The RMS Titanic, considered unsinkable, set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton, Great Britain, to New York City on April 10, 1912.
The ship hit an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. (ship’s time) on April 14, 1912. Within three hours of striking the iceberg the ship sank, killing more than 1,500 of the 2,224 passengers on board. The wreckage, discovered by Robert Ballard and his team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute on September 1, 1985, now sits over 12,000 feet (3,700 m) below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.
Just as the RMS Titantic was sunk by an iceberg, so have many companies been sunk by significant problems that are hidden below the surface. Often small issues, symptoms of much larger issues, may be seen. Although most companies do not have problems as large as those of Enron or Tyco International, there may still be signs that the company has serious operational issues.
When looking at process improvement initiatives, it is vital to understand issues that may be hidden below the surface. This can be done by thoroughly analyzing the available data and determining root cause(s). Only by understanding what may be below the surface can one truly understand the problem and determine appropriate corrective actions.
How are you helping your employees to work smarter by reducing the amount of time they spend on non-productive activities and correcting errors? 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.
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