CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT OF EXCELLENCE Series 2 of 7
Contributors to the Environment.
The single most important piece of information that you can provide an employee to ensure their success is written work instructions. These can be SOP’s, Manuals, Desktop Procedures, Checklists, Process Work Flows, Daily Task Sheets, Assembly Instructions, or any other name given to the documents used to train the employee, that are available to the employee for reference when you aren’t around, and that detail the how and even the when to perform the tasks for which their performance is evaluated. Written Instructions are a must have when creating an Environment of Excellence, so much so that I have stopped operations in order to focus on their creation and to demonstrate my commitment to updating them.
Without these documents detailing the process there will always be gaps between expectation and performance. The ability to replicate one outcome from the next will be impaired. The capacity to replace a person or cross-train another is now relegated to memory, which even under the best circumstances diminishes over time. Identifying issues or failures in the process now becomes a guessing game of emotions, frustration, blame, and a solution that usually requires a person to “try harder” or be replaced by someone more “capable”.
Attention to detail is based on experience, experience is earned through trial and error. Trial and error in business is costly. Procedures can provide instruction that both take into account past trials and errors and eliminate the repeat of those errors. When managers ask their employees to “use critical thinking skills” in the performance of repetitive tasks, transactions, or processes, it usually means that the process is not properly defined. If the process is defined and documented any error would be easily identified either a process or a person issue. If it is a process issue, improve the process, update the instructions, socialize the new instructions, and move on. It if is a person issue, document the failure to follow the instructions, discuss the performance issue without involving the character of the individual, and move on. If this conversation becomes habitual you have the facts you need to hold the employee accountable.
Now, once day to day activities are properly documented or your employees work in more creative, tier 2 positions it becomes a matter of Setting Goals.
Creating SMART goals is the only way to guarantee an Environment of Excellence.
Specific. Document the goal. This does not mean that you personally have to create a form or document it yourself. Once you and the person accepting the goal have agreed on all the terms, have them send you an email, task, or calendar reminder.
Measurable. Don’t solve an emotion. If there is a feeling that something is broken or something needs to be improved, prove it, with data. Even if the start of the goal is delayed while you begin measuring the performance in the suspect area. Identify where you are now, set a time to reevaluate performance, determine how much you want to improve.
Achievable. Set goals based on the person ability. The first goal you assign someone must be achievable. This creates an Environment of Excellence. Once the employee experiences the success of accepting and completing a goal they will desire additional goals with increasing complexity. Expand their comfort zone.
Realistic. Guarantee Success. This does not require that every goal be successfully completed, it means that every goal should move the metrics of performance for the product, process, or service in a positive direction even if it does not mean the full expectations. For example, if the goal to reduce a turn time by 8% only achieves a 4% improvement, the win is still 4%. Both you and the person accepting the goal should agree on the scope, restrictions, and results of the goal.
Time Sensitive. Set realistic time goals that are fact based. Schedule and be available during specific milestones along the process to ensure correct direction without micromanagement. Don’t get bogged down managing too many goals as you have to be available for every deadline and milestone to provide feedback to the employee. Providing feedback on a goal 3 days after its deadline gives the perception that the deadline wasn’t a real deadline.
Encourage Subject Matter Expertise. Give ownership to the process. An employee that complains about the process is the best person to fix the process. When an employee is involved in the creation or improvement of the process they perform they are more likely to make it efficient and take ownership in the process. They will also begin to look at it from a continuous improvement process, how can they keep making it better.
Dion M. Jones
Certified Protection Professional
Lean Six Sigma – Green Belt