Achieving Results

BRIDGE: How a Signature Program Got its Roots

by

Not all problems are created equal.  Using one’s intuition or past practices might work for solving very simple problems.  Yet our past and our view of the future may limit our solutions.  When we are facing an issue or challenge that requires a fresh solution and has many interrelated components — perhaps several different constituents are involved or can be effected by the solution — a more robust process will bring you a clearer, more novel solution.  Based on Snowden’s (2007) research, there are four levels of problems – simple, complicated, complex and chaotic. As director of the Alber Enterprise Center, I helped to develop an issue management model specifically designed to resolve our clients’ complex problems.

In my own research comparing The BRIDGE Issue Management Process with other, more basic problem-solving models, I determined that there are three features that differentiate our model.  The BRIDGE:

  1. Identifies a system of interrelated solutions that resolve the issue;
  2. Provides templates for clients to document the desired outcomes, action steps, measurements, and resources into formal documents; and
  3. Gains buy-in from their respective organizations to implement and sustain the solution.

Deciding how to solve problems and issues can create a challenge in itself.  Giroux (2009) conducted a study of the decision-making habits of small business owners and entrepreneurs in Canada.  Using one’s intuition seems to be a common practice, as was learning from past incorrect decisions.  Also, emotions may unduly influence the decision if the problem is critical to the success of the business.  Without a formal process that helps them view the problem objectively, small business owners sometimes lacked the ability to make sound decisions (Giroux, 2009).  They are limited by their past experience and their view of the horizon.

There is history in the phrase “issue management process.” It was coined by the late Howard Chase in 1976 to describe a process he crafted for corporations to manage their public relations image and to influence public policy. Although Chase restricted his model to the corporate and public policy environment, issue management eventually progressed into a discipline used by other types of entities to develop strategies for a wide range of issues in their respective environments.

Extension’s new “signature program,” The BRIDGE: Issue Management Process, is not actually a program as educators know it.  It is a tool that anyone experienced with facilitating groups can utilize to solve complex issues with their constituents.  The BRIDGE creatively incorporates adaptations of several organization analysis tools designed by business scholars arranged in a logical flow.  First, the facilitator carefully chooses stakeholders familiar with the issue and invites them to a workshop to guide them through the process.  The facilitator then coaches the participants to storyboard what they can control or influence about the issue; to reflect on where they are currently and what they want as an end result in measurable terms; and to identify forces driving the issue as well as barriers that must be overcome.  The group then designs a comprehensive, multifaceted solution that specifies the action steps and addresses the human resistance to change that may hold back implementation.  Creating an evaluation plan for monitoring the outcomes is the final phase of the process.

We use The BRIDGE when 1) there are many components to an issue that are interrelated, and minor changes to one component could cause major consequences to others; 2) we want a creative solution that has not been done before; and 3) we have a short time period to resolve the issue.

I hope that this post helps to broaden your perspective on problem-solving vs. issue management, and that the next time you’re faced with a complex issue, you’ll reach for The BRIDGE tool kit.

Teams That Get Results

by

Great leaders get things done through others and many times through teams.  This post lays out four practices that will get your teams headed in the right direction and achieving results.

Vision

First, why does this team exist?  What are you hoping to achieve?  Knowing the end before you begin brings clarity to all team members.  Don’t obsess over this.  Simply discuss what a successful outcome looks like.  Example: a team convened to create a new marketing plan.  Their vision was to successfully drive demand for a new product.  This had clear measurable results  (10% increase in revenue for the coming quarter).  It also drives their implementation.  If instead they wanted results over the next year that would change their goals.  A clear destination drives the goals to get there.

Focus on Goals

The team with a vision of creating a 10% sales increase naturally leads to the appropriate goals.  It might consist of target audience research, so much marketing to print media, so much to social media, etc.  Important – goals must be assigned to team members and held accountable; i.e. who will do what, by when?  Each person understands their role in the process and how they must perform so that the team succeeds.  This focus on goals requires monitoring and feedback along the process in order to stay on track.  Before we get to that joint accountability, let’s look at the choice of team members.

Choose Team Members by Strengths

Choose team members with complementary strengths and watch the synergy blossom.  We’ve found it helpful to use Gallup’s CliftonStrengths® approach, where each person discovers his or her top five strengths under four domains (Executor, Influencer, Relator, Strategic).  It’s important to make sure the team has at least one of each domain so that things get done, the right people buy in, contributions are valued, and the long-term view is considered fully.

Joint & Self Accountability

For status sessions, use the following format with four symbols: + What went well?; ! What did I learn?; ∆ What will I change?; —> Next steps.  Have team members come ready to share.  It is then easy to help each other get back on track if needed.  Best, they will regulate themselves.  Healthy teams hold each other accountable to stay on track.  This requires a high level of courage and vulnerability.  Foster these through personal example and development programs (Our “Building Healthy Teams”, for example).

If you’d like to partner with us to learn more about our program Building Healthy Teams and using Gallup’s CliftonStrengths for teams, please contact us below and let us help your teams make 2018 your best year yet!

 

 

 

New Year, New Opportunities

by

Happy New Year to all of our clients, followers, readers, and colleagues!  We sincerely hope that 2018 brings you joy, prosperity, and renewed energy.  As we turn the page on this new calendar year, the Alber Enterprise Center is turning the page with resolve. We are resolved to:

  • Demonstrate our belief that employees are the heart and soul of an organization;
  • Be the catalyst for change, innovation, and progress; positively impacting individuals, organizations, and communities;
  • Demonstrate that integrity, honesty, and excellence are at the heart of our work;
  • Hold ourselves personally accountable to one another and to our clients;
  • Develop and maintain long-term relationships that allow us to build solid partnerships leading to enhanced productivity, empowered leadership, and creative problem-solving.

What sort of challenges are you facing in 2018, and how might you and your organization resolve to overcome those challenges?  We would love to support you in your resolutions, as together we can make an impact on whatever barriers exist.  Let’s jump into the New Year with purpose!

“Approach the New Year with resolve to find the opportunities hidden in each new day.” – Michael Josephson

Five Leadership Hacks

by

You know that with better leadership skills, your team could start performing at a whole new level.  Here are five ways to boost your team’s leadership skills today.

  1. Develop your leadership.

As a leader your job is to develop those around you.  Mary mentored and fostered new leaders in our organization on a regular basis.  Dozens of people she mentored went on to become leaders in our organization.  She was valuable because she created other leaders.  Be valuable too.

How do you develop your leaders?  Has your team had formal leadership training?  Our unique approach instills the five traits of exemplary leaders.  Make sure each of your leaders has the skills they need to lead.

  1. Know your people better.

Remember when the standard to meet with direct reports for formal performance reviews was once a year?  No more.  Now the guidance is at least once a month.  This does three things.  One, it builds a sound relationship with your team member.  Leadership is about relationship.  Two, it is a valuable chance for you to get regular, valuable feedback on your organization.  Finally, it gives them a regular update on their performance.  Tackle performance problems early.  Encourage high performers at every chance.  Here’s a good format for the 1 on 1:

  • What is going well?
  • What have you learned?
  • What will you change?
  • What are your next steps?
  1. Vision/Mission – again and again.

The best leaders never forget why they exist.  People hunger for meaning and purpose and a consistent reminder to your team vision and mission will remind them that what they do is significant.  Start every meeting answering the “why.”  Why are we meeting?  How does this meeting tie into our larger purpose?  Do this and they will be more inspired and fulfilled.  “Our meeting today is for (purpose)… which enables us to (mission/vision).”  Simon Sinek said it well, “Great leaders are able to inspire people to act; they give them a sense of purpose or belonging …”  Remind your team of the “why” – and inspire.

  1. Set clear expectations and follow-up.

Is your team working toward some measurable vital result?  We may have told them (or think we did). What is their understanding and what metrics are they working toward every day?  What gets measured gets improved (Drucker).  Is it sales, profit per transaction, repeat customers?  Ensure that your team has what they need and knock down any obstacles.  Are you serving them so that they can meet the expectations?

  1. Recognize results and desired behaviors.

Be the kind of leader who never stops finding the good in people and telling them.  It builds loyalty and fosters high performance.  We asked them to achieve it. Celebrate it.  Recognize everyday behaviors that will lead to results.  For example, long hours to meet a deadline, creative new approaches, serving the customer well, etc.  When was the last time you said it?  Do it today.

Do these five things regularly and watch your team take off!

Through the Fog

by

This morning (Monday, Feb. 20th) I drove from my home to my office in Marion in very dense fog. As a matter fact, I had heard on the early news that there was a severe fog alert out for the morning. It has been a long time since I have driven in such dense fog. As I drove the back roads through the country, I realized that these are very familiar roads to me…I drive these roads several days each week. I know where all of the stop signs are, the curves and the valleys along the road. I know where to turn, where the speed limits change from 55, to 45 to 35. So, one might say, I could drive on auto pilot in this fog. However, I think we would all agree, that would not be a very wise thing to do. As we all know, things can change. Some areas as we are driving in the fog may be easier. It may not be as dense in certain areas and allows us to see a bit further ahead. At other times, there might be an obstacle in our way that we don’t see until the last minute, such as a deer crossing the road (which, fortunately, did not happen to me). The dense fog complicates this because it impairs our visibility. So, I found myself driving slower, being more intentional, more cautious and making sure I was aware of all of my surroundings.

This got me to thinking about the parallel for many organizations. Some organizations navigate very well through the fog. Others have a difficult time seeing what is ahead. Visibility is limited. There are obstacles in their way they don’t see. And this impacts their effectiveness, their employee engagement, turnover, the ability to attract and retain a qualified workforce and most likely, their overall bottom line.

Organizations need to have a plan when the fog rolls in. And there are times when that happens – suddenly and unexpectedly, whether it is due to outside forces (i.e. the economy) or internal forces (change in leadership, shift in supply and demand). How can organizations be strategic about navigating these treacherous roads? There are several things that can be done.

Begin with a mission and vision that serves as the foundation for all that you do. This is your organization’s lighthouse in the dense fog. It helps people see their way. Establish a long-term strategic goal and develop an action plan with S.M.A.R.T. goals. And then use it…refer to it…update and refine as you go along. Get input from your employees – the ones who are doing the work. You would be surprised how many great ideas they have – they just need to be asked and given the opportunity to share them.

Once the fog lifts and you are comfortably back ‘in the driver’s seat’ with clear visibility ahead, be sure to say thank you to those who helped get the organization through the fog…i.e. the challenging time. Begin to look ahead and plan for the next time the fog rolls in…because, as we all know from experience, it will.

Understanding the Voice of the Customer in Education

by

Voice of the CustomerA critical component of Lean Six Sigma is understanding the Voice of the Customer. This concept is essential to identifying activities that are value-added and non-value added or wasteful.

In education it may be agreed that the student is the customer as they are the recipients of the outcomes of the institution. Some disagree with this concept thinking that we are unable to satisfy the customer. At one of my presentations someone in the audience indicated that satisfying the customer in education “the student” means giving them all “As” and that was impossible. Of course this is not correct – this is not what customer satisfaction is about.

Norma Simons, President of Performance Innovation LLC and AEC Solution Partner

Norma Simons, President of Performance Innovation LLC and AEC Solution Partner

In the education space the concept of the “Voice of the Customer” has a different meaning than it does in the broad world of consumerism. We tend to think that customer satisfaction rests only on the fact that there is a financial exchange between the customer and the person delivering the goods and that the customer finds value in the purchase.

We need to satisfy the needs of the customer – the student, but what does that mean? It means we need to deliver what is considered as a quality education -one that is delivered so that the student is functional in the wider society. If individuals are able to graduate but cannot either get a job or function at their required capacity, then regardless of what was learned and the grades earned then a quality education was not delivered.

Customer satisfaction therefore is not a passive interaction. For the student to be satisfied, it requires the student to collaborate with the instructor and several different individuals within the institution. The student’s success requires a partnership with the institution which should be promoted and nurtured.

Understanding the Voice of the Customer is a process, a mind-set, a shift in thinking, a culture that needs to be embraced by the entire institution.

Apart from the student, there are several customers who are vested in the education outcome:

  • The parents of the students who might bare some financial responsibility regarding payment of fees and physical and emotional support of the student
  • The loan institutions who might provide assistance to the students
  • All the areas of the institution (business office, book store, advisors, job placement office and other areas) which support or interact with the students directly or indirectly
  • The potential employers who expect a certain level of performance of the students after graduation
  • The institution itself who expects that the performance of students and their ability to be received in the wider society will build the reputation for the school

Well this is my opinion.

To read more on this topic, see the New York Times January 3, 2010 article below:

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/are-they-students-or-customers/#edward

In this article “Are They Students or Customers” five professors from different business schools weigh in on the debate.

“Students are investing time and money with a purpose in mind. The school that does not serve that purpose will not survive.” Stephen Joel Trachtenberg is president emeritus and professor of public services at the George Washington University.

This blog is dedicated to the team at Alber Enterprise Center of The Ohio State University.

Norma Simons is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, president of Performance Innovation LLC, and an AEC Solution Partner.  Norma heads a team of qualified professionals in the areas of Lean and Six Sigma.  Her success is attributed to her unique integration of performance improvement systems such as Lean, Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma, quality management systems, business operating systems, and balanced scorecards that have enabled the effective execution of organizational strategy and, ultimately, bottom-line results.

 

Using the SIPOC Model to Break the Silo Culture

by

silo-987706-edited.jpg

Managers often see large and complex organizations from a functional or vertical view.  This works in some cases where individuals are close to subject matter experts.  In this environment subordinate managers tend to perceive other functions as enemies rather than partners.

This silo structure prevents interdepartmental issues from being resolved.

functional-486564-edited.jpg

Each department has its goals and there is often competition for limited resources.  The result is sub-optimization of the organization – one department being able to meet its goals at the expense of the organization.

The traditional approach shows a silo structure where separate and autonomous groups are unconnected and each department’s manager becomes the customer.  Activities take place but value to the end customer may be compromised.

If the organization is small, then the traditional vertical organization may be sufficient to get things done and still meet the requirements of the customer.

 

The traditional mindset is- if each piece is managed then the needs of the end customer are met.  This is erroneous.

The silo structure often gives rise to a silo culture, one that does not encourage collaboration, but instead perpetuates the “blame game” and “finger-pointing”.  There are several structures within the organization that supports this behavior.  In some cases, there are functional metrics which conflict with the overall direction of the company, in other cases the reward and recognition system supports the silo culture.

The SIPOC template moves organizations away from this and provides the steps to create a customer focused organization.

What is SIPOC

The acronym means – Supplier, Input, Process, Output, Customer

Df_SIPOC-521608-edited.jpg

In the SIPOC model, it is necessary to have a feedback system – feedback between the customer and the process, and between the process and the supplier.  The feedback loop ensures that the process is sustained and the organization does not revert to the old ways of doing things.

process_flow-619756-edited.jpg

Value of SIPOC

  • Promotes cross-functional collaboration – teams are able to work together to see the big picture
  • Improves knowledge on what happens outside of the department
  • Provides measurement not only on activities within a department but how they add value to the customer
  • A big tool for motivation -as employees begin to see the “big picture” and understand the role they play
  • In Lean Six Sigma the SIPOC model is vital for:
  • Promotes and helps sustain a process focus
  • Provides a foundation for process mapping and process management

Although organizations may be designed by specialties, the SIPOC model is useful to change how work gets done, and ensure that the needs of the external customers are met.  The tool provides the template for changing the culture of the organization from one that is confrontational to one that works across functional boundaries.  When this is allowed to happen, teams can identify and remove waste – activities that are non-value added in terms of meeting customer requirements.

The bottom-line is that the SIPOC model and Lean Six Sigma have the ability to change the thinking of individuals in the organization.  For more information, contact us or call 740-725-6325.

Norma Simons is Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, president of Performance Innovation LLC, and an AEC Solution Partner.  Norma heads a team of qualified professionals in the areas of Lean and Six Sigma.  Her success is attributed to her unique integration of performance improvement systems such as Lean, Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma, quality management systems, business operating systems, and balanced scorecards that have enabled the effective execution of organizational strategy and, ultimately, bottom-line results.

15 minutes could save your … strategic plan

by

W.I.G.We’ve all experienced it, or heard about it.  A team spends weeks or months developing a strategic plan, and nothing happens with it after the glossy document gets printed.  Why does this great new plan just sit on the shelf gathering dust?  Business scholars over the past two decades have been researching why plans fail to be implemented  1. The overarching theme of their conclusions: people resist change.  How do we address this challenge? Through a structured plan for execution.  Your team needs to commit to the plan, yet they are busy with their daily duties (the “whirlwind”) and they don’t take time to focus on the strategic plan.  An effective execution plan starts with committing to a series of 15-minute segments on planning and implementing the strategic plan.

Franklin Covey’s 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX)2 is one formula to follow. The four disciplines are:

Program Manager of The Ohio State University's Alber Enterprise Center

Program Director of The Ohio State University’s Alber Enterprise Center

1.   Select one or two “wildly important goals” (WIG) that drive your strategic plan and can be measured and tracked.
2.  Identify the activities that lead to achieving the WIG(s), ones that your team can influence.
3.  Create a compelling scoreboard: simple, visible to the team, shows the lead and lag measures, and tells immediately if you are winning.
4.  Establish a weekly cadence of accountability in which each team member commits to working on one or two of the lead activities as well as reports on the efforts toward the WIG.

This 4DX plan is easy to implement by committing to 15-minute segments for each discipline:

  1. 15 minutes to identify and establish your WIG from your strategic plan. If you need two WIGs, spend another 15 minutes on the second one.
  2. 15 minutes per WIG to list all of the leading activities required to meet your WIG.
  3. 15 minutes to determine how you will show (scoreboard) the team’s progress toward leading activities and WIG and where it will be displayed.
  4. 15 minutes per week – the same day/time each week – for the accountability meeting.

We facilitated a strategic plan for one of our clients a year ago. After following up with them to see their progress, they reported that the leadership team implemented a few goals but felt they needed our help to really drive the plan throughout their organization with all employees. They embraced 4DX and are starting to see results.

This works! Try it, and let me know how it works for you.

If you need help in setting up your 4DX plan, the Alber Enterprise Center can show you how. Call 740-725-6325.

Citations:

1:  Govindarajan, V., & Trimble, C. (2010). The other side of innovation: solving the execution challenge. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.
Gudmundsson, H., Ericsson, E., Tight, M., Lawler, M., Envall, P., Figueroa, M., et al. (2012). The role of decision support in the implementation of “sustainable transport” plans. European Planning Studies, 20(2), 171-191.
Hahn, W., & Powers, T. (2010). Strategic plan quality, implementation capability, and firm performance. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 9(1), 63-81.
Kotter, J. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Larian, L., Day, M., Backhurst, M., Berke, P., Ericksen, N., Crawford, J., et al. (2004). What drives plan implementation? Plans, planning agencies and developers. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 47(4), 555-577.
2:  McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2012). The 4 disciplines of execution: achieving your wildly important goals. New York: Free Press.

Alber Enterprise Center honors organizations for outstanding leadership

by

(from left) Anne Johnson, Program Manager, Kathryn Brod, President & CEO of LeadingAge Ohio (award recipient), Myra Wilson, Program Director of Alber Enterprise Center (AEC) presented Brod with the Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Collaboration in Framing the Future of Long-Term Care Services. Brod accepted the award for her leadership and continued efforts in assisting AEC and the LTSS consortium with an in-depth look in implementing solutions for the long-term care industry.

Four Ohio organizations and a Michigan consultant were recently honored for their outstanding impact in leadership by The Ohio State University’s Alber Enterprise Center.

The honorees were:  LeadingAge Ohio of Columbus, National Church Residences of Columbus, Uni-Grip, Inc, of Upper Sandusky, Cowen Truck Line, Inc. of Perrysville, and Performance Innovation, LLC of Novi, MI.

Each organization has partnered with the Alber Enterprise Center (AEC) to examine organizational challenges in their respective industries, streamline processes to enhance work flow, and/or receive executive training customized to suit their company needs.

LeadingAge Ohio, Columbus, received the Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Collaboration in Framing the Future of Long-Term Care Services.  LeadingAge Ohio’s outstanding leadership over the course of the past year helped AEC make significant in-roads in identifying organizational challenges in long term services and support.  President & CEO of LeadingAge Ohio, Columbus, Kathryn Brod accepted the award.  Kathryn actively participated in AEC’s Long-Term Services & Supports (LTSS) Consortium and subsequently brought the activities of the consortium under the wing of the HR committee of the LeadingAge Ohio Board of Directors.  These continued efforts will assist AEC and the consortium to take an in-depth look in developing solutions that will make an impact for years to come.  In addition, Brod is a champion in maintaining the partnership between both organizations in moving forward and making an impact on front-line supervisors through their Leadership Challenge® workshops.

National Church Residences, Columbus, received Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Collaboration in Framing the Future of Long-Term Care Services.  National Church Residences’ participation in AEC’s LTSS consortium and their efforts in implementing solutions to revitalize the long-term services and supports for elder care will impact this industry over the course of time.  Moreover, some of the staff’s involvement in AEC’s The BRIDGE facilitator training refined their facilitation process.

Uni-Grip, Inc., Upper Sandusky, received the Investment in Quality Management Systems award.  Uni-Grip’s financial investment in their quality systems and action steps to track measurements of key performance indicators led to their growth.  Within eight months of intense focus on change, a few of Uni-Grip’s impacts were:  reduction in weekly scrap, increase in yearly sales, reduction of past due orders and improvements in staff’s knowledge and awareness in all of these areas.

Cowen Truck Line, Inc., Perrysville, received Outstanding Achievement and Excellence Award for Positive Impact on Business from The BRIDGE: Issue Management Process.  Cowen’s successful utilization of AEC’s BRIDGE Process created the foundation that resulted in crafting a plan to take their organization into the next 40 years to serve their customers. A few areas that have been impacted include: hired new drivers, increased sales in 2015, and enhanced communication with drivers.

Performance Innovation, LLC, Novi, MI received the Outstanding Educational Partner Award for Excellence in Service to the Voice of the Customer.  The outstanding leadership and customer service Performance Innovation, LLC displayed over time helped AEC make an impact with their clientele.  President of Performance Innovation, LLC, Norma Simons accepted the award.  As one of AEC’s most valued educational partners, Simons exhibits great comprehension of Lean Six Sigma and skillfully communicates its complexity in a manner that is clearly understood by her class participants. In addition, Simons’ responsiveness to clients’ needs and flexibility in how her services are delivered whether it is online, face-to-face or a blended approach has shown proven results.

AEC’s Client Advisory Council half-day meeting concluded with the Awards Luncheon. The meeting objectives for council members were to provide feedback on AEC’s past services, input on how the Center can support the business priorities of clients, offer suggestions about new services AEC could provide and ideas for strategic direction.

The Alber Enterprise Center applies the resources of The Ohio State University, OSU Extension, along with a team of organization development consultants to enable Ohio businesses to positively impact economic growth.  For more information, call 740-725-6325 or visit alber.osu.edu.

7 Ways to Align Strategies Within your Organization

by

vision_and_alignment-325090-editedDo you run your company, or business unit, like items on a checklist?

This could mean that the organization is not aligned and that you are generating waste.

“Great Performance is 1% Vision 99% Alignment” Jim Collins, author of Good to Great

Every organization or institution, for profit or non-profit, is required to achieve results.  The method of getting those results can be structured, or unstructured.

In most cases organizations may have a vision, yet manage by using a strong silo structure.  Every department has its goals and do the best to achieve the stated objective but activities may conflict with the work of other departments.

There is a certain level of waste as groups within organizations work against each other.

Norma Simons, President of Performance Innovation LLC and AEC Solution Partner

Norma Simons, President of Performance Innovation LLC and AEC Solution Partner

Can you achieve results?  Most definitely!!  Most companies and institutions achieve success for years with this model.

However, the problem becomes difficult when changes have to be made over a short period of time.  Such changes may include:

  • Radical changes in the economy
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Quick changes in existing customer requirements
  • New markets with new demands
  • The company hires new employees
  • Radical changes in the use of technology, etc.

Question: So how can you ensure that you change and still achieve organizational alignment?

Answer: Develop a Structured Business Operating System.

How can this be achieved?

  1. Vision Mission Values–Begin with a clear understanding of the vision, mission and values.  If they do not exist, then the management team should spend time to document them in a way that is clear and concise.
  2. Strategic Objectives–Document the strategic objectives of the organization as a whole.  Once this is done then this should be in a strategy map (a one page document summarizing the strategic objectives) so that it can be clearly communicated throughout the organization.
  3. Performance Measures (KPIs)– Based on the vision and strategic objectives top management should identify the top 10 key performance indicators (KPIs) that should be used to track performance.
  4. Standard Documentation–Each measurement should be placed on a run chart that shows performance over time.  A Pareto chart can be used to document the top areas that impact performance.  Problem solving teams should then identify the root cause of the performance and solutions that need to be in place for improvement.
  5. Deployment–The key performance measures identified by top management must be deployed in all areas of the organization.  This allows all employees to keep track of activities in each area and to be a part of problem solving activities.
  6. Review–The entire organization needs to have a systematic review process that focuses on key performance measures created in each area.  During the review process, teams evaluate the performance metric and the results of problem solving activity.
  7. Visual Management–The visual management system contains information on the key performance drivers in each area, and results of problem solving activity.  The system serves to communicate the progress of the company as it relates to key areas.

Every organization performs all these and more – so this is not new.  However it is the use of a structured process that will ensure that the organization can achieved expected results in a short time as well as promoting employee engagement.

At a recent luncheon for The Ohio State University Alber Enterprise Center (AEC), I was asked to deliver the following presentation.  Flip through the SlideShare “Aligning Strategies with Operations” to get a few ideas on how to achieve alignment.  

For more information about aligning your processes, contact us at 740-725-6325. 

Norma Simons is Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, president of Performance Innovation LLC, and an AEC Solution Partner.  Norma heads a team of qualified professionals in the areas of Lean and Six Sigma. Her success is attributed to her unique integration of performance improvement systems such as Lean, Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma, quality management systems, business operating systems, and balanced scorecards that have enabled the effective execution of organizational strategy and, ultimately, bottom-line results.