The concern for increasing productivity and efficiency often leads companies to seek out and test different technologies and tools. These include, but not always successfully, Process Reengineering, ISO 9001, Performance Assessments, Executive Coaching, Lean, TPM, and so on.
Obviously, all of these tools are valid, but they are just that: "tools." And to be successful, they require the appropriate mindset. What does this mean?
Over more than 10 years as consultants for small, medium and large companies, we have seen the most brilliant tools fail because they wanted to implement them without adequately preparing the human group for the change that was coming.
Is it a tool issue? Definitely not.
Is it a problem for those trying to implement them? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
In general the problem arises when you are looking for something “implant them” rather “develop them”.
It may seem like a purely semantic question, but it is not. Implant It involves doing so with the utmost goodwill, a great deal of energy, and an adequate budget, but usually without having checked whether the soil is fertile for that seed. It's done with the fantasy that the quality of the technology in question will produce the required change. Needless to say, this is an illusion that quickly proves to be a failure. It seems obvious, but it isn't: It's not the quality of the brush that creates a Picasso.
Develop Processes of change and continuous improvement, however, require that the ground be prepared, fertilized, watered, and finally sown beforehand, or possibly in parallel. It clearly includes the aforementioned elements, but differs from mere implementation in that there is an active awareness that, in order to make a company increasingly effective and productive, there must first be an appropriate climate, a basic predisposition to improvement, and a conscious decision to pay the emotional price of change. But there's something more. People must perceive that management's discourse is credible.
Perhaps the biggest cause of failure is the lack of credibility among the managers responsible for implementing the changes. Given this, it would be foolish to blame the tools or those technically responsible for implementing them. If your employees don't trust you, for whatever reason, they'll be unlikely to believe in the transformation proposal.
If your company wants to begin or continue a process of organizational change and improvement, never forget this universal law. First, you must prepare the ground, then sow, and then wait for the seed to mature so that it can consolidate and bear the desired fruit.
There are no magical or immediate changes. Quick fixes are only for publicity or for the irresponsible. Human processes require time and great finesse.
As with the Law of the Harvest, this requires periods of time that cannot be violated under penalty of causing the crop to fail.
I may insist on wanting to plant in the summer, but it turns out that for that seed to germinate, it must be planted in the fall.
I may want to water it a lot to make it grow faster, but it turns out that too much water, far from making it grow faster, can actually kill the plant.
The same thing happens in companies and institutions. Change processes require preparing the ground, sowing seeds, and "supporting" the growth process. This means first going through a process of awareness-raising for change. People have the right and the obligation to make their voices heard, to conduct a diagnostic analysis of where they stand and where they want to go.
A broad consensus is required on internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as external opportunities and threats. What will happen if we continue operating as we have been? What types of organizational practices and behaviors should we maintain, which should we abandon, and which should we adopt if we want to achieve certain results?
That's why the Key Success Factor is the credibility of those leading the change. Read this carefully: Managers and Leaders. If you're not credible, it doesn't matter what you do. It doesn't matter how much you invest in consulting. You must first inspire confidence, or the process will not be sustainable.
Over the past 40 years, the tools that have proven most effective in creating the right groundwork for change have been those that foster an environment of trust and participation. Perhaps the most effective of these are the 5S.
Originating in Japan, the 5S system has spread worldwide due to its high effectiveness. When implemented properly, it's much more than just order and cleanliness. In fact, it establishes a new organizational paradigm that gradually supports any change effort. That's why we recommend its implementation in most cases.
No matter the size of the company. No matter the sector it belongs to. If you really want to make a change, start with 5S. Do it seriously. The rest will follow.
