Forward Momentum: Delivering Results

by Bruce Beer, PMP

Earlier, we began exploring Toyota’s current quality and performance problems and how Triage efforts could help them recover before it is too late. In this post, we continue that discussion. (Click here to read Part 1.)

Let us look at a few options they may want to consider. Firstly, let us look at their reaction to the current situation which appears to the public to be denial, delay, and no clear acceptance that there is a problem. While this perception remains, the company will flounder, sales will continue to drop off, and the reputation of being a low quality company will grow. So maybe their first action to stop the bleeding should be a public acceptance by management that there are problems, they now fully accept it, they apologize, and they are devoting extensive resources to solve current problems and prevent new ones. Then they could publicize that they are re-instituting the quality measures that made them an industry leader back in the day. They have already started to do some part of this (some may say grudgingly and without enthusiasm!) so maybe they should really punch this message home even more.

That might stop the decline in sales, but now we come to the cause of all their problems – the quality issues regarding uncontrolled acceleration. Another short/medium term measure might be to flood the car testing and evaluation companies with vehicles (already fitted with new mats and gas pedals) for them to test and report on – hopefully they will get reports from highly creditable agencies that no problems were found which will go some way to restoring credibility, or if problems are found they will be found by experts who can provide details which will assist in correction. Then for the longer term they need to thoroughly examine the quality measures they used to implement that made them an icon for quality in the past, compare those measures with today’s quality control, incorporate allowance for new technologies and manufacture, then implement measures and broadcast loudly what they are doing in the factories, to ensure only the highest possible quality products leave the factories. Communication is going to be vital to their recovery.

So as an example of how Triage might work for Toyota they could:

a) Stop the bleeding – be open and honest, communicate with the public and safety organizations that Toyota accept that there were problems and that management are fully focused on the issue

b) Improve short term sales by letting safety agencies and car reporting companies have cars to evaluate – hoping this will give a clean bill of health which can then be used in marketing, or if the worst happens, Toyota will have reports from experts identifying problems which can then be addressed

c) Longer term solutions of identifying the root causes of quality lapses and performing rigorous analysis to show how they can recover their reputation for quality.

High quality does not come cheap but is cheaper than the cost of not conforming to quality, and recovery of lost customers is always more expensive than gaining them in the first place. By performing some Triage, even if their analysis is not the same as mine, they can see how to stop the bleeding, look for a medium term solution to start building their credibility and sales, and a longer term root cause analysis of their quality problems, followed by an all out attack to resolve them.

Toyota must be aware of the feeding frenzy building up amongst lawyers of this and other countries, who see the opportunity for huge earnings via class action suits. This could well force itself up the triage list to prevent death of the patient!   

By Vicki Wrona, PMP

Is failure really failure? To many people, it is an embarrassment and something we are not willing to admit. But for those who grew up in the era of video games, it is truly a chance to try again, to attempt something new or different because the first (or second or third) attempt didn’t work.

The one thing video games has done for us is gotten us used to the idea of failure, known in the video world as dying or falling or being rolled over and flattened or being boo-d off the stage or whatever demise our particular game has thrown at us. Sometimes the failure is even funny. What a gift that is. It removes the stigma of “F A I L U R E” (deep announcer voice here) and allows us to try. If we are too afraid of failing, we are likely not going to be willing to try anything but the most sure approach or solution. That very conservative attitude often does not provide the best solutions, or even lasting solutions. It certainly doesn’t provide new ways of thinking, and often won’t move the team or the project forward enough. If the team is fueled by fear, we won’t get optimum results. This applies to any team, whether it is project or organizational unit or family or sorority / fraternity.

I understand that there are some areas on a project that may not be able to handle the risk of rework if the first approach didn’t work. But we should still foster an environment and culture of reaching for new and better solutions to ensure we are choosing the best path. In those areas where we need to be conservative, we still can be, but there are certainly other areas that need more creative thinking and actions.

Do you have a personal attitude of stretching and exploring or one that only follows the familiar? Have you created a culture of stretching among your team (within the limits of your authority)? Have you created a safe environment where team members are willing to toss out new ideas or approaches and know that they will be considered based on the facts and their merit rather than immediately shot down? What small steps can we each take to begin to foster more of this kind of environment?

By Kathy Martucci, PMP

The generational makeup of the workforce has changed significantly in the last 10 years. Today, more generations work together in single workplaces and they have greater disparities than ever before. The workforce will continue to have dramatic shifts in age over the next 5-10 years.  There is a new generation entering the workforce, and the experienced generation is leaving to pursue retirement and other employment that suits their lifestyles.

While no single definition of the generations and no single method to transcend differences hold all the answers, understanding generational issues can lead to wider recognition of variables that impact all facets of the organization.  As project managers responsible for recruiting, building teams, dealing with change, motivating, managing, and maintaining and increasing productivity, what do these generational differences mean to us and how can we use them to maximize organizational effectiveness?

For our purposes today, we will focus on communication, a key success factor in any project. Extensive research on generational issues within a wide variety of organizations has revealed that varying levels of employee miscommunication as a result of generational differences are present within all organizations.  For example, GenX  and GenY members of the team who have had different life experiences and communicate with people differently, may fail to actively listen to Boomers and Traditionalists, resulting in missing valuable information and guidance.

Project managers can minimize miscommunication due to generational differences using some of the following strategies:

• Conduct generational information awareness/sharing sessions as a part of diversity training. Having a solid understanding of other generations is critical and should not be assumed to exist. A good way to get people to work together across the generations is to provide them with an opportunity to educate each other about each generation’s own history, characteristics, milestone events, culture, language, and norms.

• Conduct a generational inventory of the project team and key stakeholders that looks at the team’s generational mix, age profile, and the generational issues on the team. It is important that every employee is held to the same work expectations, organizational policies, and procedures; yet managers should also consider individual employee needs and generational differences.

• Expand your communication strategies. Most project teams rely too heavily on one strategy for communication. By making the same message available in multiple formats you’ll ensure that you reach all workers.

By using these strategies and more, project managers can develop better workplace communication, overcome conflict due to generational differences in the workplace, develop more understanding, and improve collaborative work efforts and multi-generation team performance.

By Rob Zell

In too many classrooms, in too many organizations, training is failing. It is failing to focus on changing behavior and failing to engage workers in the joy of learning. Not just learning for the sake of knowledge; do that on your time please, not on the company dime. I mean learning that enhances your job performance. By building your confidence, you feel better, perform better and help the company meet its targets. Now that is return on investment.

We all went to school at some point in time. There are still people in the workforce who got to their post through hard work and experience, without advanced degrees. Even they spent some time in a classroom. That classroom experience has forever jaded them to what good training and development should look like. While I still remember some basic geometry and most of my grammar rules, none of those classroom experiences have stuck with me in great detail. Yet through trial and error, not to mention infinite parental patience, I learned to ride a bike and can still do it reasonably well. I propose that to cross generational lines in training and development we go back to the experience of learning to ride a bike, with a bit of a technological twist worthy of the 21^st century.

Engage learners in the idea

Do you remember riding a tricycle or a big wheel and watching enviously as the big kids rode a two-wheeler? There was a deep longing to be “big”. You probably envied the freedom and power that only comes on two wheels. In the workplace, learning professionals need to focus on creating the desire to learn by showing off the people who successfully use knowledge to be successful. The forward thinking learning organization engages in shameless self-promotion, sharing the stories of previous learners who are using the training curriculum to achieve organizational, and very likely, personal success. Use tools like:

• Blogs
• Short videos
• Newsletters
• Lunch and learn seminars
• Podcasts

By sharing success, we show off the freedom and power that knowledge brings. Everyone, regardless of age, likes a good story. The challenge is presenting the story in a variety of methods that appeal to your generationally diverse workforce.

Let people try and fail

I don’t know anyone who hopped on a bike on day one and rode successfully. There is always a great deal of wobbling, some falling and inevitably a skinned knee or two. Luckily, we lived through it. We bear our battle scars proudly because we know that the ability we gained was well worth it. Learning in the workplace can, and should, have the same format. No one likes to fail. While Millenials may be more willing to take risks, Boomers may prefer to play it safe and Gen X’ers are sure the whole thing will fail. Here is the good news: if you have them interested and engaged in the story, you can get them involved in a learning experience that allows them to try it out at their own speed. Try presenting your content in a variety of ways:

• Self-guided study through articles with accompanying questions
• Online articles and forum threads
• Simulations
• Case studies

You should also be ready to provide learners with “training wheels” or that parental hand on the back of the seat. Consider job aids and other performance support tools that learners can take back to the job to help them build confidence and gain proficiency.

Let learners show off

Once you could ride, you probably started trying stunts. You started small, maybe with quick turns and sudden stops, seeing how much tread you could leave on the pavement. With greater confidence, you let go of the handlebars, first one hand, and then two. Maybe you started building ramps, “popping wheelies” or simply dared to let a friend ride on the handlebars. No matter the stunt, you showed it off to your friends and everyone tried to expand their skill. When we tap into the diversity of the workforce, we can start to see how we interpret and apply knowledge differently. Through sharing and discussing, learners teach each other, coach performance and reinforce success. Learning organizations can reinforce this behavior through classroom experiences or online through wikis and forums.

Rider for life

Riding a bike is a skill we never really forget. Sure, it may get rusty and you may wobble a bit your first time riding after a long hiatus. Muscle memory will eventually take over and soon you’re riding with confidence. Learning in the workplace can be a similar experience if we approach it in a way that

• Engages the learner in the value of the knowledge
• Allows the learner a chance to try it out, potentially fail in a safe environment and learn from the mistakes
• Encourages sharing and group learning

As learning professionals, let’s strive to make the experiences we design as fulfilling as riding a bike.