OPPORTUNITY and Change

2019 is still (mostly) ahead of us. It’s a natural time to think about the big things that we could get done this year. What opportunities will we have this year? Which ones will we act on?

You may think “OPPORTUNITY and Change” means that change creates opportunity, when one door closes another door opens, etc. That is not what I mean…please let me explain.

I have tried, for many years, to be aware that opportunities are all around me, but that I have to recognize them and act on them for them to really matter.

To help keep this idea in front of me, I have consistently collected coins I have found and put them in a glass jar. Each coin is a metaphor for an opportunity. I have been doing this for 17 years, and the jar is fairly heavy, and it has hundreds of coins in it.

When I look at the jar, it reminds me of all the opportunities and good luck I have had over those 17 years. The jar is a visual shortcut to remind me of all the opportunities I have had over that time. This is what I mean by opportunity and change.

Now let’s think about this from The Process Perspective. What about creating great new manufacturing processes or dramatically improving existing manufacturing processes?

First, we must recognize opportunities…

• We must be “plugged in” to the R&D folks and others who generate new manufacturing concepts. We have to see as many ideas as possible to find the gems or real opportunities.

• We must reserve judgment initially and listen, and be nurturing and encouraging to new ideas and respectful of the work what has been accomplished to get to this point. This does not mean we assume the concept can be manufactured: that is a next step and a separate question.

• We must be aware of the opportunities in existing manufacturing operations. This requires us to know the performance over time, understand the customer problems, and talk to the operators to see what they need.

• How long will this opportunity be available for? What is its “shelf life”?

Then we must act on those opportunities…

• Which of these opportunities has the most management support? Do executive-level champions exist who will help remove barriers and provide resources?

• Which of these opportunities is most attractive from a cost vs. benefits standpoint?

• What benefits will be provided to the customers? Will customers recognize the benefits? Will customers pay more for the benefits?

• Will support for the project endure as the project progresses? A solid plan must be done before project launch, to create alignment and gauge support from key stakeholders.

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My main learning from this line of thinking is that opportunities surround us, but we have to recognize them and act on them. This requires an entrepreneurial mindset and a curiosity about what is happening around us.

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YOUR CHALLENGE THIS WEEK

Consider the process projects on your radar screen right now…

• Have you been proactively identifying the best opportunities to act on? Who in the organization are best at identifying opportunities? Is someone responsible formally for identifying these opportunities?

• What Best Practices could be generated from your internal work on this? Do other groups or teams have learnings that could be usefully employed to help this “virtuous cycle” progress?

How does your organization identify the best opportunities and decide which to act on?

MPES Consulting can help you to identify and sort the best opportunities for Great Process Work. Please give us a call to see how we can help.

If you email me I’ll get back to you promptly, thanks.

All the Best,

Marty

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