How Leadership can Learn to TRUST their Teams
After 48 years of innovating and 33 years of consulting - I believe that the ROOT CAUSE of a lack of innovation at most companies is the lack of TRUST that leaders have in the ability of their teams to innovate successfully. This lack of trust sets off a chain...
Innovation Mixologists & Bartenders
A wise man taught me recently the difference between a Bartender and a Mixologist. A Mixologist is a guru who creates cocktails. The mixologist is a celebrated celebrity. A Bartender is a friend who creates connections. The bartender is a teacher,...
Walking the Talk – I Need Your Help with Failing!
The following is my first draft of a commencement speech to a Graduate school that I’m giving in May. I’d love your ideas and advice. Family and friends this is a very special group of people. To be awarded an advanced degree requires that the candidate formally...
You Change the World When You Change Your Mind
The last song of the Broadway musical Kinky Boots is a lesson to everyone “You change the world when you change your mind.” A mindset of curiosity discovers new ideas. A mindset of experimentation sparks fresh ideas. A mindset...
The Joy of Failing
This past week I’ve been pushing myself to new levels of failure. I’m not talking polite “excuse me” failures I’m talking about down right UGH that didn’t work. In some cases they were public failures - messing up the cooking of a meal - making mistakes on...
5 Reasons Organizations Don’t Pursue Big Ideas
Following the financial crises of 2008, organizations pulled back from “thinking big” and embraced small, incremental ideas. The problem with this is these ideas still require investment of time, energy and money but with very little financial and emotional return....
Doug’s Newest Book
PROACTIVE Problem Solving
Published January 2025 -Stop the Stupid and Build a Smarter, More Productive Organization
The way businesses operate is broken. You see it every day — inefficient systems, endless frustrations, and wasted time. Only 32% of employees feel engaged, while managers spend up to 3.5 hours a day fixing problems caused by flawed work systems. The result is frustration, squandered resources, and missed opportunities.
In PROACTIVE Problem Solving, Doug Hall — visionary & founder of Eureka! Ranch and Brain Brew Distillery — delivers a bold solution to Stop the Stupid and eliminate what’s not working. His proven approach, developed through decades of innovation leadership, empowers organizations to find and fix problems by engaging everyone from the frontline to the c-suite in the problem-solving process.
Grounded in real-world success, this book draws from Doug’s experience leading over 20,000 innovations at Eureka! Ranch and scaling Brain Brew Distillery from a startup to producing over 100,000 cases of bourbon annually.
PROACTIVE Problem Solving dives deep to unearth proven methods for growth and profitability:
- Defining Problems and Solutions: Identify what the problem is, then focus on the “why.” Pinpoint the issues that matter, and build communication skills needed to implement effective solutions.
- Creating Solutions: Understand the three principles that increase problem-solving capabilities: exploring stimulus, leveraging diversity and inclusion, and driving out fear. You’ll learn proven techniques for engaging employees, fostering innovation, and turning teams into problem-solving virtuosos.
- Driving out Risk as You Bring Your Idea to Life: Discover Doug’s reliable system for decreasing risk and increasing success. Transform good ideas into game-changing results.
Whether you’re a manager striving to lead more effectively or an employee wanting to make a greater impact, Proactive Problem Solving delivers actionable insights to revolutionize how work gets done. By implementing these methods, your organization can reduce costly mistakes, enhance employee satisfaction, and drive sustainable growth in today’s competitive business environment.
