The previous blog reviewed how a problem is not always the problem but often a symptom of the real problem. Those symptoms can include high turnover, plummeting profits, customer complaints, and more. These are internal and external pain points.
The real problem is that the people are not aligned with your organization’s processes and purpose. When people are not aligned with the processes, when they are not on board for the purpose of the organization, there is no efficiency. When there is no efficiency, customers pick up on it and will leave if they do not feel they are properly served.
Sometimes there is a break in the communication system, like between departments. This can cause interdepartmental conflict. And what happens when one part of a rocket ship stops working with another part? Well, at the very least the mission will not be a success.
When determining what the real problem is, there are typically two questions to ask:
- What pain do you experience when people don’t follow your process?
- What pain does your organization experience when your process breaks down?
People without processes create frustration and processes without people accepting them are a waste of potential profits. Most often, the real problem is a disconnect between processes and people within an organization. There is a happy medium that must be obtained to create a performance.
Processes
Every company has at least one process, though there is typically more than one. Processes do not have to be overly complicated. Complicating them creates the possibility that people cannot follow them. Have you ever followed the wiring diagram in a rocket ship?
There are other times when the processes are not clearly defined, leading to poor interpretation of what people think they should be doing. When there is so much ambiguity that one can only create their own interpretation, you never know what you might get.
Another possibility is that the processes are unrealistic, meaning there is an easier and more efficient process. Whatever the reason, the processes should be reviewed when there are problems.
People
People are interesting creatures because everyone is different. Different in how they think, how they communicate, how they interpret information, and more. People are also critical to your mission’s success.
When people are not on board with your processes, it creates friction. There can be a variety of reasons that people are not accepting the processes that are defined within your organization, besides the processes themselves.
If people are not properly placed according to their skills, all their skills are not considered, or they are not trained accordingly, this will create a breakdown in motivation and performance. This breakdown impacts overall morale and retention. People will go where they feel they are valued.
Fear of change is another factor to consider. Change can be hard for many people for a variety of reasons that are personal to them. Maybe they had a bad experience in the past. Maybe they have a hard time learning new things. Whatever the reason, it is important to understand the impact that change can have on people.
Bridging the Gap
There are no processes without people and people cannot work without clear processes. When the connection between the two is off, the entire organization will feel it. It’s like when only one booster on a rocket ship is firing, the whole ship will veer off course.
The mantra for Effective Performance Strategies is:
People without processes = Frustration
Processes without people = Waste
People + Processes = Performance
Performance should be further aligned with your purpose. Having clarity of purpose and linking that to your team’s performance metrics creates clarity, effectiveness, and efficiency.
Communication among everyone is important and is also not the only factor. Training alone will not bridge the gap. When half-trained people are handed half-defined instructions, the organization breaks down.
The Real Problem can be Solved
You investigated the cause of the indicator lights and warning signals, discovering the real problem that is causing your rocket ship to veer off course: there is a disconnect between people and processes in your organization.
What is the solution? How do you solve the real problem? That is the topic of the next blog.
Don’t want to wait until the next blog release? Let the experts help!
Contact Effective Performance Strategies today to get you on your way to a more effective and efficient mission to achieve your dreams and see your organization soar among the stars.
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