| "A foolish cabin owner eventually lost his cabin to the | | | | better they'd do better. He urged them to help |
| rot that set in through the leaky roof. When it was | | | | change the culture to "full participation, full |
| raining, he couldn't fix the roof. When the sun was | | | | communication, and full disclosure." He argued for "not |
| shining, he was too busy outside doing other things -- | | | | thinking in traditional ways" and "finding innovative |
| and the roof didn't need fixing then anyway." | | | | ways to get the job done." |
| As Yogi Berra would say, "it was déja vu all | | | | He suggested they "look for ways to add value |
| over again." Five years earlier I had conducted a few | | | | through totally accurate shipments, timely delivery, |
| introductory service/quality improvement workshops | | | | quick turnarounds, a positive attitude, eliminating |
| for the senior management group and head office | | | | unnecessary paperwork and tasks, cooperative |
| support people of a large distribution company. | | | | teamwork, an open door policy, improving efficiency, |
| Performance and feedback surveys were conducted | | | | sharing ideas, reducing shrinkage, and initiating |
| and reviewed during these and follow up workshops. | | | | change." |
| The company clearly had problems with sagging | | | | He went on to outline "a suggestion program" (which |
| morale and customer service, rising costs from | | | | was a form to fill out and send to him) and stressed |
| inefficient processes and quality problems, and low | | | | the company's open door policy. He then suggested |
| innovation levels. | | | | that managers should be "kind enough to have |
| I recommended they begin a multi-year service | | | | meetings with your staff" and have them fill out a |
| quality improvement process. I showed them how | | | | suggestion form and send these to him. "I will take a |
| they could significantly boost the performance | | | | hard look at it and if there are any worthwhile |
| capability of the organization. The senior management | | | | suggestions there, I will act on them very quickly." |
| team wouldn't buy it. They felt the time and money | | | | That was it. There was no skill development, no |
| needed to plan, coordinate, train, and support such an | | | | systems alignment, no systematic approach to |
| extensive improvement process was far too high. | | | | process reengineering or improvement, no |
| Instead they threw a few "home-baked" service, | | | | measurement and feedback systems, no education |
| quality, and motivation training programs at everyone. | | | | and communication, and no changes to the |
| Then they hired expensive consultants to design and | | | | company's reward and recognition systems and |
| install millions of dollars worth of new computer | | | | practices. In short, there was no improvement plan. |
| systems. This was based on an extensive strategic | | | | There was nothing but good intentions and |
| plan that took months of senior management time, | | | | exhortations to improve. He was trying to get |
| market studies, financial analysis, and more expensive | | | | different results while continuing to do the same |
| consultants. | | | | things! |
| Now, here I was five years later, watching the CEO | | | | Unfortunately, this company's senior management |
| deliver a presentation to his company's managers and | | | | team has lots of company. Many managers confuse |
| head office support people. He outlined the | | | | making changes within their organization with making |
| company's stalled results for the past few years and | | | | changes to their organization. Both are needed. But |
| talked about the changes needed. He said everyone | | | | they have to be balanced. Changing an organization |
| needed to work together better. They had to get | | | | or team's composition or reporting structure, |
| costs down. He said they all needed to work harder | | | | introducing new technology, pulling people and money |
| and smarter. Service and quality levels had to rise. | | | | from one area, or pumping money and people into |
| Managers needed to take more responsibilities and | | | | another area isn't enough on its own. Unless |
| empower people. | | | | organization and team skills, systems, processes, or |
| But there were no plans for doing all this. He was | | | | habits are changed, the other changes won't make |
| merely exhorting them to improve. He was clearly | | | | any lasting improvement to performance. |
| operating on the assumption that if they knew | | | | |