Why did we fail?

Your organization was informed by a customer that something was not right. You took every step in the continuous process improvement effort to correct the problem, but you failed to meet the customer’s demands. Why? It may have nothing to do with the process improvement steps at all.

The problem may reside within your organization. If we have assumed who the process SME is within your organization, then what are their obligations to the organization?

Deming in his 14 points of quality stated that one of the keys to quality is the removal of barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship. The subject matter expert needs to be in the position to lay out what the standard of work expects from the team members. They need to demonstrate both through actions and words what is the components of the standard of work. They achieve this through very concrete actions:

1. Attention to voice of the customer

The subject matter expert needs to understand the process to the point they can see it in the dark. They need to be cognizant enough to know when the customer is not receiving what they demanded when they demanded it. The SME has to be cognizant of what the customer is demanding and why it is not being met. They also need to know how to go about changing the process to meet those demands. Even more important they need to know the customer. They need to know how the customer acts, thinks, views the world, and views their vendors. The SME needs to understand the customer’s mission, vision and most important their culture and how that culture melds with your organization’s culture.

2. Attention to corporate buy-in

The subject matter expert needs to know the organization well enough that they can easily observe where the process is not the corporate mantra. They need to spot those human capital assets are hindering the process by throwing up obstacles to the standard of work. We have referred to this in past blog posts as the process turbulence. Often represented by those who walk the talk but not walk the l. Those assets, who talk behind your back to others in the organization, as to why the process won’t work in your organization. Those assets who are in a sense poisoning the well for the rest of the organization.

3. Attention to the corporate message

The subject matter expert needs to assist in crafting the corporate message to the organization and to the organizational customers that when we talk quality, we mean that we are dedicated to following through on our message.?The subject matter expert needs to ensure that the promises are not just another hollow promise with no backing. In the long run this will hurt the organization does not help.

4. Attention to the TLS Continuum Road map

Finally, the subject matter expert needs to assist in making sure everyone from the very top and the very bottom of the organization understands the steps of the process and their responsibilities within the process. Further the SME needs to ensure that once the roadmap is in place, they are not varying off the process steps.

In the end the subject matter expert can make or break a process if they do not take their responsibilities to heart. If they do not understand that the pride of workmanship that Deming talked about is not met when the SME fails to complete their responsibilities or does not feel needed in the process.

The real reason why you failed in your improvement effort is that you did not allow for process ownership to move from management to the front line in the organization. The workplace must be designed around a system that provides the avenue for the employee to enhance their learning of skills that will improve the way they deliver what is in their minds A human capital asset is the single greatest part of your organizational DNA and thus of empowerment. In the empowered organization, the human capital assets are the crux to advancing innovation, process improvement, change management. The demands of the VUCA world demand that the human capital assets acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to better perform their responsibilities. Every time we encounter a change based on volatility of the workplace; we are forced to do things differently. Every time we encounter a change that is derived out of the uncertainty of the workplace, we need to prepare the organization for the next unexpected change. The goal is to reach a point where the human capital assets take responsibility for both the successes and failures of the organizational processes. When things go bad, they take the responsibility to make things right. When things go right, they champion that success to the organization and to the world.?They take ownership of the process to ensure that there are more successes than failures. They understand under this ownership umbrella they have not only the ability but the right to stop the process to correct problems. They understand that in doing so there is no retaliation for making the decision. Management understands the reasons why they did what they did. Their fellow human capital assets understand the reasons why they did what they did.

About the author:?Daniel Bloom?knows HR and Change Management. He’s a speaker on transformational HR, a strategic HR consultant and trainer. He is certified as both a Senior Professional in HR and as a Six Sigma Black Belt. Dan has written 6 books, more than 40 articles and has been in the HR social media space since 2006. Dan is currently the CEO and Change Maestro of?Daniel Bloom & Associates Inc., where?he helps organizations empower organizational change within their organizations.