Resolved for 2024

January 8, 2024?

Dear Leaders,?

As the final vestiges of Christmas disappear into boxes and storage, we are a week into the new year, with many new year’s resolutions broken along with a few of the ornaments taken down from the tree.? As those of us who love the season keep Christmas in our hearts, good leaders know that which we resolve to do, be it at the start of the new year or whenever the idea strikes us, is worth continuing.? ???

Resolutions are often like leadership fads.? They sound grand and glorious, we make a list, show it off with pride, and swear on January 1st that we’re going to follow through on all of them.? Few of these make it past the 15th, and even fewer still are in effect on February 1st.? Leadership fads likewise come with great fanfare, proclaimed to be the solution to all that ails an organization, only to be shoved aside for either the next fad, or more likely, in a return to “the way we’ve always done it.”?

Lean Six Sigma is a program developed by Motorola in the 1980s, with the goal of improving performance through team participation that eliminates waste and increases efficiency and quality.? On the surface, it sounds great, and organizations large and small have signed on over the years, notably General Electric during the tenure of Jack Welch.? About 15 years ago, my federal agency took up the mantle and decided that this was the answer to all our problems.? Management designated personnel to become proficient at higher levels, known as belts in a way similar to martial arts, and mandated that all of us complete the initial training, known as white belt proficiency.?

Being a student of Jack Welch and W. Edwards Deming, on whose strategic principles Lean Six Sigma shares similarities, I looked on in amusement, as I used to post their rules near my desk almost (OK, it was) in mockery of the fact that our organization was so opposite thereof.? I had long practiced what they began teaching as new and radically different, and wondered what took them so long to figure it out.? Long focused on quantity over all else, this was at least the third major quality-focused program I saw implemented, but I went along in full support thereof, always the team player.??

As you might expect, this went on for a few months before the cracks started to show in the system.? Only a select few people received follow-on training for higher levels, and, as you can guess, the quantity went down.? Not having a good system for measuring quality, they tried various methods, each so cumbersome and nebulous, they were almost impossible to implement.? The rank-and-file employees insisted they were no longer on production quotas, first-line supervisors had no effective tools to measure quality, and management was getting heat from headquarters for the ever-growing front logs and backlogs.? By the end of the year, the numerical standards returned, and Lean Six Sigma, like Christmas in August, was but a memory.?

Caveating with the fact that I did not have the same work or production requirements as most of my organization, I continued unabated with a quality-focused standard basically unchanged since before and after Lean Six Sigma.? I taught my people efficiency, but realized that each of our cases was unique, and while some required three hours of work, others required three months of research and investigation.? In balancing their workloads, they were able to complete cases at a numerical rate that pleased management, all while remaining focused on what was important:? the quality of our work.??

Leaders know that no single management principle or method is the solution to all human problems, and they apply techniques and tactics as needed to accomplish their mission, all while looking out for their people.? Much like the football coach who evaluates his team’s strengths and then designs a game plan to maximize them, good leaders know their people, train them in the skills needed, and then use them to the utmost of their abilities.? Management fads are often like the coach who designs plays and expects the team to execute them with precision and perfection, without regard to the realities of their talents and capabilities.? If it doesn’t fit what you have and what you can do, it simply won’t work.?

Resolutions are a fine thing, for they should align with your personal and professional goals.? If you must, make them realistic, make them attainable, and make them a part of your life.? Don’t go chasing after something for the sake of having a resolution or goal, and don’t fester it upon your people if it doesn't fit what they do, for doing so will only cause your own credibility to suffer.? As you can guess, the hint of mockery I had before the Lean Six Sigma debacle at my organization was fully evident among the workforce when the program was swept out the door, and the lack of regard for management was likewise more pronounced.?

If you resolve to be different this year, do so in a way that benefits you, your people, your team, and your organization.? It doesn’t have to be the latest and greatest, it has to be what works for you.? Keep it going, no matter what the challenges, remain flexible, and believe in what you’re doing, for like Christmas all year long, it’s as real as you wish it to be.? ???

Sincerely,

Tim