Operational Excellence or Operational Mediocrity?

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Do you aspire to Excellence?

If you answered that question 'Yes', I would challenge you to think about whether it is really the case and if your colleagues feel the same way?

The reason for my question is that I find that the majority of people don't really do so but instead work on the principle of "it's good enough" or "we can get by with that". For example, they don't see the point in having a truly organised workplace (in Lean terms, 5S or WPO), arguing, particularly in an office setting, that it doesn't matter and, in some cases getting quite angry if challenged to do so.

Perhaps a change to the naming of our ambitions or improvement programs (substituting Excellence with something more realistic) might be required if we are to really reflect this prevailing?mind-set:

1. The Lean 'Good Enough' Program
2. Continuous Improvement (until we're good enough and then we'll stop)
3. World Class 'Good Enough'
4. Manufacturing 'better than we were' Program
5. Operational Mediocrity

My observation is that, if they are honest, the majority of organisations, and their people, aspire to mediocrity, as it is usually good enough to get through the short-term challenges that they face, and they're then able to exhale, and relax for a moment, before the next crisis hits them.

This lack of belief in the level of discipline required for a Quality Mind-set is, in my experience, a key difference in the success or failure of most Transformation Programs, as this disbelief in the importance of excellence in everything that we do corrodes the overall quality and excellence of our improvement program.

Think about it this way, most organisations have access to the same resources that their competition also have. They can also undertake the same types of improvement programs and implement the same types of technology.

This means that your competition has the option to do everything that you can to improve and to beat you.?

Therefore, the main difference between their or your organisation?winning is what you do that they (and others) won't do. Truly implementing a way-of-working based upon excellence in everything that you do?can be that differentiator: If you choose it and live it!

As Edgar A. Guest said in his poem "Good Enough":

For this is true of men and stuff - Only the best is "good enough."

This requires that you find a way to gain belief across your organisation in the necessity of living excellence in everything and ignoring the natural tendency to settle with good enough. Navigating towards Excellence in an Ocean of Good Enough is not easy but there are a couple of things that can help you to tackle this:

1. A Kaikaku experience - Show influential people in your organisation what Excellence looks like by taking them to a World Class organisation to learn what can be achieved.
2. Create a Model or Pilot?Value Stream - Concentrating on a small but relevant part of the organisation to create?a 'Vision of Excellence' to show?doubters that excellence can be attained in your organisation.
3. Remain focussed on business impact (through people engagement). If the people doing the work feel better about their work, and the business results are improving, you will have a much better chance of convincing the organisation of the need for excellence.

In one of my earlier posts?"A Quality Mind-set"?I told the story of a Toyota Sensei who wouldn't accept less than excellence and how this mind-set avoided a potential Quality failure. Unfortunately, that is not a common approach to quality and requires a true belief in excellence to be developed into the cultural fabric of the organisation.

Nevertheless, no organisation's culture of excellence developed without intent, focus and stamina and therefore the decision that you need to make is how you're going to truly answer the original question:

Do you aspire to Excellence??

The full poem by?Edgar A. Guest?is as follows:

My son, beware of "good enough,"

It isn't made of sterling stuff;

It's something any man can do,

It marks the many from the few,

It has not merit to the eye,

It's something any man can buy,

It's name is but a sham and bluff,

For it is never "good enough."

With "good enough" the shirkers stop

In every factory and shop;

With "good enough" the failures rest

And lose to men who give their best;

With "good enough" the car breaks down

And men fall short of high renown.

My son, remember and be wise

In "good enough" disaster lies.

With "good enough" have ships been wrecked,

The forward march of armies checked,

Great buildings burned and fortunes lost;

Nor can the world compute the cost

In life and money it has paid

Because at "good enough" men stayed.

Who stops at "good enough" shall find

Success has left him far behind.

There is no "good enough" that's short

Of what you can do and ought.

The flaw which may escape the eye

And temporarily get by,

Shall weaken under the strain

And wreck the ship or car or train.

For this is true of men and stuff—

Only the best is "good enough."

-?Edgar A. Guest

Interested to learn more? Click on the following links to read the introductions or buy one of my books:

• Leading Lean by Living Lean: Changing how you lead, not who you are
• The Simplicity of Lean: Defeating Complexity, Delivering Excellence
• Leading with Lean: An experience-based guide to Leading a Lean Transformation

Feel free to visit?my Website at:?LeadingwithLean?and?my other?LinkedIn posts?may be found?at this?link.

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This article was first published on the 30th January 2017.