Lean Musings and other stuff...

Meet you at the bottom ?

Having a problem you can’t seem to figure out is a tough place to be. Unresolved, over time it can lead to fatigue, frustration, a sense of futility. When teams experience it, it can build a culture of cynicism, mistrust, and toxicity. Being stuck in a problem, in short, is bad - alone or in a group. Maybe that’s the reason why it produces another reaction – desperation. When you are desperate to get out of your problem, you begin to accept certain things you would have never even considered saying out loud, much less, share with others. But, in that desperation, a very special thing can be produced. And for those stuck in problems , it can be the beginning of finding a way out. Somewhere towards your particular rocky bottom, you become vulnerable.

I’ve made the point repeatedly that when you choose to step into problems with others, you are signing up for one of the hardest jobs around. To be successful, you must:

• Help someone see their problem accurately
• Help them see they can’t keep trying to solve it on their own
• Help them that you are the one that could help?
• Help them see a new way of doing something and then accept that new way as the new normal

Each of those are monumental accomplishments. But none of those are possible without someone being desperate enough to “try anything” and then vulnerable enough to ask for and accept help.

It’s in this very delicate stage, that a you may get the unique opportunity to come alongside a team or individual and provide assistance. That assistance can look many ways. Asking the right questions, using visuals to create clarity within a team, formatting data so that it becomes an actionable insight, or just honing in on why we’re doing whatever we’re doing in the first place. No matter the approach or tool being used, how you engage is what will determine how long you’ll be allowed to partner with them on the climb away from the rocky bottom you found them on. Your ability to be confident in the tools and skills while still remaining curious and unbiased, your willingness to balance firmness and sympathy, your constant focus on fact based conclusions and incremental progress forward are all reasons why those who are desperate and vulnerable will allow you into a space few will ever see.

And, if you are persistent in these things, you will leave that team or individual better than they were before – maybe even with a new perspective or tool they can use on their own. If that’s ever been true for you, you know how gratifying that is. Not for the accomplishment or being part of a solution, but a deep sense of appreciation for the honor and privilege it is to be allowed into that problem solving space at all.

If you are reading this, you are one of those people that others seek out for assistance when they hit their rock bottom. You are a valued voice to your colleagues and friends. Thanks for being willing to meet them where they are with whatever resources you may have.

Lean and Six Sigma are rich toolsets, but they will only ever be as good as those that wield them.