Summary:

This episode features a "Too Long, Didn't Listen" (TLDL) summary of my conversation with Mark Jehning, founder and CEO of Acuity Dynamics. With over 35 years bringing Fortune 500 level business process optimization to organizations of all sizes, Mark helps founders see the forest from the trees so they can reclaim their freedom while building more profitable, efficient operations. Scott breaks down Mark's key insights on systems thinking, his metric-driven framework focused on leading indicators, and how to release the tribal knowledge dependency that keeps so many organizations stuck.

Show Notes:

01:30 Foundational Insight: The Bigger Picture

02:32 Metric-Driven Framework

03:40 Releasing Tribal Knowledge Dependency

05:12 Final Thoughts

Episode Links:

LinkedIn: Mark Jehning - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-jehning-mba-a397851a1

Acuity Dynamics - www.acuitydynamics.com

Book: Blue Ocean Strategy - https://www.blueoceanstrategy.com

The Connective - https://www.theconnective.me

Summary:

In this episode of The Corvus Effect, I sit down with Mark Jehning, founder and CEO of Acuity Dynamics. With over 35 years of experience spanning aerospace and defense at McDonnell Douglas to Fortune 500 consulting at Arthur Andersen and Applied Materials, Mark brings a unique perspective on business process optimization. He shares his metric-driven framework that quickly identifies the constraints inhibiting order to cash and product development, his performance-based engagement model where he bets on results rather than billable hours, and why most organizations are buried in tribal knowledge they have never documented. Mark explains the difference between leading and lagging indicators, what founders should see on their Monday morning dashboard, and how to help organizations see the forest from the trees.

Show Notes:

00:32 Meet Mark Jehning

02:07 Lessons from Aerospace and Defense

03:16 Seeing the Bigger Picture

05:52 Performance-Based Engagement

07:23 Measuring Process Differently

08:38 Operational Assessment and Tribal Knowledge

09:39 The Monday Morning Dashboard

12:06 Change Management

14:10 The Applied Materials Story

16:18 You Can't Fix What You Can't See

21:49 Leading vs. Lagging Indicators

24:29 Advice for Small Businesses

30:29 Legacy and Final Thoughts

Summary:

This episode features a Too Long, Didn't Listen (TL;DL) summary of my conversation with Jeff Parnell, a fractional interim CEO with 30 years of operational leadership experience. After a 2018 life-saving heart transplant, Jeff crystallized his mission to help business owners transition before it's too late. We explore three key insights: his results-first philosophy from Overton's where numbers mattered more than prettiness, his approach to the silver tsunami of aging business owners held hostage by their companies, and his commitment to execution over beautiful consulting reports. Jeff challenges owners to plan for the unexpected, embrace vulnerability, and surround themselves with people who've been in the trenches.

Show Notes:

01:31 Key Takeaway 1: Owning It - Numbers Need to Work

02:28 Key Takeaway 2: The Heart of Transition Metaphor

03:57 Key Takeaway 3: Execution Over Beautiful Reports