Process Alchemy

I’m often asked how a continuous improvement culture is created. The common mistake is to think that engaging in endless one-off improvements will somehow start a flywheel effect of getting staff engaged in a problem solving mindset. Why doesn’t it work?

We often forget to review the language we automatically use around the office as part of the journey to transform our culture. The words we use can motivate and challenge or instill fear and derail progress. When discussing failure, there is a huge difference between saying “Mark broke it” versus “The process is broken”. One assumes and implies Mark made a mistake but if the process is faulty, anyone who follows it is doomed for failure.  When we assume the process is broken first, it allows for everyone, including Mark, to speak openly about observed issues. The words we use can encourage staff to quickly and proactively find a solution versus dwelling on the past. The wrong words or reaction can encourage wasting time and effort blaming others, or hiding the issue, leading to more devastating consequences in the future.  

One of the most memorable moments in my career happened when a meeting was called to discuss a significant issue to our flagship product. As I watched the body language in the room, the person communicating the issues was clearly uncomfortable, but everyone else was eerily quiet as they awaited the reaction of the senior manager. The pivotal moment our company’s culture took a turn in the right direction came when I heard the response to the news. “What did we learn?” Four simple words completely transformed the energy in the room. It allowed the team to fully analyze our missteps and proactively engage in discussions that would lead towards a solution.  

How we talk or don’t talk about failure is usually what defines a company culture.  In a company that values problem solving, innovation, and engaged employees, failure is an accepted piece of the process. The team must feel comfortable in openly discussing what worked and what didn’t to be able to have the confidence and the resources to find a solution. When failure is not acceptable, you will see a lack of transparency and openness. This hiding of critical information usually leads to uninformed decisions or decisions based on missing data.

Disclosing a potential problem should be rewarded not punished. However, how many times have we created situations and scenarios where we have inadvertently trained our employees to lie or hide critical information from us? In our journey to transform our culture, we need to take a hard look at the words and phrases that are most often heard around the company. What meaning do they imply? Does it encourage positive behavior, or does it demean and derail employees. Being mindful of the inadvertent messages you might be sending will allow you to consciously model new behavior and carefully select the vocabulary that will send a clear, positive message to the team of what you value.