Category: Management Skills

Who Drives Vision to Reality?

Mike 0 Comment Collaboration, Communication, Continuous improvement, Expert Advice, Management Skills, Metrics, Project Management, Uncategorized , , , ,

Hand holding classic Edison light bulb

Thomas Edison was a visionary, and one of the most influential people in modern human history because he understood the effort it took to successfully execute a vision.

Vision without execution is delusion. Thomas Edison

During my 30 plus years in a large corporation, I worked with many people who had vision but not everyone was able to turn their vision into reality. Although it is true that in many organizations Leadership is responsible for developing the vision, implementing their plans was usually left to others in the organization. Unfortunately, if a solid connection was not made between Leadership’s vision and the plan for execution, the project wouldn’t succeed.

 I’ve had the good fortune to work on several successful teams and it became clear to me that the success of a project was usually a function of Who was on the team. I noticed the successful team members consistently took the following action steps:

  • Connected the vision to the work. The team members who were successful at execution were able to connect the project’s goal (vision) to their current work and the overall success of the organization. The path was clear to them on how the vision could be achieved and how it would positively impact their jobs and the success of the company.
  • Developed an effective plan. Successful members were well organized and able to develop an effective plan for themselves and enlist their teammates in the effort. Their plans for success were well documented and communicated to the team. This communication fostered a sense of ownership and a feeling of transparency that was inherently healthy.
  • Obtained access to accurate and timely data. Success was possible when accurate information and data were readily available. The successful team member knew how to obtain and use the information effectively to drive the project. Those who were able to execute the plans were well versed in using the data management tools available to them. If the tools weren’t available, they would develop their own set of tools that made gathering data and reporting very efficient.
  • Provided clear and concise communication with all stakeholders. This means they developed and published the progress of the project to all interested parties. Communicating pertinent information on a timely basis allowed for discussion of the results and insights. If the information was clear, complete, and concise, it provided guidance to Leadership and facilitated an honest discussion of the project’s progress. In this environment, the project had a greater chance of success.

A team member who understood the planning and hard work it took to achieve the vision got noticed and was always given more opportunities to be successful.

Thomas Edison had many quotes, but this one pulls it all together: Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

 

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com 85115774 4masik

Staying Sharp

Mike 5 Comments Continuous improvement, Expert Advice, Management Skills , , ,

Businesswoman in office drinking coffee and looking at computer

“Even if you’re on the right track you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers

I participated in a Dale Carnegie course many years ago and I remember the final speech from our instructor, Debbie. The point of her speech was to say that now that we have a new set of skills from the course, it’s important to keep them sharp. Debbie emphasized the point by telling a parable: A young, ambitious lumberjack was sent out for the first time and in his first few days he chopped down an impressive number of trees. However, after a week he noticed that even though he worked just as hard as he had those first days, he cut down fewer and fewer trees as each day passed. His frustration grew and finally he asked a veteran lumberjack why his productivity was dropping. The veteran asked a simple question, “How often do you sharpen your ax?”

When we come out of academia or training programs we have a set of skills and knowledge that we want to utilize to make a difference. If we are fortunate, we are placed in a position to use some of these skills and contribute to the success of the organization. However, as time marches on and the world changes, the original set of skills will need updating periodically. As with most things worth doing, staying current takes time and effort. But as the young lumberjack learned, it’s important to take the time to sharpen your ax.

Here are some ideas for staying current and keeping your skills sharp:

  • Schedule time to specifically work on maintaining or improving your skills. Make self-improvement a priority and plan for specific activities.
  • Read as much as possible. The internet and the library make it easy to find relevant content that may help in the quest to stay sharp.
  • Read blogs related to areas of interest. Staying current in your area of interest will help to identify the skills needed to be successful. Searching for helpful blog sites can be a little tedious, but once a few are identified, they can be a great source of information for what is taking place in your industry.
  • Be open to ideas from other disciplines. Looking for information as it applies to areas outside of your expertise or industry can be an interesting way to develop alternative ideas. For example, project management techniques used in one industry may be applicable to another industry.
  • Look for tools that will improve your effectiveness. Being able to use software to a greater extent is always helpful. Understanding and practicing the use of programs such as Excel and Power Point will always be helpful when you are faced with new challenges involving data analysis and communicating ideas to an audience.
  • Be willing to spend time learning new skills. If time isn’t available during the workday to ‘play’ with a program or on-line tool, e.g. project management software, then take the time after the workday or on a weekend to work with it. The time spent exploring the use of a tool will come in handy down the road when the opportunity presents itself.

A person who has a ‘continuous improvement’ attitude will be motivated to stay sharp and will always look for ways to improve. Conversely, it is clear that having the attitude of ‘that’s the way I’ve always done it’, is a good way to start down the slippery slope of obsolescence. It’s always going to be better to say, ‘Let’s find a better way to do it’.

Attitude is very important in today’s workplace. Showing a willingness to grow and improve will go a long way toward building a successful and fulfilling career. With Will Roger’s quote in mind, stay ahead of the pack to avoid being passed by.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com 4767256 by monkeybusiness

Is Your Forest Too Dense? Part 3

Mike 1 Comment Expert Advice, Management Skills, Metrics , , , , , ,

Meteorological red white windsock in Himalaya airport,Nepal

Meaningful Metrics

Part Three

If you haven’t had a chance to read the first two parts of this series, please click here for Part One and here for Part Two.

As we continue on our path through the metaphorical forest of a busy supply chain organization, let’s look at how meaningful metrics can be an effective way to improve your company’s visibility. Most of us prefer to avoid unpleasant information. However, well-thought-out metrics will provide useful insights that can help teams improve performance, whether the news is good or bad.

To generate an accurate view of performance, there are a few basic metrics that every supply chain organization will need. The first group of metrics should be associated with Customer Service. The second set will show Inventory position and a third set will focus on Production reporting. A final consideration is for Management to openly share the metric results with the entire organization.

Customer Service –

Most manufacturing organizations make products and sell them to customers, who in turn sell them to their customers. A useful customer service metric is a measurement called ‘case fill’. This is the simple percentage of how much product was delivered divided by the quantity ordered. It is also important to know if the order was fulfilled by the promised delivery date.

Although this may seem like an obvious choice for a metric, attention must be paid to the details. This metric requires clear guidelines on what is considered successful order fulfillment to allow for useful insights into issues as they arise.

Inventory –

Having a visual representation of predicted inventory levels is extremely helpful. It should be based on production plans and forecasted shipments (to customers) for the length of the forecasting cycle. A ‘snapshot’ of the inventory level of multiple items can be achieved by using a spreadsheet with conditional formatting as shown below:

Mock DOH Chart 121514

Production –

Being able to obtain accurate information regarding production output is a key metric. There are a few aspects of this measurement that may not be apparent: It is important to know how much was produced and the quantity scheduled to be produced. Dividing the quality made by the quantity scheduled is called schedule accuracy and most companies would consider 90% to 110% of the plan to be acceptable.

Schedule accuracy is a metric that can provide valuable insights. For example, if the quantity produced is substantially lower than planned, understanding the root cause of this will help find gaps in other systems, such as inadequate maintenance. On the other hand, if more product was made than scheduled, then resources (with time being the most valuable resource) are being spent on items not needed at that time.

It is best to focus on a small number of meaningful and accurate metrics. Having too many disparate metrics will dilute the team’s focus. Team members may spend time generating reports instead of performing root cause analysis to determine why targets are not being achieved.

One last consideration is to publically post the key metric information in a common area and on-line where all employees can see how well the organization is performing. Even if the news is not always good, it’s best to communicate the information and create a sense of transparency. Discussing what the metrics indicate can open up a healthy dialogue amongst the workforce that can lead to improved problem-solving activities.

Meaningful metrics will display both positive and negative results regarding the performance of an organization. Facing facts and addressing issues identified as a result of using a robust set of metrics will make it simpler to guide teams through the thick forest of intense pressure experienced in today’s supply chain organizations.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com #27194263 by kaetana

Is Your Forest Too Dense? Part 2

Mike 2 Comments Expert Advice, Management Skills , , ,

Depositphotos_35275163_xs

Goal Management for Success 

A practice that can help to thin out the forest is to have an effective process for reviewing and adjusting the organization’s goals and targets. Obviously it’s important for every organization to have goals and targets. It’s also important for Leadership to recognize changes in the business environment and allow teams to focus on what is important as conditions change.

Goals allow you to control the direction of change in your favor. – Brian Tracy

Here is a simple three-step process for managing goals and targets.

  1. Make General Organizational Goals Available to All Employees

         Leadership must establish a set of organizational goals that will be the basis for the individual goals for each employee. This set of goals for the organization should be available to all employees for their review. It is helpful for employees to see what is driving the activities of the company. Transparency around an organization’s goals will help generate trust in leadership. Building trust within the organization will create many long-lasting benefits.

         It is also helpful for Leadership to publish periodic updates on how the organization is performing with respect to the goals. Organizations sometimes use a stop-light system (Green / Yellow / Red) to indicate if the goals are on track to being achieved.

  1. Set Tangible and Measureable Goals for Individuals

         Managers will need to establish tangible goals and targets with realistic timelines to make it easier for their team members to understand their role in achieving organizational goals. Stating goals in a few sentences that can be easily understood will help team members to keep them in mind. For example, making a statement such as ‘increasing net sales 20% in 2016’ is better than saying the goal is ‘to ‘double sales over the next 5 years’’. In this example, if employee performance is evaluated on a periodic basis, the goal must be broken down into quantifiable pieces for each period and the sales target clearly stated when results are to be measured.

         In general, the goals and targets must be stated in terms that everyone can measure and at some point in time determine whether they were clearly met or not. In contrast, goals and targets that require the manager to use subjective measures to determine if the goal was satisfied will most likely create angst and will not be as effective. Subjective goals can make team members feel like they are trying to hit a moving target.

  1. Review and Adjust Goals as Needed

         Even though goals and targets are generally established on an annual basis for the upcoming year, a periodic review of the goals should take place. Business conditions can change quickly and the current goals may not accurately reflect a mid-term change in the direction by leadership. For example, a new client/customer places a large order that must deliver quickly to help them gain a competitive advantage. Meeting their delivery date may be achievable, but due to production capacity constraints it will delay shipments to other clients. Accepting the large order may result in higher overall sales and opportunities for the additional business in the future, however it may lower overall customer service results in the short-term.

         In the example above, Management decisions may be problematic for employees who are evaluated on annual customer service metrics. Sales growth may be a goal for upper management, however the rank and file should not be penalized if they don’t reach their customer service goals because of Management’s decision. To keep everyone motivated, the goals may need to be adjusted to account for Management’s decision to accept lower overall customer service levels, even if it is a temporary situation.

From a general management perspective, it is very helpful to have periodic reviews of performance against the goals. A meeting between the employee and manager should take place at least every 6 months to keep everyone up-to-date on their performance compared to current goals and targets. As shown in the example above, a formal mid-year review can be a good time to make any course corrections due to changing business conditions.

Utilizing a formal process to set and publish organizational goals will keep the organization aligned for success. Employing a process to make periodic adjustments to goals and targets will enable the organization to adjust to rapidly changing business conditions and ‘control the direction of change in their favor’.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com 35275163 by grafxart

Is Your Forest Too Dense?

Mike 1 Comment Expert Advice, Management Skills , , , , , , , ,

nature. pathway in the forest with sunlight

Part One

I’ve always appreciated the adage about not being able to ‘see the forest for all the trees.’ I have experienced this phenomenon from within the forest and from the outside. At times I find myself getting bogged down in the specifics, unable to see what is going on around me. At other times I feel it’s my colleagues who are lost in the forest.

In business, as in life, there has to be a balance between having a handle on the details and seeing the big picture.

“Having the big picture in mind enables us to overcome the day to day routines that attempt to distract us from pursuing our dream.” ― Assegid Habtewold

From my perspective seeing the big picture is the ability to consider the connections between actions and the consequences, intended or otherwise. When considering actions to take and various alternatives, decisions need to take into account both short-term and long-term ramifications.

Leadership must keep the team focused on the activities contributing to the goals of the organization. Leaders need to see and understand the forest around them to help guide the team forward. The success of the plan executed today will impact the organization’s success tomorrow and well beyond.

The next three blog entries will explore specific areas where leaders can keep their teams focused and productive while keeping the big picture in view. Here are the areas we will explore:

Establish Meaningful Goals

Look for the second entry titled, ‘Goal Management for Success’.

To paraphrase the poet Robert Burns, ‘The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

Setting meaningful and tangible goals is essential to the success of all business. It is also very important to recognize that changes taking place within the business climate will drive the need to adjust the goals from time to time. I will describe a simple process for setting goals and adjusting them to drive the business forward.

Select Essential Metrics

I will address the why and how of establishing metrics in the third blog entry, ‘Meaningful Metrics’.

“What’s measured improves.” Peter Drucker.

Once the goals are set, it is important for leaders to choose the metrics that can be used as markers for the progress of the business toward achieving the goals, and that can accurately measure the health of the organization.

Effective Communication

Finally I will discuss the team’s ability to communicate successfully. Check out the fourth entry, ‘Effect Communication’ for more tips on improving communication.

“Good leadership starts with good communication.” Unknown

Communication amongst the team and across the organization is a key to success. Providing frequent, succinct, and useful information to the team will keep everyone engaged in the business. The manner in which meetings are conducted can have a huge impact on the effectiveness of the team. One on one communication is also very important between the leader and each team member. Lastly, communication associated with business performance results can motivate the team.

So look for the next three blogs as I provide advice on how to ‘thin out’ the forest and make a positive impact on your organization.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com 7985468  by vovan13

That Hammer is Around Here Somewhere…

mcalisterts 0 Comment Expert Advice, Management Skills, Project Management , , , , ,

What's In Your Toolbox Red Metal Tool Box Skills Experience

“If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” – Abraham Maslow.

Sometimes an organization can get stuck in a bad situation and since they only have access to a limited number of tools, they are often frustrated when they are faced with a new challenge. I’m sure this story is not unique:

An organization is faced with an increasing workload and limited resources. This ‘good problem’ is due to new opportunities for additional sales, but the Operations team is overwhelmed with the increasing number of requests. Subsequently, the Sales team is frustrated because new opportunities are not being addressed on a timely basis and there is the loss of potential revenue. Faced with these challenges, the Operations team is frustrated because the methodology and tools at their disposal for managing new product requests require the process to take a 2 to 4 months (or longer) to go from concept to the marketplace, regardless of the urgency.

In essence, the tools currently available to manage the new product process and drive the projects are limited in flexibility and functionality. The Operations team is only able to approach project management the same way they did when the workload was smaller; their toolbox is sparsely populated.

It’s best to think out of the box if the current systems are not meeting the expectations of the business. In this particular situation, there are limited resources and a need to improve project management capabilities.  A possible solution to their problem is to look for new tools to help with project management. From my experience, the world of integrated project management tools is quite extensive. There are many aspects of a project to manage and various solutions offer ways to focus on what is important to each company.

Here are a few factors to consider when investigating potential solutions:

  • There are many creative solutions in the marketplace.
  • Make the time to investigate the possible ways to improve your situation.
  • There are firms in the marketplace who specialize in helping you find a solution. These firms use an approach similar to real estate agents working to find a residence that meets your needs. They represent many companies and after learning your requirements, they can recommend a variety of solutions to review.
  • Take the time to review the potential solutions and determine the best fit. Get a free trial version and experiment with ‘real life’ information to see if it works in a way that will help your company improve the situation and help you reach your business goals.
  • If you are too busy to investigate a new system, consider hiring a consultant for a brief period of time that can perform this evaluation relatively quickly and efficiently. Spending a nominal amount of money for a good consultant to provide guidance on possible solutions will pay off rapidly when the right system is implemented and projects are being completed effectively and efficiently.

I recommend TechnologyAdvice.com as a possible resource for gathering information on possible software/system solutions. I found them to be efficient and their recommendations very helpful.

If you have several tools in your toolbox, all problems won’t look like a nail. Using readily available resources to help you locate and evaluate the best tool for your situation is the key to making real progress.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com #31285409 by iqoncept

Is Nero Fiddling?

mcalisterts 0 Comment Expert Advice, Management Skills , , , ,

Depositphotos_29889739_xs

At a company conference several years ago, Leadership asked for anonymous comments from team members about concerns they had for the business. I wrote, “Sometimes it feels as though management is like Nero fiddling while Rome is burning”. This may have been harsh. My point was that there were issues in the organization that I felt were not being addressed that could cause major problems for the company.

Working in the quality side of the business I developed a keen sense of how the right (or wrong) combination of situations could severely damage a company’s image. Although we had not experienced a product recall situation, I felt Leadership was not taking the ‘close calls’ we had the previous year seriously enough. We all have a responsibility to keep the consumer safe while protecting our company and brand image. The best way to do this is to prevent problems from happening.

Today the news of a product recall is instantaneously broadcast to the world via the Internet. Within a few hours, social media will pile on and before you know it, the problem is broadcast nationally and beyond on multiple media outlets. Think of Toyota and the uncontrolled acceleration in some of their cars: the combination of a few minor design flaws impacted the safety of the product. Whether the situation was under control or not, Toyota’s reputation was damaged almost immediately after the announcement of the product recall.

Having knowledge of a situation that could potentially create a product safety issue and damage the reputation of the brand and the company is a call to action. It can take courage to make a case to Leadership in order to prevent a severe problem from developing. It is also essential to demonstrate credibility, produce supportive data, and offer a solution when possible.

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you are right” – Henry Ford

Have Credibility

When it comes time for the rubber to meet the road, the discussion will come down to credibility. It takes time to build up enough trust to have difficult conversations with your superiors. To make a difference within an organization, one has to be trustworthy and have a track record of solid performance. Do what you say you are going to do and do it well.

Use Solid Data

When developing a case for discussion, have solid data behind your claims. It is not enough to say, “I think there is a problem.” Any reasonable manager will ask for evidence. What I found over the years is that sometimes when going through the due diligence of building a case, we find that the issue isn’t as dire as we originally thought. On the other hand, sometimes it’s worse. Do your homework to clearly and fairly prove your point.

Develop a Feasible Solution

“Complaining about a problem without proposing a solution is called whining.” – Teddy Roosevelt.

Finally, put together a feasible solution or action plan that will mitigate the situation. It will make the case more credible if Leadership is presented a specific set of activities that clearly identify the current risks along with corrective actions. Nobody likes to have problems dumped on their doorstep, so when the person making the case suggests a solution, the chances of being heard will greatly improve.

Whether it is a critical product safety issue, or a significant business situation that needs to be brought to Leadership’s attention, summon the courage to make the case for improvement. If you believe the bosses are ‘fiddling’ or just focused on the myriad issues of the day, take the initiative to make a difference.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com 29889739 by: ronjoe

Jazz and Work – Second Verse

mcalisterts 0 Comment Expert Advice, Management Skills , , , , ,

Depositphotos_3267295_xs

Playing in harmony with a band is a great experience. When the band sounds good and you are doing your part to contribute, there is no better feeling in the world. Good Jazz played well is gratifying not only to the players, but the audience will enjoy the performance as well.

“It’s the group sound that’s important, even when you’re playing a solo. You not only have to know your own instrument, you must know the others and how to back them up at all times. That’s jazz.” Oscar Peterson

Harmony Within the Group

When I acquired a beautiful, new guitar I had the appearance of a good player (at least in my mind), but that didn’t translate to actually being a good player. This applies to the work environment as well. The new person needs to ‘play’ their way into the group and earn their respect. Being too flashy or loud will not work well. Taking time to learn the style of the other players and supporting them as they support you will maintain the group’s harmony.

As one of the veterans within the organization, I took responsibility for helping new employees acclimate to the group. There was a formal orientation program, but as most of us know, it takes months to get into the groove and feel productive. I told new employees that my door was open and if they had questions about the job or the organization they should feel free to stop by and chat. Serving as a mentor, formally or informally, will improve the overall performance of the group.

Practice Makes Perfect

Great Jazz musicians continually challenge themselves to be better, practicing their craft so they are ready for the next performance and will be at their best at all times.

Jazz great Wynton Marsalis tells this story about another amazing musician, Dizzy Gillespie. As a young man Dizzy was a good player, but when he joined a jam session with some seasoned players, he found out he wasn’t prepared. He knew a particular song in one key, but when the group played it in a different key, Dizzy was lost. Not wanting to be embarrassed again, Dizzy went home and practiced the song in all 12 keys, so that next time he was in a jam session, he would be able to play.

When it comes to performing at a high level on the job, the same applies. We need to understand exactly what we are expected to do and to perform at a high level, regardless of the situation. We do best when we attend training sessions and seminars to enhance our knowledge, and continually hone our fundamental skills to be ready for any contingency.

Be Ready to Play Your Solo

Most jazz songs have a basic structure. The melody, or ‘head’, is played at the beginning of the song. The middle of the song will have solos, usually improvisations by the band members. At the end of the song the melody is usually played again and the song ends with a flourish.

There is an expectation in the group that during the solo section of the song, everyone will take their turn to show their stuff. They may play a modified version of the melody or something completely different within the structure of the song. There are many famous solos in songs we have all heard, such as Gene Krupa’s drum solo in Benny Goodman’s famous song, ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’. (Check out this link if the title doesn’t ring a bell for you: Benny Goodman link   In the jazz world, most ensemble players are excellent solo players and improvisers when it’s their time to play.

In an organizational sense, whenever we are part of a team, we are going to be asked to step up and ‘show our stuff’ from time to time. We may be asked to lead a project or put a special presentation together for upper management. We need to be ready to play the lead when we are called upon.

Understand your optimal learning mode. Recognize the simplicity and complexity of the organization. Continually practice your craft. Play in harmony to make your group sound great. Perform memorable solos when it’s your turn to step up. Keep these insights in mind and you will be a star when it’s your time to shine!

—

P.S. I would like to add that I will be forever indebted to my amazing guitar teacher, Steve Johnson, for getting me started on a journey that will no doubt enrich my life for as long as my fingers can pluck the strings…

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com #3267295 by vikhr15

Video credit: OnlyJazzHQ, Feb. 5, 2013, Benny Goodman – Sing Sing Sing retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_YG9XBX04Y

Work and Jazz – First Verse

mcalisterts 1 Comment Collaboration, Expert Advice, Management Skills , , , ,

jazz guitar player

Although I started playing guitar when I was 13, I took my first formal guitar lessons as an adult. Along with learning about Jazz and improving my guitar playing skills, I have noticed several parallels between Jazz guitar, learning styles and successful teamwork.

Learning Style – Understanding How to Learn and Teach

The most commonly discussed modes for learning, are Visual, Auditory, and Tactile. It turns out I’m mostly a visual learner. I have discovered that even after hearing a guitar lick many times, the only way I can reproduce it is by watching my fingers make the correct movements on the strings. Although playing guitar requires auditory skill, I primarily learn how by seeing my fingers move on the fret board of my guitar.

This got me thinking about the training I’ve received over the years; the most effective method for me was hands-on. Listening to an instructor explain how to use the system did not work for me, but using software with dummy data, I could see the system perform the task, and effectively learn it myself.

Knowing how we learn, and looking for training programs tailored to that learning mode can enhance our job performance. It is also important to keep learning modes in mind when putting together training programs for others. If we expect to successfully teach our audience a task, the procedures must be presented in all modes: auditory, visual, and tactile.

Jazz – Simultaneously Simple and Complex

Most of the basic rules for music are not particularly difficult to understand. Jazz uses a subset of the rules that make jazz what it is, but once these rules are understood, the chords and melody for most jazz standards are relatively simple songs that a novice can play. However, advanced Jazz players understand the subtlety of the structure and are able to enhance the music with their own personality and style. They understand how to improvise around the melody and use chord substitution to create a much richer version of the song.

Work organizations, like Jazz bands, follow relatively simple rules of operation and protocol that are easy to learn. However, it is within the basic work structure that high performers understand the complexity of the organization and how to enhance operations with their own personalities and style. In the example below, I followed the basic rules of the organization and worked with all of the appropriate people to get answers to my questions. My experience and understanding of the operations was useful because I knew the right questions to ask of my co-workers.

  • At one point in my career I was in charge of investigating consumer complaints. Based on my experience, I knew that there could be many facets of the situation that possibly contributed to the complaint. I worked closely with various co-workers to obtain additional information such as production data, maintenance logs, and the results of raw material inspections. By performing this level of ‘due diligence’, every consumer complaint was viewed as an opportunity to ensure all procedures are being followed and to ultimately enhance the overall strength of brand.

Look for my next blog as I continue my thoughts on work and Jazz.

Photo credit: Depositphotos.com 46950533 by estudiosaavedra

Build Bridges of Understanding – Part 2

mcalisterts 0 Comment Case Studies, Collaboration, Expert Advice, Food Safety, Management Skills, Uncategorized , , , , , , ,

Find the Answer - Magnifying Glass

 

 

 

 

Building Bridges Part 1 addressed how to gather useful information by having honest conversations with the people involved in the issue. Gathering as much information as possible was the key to determining exactly what happened. However, fact gathering is only a part of the process; it is equally important to implement improvements based on the information.

The highest levels of performance come to people who are centered, intuitive, creative, and reflective – people who know to see a problem as an opportunity. – Deepak Chopra

Here was the journey we took to solve the problem described in Part 1.

Once we gathered the preliminary information, we decided that the issue was most likely related to the raw material handling process. As we dug into the details of how the raw materials were handled we started asking questions such as, “how could one raw material be introduced into another raw material?”

We then discussed scenarios in which the offending material might have been introduced into a ‘common’ raw material, and developed one such scenario:

Contamination may occur when an offending allergen (seafood) attached itself to a common ingredient (pasta) because it was unsuccessfully separated out during the ‘re-work’ process (used to reclaim raw materials from damaged packages). When the ‘contaminated’ pasta was used again, it was used as raw material for a product that didn’t contain seafood. Thus, the process for re-using raw materials from damaged packages would have created the situation where unwanted ingredients were inadvertently mixed into the raw material.

As we talked through this scenario, we realized that a process intended to avoid wasting materials, actually put the product at risk. Armed with this information, we were able to determine the most likely root cause for the issue.

We were now presented with the ‘opportunity’ to eliminate the potential for contamination. This would involve changes in the material handling procedures and a commitment to a training program for the workers who manage the tracking paperwork. The owner of the business was amenable to the changes; peace of mind about the safety of his products was well worth any additional expense. The changes were effective. Millions of packages were consumed over the next 15 years without incident.

To summarize, here’s the entire process:

  1. Open up an honest and in-depth discussion about the situation and ensure everyone involved is on the same page. Establish the goal of the discussion and keep it in mind the entire time.
  2. As the discussion leads to various possible scenarios that could explain what occurred, critically and thoroughly review the scenarios – the smallest detail can lead to the smoking gun.
  3. Once the root cause is determined and verified, develop ‘fool-proof’ procedures to ensure the issue cannot re-occur. These new procedures must be audited to ensure they truly eliminate the potential issue.
  4. Discuss the rationale for making procedural changes with the production workers and supervision. Let them know why it is so important to follow the new procedures and how they can help keep the product safe.

I have always believed that “all of us are smarter than one of us”. In the end, because my team had the trust of the owner and his team, we were able to resolve the issue together.

To boil it down: focus on getting accurate, detailed information at the beginning of the process. Once the information is gathered, let your intuition guide you toward the next steps, such as brainstorming about scenarios. Once logical opportunities are presented, go out and test them. You will find out quickly if the situation can be recreated. Lastly, work out new procedures or policies that will effectively eliminate the problem.

Successful problem-solving starts with building bridges of understanding. Mr. Carnegie put it into words over 75 years ago and his words ring true today.

 

Photo credit: depositphotos.com 21849021 by:iqoncept

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