know my mind could think about a problem that way." This experience highlighted the transformative power of teaching problem-solving skills and continues to inspire his work today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brian emphasized the crucial role of psychological safety in creating an effective problem-solving culture. He shared a personal story from his early days as a manufacturing supervisor, where showing vulnerability and admitting his lack of knowledge to his team helped build trust and led to significant improvements over time. This approach exemplifies his belief that leaders should be intentional about creating an environment where it's safe to make mistakes and learn from them.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Throughout the conversation, Brian demonstrated his passion for helping others develop their problem-solving capabilities and creating environments where people feel empowered to contribute their ideas. His approach combines structured methodologies with human-centered leadership principles.</span></p> <p>To learn more about Brian's work and perspectives, visit his websites at <a href="https://www.devriesii.com/">https://www.devriesii.com/</a> and <a href="https://leanfoxsolutions.com/">https://leanfoxsolutions.com/</a>, connect with him on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/spreadtheleanlove/">LinkedIn </a></p> <p><br><span style="font-weight: 400;">Be sure to check out his children's book at </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Big-Thinking-Small-Knight/dp/B0DW1LB3HZ/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">https://www.amazon.com/Big-Thinking-Small-Knight/dp/B0DW1LB3HZ/</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p>
Mark Graban
Skip Steward
KaiNexus
Ron Pereira: Lean Thinker & Co-Founder of Gemba Academy
Dave Stachowiak
Harvard Business Review
Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
NPR
NPR
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