Quality Counts

I had a great conversation with a client this week about Quality.

A team was given a task - to provide new technology to the field organization - by the company's CEO, and she wanted it done fast. The CEO had a clear vision of what she wanted and described it in detail to her team. She made clear what resources would be available to the team. And she gave them the deadline by which she wanted it in place and operating.

The team sprang to work. It knew it had a tremendous challenge on its hands. The time frame was extremely tight - call it too tight. The resources were extremely limited - call them too limited. And the CEO's vision of what she wanted was clear and ambitious - call it too ambitious. Something had to give. And in this case - it was Quality.

The team delivered on time - the technology got out into the field. The cost was within budget - there was no tolerance (nor availability) for anything more. And the scope - well, the technology was designed to do everything the CEO wanted.

You know the punch line: It didn't work.

You've probably seen the Scope-Resources-Time triangle. Many organizations have adopted it, with the mantra: Pick any two. The concept is simple. Management can fix any two of the three components, so long as the third can flex. Try it:

• Scope and Resources are fixed - The project may take longer than planned
• Time and Resources are fixed - The project may have less scope (functionality) than desired
• Time and Scope are fixed - You may need more resources to get the full functionality complete on time.

The triangle is very valuable - but as you can tell from the story (oh, and the title of this blog), it's not complete. The missing ingredient is Quality.

The fact is, you can fix three components: Scope, time, and resources. But what gives then is the quality. It's not tested, it's not right, it doesn't work.

Here's a simple example you can try on for size: Cooking a gourmet meal. (Have you ever watched one of the reality cooking shows?) Requirements (scope) are fixed - 3 courses, including certain key ingredients. Check. Time is fixed - one hour. Check. Resources are fixed - one chef plus kitchen equipment. Check. So, are the "True Goals" of a great meal always met? Of course not. The missing variable is Quality.

There are plenty of examples of failed execution because of failed Quality. Quality is hard to protect, frequently because it is "expected" and therefore not made explicit nor monitored and measured. We know what happens when something isn't measured, don't we? Right. "You want it respected? Then inspect it."

What happened with this CEO and her challenge? Well, it's in clean-up mode. More dollars (lots) and resources (ditto) have been thown at the problem, trying to fix it. Even worse, putting bad quality out in the field has major, long-term ramifications. You lose trust and credibility. The next solution will be looked at with skepticism and suspicion ("Hah, you think that's going to work? Don't you remember...?"). Fortunately, this was an internally focused initiative. Could you imagine the problems created if this had been client-facing?

It's not pick any two - it's pick any three. Quality is not a given - it is a choice. The commitment to Quality needs to be explicit. It needs to be monitored and measured. Otherwise, Quality can fail, like any other unmeasured metric. And if quality fails, you (and your initiative) will never Reach its True Goals.

Celebrating Freedom

Happy Independence Day, my friends. What a unique opportunity we have in this country, and how lucky we are in so many ways.

I'm going to resist the (very strong!) temptation to talk about the Declaration of Independence as a statement of Vision Clarity and the Revolutionary War as an excellent example of Strategy Execution. No, today's just a day to say thanks. Here's just a partial list. Thanks to....

• My father, a member of the Greatest Generation, who served in WWII and never talks about it. Same with his twin brother Alan and friends Bobby and Dominic, still together 60 years after the war ended.
• My friend David Gilkeson and all those who served and are still serving our country in the armed forces. David did two stints in Iraq. He left the comfort of his home, his wife, his children, to put his life at risk so we could be a little bit safer. I don't care what your opinion of the war or its politics - we still need to thank those who protect us and ask very little in return.
• My friends and leaders at Bet Haverim and Decatur Prebyterian Church. We have freedom of religion. I get to experience two and appreciate others.
• Again, to Rabbi Josh and those at Bet Haverim. Some of the strongest and most inspiring people you'll ever meet, fighting every day so that the gay and lesbian community have the freedoms that the rest of us take for granted.
• Every law abiding citizen (and especially the whistleblowers) who recognizes that the only way our country will survive is by choosing to work together and live within rules and constraints. Sometimes it is frustrating - but it's a heck of a lot better than anarchy and a 'zero-sum' society. (And if that's 'socialism,' then guilty as charged.)
• Everyone I argue with, disagree with, challenge, prod, and aggravate. Isn't it great that we live in a country where we can?

Is this a perfect country? Of course not. We're human - and individual humans aren't perfect, much less a collection of us trying to get along.

Okay, I give in. Over 200 years ago, our ancestors established this country. Our Declaration of Independence is the vision. Our Consitution provides our Guiding Principles. The Supreme Court, Congress, the Executive Branch - and the people - continuously revalidate and review our Vision, to make sure the goals are still intact and we're still going in the right direction.

July 4, 2009. So far, so good.

Lemons and Lemonade

Summertime's the right time to think about lemonade.  

You're familar with the old saw, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."  The saying resonates.  When something goes wrong, don't dwell on it: Make something positive out of the negative.

This is a particularly powerful concept in the world of Strategy Execution in the context of Reaching True Goals.  Reaching goals is a process.  During that process, it is almost inevitable that everything won't go smoothly.  Those are the "lemons."

The "lemonade"?  How you react to the lemons.  If you let the lemons throw you off, you get depressed, angry, discouraged.  The focus changes from reaching your goals to "fixing" the lemons.  That creates distractions.  The end result is frequently a shift from concentrating on reaching specific goals to correcting and avoiding future lemons.  And, somewhere along the line, the true goals get lost and forgotten.  

Making lemonade, on the other hand, means taking the lemons in stride.  Recognizing that they will occur, and reacting appropriately.  If you recall, one element of the RedZone Strategy Execution Framework is "Monitor and Mitigate Threats to Success."  That means watching out for and dealing with the lemons - the things that can get in the way and keep an organization from reaching its true goals.

A critical element of reaching goals is recognizing that lemons will and do show up along the way.  The key is to watch out for them, recognize them, and deal with them - and not let them derail the entire initiative.

Make Lemonade.  Reach Your True Goals.  Now that's a refreshing thought.

The Best of the Best....

This one's a little bit different.

With this post, I want to acknowledge and thank an incredible young woman.  And in the spirit of this blog, let me do it in the context of Reaching Your True Goals.

On Saturday, my daughter graduates from high school.  In the fall, she'll be attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Go 'Heels!  Good thing she looks great in Carolina blue....).

Thirteen-plus years' ago, I watched a four year old little girl play in a room as her "application" to school.  This year, she graduates.  Great test scores.  Great grades.  Artist, photographer, athlete, service leader, peer leader, dedicated worker, music lover, elder in her church, friend, sister, daughter, granddaughter.  

(She was the youngest artist in Atlanta - perhaps anywhere - to be selected to paint a "Cow Parade" cow.  And she did it - even though, right after selection, she broke her arm playing kickball!  Talk about executing on your goals...)

Did everything always go her way?  Of course not.  But I learned plenty from her.  She never lost focus, no matter how discouraged she may have become.  She knew what was important, what her "true goals" were.  And she pursued them.  Not to the exclusion of having fun (goodness, no!), but to achieve her goals "on time, within budget, and of the right quality."

Yes, the best of the best.  Congratulations, Lacy.  And thanks.  You've taught your old man a lot over the last eighteen years.  I'm looking forward to learning much more from you in the years to come.

True Goals

I spend a lot of time talking to people about "reaching (their) true goals" - but what does that mean?  

There are 4 components to reaching true goals:

1) Accomplish the objective.  Do what you want to do.  Get it done.  Succeed.  Reach the finish line.  Anyway you want to define it, it's all about figuring out what you want to do and doing it...

Umm - hey, Gregg.  You said there were 4 parts to "reaching true goals."  But number 1 seems to sum it up pretty well.  What are the other pieces? 

Easy:

2) On time.

3) Within budget.

4) And with the right level of quality.

It's a constant struggle.  True goals, done right, is defined in the context of all four quadrants:  What you want to accomplish, by when, at what cost, and with what level of quality.

Accomplishing any subset of those - by my definition - means you haven't reached your true goals.

Let me belabor the point for a minute to, well, make a point:

• I got what I wanted, but later than I needed.  True goals?  No.
• I didn't quite get what I wanted.  TG? No.
• Got it - but it cost more than planned.  Nope.
• Well, I got it, on time, within budget - but it wasn't as good as it should have been.  Strike 4.

Too many organizations take the easy way out.  They don't fully identify what they're trying to accomplish up front, defined by all 4 attributes of the Challenge.  That way, it's easy to claim that you've succeeded... even when you really haven't.

The best result?  Know exactly what your True Goals are before you start - defined as reaching the desired result, on time, within budget, and with the right level of quality - and then go get them.

Driving the Car, Changing its Tires...

Here's the challenge:  The division is having a great year, even with economic challenges all around.  Revenue is up; expenses are down; margin is improving.  It's hitting its numbers and, for the most part, hitting on all cylinders.  Yet, it has been tasked by corporate headquarters to make some aggressive changes, including cutting expenses and (perhaps) rethinking its entire business model.  How, if you're division management, do you: 

1. Motivate the team
   
2. Convince the team that it's the right thing to do, and
   
3. Make it happen, especially in the midst of "good times"?
   

Fortunately, RedZone has a client that sets a great example.  Here are some suggestions, in brief, based on experience:

1)  Consistent and clear messaging.  Management has made clear its opinion that the best time to make challenging changes is when times are good, when it has control over the situation and when it is not in "crisis" mode.  Management is right.  Making changes when times are good may be difficult from a motivation standpoint, but the absolute best from a strategic perspective.

2) Challenge the team.  A company that is performing well is doing so for a reason.  In most cases, it's because there is a talented and committed management team driving performance.  So how does one get a well-performing team to change and do even better? Challenge them. Challenge them to use their imagination and energy, to think differently about the business. Challenge them to identify what's wrong with the current business (trust me, they know!), and to identify how to fix it (they know that, too).  And listen.  There are details about the business that only those on the front-lines know. Management perspective is important, but the details from the field can make the difference between success and failure. And then align rewards with success. Make sure the team achieves personal benefit from making difficult changes work.

3) Don't take "no" for an answer. Sometimes, when things are going well, there is great hesitancy to make big changes aggressively.  That's the time when management has to step up and say, "Sorry, that's not good enough."  Management makes the goals clear, and makes it clear that the goals are non-negotiable.  And then, it keeps up the gentle pressure.  Yes, it says, we know this isn't easy.  Yes, it says, we know this is a higher level than we've ever reacher.  Yes, it says, we know this will require some big changes to the way we operate today. And yes, it says, we're willing to make those changes.  So, it says, think big, think broad, think different.  You come up with the right answer.  We'll (all) come up with how to make it happen. 

What’s the Problem? 

That’s what our client does, and does well. So, why is RedZone involved? This well-run organization, like so many others, struggles with execution. Not everyday, continual improvement, keep-the-business-running execution. No, its struggle is in strategy execution – the challenge of making big changes while still keeping the operation humming. 

An analogy you may have heard is that of “driving a car while changing its tires." In other words, the organization is focused (as it should be) on keeping the day-to-day running smoothly. But it’s also tasked, at the exact same time, with making significant changes to how it does business. 

That’s where RedZone comes in. Our focus is Strategy Execution – helping organizations successfully execute significant strategic initiatives. And part of our advice – always – is to isolate the team working on the significant change from the daily execution of the business. You know the reason – our client does, too. The challenge is making it happen.

Running the day-to-day business means constant adjustments, monitoring, fire-fighting. Much of that is unpredictable and urgent in nature: When an issue occurs, it must be handled right now. That means other activities get put to the side. And if one of those other activities is working on a strategic initiative, it gets put to the side, too.

Focused, Dedicated, Separated

One key to successful Strategy Execution is to segment the resources: Making sure those involved in “driving the car” aren’t the same as those trying to “change the tires.” Think of it this way: Running the day-to-day business is pretty much a straight, fast line – slight adjustments, tweaks along the way, but, for the most part, straight forward. A strategic change is not just a little shift. It’s a sharp curve in the road, a change to take the company in a different direction. The team responsible for driving the company forward as fast and hard as possible is rarely the same team that does a good job taking the sharp curve. The focus is different, the skills needed are different, the entire process is different. So make the team different. Let one group drive the company straight-line forward while another team sets the company up to take the curve. Take it. The company is on a straight-away again (at least, for a while!), and the operational team is now perfectly capable of taking over the wheel.

But, the argument always goes, we don’t have the resources, time or budget to do that. And our response, always, is yes, you do. If you’re staffing strategic projects right now with people responsible for running the day to day operation, you have got the people and budget. It just takes hard work to find it. Here’s why: By staffing a strategic initiative with operational leaders, you’re making an assumption that each person will spend, let’s say, 80% of their time (4 days a week) running the business and 20% (one day each week) on the strategic project. That means you have budgeted 20% x the number of people involved on getting the project done. But it never quite happens as desired or planned.

So – and here’s the really tough part – separate the people. You’ll need to move around responsibilities, perhaps make some people stretch, but figure out how to take the 20% of 5 people’s time and turn that into 1 person at 100%. Use the others as resources, to answer questions, participate in review and design sessions, provide guidance and support. But task someone else to get the work done as their full-time job. The end result is that strategic projects will get done on time, within budget, and with goals fully met. 

A simplification? Yes, but not by much. RedZone’s experience proves assigning a focused and dedicated team to the execution of strategic initiatives has a huge impact on their ultimate success. 

It’s always a pleasure to work with well-managed clients. But it also creates a unique set of problems. “We’re doing a great job of running the business. What can you teach us?” Well, in terms of day-to-day running the business, nothing much. But RedZone’s expertise is not daily operations – its expertise is in the unique and not-as-common processes needed to implement strategic change. Strategy Execution requires a different set of skills, tools, and management techniques. It’s in the successful execution of strategic initiatives where RedZone adds value – even to the best-managed of companies.

Voltaire Had It Right

The shoemaker's child syndrome has struck again.  You know that story, right? The shoemaker's children are those who walk around town without any shoes. That's me. I sit down to write - and discover that I'm writing about a topic I know all too well.

It has been a while since I've been back here to blog.  As I sat down to write, I recognized that I have been a victim of the exact issues I've chosen to write about - Perfectionism and Making Choices.

Over the last several weeks, I have struggled to come up with the perfect blog topic.  I generated several ideas and debated which was the best.  As a result, I have not written anything. Instead of getting something good done, I sacrificed making any progress at all to the alter of Perfectionism and Making a Choice.  My guess is you've done the same.

Right now, RedZone is working with a client that is trying to do it all right. And that's a big part of their problem. There are two major challenges imbedded within the concept of "Doing It All Right."

1. Doing it All, and
2. Doing it Right

"I Can't Make a Choice - So I Won't Do Anything"

When you were younger, was there ever a day when there were so many things you wanted to do, you'd end up not doing any of them?   Have you ever sat in front of a "To Do" list, feeling overwhelmed by all the items on it - so you just sat and looked at it?  

You've met the enemy:  "Doing it All."

We know that we can't get it all done, all at once.  We don't have the resources, the time, the ability.  But somehow, we end up wanting it all anyway.  So we try to figure out what to do to get it all done.  We build a plan.   We see we will need to make choices, do things one at a time, in a sequence that makes sense and builds one activity on the last.  It will take time, effort, investment, and little steps leading to our final goals.  We know all this!  Yet we keep looking for the "magic wand," the way to get it all, all at once. 

The smart ones among us shrug our shoulders and say "Let's get started."  And they do.  One task at a time, checking it off the list.  Things start getting done.  You experience little successes. You get closer to finishing the list, and reaching your goal.

Sometimes, the tasks you choose to do aren't the most important, but they're quick, give you a sense of accomplishment and success.  On occasion, the choice is because of prerequisites - you don't really want to do this one (say, priming a wall) but you have to because it is needed to complete the more important activity (painting the wall).  Frequently, things fall off the list.  Others get added.  The list never seems to end - but things are getting done.  And you continue to get closer and closer to your goals.

RedZone is all about getting things done.  "There's a big difference," we say, "between deciding to succeed - and doing it."  Our focus is on "doing it" - getting it done.  But we don't get the chance to get anything done if we don't "decide" first - we have to choose what to do, then do it.

"The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good"

The original quote in French is "Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien.", from Voltaire's Dictionnaire Philosophique (1764) Literally translated as "The best is the enemy of good.", but more often cited as "The perfect is the enemy of the good."

Pursuing the "best" solution may end up doing less actual good than accepting a solution that, while not perfect, is effective.  General George Patton stated a current version of the same idea: "A good plan implemented today is better than a perfect plan implemented tomorrow."

Our client wants a perfect solution.  It wants one that is painless, riskless, costless, easy to implement, agreeable to all, and guaranteed to succeed.  As you might imagine, it's pretty tough to come up with a solution that fits these criteria.   Alternatives get discussed, but none are perfect.  And management's concerns about the solutions proposed are reasonable:  There is risk.  Some people won't like the solution.  It will be difficult to implement and may not succeed.  And so, in pursuit of the perfect solution, nothing gets done. 

This is a problem that has been recognized through the ages, not just by Voltaire and George Patton:

• A man would do nothing, if he waited until he could do it so well that no one would find fault with what he has done.--John Henry Cardinal Newman


• A person determined never to be wrong won't likely accomplish much.--Ken Wisdom
  


• Better to do something imperfectly than to do nothing flawlessly.--Robert Schuller
  


• Everything that grows holds in perfection but a moment.---William Shakespeare
  


• Freedom is not worth having if it does not connote freedom to err. It passes my comprehension how human beings, be they ever so experienced and able, can delight in depriving other human beings of that precious right.--Ghandi
  


• Have no fear of perfection. You'll never reach it.---Salvador Dali
  


• In order to go on living one must try to escape the death involved in perfectionism.--Hannah Arendt (Rachel Varnhagen)
  


• It is reasonable to have perfection in our eye that we may always advance toward it, though we know it can never be reached.--Samuel Johnson
  

(Source for quotes: http://www1.bbiq.jp/quotations/perfection.htm)

Perfectionism ("Doing it Right") and Making Choices ("Doing it All") are enemies of getting worthwhile things done.  Would it be nice to be perfect, and get everything done at once?  Of course! But that's not real, resonable, or a strategy on which to succeed.    We need to make the best choices we can, given the information we have, and do.  We have to do the best job we can, given the time, resources, capabilities we have, and get things done.  

We'll discover new requirements along the way and add them to the list.  We'll work hard and have to make more choices.  But every step takes us closer and closer to our true goals.

Getting a lot done very well is much better than not getting anything done at all.  We won't be perfect.  We won't get it all done.  But we will get a lot done very, very well.  And we will succeed.