Posts in Meandering Genius

New project? Begin with the end in mind.

Meandering Genius February 7, 2014 1 Comment

Have been given the new task to develop something new or fix something that exists today? In the project management world, that’s a “project.”

Project Management Institute defines a project as something that is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end, and therefore defined scope and resources. A project is unique in that it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations designed to accomplish a singular goal. So a project team often includes people who don’t usually work together – sometimes from different organizations and across multiple geographies.

Their definition is a bit wordy, but the most important part is that projects have a beginning and an end. If you are running a program and you are going to improve that program, but the program will continue to run after you have improved it, the program is still managed throughout the improvement effort, but the improvement effort is a project.

With that in mind…we take on projects all the time. Project management is just a way of life for all of us. We do projects at work as well as at home. What’s the best way to make sure your projects–all of them–are successful?

I’m going to steal a Coveyism–Begin with the End in Mind! Stephen Covey, in his Famous 7 Habits for Highly Effective People, highlighted the second habit as Begin with the End in Mind. Covey’s habit was very personal-based. He spoke to having a personal mission statement. I think it more talks about having a mission and a vision, but I digress.

I want you to draw a table on a piece of paper or on a white board. The table will have five columns. Label the columns: Project, Plan, Execute, Measure, Analyze. Make it look like this:

In the Project column, write down the name of the project and you name as being the project manager. Now you are ready to begin.

When you start a new project–any project–begin with the end in mind. Ask yourself (and confirm with the sponsor of the project if one exists) what is the desired outcome of this project? What will things look like when I’m done with this project?

Once you have that mental image–write it down. This is the goal of the project. When you think about this goal, also consider if this is something that you will need to sustain over time. If so, how do you design it in the project that provides sustainability? Put this goal right under your name as the project manager in the first column of your paper.

Now, with the goal written down, think about what major aspects of this goal that can you analyze at the end of the activity that will tell you that you have met the goal of the project. There are probably two to four things, maybe more, that you can look at about the project that you would expect to look a certain way…write these down in the Analyze column.

Now think about what things do you measure today or will you need to measure that you don’t measure today that you will review in your analysis. It helps to look at each one of the items that you’ve listed in the Analyze column and ask what do I need to collect measures on that will tell me that I have achieved this. Measures can be quantitative, qualitative, or milestones. Write these items down in the Measure column–even if they don’t exist today.

By understanding the goal of your project, what that goal looks like from an analysis aspect, and what you need to measure that will tell you that you have achieved your goal, you have begun your project with the end in mind.

The purpose of this blog was to frame up your thinking of starting everything with the goal in mind, as an added bonus, let me share the remaining steps of this little exercise that you can use with every planning activity.

Now that you have your project, analyze, and measure columns filled out, move to the Plan column. The first three steps of planning your project area done–defining the project, end state, and measurements.

Now list the activities you need to accomplish before you get started doing anything on this project. You will write these items as activities:

The first activity (after define the project, end state, and measurements) is to determine who will lead the project–this might be you, or you might have to find someone else.
Determine if a team is required and build the team.
Determine your budget and resource requirements for the project
Conduct any research or benchmarking
Write and approve a project charter and a project plan

These activities in the Plan column vary based on every project–you might not have to write a charter or a plan, their might not be any resources required other than the team…a team might not even be required, but this gives you and idea of the things you think about before starting your project.

With four of the five columns filled out now, its time to think about the major activities that you need to accomplish to get this project done so that it achieves the goal. Write these steps down in the Execute column. Sometimes you might want to describe the step in a bit more detail with sub bullets, but this is what the step looks like, not actions required. Write things down like develop, create, build, gain or receive approval, etc.

By writing this down, you create the major milestones along the way. Don’t forget to develop new measures, to start measuring after implementation, to document, train, and communicate any changes. These things are often overlooked when doing something. Make sure you are addressing the project, analyze, and measure columns in your actions–if you are doing something in execution that doesn’t build to the project, analyze, and measure columns, why are you doing it–are you doing the right things.

Your final sheet will look like this:

This deliberate approach should only take you an hour to accomplish. If you consider what you now have on paper (see the example above), you have just drafted your entire project plan using a very simple and repeatable approach. If you really need to get detailed, you can assign a start and stop date to each item starting with your plan column and working your way right. You also can determine what has to happen before something else and what can be done together (concurrently). Additionally, you can assign each step of the plan to a specific person to accomplish. This creates a very complete and well thought out project plan.

All from taking a few minutes to begin with the end in mind.

How the mighty fall

Meandering Genius February 6, 2014

Mission is everything. When you lose sight of your true mission, you are bound to fail.

Here’s a story about Johnny.

Johnny had a really good idea for a new widget that many people would need. Johnny was very innovative as a kid and his idea was something no one had thought about.

Johnny designed his widget in his basement and built the prototype in his garage. With patent pending, he sold his ideas to a few companies and Widget Corp was born. Johnny focused all his time and excess cash into this startup, but he was excited.

Flash forward two years.

Demand for Johnny’s widget exploded and, after hiring a small team, he was able to meet delivery. Johnny was so excited about helping these companies in this area and, along with his select team, they were able to come up with three other widgets that were equally as innovative. Widget Corp customers were excited about the new widgets and Johnny’s was able to quickly start selling them. With the demand, came the need for more people than his small entrepreneurial team–he started hiring people focused on producing widgets under his supervision. With all the new people, Johnny needed special talent, and he hired someone to help manage people because he made widgets–he knew very little about human resource management. Supplies for his growing line of widgets were becoming an issue, so he brought in an expert in supply chain management to help out. Widget Corp was making a lot of money and Johnny loved that. To allow himself the ability to still invent and sell widgets, he hired a CFO to manage the money Widget Corp was making.

Flash forward three years.

Widgets from Widget Corp have gone international in several companies. Johnny hasn’t had a lot of time to create new widgets because he’s been focused on selling and expanding markets. Instead, his early team has made modified actions to the original widgets and are selling the new improved ones as the 2.0 model. Widget Corp is rolling in money and the CFO moved them to IPO status to leverage capital–something Johnny barely understood, but was excited about making more money from the money they were making. Widget Corp has such a large manufacturing process that they needed a COO and the operations were broke into teams to manage 24 by 7 operations–they were making more widgets than were needed so they would have them on hand when the customer ordered them because they had so many types of widgets now that it took a long time to make just one widget. Almost every widget that Widget Corp sells has at least three versions and they stock them all. Customers like the widgets, but many of the original customers have gone to small look a like competitors that are making new and inventive widgets that meet their needs. To manage the growth of Widget Corp, Johnny stood up a Sales and Marketing department and expanded financial management and human resources. It’s getting harder to make money I the market so he’s been selling off some original widget designs to competitors and reducing the sales price on the older versions of widgets. Johnny hasn’t developed a widget in the past several years, but he’s happy making lots of money expanding and selling.

Flash forward two years.

Widget Corp outsourced a large part of their manufacturing operations to an offshore company to reduce operating expenses. Johnny focused 100% on this deal to keep the flow of money to Widget Corp coming in. This allowed him downsize human resources and increase financial management. Right after the outsourcing Conglomerate Corp made Johnny a sizable offer to buy Widget Corp. They wanted to expand their operations into his market and he was the leader with the largest customer base. The price was right and Johnny jumped at the offer.

Flash toward four years.

Conglomerate Corp operated Widget Corp at a loss for three years, cutting quality and service, merging the sales with their sales department, and laying off all redundant labor. CC was only interested in expanding to the new clients and increasing how much money they made for their shareholders every year. By the fourth year, they liquidated Widget Corp’s assets, discontinued the line of widgets, which hadn’t been update for years, and made money off the sale of patents to smaller widget-making companies.

Widget Corp lasted 11 years as a company. Johnny’ s vision of making widgets for people that made their life better was dead. He was sort of happy making money and took a Vice President of Sales and Marketing position with a smaller startup company to keep his cash flow fluid. He came to work every day and dreamed of new widgets to make for the customers he sold to, but his new company wasn’t interested in spending resources on new widgets when they had a successful line that they were already selling.

What was Johnny’s mission and vision when he started?

How did that mission and vision change over time?

Companies are built off a solid purpose–they are designed to provide something specific that a customer needs. They are created because of customers. The vision of this company is to serve the needs of customers even better–to do great things for their customers.

When created, these garage front companies, many existing today, do not have a plan for the immense growth that will occur because they really do have a great idea. The founders know how to create the needs of the customers and are driven by the mission and vision.

Money–the making of it–slowly starts to become the “reason” for existing. Yea, Widget Corp had a mission and vision statement on the Corporate Office wall and it sounded great, but they stopped focusing on why they were created and started focusing on what they were getting out of it.

Never lose focus on why you exist. If your actions don’t represent that, then what are you doing and why are you doing it.

Look around at major companies today–some struggle with their mission and vision, often because the people who work there–especially the ones making a lot of money–just want to make money. It’s a job, just like Johnny at the end of the story.

This story is true of many companies that have come and gone and are even here today.

American Society for Quality has an exception policy!

Meandering Genius February 5, 2014 1 Comment

On January 18th I took a moment to vent regarding ASQ’s membership policies (see previous blog). I complained to ASQ regarding their policy and how I didn’t understand the rules they have around the membership policies–and that I didn’t agree with them.

Good on them. They responded and explained their membership procedures, but also listened to my compliant as well. Turns out, even with ASQ, every rule has its exceptions. They researched my case, even contacting my local Section–thanks to them for standing by me–and I was granted an exception. Officially, I will be upgraded to Senior status with ASQ. Here are some excerpts from ASQ’s reply:

I want to thank you for your patience as we worked on a resolution for you related to your request for Senior Membership. Your colleagues at the San Antonio section are greatly appreciative of all the hard work you have done for them and for your contributions to the local ASQ section. They feel that your contributions to the Society are very deserving of Senior membership.

We are always happy to consider unique member situations. As much as possible we try to account for these in our policies, but when they do not we have a process for exceptions, it just may take a little bit longer. I hope you’ll consider updating your recent post to share the outcomes and let the quality community know that you’ve reached your favored resolution.

My faith in ASQ has been restored. All I can say is that when something doesn’t seem right, challenge it. That’s really what ASQ is all about anyway.

Thanks for listening.

The proof is in the pudding

Meandering Genius February 3, 2014

Two years ago, the organization I work for set about on a journey of developing a culture of continuous improvement…what I now have come to realize is a culture of operational excellence.

The first primary ingredient was the right leader…yes, they clearly make all the difference in the world.

Second was having the right bus, as Good to Great would tell you. Every manager and director in the organization is motivated and ready to do the right thing. Like many organizations, getting people off the bus is easier said than done, so Don’t Fire Em, Fire Em Up, right?

The journey was clear in my mind, I just didn’t know how long it would take…since we’re still on it, it takes more than two years. However, it’s like many efforts that I’ve seen in nonprofit turnarounds, once it gets going, it’s like a snowball.

This last month has been one of, “Careful what you wish for,” type activity and I think that 2014 is going to prove to be a whole year of that.

Step one: Evaluate the current situation. Non-union, manufacturing-like, heavy reliance on strategic partnerships, excessive redundancy in non-operational processes taking up leaders time, and core process that provides the most value to the overall mission not well understood or controlled.

Step two: Fix the core process–completely map (four phases), provide a full narrative, develop templates and tracking tools, establish formal governance around process, and pilot–pilot big! First pilot returned 16 FTEs worth of man hours back to the supported business for reinvestment!

Step three: Reorganize to support key process. Demonstrated to everyone the redundancy in administrative processes that were sucking up vital time of everyone and all being done differently. Leadership discussed and reorganized to deliver on key process–eliminated siloed operations and redundant processes. Result: leaders in operations were back in the shop and the important, yet administrative processes operate perfectly now for the last two years!

Step three: Engagement! As a whole, engagement is high across the company–very high. However, engagement was not as high in this organization and it was dropping. Engagement score was 4.22 out of 5. Participation in engagement survey was 70%. Developed and implemented “Engagement Program.” Didn’t focus on the score–focused on communications, development, and quality. Next year, participation was 100% and score jumped to 4.61–even with a reorganization. Gallup interviewed my boss. We are still on our engagement journey and always will be.

Step five: Build continuous improvement discipline. Looked end-to-end at the process we were part of. Took ownership of the end-to-end problems and applied a disciplined approach to solving the problems associated with the process–given five FTEs by leadership to work on it. Focused on process excellence in work centers–all managers, most directors, and some other employees Green Belt trained. Top three strategic partners established trained and certified Green and Black Belts to drive process improvement. Held monthly lunch and learns for large portion of exempt staff. Now instituting 5S and Visual Controls. Developing operational daily metrics that provide leading forecasting insight. Looking at ways to automate and improve now. Developed a recognition program that recognizes all improvements, no matter the size, equally.

Step six: Share the bigger plan. I am moving onto another project for at least three months. I laid out the 2014 plan that was in my head for my boss. Press forward with that plan and this journey will continue.

It’s exciting times!

The importance of falling forward

Meandering Genius Organizational Commitment February 3, 2014

Who watched that terrible Super Bowl last night? That was such a one-sided event, it was embarrassing. Even the commercials were a let down.

I’m sure the Broncos stumbled away from that butt whooping with their pride significantly singed. Who wouldn’t, you get all the way to the big game and you leave your talent back on the bus.

Ah, the lessons in life of winning and losing. In every competition, there is a side that loses, right?

Well, the Broncos didn’t go home with the trophy, but what they could have learned was a valuable lesson–no matter how good you might be, you can always have a really bad day!

With failure comes lessons. For true Bronco fans, they will be there next year–trust me, I’m a Detroit Lions fan and I know how bad things can get for football. I’ve never stopped my support of my team. There will be those that hop on the bandwagon to celebrate with the Seahawks, who at one time were referred to as the No Hawks.

The thing is, when you fall, no matter how far or how hard, you get up, dust yourself off, evaluate what happened, and give it a go again.

Next week, heck, maybe even tomorrow, the Broncos will be sitting in front of game footage evaluating their mistakes and determining what went wrong.

The lesson in this is two fold:

1. When the going goes tough, do you abandon your team and ride the bandwagon to the winner’s side. Or do you stick by your team in thick and thin supporting them through their stumble?

2. When you fall, regardless of how hard, do you get up, dust yourself off, review the game footage, practice harder, and come out gunning next season?

Yes, even in football, one can find life’s little lessons.

If Leadership is the art of influencing others…

Leadership Meandering Genius Strategic Communication February 2, 2014

Leader is a position–someone that leads others. Many people, who are placed in the position of a leader struggle with the challenge of the leading others part. They simply take charge and rally the troops to move in one direction.

Being a leader is not leadership, but do you have to be a leader to lead?

No, leadership is something earned by those you lead–those that choose to follow you. The best way to learn how to lead is to run something for a nonprofit–something where you have to get others to help you.

Some leaders think that influence means to coerce with incentives and punishments. Some think they have to constantly sell to others so they will buy in.

Leadership is neither of these: leadership, true leadership, is about four simple things.

1. Passion: you must be passionate about what you do. Passion is your sales technique–not selling. Being passionate about something is infectious. Having and displaying a deep passion for what you are doing will spread to those around you and others will want to feel that passion too.

2. Vision. Just doing what you’re doing today, is not going to cut it. Becoming something more than today–something much more is vision. People want someone who will inspire them to a future. They wan to believe in something bigger and be part of it. Leader must be passionate about what he is doing today, but have an inspiring vision of where things are going tomorrow.

3. Know your people. Simply that, get to know the people who have chosen to follow you. Understand them and make them part of your vision. See their dreams and believe in them like you want them to believe in yours. Know their families, know their hobbies, know their skills and background. Never put them in a box of how you see them, but see them as they see themselves. Knowing your people better than they know themselves is powerful leadership.

4. Communicate. This is where most fail. E able to express your passion and your vision through writing and speaking. The better you are at communicating, the more powerful your message will be. Also, be open and honest to those who follow you–be among them always, even when you are not. Make them feel like that can talk to you at any time. Leaders today, put barriers between themselves and their people to allow them to work, but removing all barriers and spending your time communicating your passion and vision will inspire those around you to do much more than you yourself is possible of.

Leadership is not a position–it is definitely an art. But like any art, it is really more simple than most realize. You don’t have to be wealthily or powerful to be a and effective leader because those things do not make you so.

Lead with passion and vision. Know your people better than they know themselves. And constantly communicate to your people your passion and vision.

This is leadership.

Are you communicating or just making noise?

Meandering Genius Strategic Communication January 30, 2014

“No one told me about that.” “I sent out an email a week again, didn’t you read it?”

Ever hear that? I have…

A few years back when consulting for Booz Allen, I had a client that ran the travel department for an organization. She was complaining that people didn’t know how to submit their travel requests and travel vouchers to get paid. Her limited staff was overworked and she felt she needed more people.

I asked her if she considered having some sort of training course for the organization…I thought that would help. “Oh, I’ve done that already,” she said. Then she produced a copy of an email that she had sent to everyone several months ago. It was very detailed–very complete. “I sent this to everyone, they have it; they should know how to do this.”

She didn’t see it as her ‘job’ to communicate or train the procedures in a repeatable way. It was the receiver’s job to receive, read, understand, and apply her single message regardless if they needed the information then or several months later.

Folks, this doesn’t work. Hopefully everyone that is reading this is shaking their heads and agreeing that this was a complete waste of communication and entirely ineffective.

However, how often do we use this excuse of “I told you,” or “Don’t you remember when I sent you that email,” or “Didn’t you read the memo or policy letter.”

Well sure…it’s not like most of us ignore communication (some do I admit), but was it timely. When you go to work with a new company, they have you read and sign the employee policies and the six years later they’re reminding you that you already should know that. Two months ago, organizational policies have changed, and a letter went out–didn’t you read that?

Let’s face it, that’s simply noise. If the message doesn’t apply to you at the moment there is a good chance that you will simply delete it without reading it. Even if you read it, more than likely you will forget it.

I know this is true for me. If I can’t apply it at that moment, I’ll forget what it said. I might remember getting the message, but I have no idea what it said.

If you want your message to be more than noise, you need to communicate often, at the right time, and appropriately to everyone. In short, communication is part of everyone’s responsibility and you should do it well.

Don’t simply be noise.

Signaling a Change

Change Management Meandering Genius January 29, 2014

Something that really bothers me is people that never signal before changing lanes or turning. Suddenly they are changing lanes, exiting the highway, or slowing down for a turn you didn’t anticipate.

As I was driving behind someone like this yesterday, it made me think about how we change things at work and if many of us are driving around without using turn signals.

When you are planning a change, how early to you start signaling that change? Are you signaling to everyone or just keeping to a select group?

I have been part of many changes–strategic, process, mergers, you name it. I always try to get the change communicated early and often. Signaling early to everyone impacted allows them to be prepared.

Simply making the change that you’ve know about for weeks, months, or years, without even signaling is like those who never use their turn signals. This is simply dangerous in business.

Change causes disruption. The less people are prepared the more disruptive the change will be. Significant changes that are not communicated early and often cause massive disruption and stand the clear risk of failure because so many people will rally against the change when it happens. Basically you’ll cause an accident–maybe a multi-car pileup?

When faced with making a change. Start communicating the “Need for Change” early and solicit input and feedback. Define the reason or “Burning Platform” that is driving the need. As the details are forming of what must change, engage everyone and get their thoughts–this improves buy in.

When the change details are formulating, determine a way to close the gaps between the knowledge, skills, and abilities of those impacted so that when it happens, they are prepared. Nothing worse than not being capable of making the change because it requires KSAs that you don’t have.

Signaling a change in business is as important as signally a change when driving. Those turn signals are not optional equipment, use them.

Engaging anyone

Meandering Genius Strategic Communication January 28, 2014

Engagement is the buzzword of the day; employee engagement, leadership engagement, stakeholder engagement…the list goes on.

So, what is the secret to “engagement?” How do you become successful at engaging anyone?

Engage, the root of the word, can essentially be done by someone or done to someone. If you are soliciting someone’s engagement it starts with you and ends with them. So let’s look at what it means to engage someone:

Engage: to occupy, attract, or involve (someone’s interest or attention).

If you want someone’s interest or attention, what is the first and most important thing you have to do? Let’s try communication.

Have you ever gone to a party and stood in the corner or sat in a chair all alone? How many people come up to you to talk to you? You can walk into a room full of people and mentally think to yourself, “Ok people, engage me, I dare you,” but that seldom works.

Yea, perhaps the extremely extroverted might come over to bang you out of your shell, and they might already be wearing the lamp shade for the evening, but in most cases you’ll probably go home disappointed. You’ll consider the party an entire waste of time and probably would think twice about going again.

The number, based on the first stratified random sample by the Myers-Briggs organization in 1998, showed Introverts 50.7% and Extroverts 49.3% of the United States of America.

http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/extraversion-or-introversion.asp

If 50% or more of the population–half of the room–isn’t the engaging type, the. It’s up to us to make the first move. Even if you are an introvert.

If you desire engagement, then you probably are going to have to initiate and continue to initiate the conversation. Your leadership staff, your employees, your stakeholders, your audience, your customers, etc. all need to be engaged in conversation constantly to feel engaged. Otherwise they’ll leave your little party possibly vowing never to go back again.

So, engagement of anyone starts with communication. Small talk it is…

That won’t work…it has to be engaging conversation…”How’s the weather Bill,” isn’t going to work!

The rules of engaging conversation are simple:

1. It has to be purposeful–you are communicating for the purpose of engaging the audience.
2. It has to be consistent–one and done or fire and forget styles of communication (very prevalent in our email age) do not work. The message must be the same and repeated often (but not like repeating a phone number three times on a radio ad–that’s annoying)
3. The message must be understood. This means a lot of things. You must communicate clearly and this includes the channel you use. Kids today tend toward text message talk over long conversation. Speak to the differently than they like to receive, the message isn’t as clear. The language and jargon you use is just as important. Talk to your audience in a manner that they understand otherwise you’ll sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher. That’s an example of a message that only some of you will get.
4. Mean it. Be sincere when you communicate. Honest and open communication is a key to engagement. If it’s a one way conversation that you’re doing based on some checklist mentality that tells you that you have to communicate at 9 am every morning, then it isn’t real. Yes, you can plan communication, but don’t let your plan dictate when you will communicate.

This is the startup engaging anyone. Also, this is the number one thing that people don’t do. If you’re A boss, make a point to get up from your desk once a week–plan it, don’t let the plan tell you–and talk to people. Encourage open and honest communication in the office and in your staff meetings. Make communication your number one goal for the year for your organization.

It all starts there.

Breaking the traditional approach to process improvement

Meandering Genius Process Improvement January 27, 2014

Two years ago I started a journey with my new job and with my boss as his strategic business advisor. Recently I’ve been reading Start With Why; it’s one of my resolutions to read one business book a month, and I had already started this one in December. The book talks about how you need a Why and a How person to be really effective.

Well, I’ve been the How guy to his Why for the past two years. See, he was looking for organizational effectiveness and he was used to the normal approach to hire someone to provide it through process improvement. The thing is there never is enough of one person to go around, so you end up prioritizing your process prove kent to a point where it’s not effective.

Breaking that approach, we instead focused on building process improvement skills in the employees starting with his leadership. Now we’re driving those skills deeper to the employees.

We’ve done many things like reorganize to match the process, create the key process on how we do work, focus on employee engagement daily, work on constant development, and reinforce the culture.

In two years, the effort has been very successful and I think the model is exactly what organizations need over large process improvement teams “doing process improvement” and prioritizing projects.