Everyday Business Problems

In this solo episode of the Everyday Business Problems podcast, Dave Crysler tackles the myth of "best practices" and why blindly copying what works for someone else rarely delivers the same results. Drawing on a story from early in his leadership career, Dave shares how a borrowed quality system fell flat until it was adapted to fit the real-world needs of his team. If you've ever felt frustrated that a proven method didn't work for your business, this episode will show you how to turn best practices into better outcomes through clarity, consistency, and accountability.

What You'll Discover:

• Why best practices aren't a silver bullet, and what to do instead.

• A real-world story about adopting and adapting a quality system from another company.

• How timing, context, and resources impact the success of any process.

• A practical way to use best practices as a foundation, not a finished product.

• The importance of involving your team to uncover the most critical tasks and hurdles.

In this episode of the Everyday Business Problems podcast, Dave Crysler digs into three difficult conversations leaders tend to avoid, but shouldn't. Drawing from nearly 30 years of leadership experience and stories from the shop floor to the boardroom, Dave walks through the conversations that can make or break your team's clarity, alignment, and long-term success. If you've ever hesitated to say what needs to be said, this episode gives you practical tools to lead with empathy, clarity, and confidence.

What You'll Discover:

• Why "You're not meeting expectations" needs more than vague feedback.

• How to handle when a role is no longer a fit, without diminishing the person.

• Why sharing what's changing (and why) early matters more than having all the answers.

• Real-world examples of change gone wrong, and how to prevent it.

• Communication tips that improve clarity, reduce turnover, and build trust.

• A mindset shift that separates high-performing leaders from the rest: leaning into the hard conversations.

In this solo episode of the Everyday Business Problems podcast, Dave Crysler tackles a common operational challenge: how to build a standardized process when everyone does it differently. Dave shares a five-step approach to defining your organization's best practices while allowing for necessary flexibility. From observation to mapping, gaining consensus, testing, and continuous improvement, you'll learn how to create repeatable outcomes that improve efficiency, culture, and customer experience.

What You'll Discover:

• Why observing and asking questions should come before documenting processes.

• How to map processes effectively using simple, accessible tools.

• Strategies for gaining team consensus and balancing flexibility with standardization.

• The importance of testing changes to ensure they deliver the intended results.

• How to embed continuous improvement loops to keep processes relevant and effective.

• Why standardized processes improve financial results, culture, and customer experience.

Boomerang employees, those who leave and later return are on the rise, but should you really rehire them? In this episode of the Everyday Business Problems podcast, Dave talks with Jeannette Seibly, award-winning talent advisor and author of Hire Amazing Employees, about the strategic pros and hidden pitfalls of bringing former team members back on board. They explore how to avoid hiring mistakes, build smarter systems, and treat returning employees with the same rigor as new hires.

What You'll Learn:

• Why 35% of new hires today are boomerangs

• Risks of relying on memory instead of process

• How to use strategic job fit analysis and assessments

• Red flags to watch for in returning candidates

• How onboarding can make or break rehires

Whether you're considering a return hire or just want to tighten up your hiring system, this episode delivers practical tips to help you make better decisions, reduce turnover, and build a more resilient team.

In this solo episode of the Everyday Business Problems podcast, Dave Crysler unpacks the importance of risk assessment exercises, and why they're often overlooked until it's too late. From lightning strikes and power outages to theft and server failures, Dave shares real-world stories that highlight just how vulnerable businesses can be without a disaster recovery and continuity plan. You'll learn a simple, repeatable process for identifying risks, prioritizing responses, and creating systems that help your business bounce back quickly when the unexpected hits.

What You'll Discover:

• Why most businesses underestimate the likelihood and impact of disruptive events.

• A 3-part framework for conducting risk assessments: identify, assess impact, and evaluate likelihood.

• Examples of internal and external threats, from employee theft to natural disasters.

• How to evaluate operational, customer, and data vulnerabilities across your organization.

• Real-world stories of backup failures and business disruptions caused by missing recovery plans.

• Why testing and reviewing your disaster plan regularly is just as important as having one.

In this solo episode of the Everyday Business Problems podcast, Dave Crysler explores how applying continuous improvement principles to customer onboarding can drive serious value, both internally and for your customers. Dave shares stories from his experience in business transitions and breaks down a simple three-step process to eliminate waste, prioritize changes, and sustain improvements in the front-end of your business. Whether you're in manufacturing or services, this episode will help you uncover quick wins and build lasting systems.

What You'll Discover:

• Why customer onboarding is often the best starting point for operational improvement.

• A 3-step framework: process mapping, prioritizing ideas, and implementing/testing improvements.

• Real-life examples of reducing wait times and eliminating bottlenecks with simple tweaks.

• How to build a continuous improvement wall and use tri-storming to crowdsource ideas.

• The hidden risk of "siloed efficiency" and how to prevent front-end improvements from overwhelming your ops.

• Why sustainable change requires both strategic vision and cross-functional collaboration.

In this solo episode of the Everyday Business Problems podcast, Dave Crysler breaks down why the words we use matter, especially when working across departments or launching new initiatives. Dave shares real-world examples of how misaligned language leads to confusion, inefficiency, and siloed thinking, even when everyone thinks they're on the same page. He also offers practical tips to create a shared vocabulary and collective vision that drives clarity, communication, and better results across your organization.

What You'll Discover:

• Why miscommunication often stems from different departments using the same words with different meanings.

• How to avoid siloed thinking and align your team with a shared definition of success.

• The power of creating a glossary of terms for cross-functional collaboration.

• Tips for simplifying language and eliminating unnecessary jargon in your organization.

• A simple pulse-check question to use in meetings to ensure alignment: "Are we all talking about the same thing?"

• How to build bridges across teams by focusing on collective effectiveness over siloed efficiency.

In this solo episode of the Everyday Business Problems podcast, Dave Crysler explains why walking the process, also known as a Gemba walk, is one of the most overlooked yet powerful habits leaders can adopt. From manufacturing floors to office environments, Dave shares real-world stories and lessons learned from skipping this critical step. He outlines how walking the process reveals hidden inefficiencies, improves decision-making, and builds trust with your team.

What You'll Discover:

• What a Gemba walk really is, and why it's essential in any business environment.

• Real-life examples of how walking the process uncovered unexpected bottlenecks.

• Why dashboards and process maps can't replace firsthand observation.

• The dangers of making decisions without context and frontline input.

• A practical prioritization tool and free download to help you turn observations into action.

• How to avoid the "change whiplash" that kills morale and stalls improvement efforts.

In this episode of the Everyday Business Problems podcast, Dave Crysler welcomes Chad Bareither, Principal Consultant at The Bareither Group and author of Improve Less. Chad shares his Focus and Align framework, a strategy for narrowing your improvement efforts to achieve sustainable business results. Together, they unpack why most organizations take on too much change at once, and how to shift your approach to focus on the work that truly matters. From daily management to cultural transformation, this episode is full of practical advice for leaders looking to stabilize costs, expand capacity, and grow profitability.

What You'll Discover:

• Why "doing less" can lead to more meaningful and sustainable improvements.

• How the Focus and Align framework helps leaders prioritize, align, and take action.

• Real-world examples of reducing project overload and increasing momentum.

• How to build buy-in by making process changes meaningful to frontline teams.

• The importance of consistent updates, clear communication, and avoiding initiative fatigue.

• How small and large businesses can overcome different obstacles to operational excellence.

• Tips for embedding tools like 5S and problem-solving in a way that actually sticks.

In this solo episode of the Everyday Business Problems podcast, Dave Crysler breaks down one of the most popular lean tools in operations, 5S. Dave walks through the 3S, 5S, and 6S versions of this system, explaining what each step means and how to actually make it stick. Through personal stories, client examples, and a trip to Toyota's factory, Dave explores the difference between implementing a tool and embedding it into your culture. If you've ever struggled to sustain workplace organization efforts, this episode will help you rethink your approach and start with the right why.

What You'll Discover:

• The difference between 3S, 5S, and 6S, and why "sustain" and "safety" matter most.

• Why workplace organization fails without a clear why, what, and how.

• How tools like 5S support efficiency, quality, and safety when used intentionally.

• A behind-the-scenes story from Dave's tour of Toyota's Kentucky plant.

• How to avoid the common trap of short-term cleanup efforts that backslide over time.

• Practical tips to involve your team, build buy-in, and roll out 5S one step at a time.

• A free 5S audit template to help you get started or sustain your progress.

6S Audit Tool