Tag Archives: clarity

Culture Trumps

“But, I set the context for my team. We talked about the work we would receive from the process step before. We talked about how we would inspect our work before we handed it off to the next process step. I thought I was very clear,” Rory complained.

“So, what happened?” I asked.

“It’s like the team wasn’t listening,” he replied. “I even had them repeat the steps back to me, to make sure I was understood.”

“So, what happened?” I repeated. “Why did you feel the need to be so explicit? Why the need for clarity?”

“We’ve had quality problems out of this team, seems like, forever. They don’t seem to care. They come to work, go through the motions. End of day, they head home. That’s why I was called in to manage this team.”

“So, what was different, after you explained the sequence, described the context for their work?” I probed.

“Nothing changed. We had the same incidence of quality re-works. Almost like shoddy work is part of the team culture.”

“So, what you are telling me is that culture trumps clear work instructions?”

Long Term Consequence

“Clarity, competence, habits, conscientiousness. There’s more?” Mariana asked.

“I told you that making performance necessary was not a simple sleight of hand, or even a hat trick of three,” I said. “The most powerful element of necessity is consequences. And, I am not talking about pizza for the team for a job well done. Necessity becomes a part of a person’s life. Long term consequences. Over a decade, the difference in a person’s life has to do with clarity of aim, competence to perform, positive habits that build momentum and conscientiousness to persist toward the goal, in spite of obstacles. That difference is the consequence that matters in our quality of life.

“For you, as a leader, you must surround yourself, build your team with people who see performance as necessary. Not only for your goals, but for their own personal aspirations.”

Necessary Habits

“More?” Mariana repeated.

“Yes, understanding necessity is not a simple salvo,” I replied. “It’s more complex with several factors. We have talked about clarity. You, as the manager, cannot make something necessary unless its standard is clear. The second element of necessity is competence. You cannot make something necessary for a team unless the team has the requisite competence to meet the standard. The third element is habits.

“For something to be necessary, there can be no choice. Yoda says there is no try, there is only do. The team cannot choose to perform to a standard that it necessary, they must be in the habit of performing to that standard, because it is necessary.

“Habits are routine, grooved behaviors in pursuit of the goal. We have good habits and bad habits. Good habits support our pursuit toward the goal. Bad habits support our travel away from the goal. Even habits are a part of necessity. We do not choose our habits, our habits choose us. Movement toward the goal requires a set of necessary habits. Your choice is only whether to move toward the goal or away from the goal. Aim high.”

Necessity Requires?

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“If I want to make high performance necessary, I have to be clear,” Mariana repeated. “And, I have to make that clarity understood. Not what I understand, but what my team understands.”

I smiled. “And there is more.”

“More?”

“More. You can make the performance standard clear, but the team may not have the competence to make it happen. Necessity requires competence. A team without competence, in spite of necessity, will never perform at standard. Necessity requires both clarity and competence.”

Mariana nodded. “And, if they are not competent?”

“You are the manager,” I replied. “If the team members are not competent, why did you pick them?”

“At the time, I didn’t know if they were competent. They looked competent, sounded competent. I thought they had potential, that’s why I picked them.”

“Competence starts with potential. You assembled the team. Then, what did you do?”

“Well, we started with training,” she explained.

“You described, you demonstrated, they tried, you coached, they tried again, they practiced, you tested, they practiced more. You put them through drills, pace and quality. Pace and quality, until you, as the manager were satisfied at their level of competence. Necessity requires both clarity and competence.”

Mariana sighed acceptance.

“And, there’s more.”