“No, It’s Not What You’re Wearing”
Years ago, many years ago, I had the good fortune of learning how to approach performance improvement from several of the giants. It happened while I was part of a life-changing and game-changing journey at Florida Power and Light in pursuit of the highest honor in the world in recognition of the mastery of quality improvement, The Deming Prize. It is really true that when you commit to something important, the transformation of an organization, and then execute the transformation, you become transformed in the process. One priceless gift I received during that transformation was the insight of luminaries from the Japanese Union of Scientists and Engineers (JUSE), the equivalent of a world class think tank (but built on a foundation of successful applications). In fact, I can call Dr. Noriaki Kano a friend, and my two Deming examiners were Dr. Kume and Dr. Akao, names that many will recognize and deeply respect.
Among the many insights I still carry, an essential one was to stop wasting time focusing on how well you are doing, or worse, trying to use data to pretend that you are doing well when you are not. Focus on the pain if you want to do something about it. Our battlefield general, Wayne Brunetti, reinforced the mantra that “we talk about problems around here.” Over many years, those customers that I have served will attest to my endless ranting on this point.
So my topic is obesity, the obesity in our processes, organizations, controls, management systems and leadership practices. Obesity is one big fat ugly word. It sounds offensive and mean spirited when we say it, even though we think it silently when we see it. Yet, it is the use of such words, as appropriate descriptive language, that creates the just the right imagery and urgency for action to take place, le mot juste. I say this from personal experience, as I am on the endless journey to a healthier place, with 50 pounds gone from my girth, hundreds of miles of wear visible on my Nikes, and countless pounds of lifting in the weight room. I was obese, and called myself that word often, as I kicked myself into personal Policy Management, Project Selection, Process Improvement, Implementation of Controls and a fundamental transformation of how I conducted the business of leading and managing my biological operation systems. It was hard, really hard to do, and I am really glad it was so hard, since the effort ahead will be harder still. It all started with the unfiltered clarity of measuring the right stuff (the pain) and not wasting time measuring the stuff that provided delusionary affirmation. I started with drinking my own Kool-Aid, with no sugar.
Most diets work and most diets don’t work. They can be biological or organizational diets, since there is little difference between the two. I say that because the operating word in the phrase is the verb, WORK. The successful customers I have had the privilege to serve had leadership that understood that success came more from execution and constancy of purpose than the formulas, be they 7 steps or 4. Some started their attack on performance obesity with one of the many diets (CPI, TQM. Six Sigma, Reengineering, or Lean.) The winners today, the fit, the agile, practiced what my 8th grade gym teacher, Earl Oster would growl, bark and build into us, “Men, show me some intestinal fortitude and stick it out.” I never stop thanking the former WWII Navy Master Chief and I suspect that many, many others owe him much more.
So, what would you like to do today with our enterprise, burn time or burn calories? The process scale is right over there.
