Here are two steps that sometimes work to highlight the changes that are happening while creating learning teams.
Step 1 – What is the situation?
How complex is the solution needed?
- Just because the situation seems daunting does not necessarily mean that it needs a complex solution. A simple solution may work just fine.
Where are little successes already happening?
- Exceptions to a problem are happening. Be on the lookout for these bright spots.
- We are great at pointing out times things are broken and don’t work. That is because when things are working, we don’t notice.
Who might know what to do?
- Maybe the manager does not know what to do; most of the time, they don’t. You can look for someone who does. Who’s a subject matter expert? Find the knowledge that already exists that may understand what to do.
Step 2 Identify Progress
Choose one thing to change & test it.
- Try the Plan-Do-Study-Act model OR something else that will enable you to see the results.
- The one thing rule applies because work systems operate in weird emergent ways; changing one thing will have impacts that are not expected.
Share what you are doing and your findings.
- Share with everyone & anyone who is directly affected by the solutions. You may get some resistance, and “that will never work here”; If you’re getting those responses to stick to your solution development, success happens in iterative steps.
When something works, leave it alone.
- When you find that your one thing is working great! Share the knowledge & make it part of the operating procedures.
If something doesn’t work, STOP IT
- Try something else.
Change & solutions happen through many people making small changes regularly.