In this continued conversation, Tom Foster and Brandon Bartneck apply Elliott Jaques’s time-span framework to a problem manufacturing leaders know well which is recurring issues that never seem to reach root cause.

Tom distinguishes different levels of problem solving such as trial and error, documented best practices, and root-cause analysis. Each is useful for a different kind of problem. He also explains why teaching someone an A3, 8D, or another root-cause process doesn’t guarantee they’ll use cause-and-effect reasoning when the pressure is on. Brandon tests the framework against the work of an engineering leader. A role with a relatively small team can still carry significant complexity when the leader must rebuild technical knowledge, resolve systemic equipment problems, and translate unclear customer needs into new capabilities.

Tom and Brandon also address the practical implication for hiring and organizational design and encourage leaders to define the decisions, problems, outcomes, and time horizon a role will own before evaluating the candidate.

Key Topics:

• How problem-solving methods change as the complexity of the work increases
• Where trial and error and documented best practices are effective
• Why root-cause training may break down under pressure
• The role of cause-and-effect reasoning in solving unfamiliar problems
• How ambiguity increases the complexity of engineering leadership
• Why team size can be a poor measure of a role’s difficulty
• What happens when someone’s capability doesn’t match the work
• Defining the decisions and problems in a role before hiring

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Applying time-span thinking to recurring production and quality problems

(02:47) - The five levels of work and their time horizons

(05:49) - Trial and error, best practices, and root-cause analysis

(08:07) - The limits of teaching root-cause tools

(09:40) - Why people default to familiar methods under pressure

(15:42) - Scoping the real complexity of an engineering leader role

(18:54) - Turning unclear customer needs into a testable solution

(22:01) - What a capability mismatch looks like during a project

(25:26) - Detecting a mismatch before the project fails

(27:27) - How organizational design affects culture and performance

(28:26) - Defining the work before hiring

Connect with Tom Foster

https://managementblog.org/

https://timespan101.com/

Connect with Brandon Bartneck

Follow Manufacturing Impact

In this episode, Tom Foster, Owner of Foster Learning Corporation, joins Brandon Bartneck to explain why someone can perform well in one role and struggle when the work becomes larger, longer-term, or more ambiguous.

Drawing on Elliott Jaques’ research, Tom introduces four factors that influence performance: required behaviors, interest and passion for the work, skill, and capability. He explains why training can address a skill gap while leaving other causes of underperformance unresolved.

Tom also introduces time span as a way to understand capability. As work extends further into the future, leaders have to make decisions with less complete information, anticipate what could go wrong, and create alternate paths without waiting for someone else to direct each step.

This is the first of a two-part conversation with Tom. It establishes the framework for a continued discussion about matching people to work and applying the concepts across different levels of a manufacturing organization.

Key topics:

• Why strong performance in one role may not predict success in another
• The Peter Principle and the multiple causes of underperformance
• Four factors behind performance: required behaviors, interest and passion, skill, and capability
• The difference between technical knowledge and practiced execution
• Why additional training cannot resolve every performance gap
• How time span connects capability to the complexity of a role
• Making long-term decisions under uncertainty and ambiguity
• The difference between working independently and working with close direction
• Why executives and production teams naturally operate across different time horizons

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction to Tom Foster and the practical value of his work

(01:34) - The research behind the conversation

(02:49) - Why successful employees can struggle after moving into a new role

(03:29) - The Peter Principle and the causes of underperformance

(11:40) - Distinguishing motivation, skill, and capability

(13:02) - Understanding capability through time span

(17:53) - Managing long-term work under uncertainty

(19:15) - The difference between autonomy and close oversight

(19:40) - Working into the future without direction

(23:26) - How managerial levels expand the context of the work

(24:15) - Applying time span to the future of a manufacturing system

(27:02) - Why executives and production teams see different parts of the same problem

(29:01) - How the application and consequences change the work required

Connect with Tom Foster

Connect with Brandon Bartneck

Follow Manufacturing Impact

In this episode, Tracey Fletcher, Chief People Officer at PJ Wallbank Springs and Wallbank Industrial, joins to explore why telling people what to do isn't coaching. Tracey shares a 4-step framework that leaders can using between setting expectations and checking results to move from intention to actual behavior change. This includes communicating what needs to happen, modeling what good looks like, staying close to support while the person practices, and reinforcing progress.

This conversation is especially useful for leaders who want better performance from their team without falling into the trap of either micromanaging or simply delegating and hoping for the best.

Key topics:

• Why clear instructions alone rarely create lasting behavior change
• Coaching for business performance while helping the person grow
• Building the foundation for candid coaching through care, curiosity, trust, and relationship
• Tracey’s four-part coaching sequence: Tell me. Show me. Help me. Recognize me.
• How experienced leaders can model their thinking without taking ownership of the work back
• Using in-the-moment feedback and practice to help a new behavior take hold
• Letting the employee reflect first so they strengthen their own judgment and self-awareness
• Why leaders should examine the coaching process when the expected behavior does not change

Timestamps:

(00:00) Welcome

(00:19) Why leadership requires coaching

(01:14) Coaching for performance and the person behind the performance

(03:57) Building the foundation through care, curiosity, and relationship

(05:15) Why trust, vulnerability, and candor matter

(07:13) Tell me. Show me. Help me. Recognize me.

(11:17) The sports analogy: instruction cannot replace supported practice

(12:52) Moving from task-level direction to active coaching

(16:39) Modeling what good looks like without taking the work back

(19:12) Why expertise makes it easy to forget what learning feels like

(20:44) Applying the coaching sequence to performance conversations

(25:17) Letting the employee reflect before the leader gives feedback

(27:50) Building skills that serve the person beyond one result

(29:42) Why coaching is foundational, demanding, and worth the effort

(30:26) Looking in the mirror when behavior does not change

Brandon Bartneck

Tracey Fletcher

Manufacturing Impact

In this episode, Aaron Hensler, Senior Director and Chief Engineer for Commercial Vans at Rivian, shares how leaders create clarity in complex environments and build teams that continue performing after they step away. Aaron draws from his experience in organizations ranging from a 150-person prototype manufacturer to General Motors and Rivian.

Key topics

• The difference between status-driven leadership and impact-driven leadership.
• Why clarity matters most when complexity is highest, and why leaders must reduce anxiety by creating understanding and direction.
• The value of being able to zoom in and out between strategic leadership and hands-on problem solving on the floor.
• How humility and servant leadership show up in practice, including helping with service parts and being willing to do the urgent work when needed.
• Practical framework for thinking in swim lanes, mapping how work moves across people and functions so leaders can understand where to deploy resources.
• Exploring company size and whether impact comes more from fit or from adaptability, using examples from small prototype companies, Rivian, and General Motors.
• Measuring impact by what remains after stepping away as a leader.

Timestamps

(00:00) - Introducing Aaron Hensler

(01:22) - Why this kind of work is worth a career

(03:31) - Leaving GM for Rivian and choosing growth over status

(04:31) - Why clarity is essential in complex leadership

(06:37) - The value of being useful in high-performing teams

(07:36) - Different skills matter on the same team

(09:44) - Balancing tactical problem solving with strategic leadership

(10:21) - Humility and servant leadership on the floor

(11:11) - Efficiency versus effectiveness in leadership

(12:07) - Scaling through people versus scaling through systems

(13:26) - The swim lanes framework for cross-functional leadership

(15:36) - The danger of acting before understanding the problem

(16:02) - Mapping silos and decision flow at GM before making changes

(17:22) - What impact looks like across different company sizes

(18:49) - Why small, mid-size, and large companies each have different leadership challenges

(20:09) - The aircraft carrier versus speedboat analogy for organizational change

(23:25) - Measuring success by what you can control

(24:21) - Coaching as a way to build growth mindset and team confidence

(25:27) - Matching leadership style to each person’s needs

(26:28) - There is no single right answer in leadership

(28:00) - Setting specific goals and adjusting them as you learn

(30:25) - Aaron’s definition of lasting impact

(31:25) - The most rewarding impact is when the team excels without you

Connect with Aaron Hensler

Connect with Brandon Bartneck

Follow Manufacturing Impact

In this episode, Brandon Bartneck and Chris Wallbank, CEO of Wallbank Industrial and PJ Wallbank Springs, discuss why strong financial performance and a people-centered culture are not in conflict, but instead reinforce each other.

Key topics

• People and performance are not tradeoffs. The best organizations do both and get a flywheel effect from it.
• High performers want to work with other high performers, and that raises the standard across the business.
• Cohesive teams create energy, fulfillment, and better execution, while poor teams drain morale fast.
• Financial performance gives an organization the right to invest in their people.
• Leaders have a responsibility to build cost structures that can survive downturns, not just optimize for the next quarter.
• Competitive advantage only counts if it shows up in the P&L.
• Vertical integration is not automatically a strength if it worsens capital structure or cost structure.
• Engineering leaders need to think like business owners, not just function owners, and connect product and process decisions to customer value.
• People are the source of competitive advantage, and competitive advantage is what enables reinvestment in people.

Timestamps

(00:00) Chris Wallbank returns to discuss people and performance

(00:46) Why caring about people and caring about performance are not opposites

(02:01) How team performance affects energy, mastery, and business outcomes

(02:59) High performers expect to work with other high performers

(04:05) Moving from silos to teams on the production floor

(05:33) Why people want to be part of something good or great

(06:42) Why financial stability matters for meaningful impact

(07:31) Caring for people means helping them grow professionally

(08:18) Why organizations must earn the right to invest in employees

(10:16) Profitability as the decision point for reinvestment versus extraction

(11:30) Why some business models cannot credibly promise no layoffs

(12:44) Leadership responsibility to build resilience before a downturn

(13:45) Quarter-to-quarter thinking versus long-term stewardship

(17:17) Competitive advantage as sustainable differentiation

(19:35) Understanding Michael Porter and practical competitive analysis

(20:23) Why advantage must show up in the P&L

(22:16) The limits of vertical integration as a strategy

(24:43) What competitive advantage means for functional leaders

(25:27) Engineering as the heartbeat of the organization

(26:54) Engineering leaders as enterprise-centric, not function-centric

(27:53) Differentiation must create customer value or it fails

(28:25) Thinking like a business owner in product development

(29:23) Growth is easier when you are not trying to differentiate

(30:09) Why undifferentiated product lines are dangerous for jobs

(31:23) The flywheel between people, performance, and competitive advantage

(32:25) Why this topic matters for any purpose-driven organization

Connect with Chris Wallbank

Connect with Brandon Bartneck

Manufacturing Impact

In this episode, Aron Kolosik, Founder of AK Coaching, shares insights from his 30-year career in manufacturing on how plant managers can create meaningful impact, foster team growth, and navigate the unique challenges of operational leadership.

Key Topics:

• The critical role of a plant manager as a mini-CEO and their impact on team and community
• Challenges and misconceptions about the plant manager role and how to reframe its perception
• Parallels between sports coaching and manufacturing leadership: building culture, systems, and results
• Strategies for managing recurring issues through prioritization and systemic problem solving
• The importance of reflection, vulnerability, and relationship-building for effective leadership
• Balancing impact and burnout: setting boundaries while operating in a purposeful space
• Leveraging AI and technology to streamline preventative maintenance and problem-solving
• Developing skills incrementally: trusting team members to handle tasks at 80% competence to free up leadership bandwidth

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction to manufacturing impact and guest Aron Kolosik

00:30 - Aron’s background and career in manufacturing leadership

01:15 - Defining a successful plant manager and their responsibilities

02:22 - How perceptions of plant managers are shaped and misconceptions

03:22 - Parallels between coaching sports and manufacturing leadership

05:26 - The opportunity and lack of awareness about the plant manager role

07:03 - Living a purpose-driven life through leadership and impact

08:00 - The importance of developing others and coaching at work

09:37 - Caring deeply about team development and work impact

10:37 - Balancing meaningful impact with stress and time commitments

11:45 - Managing workload, impact, and personal boundaries

13:10 - Structuring time for reflection and relationship building

14:39 - Prioritization in firefighting and systemic problem solving

16:00 - Approaching recurring equipment issues with targeted solutions

18:05 - Using AI to accelerate troubleshooting and preventative maintenance

20:42 - Prioritizing systemic issues over solving every individual problem

24:20 - The importance of understanding failure modes and building robust systems

28:16 - The enduring value of human judgment and leadership relationships

30:21 - The role of reflection and self-awareness in leadership development

33:07 - Building trust through vulnerability and authentic relationships

35:33 - The loneliness of leadership and the value of coaching and community

Connect with Aron Kolosik

AK Coaching

Connect with Brandon Bartneck

Manufacturing Impact

In this episode, Brandon Bartneck explores how understanding, developing, and deploying your unique strengths can lead to a career that genuinely creates positive impact. He dives into his personal journey in manufacturing from a big aerospace company (Boeing) to a small, family-owned automotive company (PJ Wallbank Springs) and shares his lessons learned on finding fulfillment through impactful work. He encourages listeners to focus on finding the right environment that allows you to use your talents to serve others instead of chasing a cool product, well-known brand, or collecting a paycheck.

Key topics:

• The importance of identifying and cultivating personal gifts to serve others
• Brandon’s early career: working at Boeing and his realization that product impact alone wasn’t enough for fulfillment
• Transitioning into business development to understand how products and services create value
• The significance of aligning your career with your unique strengths and the impact you want to make
• How working in a family-owned manufacturing environment can offer scale and meaningful influence
• The challenge and opportunity of leading in complex, dynamic manufacturing environments
• The role of empathy, systems thinking, and long-term commitment in fostering a thriving workplace
• The societal and economic importance of manufacturing, especially in community impact and culture
• Why manufacturing is an underrated sector with high impact potential for those willing to roll up their sleeves
• Encouragement for professionals wired for problem-solving and service to pursue careers in impactful manufacturing roles

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction

(00:30) - The worldview of creating meaningful impact through gifts and strengths

(00:58) - Early career at Boeing: impact through product and recognition of fulfillment gaps

(02:24) - Moving into business development: understanding value creation

(03:42) - Connecting personal purpose with business impact

(04:11) - Lessons from working in engineering services and developing core skills

(05:32) - Developing empathy, systems thinking, and strategic influence

(06:30) - Recognizing the limitations of consulting roles for meaningful impact

(07:56) - The importance of aligning career with personal gifts and societal contribution

(08:54) - Why impact in manufacturing is profound and often underestimated

(10:48) - The role of leadership and care in complex manufacturing environments

(12:45) - The societal importance and future opportunities in manufacturing

(15:10) - The unique opportunity for impact in small, family-run manufacturing businesses

(16:37) - Encouragement for problem-solvers to pursue manufacturing careers

Manufacturing Impact

Connect with Brandon Bartneck

In this episode, Nathan Saliga, Chief Technology Officer at Our Next Energy (ONE) explores what it takes to build a lean team that consistently delivers outsized results. It requires creating environments where people think like owners. That means empowering people early in their careers with responsibility, prioritizing curiosity and ownership over experience, and trusting people to make decisions and learn from their mistakes.

Key Takeaways:

• Why ownership instead of hierarchy is the foundation of high-performing, lean teams
• How trusting early-career engineers with meaningful responsibility accelerates growth
• The leadership balance between providing direction and avoiding micromanagement
• What to look for when hiring people who will thrive in autonomous environments
• Why demonstrated curiosity, teamwork, and initiative predict future leadership better than credentials alone
• How great employees proactively identify and solve problems before they're asked
• Practical approaches to communication and decision-making inside lean organizations
• Why smaller organizations often provide greater opportunities for individual impact and career growth

Timestamps:

(00:00) – Introduction to Nathan Saliga and Our Next Energy

(03:55) – Creating impact through manufacturing

(05:25) – Why ownership creates extraordinary teams

(07:15) – Hiring for curiosity, ownership, and initiative

(09:50) – Finding evidence of leadership potential

(12:35) – Recognizing high performers early

(14:30) – Coaching vs. micromanaging: Finding the right balance

(17:15) – Communication systems in lean organizations

(20:45) – When should you hire more people?

(22:45) – Balancing growth with long-term business health

(27:20) – Why smaller companies create bigger opportunities for impact

Connect with Nathan Saliga

Connect with Brandon Bartneck

Follow Manufacturing Impact

Tracey Fletcher, Chief People Officer at PJ Wallbank Springs and Wallbank Industrial, shares her perspective on what makes a great leader, emphasizing the importance of motivation, continuous learning, and structured support systems. Tracey shares that motivation is the key, inherent qualifier for leaders who are excellent, rather than just effective.

Main Topics Covered:

• Are leaders born or made? The evolving perspective on leadership development
• The critical role of motivation in leadership: intrinsic versus extrinsic drivers
• Identifying genuine motivation: breadcrumbs in conversation and behavior
• The importance of systemic support and organizational structures to sustain leadership growth
• The significance of self-reflection and reflective practices for leaders
• How to assess and support leaders at different stages of their development
• The value of coaching versus mentoring in leadership effectiveness
• Practical approaches to leading consistently amid distractions and challenges

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Introduction to Tracey Fletcher

(01:20) - Are leaders born or made?

(02:56) - Motivation as a key qualifier for excellent leaders

(03:36) - Differentiating effective motivation: serving others versus self-interest

(04:22) - How to determine if a leader's motivation aligns with organizational purpose

(05:17) - How work environments shape leadership opportunities

(06:38) - The engagement crisis: disconnect between managing and leading

(07:25) - The fallacy of promoting top performers to leadership roles without considering motivation

(10:59) - Leadership as a calling rather than a title

(12:03) - Translating leadership knowledge into action

(13:49) - Consistency as a key to leadership development

(15:03) - Practical strategies for leaders to reflect and improve amidst busy schedules

(18:04) - The power of self-reflection and its underrated role in leadership

(21:28) - The importance of a supportive culture and systems for sustainable leadership

(22:42) - Practical tips: breaking reflection into manageable daily or weekly exercises

(28:45) - Key takeaways: motivation matters, foundational skills are essential, and systems sustain growth

(29:26) - The role of coaching versus mentorship in leadership

Connect with Tracey Fletcher

Connect with Brandon Bartneck

Follow Manufacturing Impact

Chris Wallbank, CEO and President of PJ Wallbank Springs and Wallbank Industrial, joins to share his perspective on how impact in manufacturing extends beyond products to influence people, culture, and legacy. Chris shares his mindset shift on turning his family business into a force for positive change.

Key topics:

• Chris Wallbank's journey from rejecting inheritance of the family business to embracing impact-driven leadership
• The importance of starting from where you are and leveraging existing advantages
• Evolving perspectives on impact from product to people
• The ripple effect of manufacturing on employees, families, and communities
• How to approach impact intentionally, beyond just profitability
• The role of work as a source of meaning and contribution
• Challenging manufacturing stereotypes
• Manufacturing can and should become a place where people become better than when they arrived
• The importance of action in creating real change

Timestamps:

(00:00) - Chris Wallbank's background and family's manufacturing legacy

(00:49) - Why Chris initially rejected succession but later embraced impact

(03:00) - Impact of starting in a family business with intent

(03:56) - Making impact a personal and professional mission

(07:19) - Challenging assumptions about impact

(08:26) - The importance of leveraging advantages to accelerate impact

(09:20) - The influence of John F. Kennedy's quote on leadership and responsibility

(10:18) - Building a legacy through impact on employees and community

(11:15) - The analogy of athletic gifts and hard work

(12:20) - The importance of raising personal impact standards

(13:17) - Moving from end-product focus to impact on people

(15:11) - Inspiration from Bob Chapman on impact and caring for team members

(16:38) - Creating a positive work environment as a form of impact

(18:33) - The ripple effects of manufacturing

(19:28) - Addressing industry stereotypes and cultural change

(22:33) - The purpose of this podcast: sharing, learning, and action

Resources & Links:

• Bob Chapman’s book "Everybody Matters"
• Chris Wallbank's LinkedIn
• Brandon Bartneck's LinkedIn

Follow Manufacturing Impact for more episodes to deepen this ongoing discussion.