Theory of Constraints Handbook - James Cox Iii [92]
Maintain a Communication Plan. Create oversight processes to make sure quality problems are addressed. Hold regular Steering and Implementation Team meetings in which critical issues are discussed. Create forums for internal experts to share knowledge. More broadly, create a CORE culture that rewards people for communicating honest expectations and results, whether those results are deemed good or bad.
Tip: Plan for work that will never be “done.”
Summary
Real organizational change does not just mean admitting that things need to change or trying different things. It means actually changing the habits that govern how people work—changing the organizational DNA. Improvement initiatives that require real change have, at best, a mediocre record of producing and sustaining long-term benefits, and this Uptake Problem is pervasive. Root causes for it include:
Lack of urgency
An inadequate solution
Lack of ownership in the solution
Unwillingness or inability to set clear expectations of value
Inability to communicate value
These root causes can be addressed by applying CORE, a process developed by Pro-Chain Solutions over the course of many years facilitating Critical Chain implementations.
CORE requires the following steps:
1. Learn and analyze to find or create the shared Urgency.
2. Define and communicate Expectations using a common vision.
3. Build Commitment through planning.
4. Create Value through the implementation.
5. Validate the results through measurements.
6. Continue the cycle into the future.
CORE is a process for selling change that addresses the root causes by building trust in the change initiative over time. The ProChain experience indicates that the combination of CORE and best-in-class solution components results in successful and long-lasting implementations.
The CORE feedback cycle can be applied to simple and complex situations. Some associated traps can be avoided by transferring ownership of the implementation, creating realistic expectations, and acknowledging the fact that some implementation tasks will never be completely “done.”
Ability to change quickly—“agility”—can be a tremendous competitive advantage. For an organization to be truly agile, it must be able to respond rapidly to changes in markets and technologies. In order to make appropriate changes that stick, its people must have the patience, discipline, and flexibility to build trust in those changes. CORE is an important tool to build that trust.
References
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