When In Doubt, Map It Out!
I recently attended a course on teamwork. All of the participants were well-educated professionals. One of the activities involved following a series of 12 verbal commands in order to solve a word problem. At the end of the exercise, only 2 of 15 participants achieved the correct answer. The instructor then went on to discuss active listening and how to help team members improve their listening skills. From a quality improvement perspective, the simple exercise reminded me of how important it is to develop a process map when evaluating an established protocol or standard operating procedure. By enlisting the help of those that are performing the process on a daily basis, it is often quite interesting to see how the actual process differs from the written, “defined” method. Many times, I hear from my clients that the original process was modified to fit a certain person or necessitated by unique circumstances. Thus, the current process may look nothing like its original design. Once a current basic process map is created, it can then be used as the basis for other evaluations, such as a more in-depth mapping exercise or to help determine what data should be collected. A good current state map is also essential as a team begins to develop the future state of the process and compare where change(s) need to be made. The team needs to know where it’s been before it can decide where to go. A detailed process map can take time and input from several sources, but the benefits are worth the effort. By taking the time necessary to confirm the accuracy of the process map, a team is guaranteed that they are beginning the project from the best starting point. How are you helping your employees to work smarter by reducing the amount of time they spend on non-productive activities? If your business processes need a “check-up,” please email me at michael@leadingchangeforgood.com! I’d love to help you get back to a healthy, productive workplace!...
Read MoreTurning “No” to “Yes”
It doesn’t matter how great your team’s idea is; if there’s no buy-in from your C-suite and key players aren’t engaged, it will never happen. Quality Improvement (QI) can benefit from conducting a stakeholder analysis to anticipate resistance to a proposed change well before the “go-live” day. Who are stakeholders, and why should you analyze them? Stakeholders are those who are invested in the outcome of a project – for better or worse. Stakeholders will either help or hinder the project, depending on their views. The QI team carries out stakeholder analysis by understanding who has a vested interest in the project, what their views and expectations are, and how they might influence the project as a whole. Please note: a stakeholder analysis often contains sensitive information and therefore should only by shared among team members and the project sponsor. Let’s face it. Projects involving change often stir emotions and encounter resistance. The higher the impact of the projected change, the more important this tool becomes. By taking time for a stakeholder analysis, a QI team can develop an appropriate communication plan to address stakeholders’ concerns before implementation, ensuring the project’s successful start. Tips to Conduct Your Own Stakeholder Analysis List all stakeholder names. This is anyone who will be affected by the project: people in the process managers in the process people upstream to the process people downstream to the process customers suppliers, etc. On a scale of 1-5, rate each person’s CURRENT and DESIRED willingness to embrace the proposed change and to advocate for the change. 1 = Strong Willingness to Support and Embrace Change 2 = Willingness to Support 3 = Neutral 4 = Resistant 5 = Strongly Resistant to Support and Embrace Change It may not be necessary for everyone to be at a 1 or 2, but since major changes require a team effort, it is important to have the major players neutral or better before starting or proceeding with implementation. Document the roles and the relationships stakeholders have that impact one another. Develop a communication action plan to get these individuals to a desired rating quickly. Keep them up to date on the progress of the project and let them know of any changes that might affect them. Turn their “no” to “yes”! How are you helping your employees to work smarter by reducing the amount of time they spend on non-productive activities? If your business processes need a “check-up,” please email me at michael@leadingchangeforgood.com! I’d love to help you get back to a healthy, productive...
Read MoreDon’t Reinvent the Wheel – Replicate It
When looking at issues facing your organization, it is easy to think that a problem is unique, and therefore requires a unique solution. While this approach is understandable, it may not be necessary. Often, an issue has already been identified and corrected by another team, either internal or external to the company. Isn’t it comforting to think that a different group may have already tackled your conundrum — and solved it? Wouldn’t you want to learn from their best practices? It’s worth the effort to find out. A Continuous Improvement team can benefit from looking for solutions that have previously worked for another team before developing a new resolution. This is referred to as “replication”. Instead of reinventing the wheel, a team can try a proven approach to solve a shared problem or efficiency. This can save time and money. It can also reduce employee frustration, as a known solution with a track record of success is frequently better accepted than an unknown development. Replication is a great way to introduce a successful solution into several departments of a company. For example, the replication of 5S programs has been used to standardize the layout of supplies, equipment and storage at nursing stations within a hospital. This allows nurses and other staff to move easily between nursing stations, saving time and frustration caused by having to hunt for needed materials. How are you helping your employees to work smarter by reducing the amount of time they spend on non-productive activities? If your business processes need a “check-up,” please email me at michael@leadingchangeforgood.com! I’d love to help you get back to a healthy, productive...
Read MoreKISS Your Workplace Problem Goodbye!
I recently caught excerpts from this year’s Rube Goldberg competition on YouTube. These machine contests tackle the most mundane tasks and ask participants to create their own overly elaborate, chain-reaction inventions. This year’s competition focused on designing wacky contraptions that would open an umbrella. Check out a fun sample here. Who knew that such a simple task could become so complicated! The competitions are hilarious, encourage teamwork and out-of-the-box problem solving. But the video reminded me that simplifying the steps in a process – not complicating them — is often even harder to accomplish. I think we naturally complicate things sometimes, don’t you? That’s where KISS can help. Remeber KISS? No, not that 1970s rock band, but that efficient acronym of simplicity: Keep It Simple Stupid. The Lean Six Sigma KISS principle states that most systems work best if they are kept simple rather than made complicated; therefore simplicity should be a key goal in design and unnecessary complexity should be avoided. The KISS phrase is thought to have been coined by the late Kelly Johnson, an engineer who led the design of some 40 military and civilian aircrafts into production at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. It is worth noting that Johnson’s version of the phrase had no comma and was written “keep it simple stupid”. Johnson told the Lockheed designers that whatever they made had to be something that could be repaired by a person in a field with simple tools and basic mechanic’s training. The theater of war (for which many of Lockheed’s products were designed) would not allow for more than that. If their products weren’t simple and easy to understand – they would quickly become obsolete in combat conditions and thus worthless. We’ve all heard the advice KISS. But how many of us actually apply it at our workplace? It’s easy to get trapped into thinking that we’ve got to continually increase the complexity of what we’re doing. In fact, complexity only brings chaos. Simplicity is a key design principle. The easier something is to understand and use – the more likely it is to be adopted and engaged with. And, the less likely it is for something to go wrong! If your business processes need a “check-up,” please email me at michael@leadingchangeforgood.com! I’d love to help you get back to a healthy, productive...
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