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Directions: March 2009
Is it the right time for a redesign?
by Ellen C. Davis
On a recent CNBC broadcast, I heard that Warren Buffet said that the
economy “fell off a cliff.” No
kidding. And, with that fall, significant shifts have occurred in
our organizations. Some people are gone; others have moved around;
some work has been shelved; other work requires greater attention;
climate and morale have slumped.
A typical response is to hunker down, keep using the same
approaches, and wait for a better day. An alternative response might
be to challenge ourselves to find creative new ways of working that
just might help us get through the here-and-now more successfully as
well as ensure we emerge stronger and healthier in the days to come.
Yes, the time could be very right for a redesign, whether it
be redesign of some system that needs to respond better under the
new economic conditions, or redesign of a system that has actually
needed attention for some time.
The challenges that lead to work system redesign can vary. Perhaps
it is that “we still have to get much the same work accomplished,
even though our workforce has been reduced by 10% or more.” Or, “our
focus has shifted, so we need to assess what our internal and
external customer demands are now and organize more appropriately to
meet them.” Or, “we have known for ages that our coaching process
for leaders is weak, and now when we need our leaders so much, we
simply have to find a better way to support them in carrying out
their role through this difficult downturn.” Or, “our team needs
more training than ever to remain flexible, but our training budget
has shrunk and our available time to do training has shrunk as
well.” Or, “the way our jobs/departments have been organized and
structured in the past will never work in this new economy.”
Do those challenges feel familiar? If so, you likely have a work
system redesign opportunity. Here’s what it will take:
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A leader who imagines and can provide at least an outline of a better way, and then inspire others to participate in planning to achieve it.
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At least a few people willing to work on this project who will energetically open themselves up to consider the possibilities of a brighter (though potentially different) way of working.
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A process to thoughtfully explore issues and alternatives, to form and communicate ideas, and to develop specific and actionable next steps.
You likely already have the challenge and can envision a better way,
and you probably even have some folks willing to go to work on it.
But you may be uncomfortable knowing how they should proceed. For
that, you need only a simple, and preferably an already understood
method. Consider this:
Step 1. Get clear about the goal(s).
The team must answer these questions: What are the desired outcomes?
How will we know when we have achieved them (measures)? What will be
the people-related results? Why will this be “better” for the
team/organization (rationale)? How does this support our
organization’s long term Vision & Culture? Now- communicate and get
input from key stakeholders.
Step 2. Specify what isn’t working currently.
Here the team makes a data-based and objective assessment of the
current situation. They pragmatically explore the new operating
environment with its requirements and constraints. They pinpoint
specific problem areas or gaps that are in the way of the current
design allowing the organization to achieve its desired goal(s).
Time for more stakeholder communication.
Step 3. Design the system changes.
Some benchmarking calls and reading can be helpful to get the
creative juices flowing (visits really are not required when funds
are tight). The outcome of this step is a description of that better
way and how it will work. Put meat on the bones of that Goal
Statement. And communicate for stakeholder input.
Step 4. Prepare for a successful implementation.
The result is, at its most basic, an Action Plan covering (1)
Detailed Steps, (2) Timeframes, and (3) Responsibilities. But
frankly, that will not be enough. You also need (4) a
Measurement/Audit/Review process, (5) a Communication Plan, (6) an
Owner to oversee implementation, and (7) a Sponsor to support and
nudge things along.
For each of these Steps, there are a myriad of tools and techniques
that already exist in your organization. If you are into Six Sigma,
you are likely thinking about where VOCs, KJs, RACIs, and all the
rest might be employed. If you are an old fashioned Total Quality
fan, you may be thinking of a problem-solving CAT team toolkit. If
you prefer Lean, you may be reaching for your copy of Gemba
Kaizen. Whatever tools you employ already – those are the tools
to use. Employees know them and further investment is not required
to utilize them.
And, no, you don’t even have to have a consultant to do this (as
much as we hate to admit it).
Now, you may be thinking that you haven’t read anything really
new in this article. Good for you! There isn’t anything really new
here – just a reminder to get going, engage people in creative,
continuous improvement, and lead employees and your business to a
better place. The time is
right now to ask thoughtful questions about work system
improvements. It’s also time that you may not have had when the
economy was booming, plants were full, and no one could hire people
fast enough – was that only a year or less ago?
We welcome your
comments to this and all our Directions articles. Send an email to
info@ecdavis.com.