“You have a decision to make,” I said. “You looked at some new technology that has the potential to dramatically accelerate the pace of production and simultaneously ratchet up the quality of your product.”
Leo nodded in agreement. “You are correct. But there are two things I have to think about. This new technology is expensive, not related to the increase in output and quality, but its initial investment. And, once we make this investment, the second thing I have to think about is whether the team will adopt the new technology, or will they kill it. Believe me, if they want to stiff arm the project, they can kill it.”
“So, acknowledging the investment and the risks,” I wanted to know, “what steps do you need to take to mitigate the risk?”
“I think there is an order in what needs to happen,” Leo thought out loud. “I think I need to know how the team will respond to the new technology. That’s first. If they don’t embrace it, doesn’t matter how good the technology is.”
“And how will you find out?”
“I have to schedule an exploratory meeting to look at this new technology. I need to gather some data and put it in front of the team, see what they think.”
“Why do you have to gather the data?” I asked. “You have some engineers on the team, why don’t you have them gather the data?”
“But, what if they reject the new technology before we even get to first base?” Leo answered my question with a question.
“Do you think the way you state the problem has any impact on the way people approach the solution?” I pressed.
Leo nodded again. “Yes,” he stopped. “I know, I know. You want to know how I am going to lay out the problem statement in the project to get the best response from the team.”
“Yes,” I smiled. “What does that problem statement sound like? And is it really a problem statement, or a statement that points to a solution?”
Leo thought, not out loud at this point. Finally, “In what way can we explore new technology in our industry, that will dramatically accelerate our pace of output and step up our quality spec?”
“Good,” my smile turned to a remarkable grin. “Practice that, and then call a meeting.”