Leadership and Workforce Alignment & Engagement Session 8: Overcoming Resistance to Change-Disagreement on the Details of the Implementation | Operational Excellence Quick Hits

In today’s session, we’re going to continue the series on leadership and workforce alignment and engagement. I can’t stress enough the importance of having leadership and the workforce aligned and engaged in the process of ongoing improvement. It’s a necessary condition for a high-performing organization. A necessary condition is something that must be in place to achieve an objective, and for high performance, alignment and engagement are key.

We’re currently working through the layers of resistance and techniques to overcome them. The focus of this session is on layer five, which involves disagreement on the details of the implementation of a solution. In other words, we need to have a clear understanding of what needs to be done and how it needs to be done. This session builds upon the previous discussions, including session four, where we discussed the goal tree and overcoming negative branches, focusing on what needs to be done (the “how”).

To recap, the layers of resistance we’ve discussed are as follows:

• Layer zero: Why change?
• Layer one: Disagreement on the problem.
• Layer two: Disagreement on the direction of the solution.
• Layer three: Disagreement on the details of the solution.
• Layer four: Disagreement on the negative ramifications.
• And now, layer five: Disagreement on the details of the implementation.

Our primary goal is to achieve agreement and clarity on the implementation details. So, how do we get buy-in and engagement from the people involved? Let’s explore the techniques used to achieve this.

First, we take the goal tree and the intermediate objectives and convert them into an executable plan. We do this by developing a proposal a three for each countermeasure. This involves assigning an implementation plan for each objective, detailing the actions needed to achieve them.

We also make use of a value stream map, which operates on a four-month interval. It helps us visualize what our organization will look like in four months from now. This future state map includes the actions or “injections” necessary to transition to the desired state. It serves as a working document and a communication tool for the team.

Additionally, we create a steering committee to oversee the implementation. This committee ensures that the implementation is on track to achieve the desired effects and can redirect resources if needed to ensure success.

Now, let’s delve into the proposal a three in more detail. It’s a future-oriented document that articulates where and how we intend to improve the situation based on ideas originating from the goal tree. This type of improvement should be closely tied to key performance indicators (KPIs). If an initiative doesn’t positively impact a KPI, it raises questions about its relevance.

Elements of the proposal a three include:

1. Explanation of the background and the current state that necessitates improvement.
2. Proposal detailing what we aim to accomplish and the desired outcomes.
3. Data analysis supporting both the current and proposed future states.
4. Detailed plans outlining how the future state will be achieved.
5. Identification of any negative implications arising from the implementation.
6. Definition of the implementation team and their respective roles.

The proposal a three serves as a dynamic tool guiding the implementation process, ensuring the team stays focused and avoids scope creep.

Our value stream map, on the other hand, primarily focuses on establishing and maintaining flow and stability within the organization. Stability is a crucial prerequisite for improvement. It means that only common cause variation is present, there are no special cause variations, and the time to complete all processes is highly predictable.

As we continue through this process, remember that the opportunities for improvement are endless, making this a perpetual part of the continuous improvement journey.

That concludes our session for today. Thank you for joining us. Please connect with me on LinkedIn, visit our website, or explore our YouTube channel, where you’ll find a wealth of resources on how to transform your organization into a high-performing one.