Leading Quality Podcast
Maria Mentzer, Chief Marketing Officer at See to Solve, recently joined Dr. Jason Meadows on the Leading Quality podcast for a thoughtful conversation.
In the episode, Maria shares her journey — from Intel to MIT, and eventually teaming up with Dr. Steven Spear at See to Solve. She explains why, once you’ve seen these problem-solving methods truly work, it becomes almost impossible to stop helping organizations build a stronger, more effective culture of improvement.
Why Seeing Problems Is Not as Simple as It Sounds
In large organizations, leaders often only see the tip of the iceberg.
The real breakthrough happens when you tap into every person’s “eyes and ears” — turning frontline observations into powerful insights.
Improvement Must Start with the People Doing the Work
Real change doesn’t come from external experts mapping processes from afar. It starts with the people who live the work every day — the ones who know the frustrations, the inefficient handoffs, and the hidden pain points.
The Magic Happens When Teams See the Work Together
Some of the most powerful moments are beautifully simple: “I didn’t know you had to do that…” followed by “I can help you with that.”
We Focus on Practicing Behaviors — Not Copying Solutions
Solutions often don’t transfer from one team to another. But the behaviors that created those solutions can. That’s why we emphasize practicing the right habits over importing ready-made fixes.
Leadership Support Is Not Optional
Without leaders who create the time, space, and psychological safety for this work — and who show up with genuine curiosity — even the best efforts tend to fizzle out.
Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy
Seeing problems clearly, swarming them together, solving them, spreading the learning, and leading differently are all simple in concept — but they require consistent practice and discipline.
At its best, this work is about helping people come into work knowing that they are valued, that “your brain is valued,” and that they have more time and energy to devote to the profession they trained for.
Resources:
- Read excerpts from The High-Velocity Edge: Chapters 1, 4, & 5 and Chapter 11 Healthcare
- Read excerpt from Wiring the Winning Organization.
Order Steve’s book, The High-Velocity Edge here
Order Steve’s book, Wiring the Winning Organization here
| Steven Spear DBA MS MS Principal, See to Solve LLC Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management Senior Fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement Author, The High Velocity Edge Click Here For Steve Spear’s LinkedIn |