WORKPLACE MANAGEMENT: BUILD CONSISTENCY
by Pamela Millard
When things go wrong, a typical first reaction is to think that the employee made a mistake or failed to follow procedures. Often, though, it’s not about the people.
Fix your process, not your people
People want to do the right thing. However, there are some reasons why they might not do things right. There might be obstacles. You might hear things like:
- “I don’t know how to do this.”
- “I can’t do this because Joe didn’t do that.”
- “Doing it that way takes more time than doing it this way.”
- “I’ve always done it this way and I can’t remember to do it that way.”
Take a broader view
All jobs in your agency should work together to meet business goals and deliver the best experience for your customers and employees. If the process is flawed in one part of the organization, there will probably be problems in other areas. It won’t be just one process, or one task, that isn’t being done right. So remember to look beyond the immediate problem. Avoid the temptation to make improvements on the fly and short-term fixes, which seldom result in lasting positive change. Make sure that a change that works for one job will work throughout your organization.
Fix the process
When you find errors or mistakes recurring, ask “Why?” How effective are your existing processes and systems overall? Is everyone following the same processes consistently? Are there obstacles to doing the job right? Have you left significant gaps in workplace processes? Listen carefully to what your employees have to say about the work and the workflow, because they live with them every day and their input is invaluable.
Keep it fixed
Just saying that a process has changed will not make it so. Training, reinforcement, and follow-through are all essential for lasting change.
Don’t forget the importance of documentation. Make sure that procedures and workflows are written and available to anyone and everyone who might need them. Maintaining current documentation is also a troublesome issue. As procedures change, so must documentation. The onerous task of maintaining documentation is frequently left undone. It’s hard to ensure that people follow the procedure if the written instructions no longer apply.
Mistakes are a natural part of life. Everyone makes them. When you see the same mistake recurring it’s time to take a closer look. Even if it appears to be a problem employee, understanding the root cause is important. You can’t fix people. You can’t even change people. You can provide better tools or training. You can improve a process.
Pamela Millard is president of Transformation Advisors (Diamond Springs, CA), a client-focused management consulting firm. You can contact her at (530) 295-108, e-mail [email protected]; or www.transformationadvisors.com.