I think that I’ve discovered the perfect gift for many of our clients, and it comes in the perfect size for every one of them. Even if you have it already, you can always use more. But it’s pretty rare, so it must be in short supply. And if I find it, I haven’t yet figured out how to wrap it. What is it?
Discipline. Dozens of New York Times’ bestsellers have been written about it. And many leaders have read them but still fall prey to the Shiny Object Syndrome of chasing the latest management fad instead of designing, managing, and improving key processes. (Item 6.1)
“I see the Baldrige process as a powerful set of mechanisms for disciplined people engaged in disciplined thought and taking disciplined action to create great organizations that produce exceptional results.”
One item of the Baldrige Excellence Framework provides insight into the various ways that discipline – or a lack thereof – affects operational efficiency and effectiveness (Item 6.2). With discipline to adhere to well-designed processes across the organization, leaders can realize reduced cycle times, improved productivity, minimized effects of unpredictable variation (defects, service errors, and rework), and cost savings that fall to the bottom line.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “We don’t have the time to do it right, but we have the time to do it over.”? It almost sounds like a cliché, but the phenomenon is evident in many organizations. How could you recognize the symptoms of a culture that doesn’t value and promote discipline?
- The need to continue solving the same problems over and over again
- The mishandling of knowledge assets so that lessons learned must be relearned
- The reward and recognition of “arsonist firefighters,” those people who allow projects to nearly implode due to mismanaged processes but who swoop in to save the day with the revered “diving catch”
- The incidents and accidents that result from a lax culture on safety
- The need to repair or rebuild customer relationships from repeated service recovery efforts
Do any of these sound familiar?
I remember in the early days of Total Quality Management (TQM) hearing that the most important job a manager has is ensuring that his/her employees have value-added work to do. And, by definition, that eliminates jobs focused on rework, complaint management, inspection required to sort out defects, etc. And the second most important job of a manager is removing barriers that get in the way of their employees being able to perform their jobs in the most efficient way possible. How are you doing with these two key management tasks?
What else can you do as a leader to promote discipline in your organization?
- First, lead by example. You need to serve as a personal role model for holding yourself accountable to the commitments you make.
- Second, you need to provide focus on a few key objectives, not a laundry list of “to do’s” all vying for attention with no clear priorities.
- Third, you need to reinforce disciplined processes through the use of checklists, action plan templates, and policies and procedures.
- Finally, you need to inspect for the use of these tools to ensure that what gets implemented is maintained.
If you like to fly by the seat of your pants, this approach is not for you. But if your approach is generating too many bad surprises, unacceptable expenses, and a precarious place in your market, you need to rethink your philosophy that equates freedom to be creative with a lack of discipline. Let Aristotle’s and Jim Collins’ wisdom guide you toward making discipline the foundation of your organization’s excellence.
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Baldrige Foundation Webinars
December 14th at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, Baldrige Foundation Quarterly Webinar
Building Resilience Through Foresight: Navigating an Uncertain Future
In an ever-changing world, resilience is key to thriving amidst uncertainty. The shocks and disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have underscored the need for organizations to be prepared for the unexpected. While traditional forecasting and planning have their place, it’s time to embrace “foresight” – a dynamic approach that explores diverse scenarios for the future, fostering adaptability and preparedness.
Join us for this enlightening webinar featuring Robin Champ, former Chief of the Enterprise Strategy Division at the U.S. Secret Service and the former Chief of the Global Futures Office at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Robin will delve into the world of strategic foresight, exploring not only trends and signals of change but also how foresight can enhance an organization’s resilience, enabling it to navigate uncharted waters with confidence.
https://ow.ly/ogK650Q2OMf
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The Institute for Performance Excellence offers 400+ training and certification opportunities to help support individuals, organizations, and communities around the world by providing quality educational programs. These programs are highly customizable, and you are encouraged to contact Josh Racette, Vice President of National Programs & Development, at jracette@baldrigefoundation.org to learn more. To view additional information about all educational opportunities offered by the Institute for Performance Excellence, please visit www.baldrigeinstitute.org/education.
