In this episode of Business Problem Solved, Lee chats with Steve Rames, a global director of a Fortune 100 American corporate. Steve shares his journey from a YTS scheme to a corporate director, his passion for Lean, and the importance of honesty and hard work. Lee and Steve discuss Steve's journey from a production line to a global director, his experience with Lean and Six Sigma, and the importance of honesty and hard work in his career. They also discuss the challenges of leadership, the impa...
Jun 22, 2023•56 min•Ep. 240
One measure of a successful meeting can be the amount and share of vocal engagement experienced during the discussion. However, this is far from being an absolute requirement and there are exceptions as Lee explains in this episode. KEY TAKEAWAYS Sometimes people are fully engaged when they are thinking. People often fill space vocally as this is often rewarded. Silence is necessary. Silence occurs when people are fully considering what they have heard and working on solutions. Encourage relevan...
Jun 18, 2023•12 min•Ep. 239
In this episode, Lee chats with James Edmondson, an experienced and results-oriented Agile leader and systemic team coach, with a reputation for working collaboratively with senior teams in both operational and head office environments. He is a people focussed leader with highly attuned emotional intelligence that enables strong relationships at all levels and also a veteran with over 20 years of experience working collaboratively under pressure and with a character that inspires the very best o...
Jun 11, 2023•37 min•Ep. 238
Lee rounds off his 3 Things series with 3 more important, thought-provoking points highlighted throughout the past few weeks. Here is a reflective summary of the choosing and honing of the ten topics covered. KEY TAKEAWAYS Thinking about the ten most valuable areas to discuss has been a worthwhile, constructive task. Having to narrow down to 3 most important points forces focus and clarity on all the chosen topics. This series has facilitated thinking, feeling and doing on each of the topics cov...
Jun 04, 2023•11 min•Ep. 237
As always, Lee encourages you to think, feel and do in depth about the 3 things about Coaching. Take a close look at Coaching and it’s importance as a skill in all workplaces in all its variations as a method for developing people towards desirable goals. KEY TAKEAWAYS Clarity of intent and destination. Coaching can only be attempted with a clear and definable goal to move towards. Prioritise questions and the thinking space rather than answers. It is a scale from consulting and providing answer...
May 28, 2023•17 min•Ep. 236
In various situations, our standards differ and in terms of change, improvement and problem solving it can be difficult to decide where to set expectations to regard goals and targets as being met. Lee defines the 3 things that need to be considered when setting standards. KEY TAKEAWAYS The standards need to be in line and support the reason why you are there. They need to be visible and reviewable at the point of work, action or function. They need to be simple, clear and address the operation ...
May 21, 2023•13 min•Ep. 235
In this ‘3 Things’ episode, Lee talks about the tools we all need to use to identify quantitively if our changes and improvements are successful, our chosen measures and metrics. What 3 things do we need to bear in mind to use these tools effectively? KEY TAKEAWAYS Aligned to purpose. Ensure the chosen metric is the exact measure of the team’s success. Meaningful to each layer. The figures should be comprehensible and meaningful to all levels within the organisation. To be actionable and solvabl...
May 14, 2023•12 min•Ep. 234
The creation of this mini-series has forced Lee to distil the complications of his chosen topics down to 3 easy to understand, most important points and in this episode, he is concentrating on Leadership. This time our 3 are Vision, Communication and Teamwork. KEY TAKEAWAYS Set a clear understandable direction. This creates motivation, passion and a shared target. The importance that people are clear on the messages that you deliver. Just because your team ‘works’ doesn’t mean you’ve got teamwor...
May 08, 2023•14 min•Ep. 233
Problem Solving can be a highly discussed topic with many differing opinions on methods. However, at this mid-point in his ‘3 Things’ series of episodes, rather than concentrating on method, Lee explains the 3 blocks that he feels you will encounter during your Problem Solving approach. KEY TAKEAWAYS Finding problems, not solving them. Often locating the problems can be more difficult than solving them. Solving at the right levels, little and often. If you can solve problems with the people that...
Apr 30, 2023•14 min•Ep. 232
Lee introduces 3 important things that will make you think, feel and act differently concerning Visual Management. The fourth episode in the ‘3 things’ will explain how you can cue actions or activities based on the visuals and other sensory input that you share with your team. KEY TAKEAWAYS Visual Management should provide focus and clarity for everybody on the important points. It provides an opportunity for increased support and teamwork. It incorporates all sensory management to tap into the...
Apr 23, 2023•15 min•Ep. 231
In this episode Lee continues his ‘There’s Always 3 Things’ series and sets out the 3 most important things to consider about your all-important daily team meeting. After this, you will think, feel and do more when it comes to structuring your regular updates and discussions. KEY TAKEAWAYS Daily meetings are an opportunity to engage everyone and have two-way conversations. An opportunity to connect your communication floor horizontally as well as vertically with effective escalation and cascade....
Apr 16, 2023•13 min•Ep. 230
The latest in Lee’s series on the power of 3 takes a look at Customer Experience. What 3 things can you consider when focusing on consumers that can challenge you, refresh your viewpoint and make you apply changes to the way you currently deliver your Customer Experience? KEY TAKEAWAYS Customer experience is about the full journey, from awareness, through to purchase and then follow-up. To provide the best experience we need to consider all aspects from the moment the consumer starts to look at ...
Apr 09, 2023•18 min•Ep. 229
In this episode Lee takes a look at the 3 main points when forming positive habits to benefit our organisations. How do we create those automatic actions effectively in ourselves and our team that can become parts of the system and problem solving solutions that we need? KEY TAKEAWAYS One of our favourite definitions of ‘culture’ is the sum of all of the habits that exist within our organisation. Belief is the most natural way to form a habit if your people believe that change is truly possible....
Apr 02, 2023•15 min•Ep. 228
Lee begins his ‘3 Things’ mini series with the 3 things he believes makeup Operational Excellence. He will guide you to help you ‘know, feel and do’ in a new way in regards to Operational Excellence to challenge you or help your confidence so you can take action effectively as a leader of change. KEY TAKEAWAYS The first is an environment that works daily towards a particular destination. The second is encouraging teamwork and cooperation. The third is committed, supportive, empowering leadership...
Mar 26, 2023•17 min•Ep. 227
3 seems to be a culturally significant digit and Lee is running with this, creating a mini-series over the coming weeks on a number of problem-solving subjects titled The 3 Things About... KEY TAKEAWAYS Have you ever thought of why the number 3 is significant? The rule of 3 is a powerful technique used in writing and speaking. Whittle it down to the 3 most important priorities for your team. BEST MOMENTS ‘I’m gonna do a mini-series, the 3 things about ‘x’ and over the coming weeks I’m gonna intr...
Mar 20, 2023•12 min•Ep. 226
One habit is the differentiator between an environment that sustains and improves and one that does not. The habit that we should all commit to installing in our repertoire is continuous improvement. Lee explains how to make today continuously better than yesterday. KEY TAKEAWAYS By ensuring leaders ask better questions a system of continuous improvement can be installed. There is a difference between identifying blocks to productivity and removing them and improving the actual process by which ...
Mar 13, 2023•12 min•Ep. 225
When leading people we often look at things on a macro level. Detailing to a micro level can help you change a culture. Culture is a conglomeration of formed habits, and you need to identify the habit loops present and alter them to make any headway in changing culture. KEY TAKEAWAYS The Habit Loop is the structure of a habit, made up of cues, routine and reward. To understand habits you need to engage with people and understand their cues, routines and how they feel rewarded. You cannot just te...
Mar 06, 2023•13 min•Ep. 224
One of the most important aspects of driving change in a team or as a change manager is asking the right questions, but is there any worth in repeating questions previously asked? Lee believes asking the same question in the right setting and with the right intent can benefit you as a leader of people and change and he explains why. KEY TAKEAWAYS Lee asks weekly ‘how have you felt this week?’ and ‘what one thing that’s noteworthy have you learnt this week?’ Consistently asked questions over time...
Feb 27, 2023•12 min•Ep. 223
When asking better questions, how comfortable are you with silence as a response? Not all questions require a yes or no answer and a team’s strength is built with open-ended questions that require more thought. Is your discomfort with silence causing unconsidered answers and thus unsatisfactory solutions? KEY TAKEAWAYS Fundamentally, becoming more comfortable with silence can help you with coaching your team. Common responses to silence are; rephrasing a question to elicit a more immediate respo...
Feb 20, 2023•13 min•Ep. 222
Have you got enough time? If not, you probably need to prioritise. If you place everything in your ‘in-tray’ into your ‘urgent’ tray, then you are probably going to be eternally frustrated. Lee takes a look at how you can denote what needs doing now. KEY TAKEAWAYS What is the most important thing for you to do today? Fundamentally, despite outside pressures, you can only really have one priority at a time. Are you a specialist or a generalist? This will have an effect on your chosen priority for...
Feb 13, 2023•11 min•Ep. 221
You cannot solve problems in a business if you cannot even find them. Encouraging and training team members to locate problems is a first step to making real progress towards solutions. Lee explains the qualities and mechanisms to put in place to create an army of problem finders. KEY TAKEAWAYS When something is big enough to quantify as a problem then we often have strategies in place to then find and apply solutions. All team members need to be able to identify problems, especially those that ...
Feb 06, 2023•17 min•Ep. 220
In this episode, Lee wants to talk to you about simplicity. Over complication is the enemy of comprehension so when leading people keep it concise and simple to facilitate better understanding with those you lead. KEY TAKEAWAYS Often when in change mode we can become over enthusiastic and overload a task explanation to a team member decreasing their comprehension, knowledge and confidence in the change at hand. Keep instructions to one for each task and you will be unlikely to have to repeat you...
Jan 30, 2023•14 min•Ep. 219
Lee goes back to basics and discusses some of the common pitfalls of business change. You may recognise some of these problems in your own change team and systems as many people have before. Listen in and see if you can avoid these problems before they occur. KEY TAKEAWAYS Immediate success and instant change is rare to impossible. Change is a process and a journey. Communicate clearly to achieve change. Be sure your message has been received. Involve the people who are in the process to develop...
Jan 23, 2023•15 min•Ep. 218
Whose job is it to create motivation? Having a reason to take action is the meaning of ‘motivation’, but whose role is it to demonstrate the reasons to act? The fact is everyone needs a reason to do what they do, but what is the best motivation for your team to not only apply themselves but to do so energetically and enthusiastically? KEY TAKEAWAYS We have to have clarity of understanding of the reason why we are doing our tasks. As leaders, it is up to us to create the ideal environment to moti...
Jan 16, 2023•12 min•Ep. 217
We are not asking our people and each other enough questions as leaders. When we speak of engagement we need to engage the heart, hands and mind. Lee delves deeper into this concept of questions and answers and asks if, with all the technology providing instantaneous answers, are we losing the habit of asking each other questions at all? KEY TAKEAWAYS We need to create an environment where we are asking better questions. Fast solutions for problems often do not provide complex solutions to the g...
Jan 09, 2023•14 min•Ep. 216
Happy 2023! We are about to start the New Year which of course means new years’ resolutions made in good faith and zealously followed for, perhaps, a month and then dropped like yesterday’s old chip fat-soaked newspaper until 2024. Lee is here with his 3 most relevant and attention-worthy business problems that you should be addressing in 2023. KEY TAKEAWAYS How do you plan and execute in continuing uncertain times? We still have instability so it is important to effectively translate what our s...
Jan 02, 2023•21 min•Ep. 215
What is the difference between an Internal and External Improvement Person, be that a Coach, Consultant or Change Practitioner? Lee has been both and in this episode will detail not only the differences but the commonalities, be it the way the two are perceived by their team or those they are working with, the preconceived notions of seniority or the level of credibility offered and maintained. KEY TAKEAWAYS The differences appear in the way the Change Leader is perceived. People often find Exte...
Dec 19, 2022•16 min•Ep. 214
Feedback is often seen as one of the main drivers for improvement, but the nature of that feedback can have a direct bearing on the continuation of the task and the satisfaction and motivation of the staff members involved. Lee explains the feedback ‘sandwich’, the relevant time and forum for feedback, your relationship with the person you are approaching and how you encourage development and learning by asking the right questions. KEY TAKEAWAYS The definition of ‘feedback’ is ‘information about...
Dec 12, 2022•13 min•Ep. 213
In improving the working environment the action of adding tools and changes is often reduced to a box-ticking exercise and not approached as a continuous ongoing task requiring regular attention and updating. Lee is here to encourage you to not let all your approaches slide away and degrade and to keep up that constant improvement. KEY TAKEAWAYS Introduce every new tool on a timeline to keep a close eye on how they are maturing and integrating as they mature and regularly check in on their progr...
Dec 05, 2022•14 min•Ep. 212
Our comprehension of specific words is often informed by the experience of learning its meaning, where we got it from or the person who taught us, for example. In this way, our communication should concentrate on what has been heard, rather than what has been said to avoid misunderstandings. Is your teams understanding of a high performing team in sync? KEY TAKEAWAYS To gain an understanding of peoples opinion of high performance, ask each person to choose an example which for them exemplifies a...
Nov 28, 2022•12 min•Ep. 211
