Battles We Have to Win, part 3: Scatter

 We live in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. Deadly risks abound including ceaseless turbulence, obsolescence, and Black Swans. Here is the third in a series on the battles we have to win to survive and prosper.

What are the proverbial transformation ‘battles’ we have to win? Ignorance, Fear, Scatter, Guesswork and Space. Today I’ll talk about how to dispel Scatter. The remedies I discuss apply to both protecting the core business with Lean/OpEx and to igniting new Growth using Digital methods.

Scatter

Scatter means we are literally ‘all over the place’.  We cannot focus on what’s important and cannot trim unnecessary activity.  The Pareto principle is often cited but how well is it practiced? There is something in human nature that likes to push buttons, especially when doing so triggers the highly addictive dopamine cycle. Scatter has reached epidemic proportions in our screen-addled worlds, as documented by social scientists like Jonathan Haidt. Scatter is the deadly enemy of deep learning & genuine achievement.

Equating ‘busyness’ with effectiveness and/or importance is a modern disease.  In some cultures, “I had to work all weekend” is a badge of honor. The hyper-stressed professional who rarely sees her children, and the high-powered executive who is on his fourth marriage are modern cliches.

Is the root cause is a lack of self-awareness, combined with a lack clarity about the core questions of life and work? Who are we?  What do we believe in?  Where are we going? How will we get there?

Countermeasures to Scatter

Leadership: What you do is what you get

Disciplined leadership is the key remedy.  What you do as a leader – is what you get. People reflect the leader’s behavior.  If you are clear, focused, considerate & professional – that’s what you’ll get.  If your foggy, jumpy, and continually distracted by shiny objects (‘crow management’) – ditto.

Less is More – Pareto Thinking

Leaders at all levels must therefore practice a ‘Less is More’ mindset. ‘What are your top three problems and what are you doing about them?’ The marvelous phrase ‘Target, actual, please explain’ helps reduce the ‘blah-blah-blah’. Weave this into your tiered management system.  Repeat the phrase a few times & pretty soon your team members show up prepared.

Visual Management & Connected Checking

Your management system should comprise:

·       Clearly articulated Aspiration and Winning Logic – at each level

·       Concise stand-up meetings connecting the senior level ‘control tower’ (Obeya) with front line team boards.

·       Focused improvement work at each level aligned with Aspiration & Winning Logic

·       Clear, effective visual management so that you can see at a glance:

o   What should be happening?

o   What is actually happening?

o   What are the biggest problems?

o   What are we doing about them?

 

Daily Management Walks & System Audits

These requirements can easily be translated into a leader’s Daily Walk checklist. If each senior leader shares what they observe (say, on a shared board in the Senior Team Obeya), pretty soon you understand your company’s current condition. And if in your walks you reinforce the focusing principles & activities like those described above, you'll see less scatter, and more focused improvement.

Tenacity

Stick with it - Scatter is at epidemic proportions. It’ll take a few years to fully absorb & apply this stuff. Don’t get too high or too low - just stay the course you'll soon feel the power of alignment.

Best wishes,

Pascal Dennis         E: pascal.dennis@leansystems.org

In case you missed earlier blogs... please feel free to have another look….

Transformation - the Battles We Have to Win - Fear
Transformation - the Battles We Have to Win - Ignorance
Transformation - the Battles We Have to Win