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What if the biggest obstacle to solving a problem isn’t the problem itself but the way we approach it?
In this episode of Collaborative Culture, Kristine and Monica sit down with Jim Sholler, author of Solved in Seven: The Power of Disciplined Problem Solving, to explore a deceptively simple idea: before we rush to fix something, we need to make sure we understand what’s actually wrong.
Drawing on decades of experience leading teams and tackling complex challenges, Jim shares the disciplined problem-solving framework that earned him a reputation as “the fixer.” But this conversation goes well beyond process. It’s about culture: how curiosity, humility, inclusion, and a willingness to challenge assumptions can help teams move from blame and workarounds to learning and lasting solutions.
Because great problem-solving isn’t about having the smartest person in the room. It’s about creating the conditions for the right knowledge to emerge.
In this conversation, Jim walks Kristine and Monica through the thinking behind his framework and explains why effective problem-solving is as much about organizational culture as it is about process.
One of the most powerful shifts? Moving from a culture of trying to “prove what’s wrong” to one committed to “learning what’s wrong.”
We explore:
- Why teams often spend enormous amounts of time solving the wrong problem
- The difference between an observation and a true problem statement
- Why facts should be treated as “proposed facts” until they can actually be verified
- How assumptions and long-held beliefs can quietly derail problem-solving
- Why blame has never solved a problem
- When workarounds are necessary and when they become dangerous
- How bringing different perspectives into the room creates what Jim calls a “coincidence of knowledge”
- Why the person with the answer may not be the person you expected
- How leaders can engage quieter voices and create ownership across a team
- Why finding the root cause doesn’t matter if the organization isn’t willing to fix it
- How disciplined problem-solving can spread from individual teams into the broader organizational culture
- Why this same methodology can be useful far beyond the workplace
Jim also shares several real-world stories where seemingly complicated problems became remarkably simple once teams slowed down, questioned what they thought they knew, and examined the facts together.
The takeaway is one we come back to again and again on Collaborative Culture: culture shapes how work gets done.
When people feel empowered to ask questions, challenge assumptions, contribute what they know, and focus on learning rather than blame, teams don’t just solve problems better. They build an entirely different way of working together.
About Jim Sholler: Jim Sholler spent 27 years at Fidelity Investments in leadership roles across IT, operations, project management, and transformation before developing his disciplined approach to root-cause problem-solving. He is the author of Solved in Seven: The Power of Disciplined Problem Solving and now consults and teaches organizations how to build stronger problem-management cultures.
Connect with Jim
Email: solvedin7@gmail.com
Book: Solved in Seven: The Power of Disciplined Problem Solving
Thanks for Listening!
We’d love to hear from you.
Kristine Gentry, PhD
kgentry@culturegrove.com
🔗 LinkedIn: Kristine McKenzie Gentry
Monica M. Smith
tradewindscareerconsulting@gmail.com
🌐 www.tradewindscareerconsulting.com
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