To many of us, there is no greater paralyzing fear than the nightmare associated with a system breaking down. We strive to keep the plates spinning, and whether through neglect, overloading, or just rotten luck, things can come crashing to a halt in an instant. While the system implodes and the fires rage, take solace in the fact that there are valuable lessons to be learned in this experience.
Murphy’s Law helps drive us to prepare for the worst, yet hope for the best, since breakdowns always seem to catch us at what appears to be our most vulnerable moments. There’s never a good time for a shutdown event, to be sure, but these situations are inherently enriching. They help us identify weaknesses in our systems that may have been thus far overlooked.
1. Remember to focus on the weak process rather than blaming the people. Anyone involved in the faulty process will likely feel bad enough as it is. Don’t compound the problem by casting blame and undermining the employees who are most invested in the success of the process. These people are some of the best sources of ideas and manpower to remedy the system if they are handled properly. If anything, be sure to reassure your team that the process is under scrutiny, not them.
2. Try to make this the last time you see this specific failure again. In Lean manufacturing environments there is tremendous empowerment of the individual. If someone detects a problem, they are duty-bound to shut the line down to bring everyone together for a comprehensive solution. The goal is to ensure that this particular problem is never seen again, and the approach is incredibly effective. Otherwise, we tend to apply bandages over and over again and even create workarounds to address problems that should have been solved long ago.
3. Resist the urge to consider “more inventory” as a real solution. Intense pressure to deliver can sometimes drive us to make counterproductive concessions. We can be fooled into believing, for example, that if there was just more inventory, it would buy some time to deal with problem the without affecting everything else in the system. The truth, however, is that more inventory just raises the swamp and serves to conceal more and more problems in need of solutions. Inventory is costly and kicks the problem down the road for someone to deal with later.
4. Prize fire prevention over fire-fighting. Everyone likes to be the hero; the adrenaline rush and the recognition are very alluring. And periodically we need heroes to step up and save the day. The problem lies in incentivizing hero actions over proper, prudent preparation that would potentially have avoided the fire altogether. It’s ok to express appreciation to our heroes, but if we recognize only fire-fighters, we shouldn’t be surprised when it seems we always need them.
5. Don’t forget to close the circle. Often when we face a crisis, we jump right in, fight the battle, and ride off into the sunset. Don’t forget that there is still valuable work to be done. Communication is extremely important. Effective debrief with an opportunity to compile (and share) lessons learned should not be overlooked. Also important is the application of diligent change-management practices. What do you intend to do differently going forward? There may be additional training, better communications, or process improvements that will need to be considered. The crisis brought insight. How will you apply this insight to your organization’s benefit before tackling the next issue?
Periodic failure is inevitable. Fortunately, it is also a treasure-trove of valuable experience to an acute participant. We should therefore appreciate the cruel lessons we learn in midst of breakdowns and process failures. For some of the most powerful lessons are only learned through the experience of passing through the fire.
Lean in and Lean on.