"How did I get the Desired Performance!"

"Mid-year 2020, I was doubtful of achieving planned turnover for the whole year particularly since most part of the year was already lost due to the pandemic situation. I wonder, how we got the  Performance though as desired!" exclaimed the CEO on April-1st, the first day the of the next financial year!

Not an April-Fool, but it was a genuine effort of the CEO to understand the "how-&-what" of the things gone right! That - 'to be a learner' - is surely the sign of a 'good' leader wanting to be a 'great' one!

In past I often found an answer to this question in the judicious mix of the application of reinforcement techniques (as the environmental nudges to perform), intrinsic motivation of a person and her capability to perform. So was my reply to the CEO!

Ability + Motivation + Environmental nudges = Performance! I tossed the equation at him.

(Extract from the book: Ego + Ego ... We Go! Behavior Modulation Techniques To Improve Kaizen Leadership, Performance & Negotiation Skills by Shyam Talawadekar)

"You get what you review" as someone has said (or rather ask for it assertively). I've had firsthand experience of this statement (during my leadership career if at all) that one must incorporate right "nudges" in a right manner as an integral part of the Performance-equation as above, I told the CEO. 

Consistency in you conducting weekly reviews as the nudges (subtle ones more frequently) - that consisted of clarity on the weekly goals in tune with the annual ones, enabling teams to work within the "forced"  constraints on resources towards ensuring sustainable growth (as a commitment to planet before profit), to comply with the corresponding standards, driving improvements on the root causes of the shortfalls, if any - followed by instantaneous non-monitory-recognitions as Positive Reinforcements, to those intrinsically motivated employees demonstrating values-based performance, played a major role in getting the desired &/or the raised level of sustainable performance. 

It may not be out of place here to remember that there is a Difference between Ability, Capacity, Capability and the Competence that differentiate between achieving a desired level of performance rather than merely the performance itself.

By the side of the Positive Reinforcements, Negative Reinforcements where needed, such as say the fear of losing compensation proportionate to the lower level of performance, if any, play their own role.

Of course, fear of rationalised punishment, like the one that some non performing managers got in the said company, play its role too.

The positive effect of the former - the Positive Reinforcements - however, gets more than nullified by upsetting the capable as also the intrinsically motivated employees, if the latter, the Negative Reinforcement & especially the punishment to the non performers, is not put in place adequately! However, such a punishment in particular, should not be awarded unless every other effort - Saamaa-Daamaa-Dandaa-Bhedaa - had already failed.

So, effective execution of environmental nudges is as important as building capable people while riding on their intrinsic motivation in order to get the desired level of performance! 

And to get the the desired performance through right means & measures without harming the planet! "We can count, but we are rapidly forgetting how to say what is worth counting and why" as the German-American computer scientist JOSEPH WEIZENBAUM says.

It's good to reflect and build upon the causes of what went right (or what went wrong) in the above process of performance development-cum-management in its intermittent stages rather than complacently rejoicing a good performance (or playing a blame-game regretting a bad performance) at the end of the pipeline. 

Such a 'process of reflection' is called as the Hansen-Kai way to learn wisdom! in Kaizen practising companies that make a difference!

Isn't this the job of a Great leader and that of her Good leadership team!

Also read a few relevant blogposts hereunder:

Do You Force Customers To Quit
In-a-problem ? No-problem! Dwell-a-while!
Customer or Custo-Mer ?  
Experienced A Delightful Payment ! 
An Experience of Heart-and-Soul 
Do you keep curing your brand ?  
A customer gets what s/he deserves: Shoddy Quality!  
Listen to iceberg of VOC to acquire customers 
Less With More And More Gets Sore 
Should one care for value ?  
Can-changing-thoughts-change-a-nation
Ridiculous Poison-culture versus Maverick Kaizen-culture 
Tolerate Once, Twice, Thrice?  
The Business Of Businesses 
That's how some business partnerships work 
Taken-For-Granted ? You Deserve It !! 
Strategise To Achieve Targets Daily 
Does recognition really matter 
That's How Morons Work
Simplicity Of Theory Of Relativity

Difference between raam-&-krishna tactics

How To Make A Difference

"Which step have you reached today?" The picture with this question makes round on-and-often on social media as also at workplaces (gembas¹).

I don't know its source but would like to give credit to this picture that in a way, among other things, triggered this blogpost.

One can reach the 'top-step' within a moment if one knows "How to make a difference!"

One can make a difference to a given situation by training her brain to be positive. Brain can stay positive by keeping it engaged through positive behaviors.

Here is a 3-point agenda that I try to use in order to engage "myself" in positive actions and stay on the top-step.

1/ Attempt 1-small improvement a day.
2/ Appreciate improvements demonstrated by others.
3/ Say "Thanks" , "Sorry" , "Please" at every opportunity. Good if it's complimented by an action-oriented message fitting the situation rather than merely being goodie-goodie. Good leaders do so: clap as well as "slap" if necessary and appropriate.

Attempt 1-small improvement a day

This helps one to take responsibility to make a difference to status-quo of a given situation. It helps brain to challenge a problematic situation while staying positive on corresponding action.

My S.O.S. commitment to myself is to save-on-something (S.O.S.) each day be it something in the material¹ world or say water¹ or some activity such as say a few wasteful walk-steps.

This may sound like an idiosyncratic fellow, that I am. But it's difficult to dispute the fact that global-warming has crossed threshold levels of warning especially because of greed-based human activity. And of course, driven by the way we measure performance (by want-based results than the need-based input\s - process\es) at both the business as well as at individual level.

If you keenly observe you may find that a lot of human activity is unnecessary & wasteful. If one finds ways and means to combine, merge or eliminate a few activities it can definitely save some material, some human energy as well as ease some difficulties for self and others.

The other day I told a friend of mine that I'm ok with SMS invitation of his son's wedding instead of a hard copy. I even offered him my telephonic time to convince a few common friends so that he could print those many cards less. Helps "Save¹ a Tree" mission! Although it's good if 'such offer' comes from receiver's end, more often than not it gets ridiculed, sometimes as being a miser.

In another instance, a new acquaintance did appreciate my act though, when I humbly returned his business-card after scanning it immediately on Android phone. Hopefully I communicated the message S.O.S. !!!

This brings us to second point of the 3-point agenda.

Appreciate improvement efforts demonstrated by others

This one forces one to catch someone making efforts to do something good and the desired. Remember, "making efforts" or s\he "taking efforts". 

It helps one to "observe" others. It helps to appreciate the 'process' they are involved in rather than waiting for the 'results' of their action that isn't in their control. It forces one to reflect and thereby begin observing "self". It's like subtly learning from others: a source of input for the first point above. 

It also improves your active listening ability.

No need even to say 'Good' while appreciating. Just a 'Smile' as a token of expressing appreciation is OK. It's the fastest and implicit way to recognise others. It's likely to be valued by the receiver because it's done just-in-time (JIT) for the occasion.

I did it the other day when I saw a small boy putting off fan while alighting from lift. In less than a few seconds in the lift, not only I could reinforce his desired behavior but also could earn a friend. Unknowingly I am sure 'thought' process of both of us got triggered in a subtle manner. 

It's like respecting a person by taking cognizance of her efforts. 

Say Thanks, Sorry, Please everyday

This one helps one to express gratitude in an explicit manner. If done particularly when others are at a "receiving end", action-oriented messages fit for the situation also get accepted.

Other day morning my ATM card got stuck. Luckily currency notes came out promptly. Security guard on duty tried his best by fiddling with the keyboard. He seemed to be in a typing-speed contest. After a couple of minutes he acrobatically "slapped" the machine at a couple of spots but in vain. Looking anxiously through the glass as few more morning-walkers joined the queue, he offered to summon another guard on duty on rear-side door of the bank that was yet to open.

By the time both walked in to the scene (the Gemba²) a transaction-slip rolled out of ATM at snail's pace. "It came out  automatically without asking for one", I exclaimed.

"Subahmein machine ko garam honeko time laagta hai (Machine takes time to warm-up in the mornings sometimes.)", one of them said with scenic expressions.

Card however was still stuck inside. Their 'warm-up theory' refused to work this time. Sensing the 'warming temperature' out in the queue, they again "slapped" the machine. By then a bank officer walked in and 'slapped' them with seemingly abusive body language. This time again the machine made fun of all of them. It gently rolled out the card itself without even anyone touching the machine. Fearingly I grabbed the card before it could get "sucked in" again.

Looking at their embarrassed (pinkish-red) faces I said, 'thank-you' and 'sorry-for-the-trouble'. "Now 'please' do some Hansen-kai learning about this frequent 'warming-up theory'. You need to put some operation and maintenance practices in place to remove such abnormalities so that a lot of energy can be saved for yourself as well as for so many people in the morning rush hours.

Although upset, I tried to make a difference by staying cool. That's what was in my control. Of course registered a complaint! 

Doing what's in ones control rather than staying indifferent itself leads to the first-point i. e. making an improvement!! 

All 3-point actions are possible anytime, anywhere, autonomously without any budget, without anyone's permission or approval!!!

Footnotes

1: Go paperless.. is the punchline in my mails that I practice each day. An inefficient paper-mill uses 300-400 ton-water per ton-paper !.. 83,000,000++ton paper is wasted each year !!.. A-Paper-Saved => Lot-of-Water-&-A-Tree-Saved !!
2: Gemba means the workplace where action takes place. One can find a lot many improvement opportunities if the gembutsus (the ATM machine that makes abnormal noise, the card that rolls in, the paper that gets stuck, etc) there are powerfully observed for the way they function. 

Also read a few relevant blogposts hereunder: Please do consider leaving a comment or sharing this post.

No Time? Micro-Meditate!  

Overworked? Tension? CPU of the mind hung-up? 
Do you exercise your choice meaningfully 
IQ-EQ-or-SQ: What-is-more-important? 
Eternally Happy! 
In-a-problem? No-problem! Dwell-a-while! 
I am afraid ! What do I do !! 
Fearful-Of-Death-of-Birth
Take Habits For A Ride 
Happy-Birthday-to-Youooo
Do You Celebrate Mean-or-Green 
Big-Be Or Bug-Be ! 
Raam or Krishna-Shyam: Tell me Hey Raam! 
Are You Good If Others Are Bad?  
Want Need-Or-Want 
Love is Care.. Care is Love !  
Deity is in the eyes of the beholder 
Success-or-failure! What-do-you-like?
Ball-Basin-Team Combine !  Maketh The Smile Divine !! 

Can-changing-thoughts-change-a-nation

JIT for sustainability!

What do you see in the pic... 

Some may respond, "I see... 

- two paper cups \ glasses of water, 

- One of the cups \ glasses half full, the other one empty! 

- cups \ glasses waiting to get disposed!" and so on!

Can you make a story of it!

(Immediately after boarding a flight) I'd asked for half glass of HOT WATER!

The airhostess promptly fetched me a full glass of lukewarm water!

Second time after a while, while she was on a service round, I 'showed' her the old cup and indicated to fill in it half (glass of) HOT WATER again!

She (ignored the old paper cup &) served me lukewarm water (by mixing cold water in it) in a fresh paper cup!

What's the learning!?

My learning is: 

1.. Ask for what you want (here the HOT WATER) clearly specifying (in this cup "please" &) not to mix cold water in it! Merely showing the cup may not be enough. The supplier need to clearly communicate her inability, if any, to supply as per specifications.

2.. Never take the customer's specification for granted. Always confirm specifications of her need!

3.. It's good to share such stories to train your own staff back in your office as also at your home about the - importance of customer specification\s in the JIT¹ way as in point-1 above! - need for sustainability (to re-use) specially when the customer has specified so! - need to express inability, if any, to supply with justified reasons in an honest, caring & gentle manner - importance of observation power and alertness to learn from each moment & from each happening around in order to generate opportunities for improvement (OFI) in self if not in others. The latter may be out of one's control!

4.. Although the above behaviours look commonsensical, they rarely happen. So change in attitude is needed at personal level reflecting it in the desired behaviours.

5.. Rather than being a mere spectator, an observer around may take lead in appreciating such desired behaviours. Positive reinforcement thereby may help recurrence of such desired behaviours!

By the way, this is not a story! 

It's an actual customer-experience. It actually reinforces - how much waste (here the cup & the water served in excess over the demand) gets generated in each of such transactions between a customer and a supplier! - how badly there is a need to educate and train people to reduce waste and help the sustainability movement in order to reduce global warming!

¹ JIT is - Just (i.e. exactly) what's needed, - Just (i.e. exactly) when it is needed, - Just (i.e. exactly) how & how much amount is needed! JIT approach to work provides unending OFI's or Kaizens as done by many companies the world over.

Wished but got Fished!

Fish they wish!

Just for a day's dish!!

Vast sea though, couldn't offer a niche!!!

Some play leisurely ☺ by the seaside...;

While...,

Some play with their lives the whole life for their earthly living.

(watch an humble couple in the background struggling to catch a few fish) 

The couple working so hard against all the odds;

He jumping in the deep sea with a net;

His wife with a torn basket, hoping in shallow waters on the shore-side..., Jumping to keep her head above waters at every wave.

Out they were for the whole day!

Only catch was, couldn't catch the fish they wished to catch just for a meal.

They could but just a few countable on fingers, not more than the number of hours they put in working so hard ... So sad 😔

But not an iota of disappointment on their face. 

"So what? We'll be back again", hoped they while hopping away in the woods.

Digital COPQ

I went to the municipality office of a metro city for the birth certificate of my grand daughter.

Process steps that I'd to take were as follows.

Step-1, For enquiry, I went to a window that was closest to the main entry. They directed me to the ENQUIRY window that actually wasn't visible moment you enter the office.

Step-2, On my turn at the 'window' that I was directed to (by the ENQUIRY window) 'asked' me the date of birth of the newborn.

Step-3, The 'window' danced her fingers 'takaa-takaa-tak....' on the keyboard. Kept looking at the screen while 'she' sipped some water reaching out for a sippy-bottle kept on a shelf a couple of arms away. Fortunately, she got the details online.

Lucky that the information from the hospital had reached the municipality office digitally!

Step-4, She gave me a printout of what she saw on the screen.

Told me to go to ENQUIRY window and enquire 'what next'.

Step-5, ENQUIRY window 'told' me to go & take a set of forms from 'that corner', fill name details of the child if naming ceremony is already done & then submit it to the first 'window'.

Step-6, I did so. Filled the forms.

Step-7, Submitted the forms to the first 'window' alongwith the printout given by her earlier. The first 'window' then told me to submit parental identity proofs online. And, to collect the birth certificate online "after the name of the newborn gets registered" two-weeks thereafter.

(Add a few sanitisation steps in-between!)

Step-8, All the above in about a couple of hours; home-to-back-home via the municipality office!

This of course, followed by the ritual of sanitisation & a full bath (the second one of the day) ... in another hour or so!

An hours' nap induced by the tiring drive under the scorching Sun!

Step-9, After getting up, I tried to login to the website but in vain! 

Another, couple of hours wasted. 

Perhaps the website was taking a nap then. 

Step-10, Now, I'm trying to get in touch with an agent and keeping my fingers crossed. 

The labor of the mother was easier, I think!

Worth researching the NVA and the COPQ in this so-called supposed-to-be online digitisation process?

Meanwhile, I am unable to understand the following.

- What was the need for me to drive 40-kilometers to-n-fro under the scorching Sun at 44-degree Celsius?

- What was the need of the ENQUIRY window in the process for the work that could've been told to me by the first 'window' itself?

- Is it that the process-designer of this digital process forgot to consider eliminating such NVAs (which is actually an inevitable step if a Lean-Kaizen-JIT Gemba-exercise is undertaken before any such digital exercise)? Or

- Is it that the VOC & the 3-D in the process (COPP, cost of poor processes) was not 'heard' adequately? Or

- Is it that the additional 'window' step was 'intentional' and on that particular day the intention got skipped inadvertently?

- Why was the sippy-bottle not kept within an arms reach (application of the orderly arrangement principle of Seiton, the Five-S system) unless of course she wanted some exercise by-design? A good thought if the latter was true! 

But, why was the ENQUIRY window itself away from the main entry door? (Missing Seiton because missing Gemba approach to Kaizen and the PDCA-audit of the Gemba itself post any such change initiative!)

About the location of the window itself, good that I didn't dare to INQUIRE!

I wonder the costs (Digital-COPQ) associated with such poorly designed digitisation initiatives particularly being during the COVID times, when in order to curb it everyone is on the journey to eliminate every possible touch-point! The Digital-Corporate-Yoga in its true sense!!

Abbreviations:

COPQ, cost of poor quality

COPP, cost of poor processes

NVA, non-value-activities as Wastes

VOC, voice of customer

3D: Dirty-Danger-Difficult

JIT Just In Time

PDCA: Systematic improvement approach Plan-Do-Check-Act

Also read a few relevant blogposts hereunder:

Do You Force Customers To Quit
In-a-problem ? No-problem! Dwell-a-while!
Customer or Custo-Mer ?  
Experienced A Delightful Payment ! 
An Experience of Heart-and-Soul 
Do you keep curing your brand ?  
A customer gets what s/he deserves: Shoddy Quality!  
Listen to iceberg of VOC to acquire customers 
Less With More And More Gets Sore 
Should one care for value ?  
Can-changing-thoughts-change-a-nation
Ridiculous Poison-culture versus Maverick Kaizen-culture 
Tolerate Once, Twice, Thrice?  
The Business Of Businesses 
That's how some business partnerships work 
Taken-For-Granted ? You Deserve It !! 
Strategise To Achieve Targets Daily 
Does recognition really matter 
That's How Morons Work
Simplicity Of Theory Of Relativity

Difference between raam-&-krishna tactics

Difference between Ability, Capacity, Capability, Competency, & Excellence!

In business, we often take stock of materials and equipment meticulously but not that of the human skills with as much seriousness. We hear people say, I have able people but still don't get desired Performance.

Competency assessment and deployment is an important part of the job of leaders to get a desired level of Performance in a business setting. In order to do so, one must understand the difference between Ability, Capacity, Capability and the Competence.

As an example, one may say that, "I have the ability to write!"

But “How much can I write in what timeline?”

The ability (the skills) with a relevant measure to perform a given task or a process defines the capacity of a given person (just like that of an equipment) and in turn that of an entity. So one may say that my capacity to write is 50-words per minute (wpm) and I can keep writing for 1-hour at a stretch, say.

But “How much should I actually be able to write as per the demand of the situation?"

Say, the demand is to write 50-wpm for at least 2-hours at a stretch!

If I've the ability to improve to a level such that I can handle the gap between the demand and my current capacity level then I've the capability to perform at a raised level.

Can I win a competition of writing (speed & duration) though?

If I can challenge, compete & deliver the desired level of results (rather win the competition) in terms of quality and quantity successfully then "i am competent."

Accordingly, for Competency Assessment one may categorise employees as follows based on their competencies or the levels of their skills.

 

Five categories of employees based on their competency or skill levels to perform a job or a work are as follows.

 

1.  Novices! or Beginners! - Those who ‘don’t know’ How & Why of the job.

2.  Able! or Intermediates! - Those who ‘can do’ but ‘can’t deliver promises’.

3.  Capable! - Those who ‘can’ & improve ‘capacity level to deliver promises’.

4.  Competent! - Those who 'can troubleshoot & win' but ‘can’t transfer knowledge’.

5.  Experts! - Those who have ‘knowledge, can perform, troubleshoot, and coach others to make them competent'.

 

Table (from my book "TPM for Reliable and Just-In-Time Value Delivery to Customer") shows the evaluation criteria and corresponding training implications to graduate to a higher skill or competency level.

So how does one get performance!

The equation I've put in my book: "Ego + Ego: We Go! Behavior Modulation Techniques To Improve Kaizen Leadership, Performance & Negotiation Skills" is as follows.

With the understanding on the difference between Ability, Capacity, Capability and the Competence, I would like to revisit the above equation to get Performance as follows in order to get a Desired Level of Performance.

To get a Desired Level of Performance, it is the Capacity in place of Ability.

Now the equation looks like as follows:

Capacity + Motivation + Environmental nudges = Desired Performance

To get a Raised level of Performance, it is Capability in place of Capacity.

Now the equation looks like as follows:

Capability + Motivation + Environmental nudges = Raised level of Performance

To get a Benchmark level of Performance, it is Competence in place of Capability.

Now the equation looks like as follows:

Competence + Motivation + Environmental nudges = Benchmark levels of Performance

Believing in self to perform, planning meticulously and executing the plan to win is to lead one-self!

Helping and enabling others to do so & create more leaders is about the leadership without which the journey (as follows) to create 'benchmarks' and create 'excellent*' organisations could be a nightmare!

The Journey:

Beginner! (to) > Able! (to) > Capable! (to) > Competent! (to) > Excellent* Company!

(*10 out of 10 on a Radar* scale of 0-to-10)

Also read a few relevant blogposts hereunder:

Do You Force Customers To Quit
In-a-problem ? No-problem! Dwell-a-while!
Customer or Custo-Mer ?  
Experienced A Delightful Payment ! 
An Experience of Heart-and-Soul 
Do you keep curing your brand ?  
A customer gets what s/he deserves: Shoddy Quality!  
Listen to iceberg of VOC to acquire customers 
Less With More And More Gets Sore 
Should one care for value ?  
Can-changing-thoughts-change-a-nation
Ridiculous Poison-culture versus Maverick Kaizen-culture 
Tolerate Once, Twice, Thrice?  
The Business Of Businesses 
That's how some business partnerships work 
Taken-For-Granted ? You Deserve It !! 
Strategise To Achieve Targets Daily 
Does recognition really matter 
That's How Morons Work
Simplicity Of Theory Of Relativity

Cost-of-Quality: COQ is a relative term!

Components of the Cost-of-Quality in Kaizen parlance are as follows.

1/ Costs of external-failures incurred due to failures at customer's end.

2/ Costs of internal-failures incurred in order to handle failures at supplier's end.

3/ Costs of appraisal incurred in order to inspect/audit the adequacy and compliance of quality and quantity of work, and the workmanship as well, as per standards/procedures.

4/ Costs of prevention incurred in order to undertake improvement or failure-prevention activities (as preventative/proactive measures) & corresponding education/training for the same.

First two components are the 'cost-of-poor-quality' (CoPQ) that are incurred after failures. 

Last two components are the 'cost-of-good-quality' (CoGQ) or you can say 'investment' required to prevent a failures in the first place.

The components, rather it's terminology, is relative and hence the  term Cost-of-Quality itself is relative! Use of the components may depend upon the context of the situation.

Is the statement: "If the customer needs to administer incoming inspection on his inputs received from the supplier then that's typically the 'cost of appraisal'!", made by a participant in one of my sessions, 'true' or 'false', for instance?

The statement is 'false'!

It's actually the 'cost of prevention' for the customer. Because she wants to prevent defective inputs from going into the next process. Engaging into inspection activities on the customer's own processes or processing activities, although it's a NVA (non-value-activity or waste) however, is the 'cost of appraisal' for the customer in order to prevent the 'cost of internal failure' in the customer's processes.

Whereas the incoming inspection on his inputs may be is the 'cost of external failure' for the supplier. This is particularly so if the customer engages into 'inspection', a NVA (non-value-activity) 'forced' on to her by herself, because of lack of trust (past dissatisfaction) in the supplier's quality and hence in the supplier's brand image.

Also read a few relevant blogposts hereunder:

Do You Force Customers To Quit
In-a-problem ? No-problem! Dwell-a-while!
Customer or Custo-Mer ?  
Experienced A Delightful Payment ! 
An Experience of Heart-and-Soul 
Do you keep curing your brand ?  
A customer gets what s/he deserves: Shoddy Quality!  
Listen to iceberg of VOC to acquire customers 
Less With More And More Gets Sore 
Should one care for value ?  
Can-changing-thoughts-change-a-nation
Ridiculous Poison-culture versus Maverick Kaizen-culture 
Tolerate Once, Twice, Thrice?  
The Business Of Businesses 
That's how some business partnerships work 
Taken-For-Granted ? You Deserve It !! 
Strategise To Achieve Targets Daily 
Does recognition really matter 
That's How Morons Work
Simplicity Of Theory Of Relativity