Root causes | v1.017
Employ kaizen philosophy for continuous improvement
“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”
—James Baldwin
When I worked in manufacturing I was introduced to the concept of kaizen. This Japanese concept inspires continuous improvement. In the business context it is often accompanied by root cause analysis — that is, posing Why questions at least 5 times to understand how a problem occurred. In order to prevent the same failure from happening again, this approach creates rich learning opportunities for anyone who adopts it. There are many benefits to the approach including reducing waste, increasing efficiency and elevating employee morale and lowing turnover. In fact, applying kaizen can yield results when analyzing a process, as a stress test, before a critical problem arises.
Right now asking questions seems key to survival in this pandemic economy. Allow me to illustrate a scenario about remote work. An inquiry might go something like this: Why weren’t more employees taking advantage of remote work pre-COVID? Because working from home was considered something you do occasionally. Why was working remotely considered an occasional benefit? Because some managers are not supportive of the policy. Why were some managers not supportive of the policy? Because some employees have abused the policy in the past. Why have some employees abused the policy in the past? Because there was no consistent enforcement of the policy. Why has there been no consistent policy enforcement? Because the policy has changed over time, and you never work from home. When you do work from home, it’s typically unplanned, or a last-minute decision.
The root cause in this example illustrates a failure in leadership and its impact on company culture. We see how a policy meant to create flexibility at work not only falls short on delivering its promise, but we also see issues of trust come up. Of course, applying a root cause analysis to certain things might reveal surprising results. The point is that, right now, this feels like a good time as any to empower everyone who works for you to adopt this form of inquiry. Imagine the potential issues that might surface that help you save money, save time, or better yet, make your company one that people really want to work for.
All questions have value for someone. Some are not only good, they are critical to unlocking potential. Encouraging people to ask questions centers their voice and perspective. Remember, you don’t have to have all the answers. Employing kaizen encourages participation across your organization, which leads to a strong practice of inclusion.
When someone does ask you a question, avoid saying, “that’s a good question.” Instead, modify the question’s value to you, or the business more directly. Is it urgent or important? Is it thoughtful or curious? Is it exciting or provocative? Name it and thank the person who asked the question. Then decide if it deserves further inquiry.
Questions that make you feel something, those are really worth something.
Onward, my People.