When your car gets a flat, you fix the tire, not the transmission. Why don’t you do that with your business? While working with clients of all types, I frequently see examples where a few difficult people, one bad outcome, and/or an obvious lack of clear communication and understanding involving one process triggers broad pronouncements and substantial changes in the environment – the equivalent of overhauling the transmission. For example:
Friday’s New York Times article, A Sea Change in Treating Heart Attacks, is a great example of dramatically improving results, not because of subject matter expertise, but because of attention to process. Heart attack death rates have dropped 38% in a decade. And that number probably under reports the real success due to changing demographics and increasing numbers of diabetic, obese, and other high risk patients. The improvement is not the result of new medical techniques. Doctors still remove blockages using a catheter, tiny balloon, and stent. What’s different is speed. The longer a blockage remains in place, the more damage is done to the heart and the more likely the patient is to die. Typical times between emergency calls and blockage removal have dropped from as much as two hours to under 60 minutes. At one hospital, that interval was cut from more than 150 minutes to 57. Some hospitals are now under 50 minutes. This is progress easily measured in lives saved. In hindsight, the changes seem simple and obvious. So simple you may think there is nothing your business could learn from them. I challenge that. Here is what you can learn.
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I made a strawberry-rhubarb pie last weekend in honor of another pie many years ago. It got me thinking about all the times I hear employees say, “That’s just the way it’s done,” because this pie wasn’t the way it was done! Employees fill out forms, walk through stale routines, chase down signatures, and maintain countless documents. Why? “That’s just the way it’s done.” But do you know what the real problem is, beyond the obvious waste of time year after year? They’ve abdicated responsibility for results. They are either operating without an understanding of the desired results or they do understand, but have given up and quit banging their heads against the wall trying to make changes to increase efficiency or improve outcomes. And it’s not just old procedures and habits I’m talking about. New initiatives also generate abdication and mindless execution. Classic and costly examples include the implementation of big programs such as a new performance management system or process improvement program.
Should we raise the minimum wage? Yes or no? Fast food workers are striking and demonstrating across the country. House Republicans were unanimous in there opposition yesterday. Many fear young people will be offered fewer “starter jobs” if those jobs payed “real” wages worthy of more experienced employees. Pundits are coming down loud and clear on both sides. Too bad this is a stupid debate. Too bad so many are wasting all this time and energy, increasing rancor, fueling divisive politics, and getting nowhere fast. As usual. Why is this a stupid debate? There are three reasons and those same reasons explain why many of the debates in your company are also stupid.
His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge acquired his name just two days after his birth. Two days is incredibly fast by royal standards. His grandfather had to wait a month and his father, a week. Thus, all are pleasantly surprised to get results so quickly! I do not know what tradition, objectives, or complexities are behind these royal delays. I do know everyone I’ve ever met has figured this out in advance and named the baby as soon as the gender is certain. But here is my question for you: What royal standards are preventing you from getting results quickly? What traditions have left you accustomed to slowness? What complexities have you learned to accept? Well, enough of that! Call your royal standards by their real name: S-L-O-W. Raise the bar and determine how to improve results.
In just two days last week, I encountered four examples of clients repeatedly jumping through hoops to manage dysfunctional situations rather than fix the situations. Constantly changing time reports to accurately reflect vacation and sick time in a system that requires employees to record work hours before the week even begins Struggling to make an unnecessary standing meeting effective rather than canceling or redefining the purpose of the meeting Plotting to avoid power struggles and find meaningful work for someone whose responsibilities need to be shifted and redefined Focusing on perfecting a plan when the track record points to dusty plans and no execution Dissimilar as these are, they are all examples of wasting time and money unnecessarily and repeatedly by not addressing the underlying problem.
Are you solving the wrong problems? If so, you are not alone. But that doesn’t mean you want to continue!
You’d never buy a car without taking it for a test drive. It’s a big purchase and you’ll likely have it for several years. Never mind that it’s guaranteed to work as advertised and get you from Point A to Point B, you’ll still get in, poke around, see how it feels, count the cup holders, and take it out on the road. I’m a big fan of test drives and here are two situations where they should be used. Process Changes When you want to change the way lots of people work together (e.g., establish new practices, create a new form, shift responsibilities), it’s not unlike buying a new car. It’s a big investment and you’ll likely be stuck with the changes for several years. But unlike a car, your changes are not even guaranteed to work as advertised.
Are you ignoring some of your most important assets? Do you have a few great sales people? Do you have products or projects that roll out predictably and repeatedly while others suffer from schedule, cost, or quality problems? Do you have groups that consistently and happily out-perform your other groups? Do you have employees who quietly exceed nearly every expectation? Do you have customers who advocate on your behalf? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions,