The Power of WHY
- Marty Schad
- Oct 4, 2018
- 2 min read
Today I’d like to speak about the WHY behind the creation of great processes. Why go through all the pain and effort to make robust processes? What is the motivation? A quote from Albert Einstein comes to mind: “One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved. One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one’s greatest efforts.” I believe this, because I want to make a large impact with my projects (either scaling-up a research project or making a step-change in a production process). With large impact come large benefits. One does not make bold progress without bold goals. However, there will inevitably be setbacks and significant problems as these projects progress. These difficulties are normal, and we need to keep going despite them. I have found that thinking about the WHY I am doing these projects can be very helpful. It helps me to focus on the bigger picture, and the “prize at the end of the rainbow”. Some of my WHYs for this work are:
To create” bulletproof” processes that the customers can trust and use without hesitation or second thought. These are the types of processes I want to depend on.
To help move promising research concepts forward quickly. This helps the researchers have the satisfaction of seeing their ideas come to life. If the idea does not pan out, the researchers can move on to the next project while using the learnings to do better each time.
To help the operators who run these processes day-in and day-out. They love it when a new shift is added to make a great new product that could not be made before. Everyone benefits from this progress.
To improve the bottom-line contribution, which makes the executives job’s easier. Process Stewardship generates tremendous ROI, resulting in a stronger company.
This work results in less energy usage, more efficient material utilization, and decreased waste. This is inherently useful and makes these efforts and products more sustainable, durable, and “built to last”.
To have the satisfaction of reliably producing what was impossible to make before. This is a great and rewarding feeling for everyone involved.
My main learning from this line of thinking has been the power of understanding why we are doing this work. Consciously thinking about this and sharing it with others can be very helpful to stay enthused and on-track as we build and craft great processes.
YOUR CHALLENGE THIS WEEK
Please think about WHY you are working on your most important Process Stewardship efforts, both research and production…
Why do this work and project? What keeps you motivated to keep going during the (inevitable) tough times?
Who will benefit from the project success? There are probably many more people benefiting from this work than you might think. Please keep them in mind.
I’d enjoy hearing about your “whys”, and how they can motivate both you and the project team. As always, please email me and I’ll get back to you promptly.
All the Best, Marty
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