“There is no instant pudding.” – W. Edwards Deming
We often hear it said that the problems in the daily work are largely ignored. Solving these problems would seem like the logical thing to do. Yet they seem to go unseen. The status quo is a powerful force. The workforce is lulled into believing that this is the way things are because they have always been this way. Learning to see the problems is not something management spends much time on until they become full blown fires, then fire fighting mode kicks in. Once out, the fire is left to smoulder away, only to reappear in the future.
Accepting the status quo is a form of complacency in believing that change is not possible.
Learning to see the problems in the daily work is an important first step in being able to recognize the problem exists. Take for example; a hospital where nurses work hard every day doing their best to care for the needs of the customers. The nurses for the most part are extremely dedicated and caring. Yet, at day’s end they feel frustrated in not getting enough of the right things done.
A study at one hospital revealed, nurses were only spending 30% of their time with patients. After the problem was identified and work was redesigned, nurses were able to spend 90% of their time with patients. This led to a significant improvement in the quality of care provided and on the job satisfaction. Learning to see the problem as the low amount of time spent with patients and then accepting that the status quo could be changed was the secret to this success.
Yes the change involved hard work. Yes the change was not accomplished overnight. The effort and the dedication of all involved did provide a significant benefit for both patients and workers.
What kind of joy and satisfaction does your workforce experience in the work they perform?
Want to learn more about how to see the problems hidden in the status quo?
