The simple way to cut barriers down to size
If you’re facing a big barrier in your workplace, something that’s blocking your path forward, slow down and take a closer look. That insurmountable obstacle might really be a manageable speed bump. I experienced this in a literal sense when jogging on my favorite wooded trail recently. Everything was going fine until – what?! A newly fallen tree blocked the path. The tree trunk looked so out of place in sideways form. Big, too – too big to climb over. So I turned around and retraced my steps. A week later, I followed my usual route. I had forgotten about the fallen tree until – what?! There it was again, still blocking the path. I turned around around and headed the other way. Bet you can guess what happened the third week. Yep, I ran the same old route – and was surprised all over again by the fallen tree. But this time, instead of staring at the tree and being daunted by its presence, I looked left and right to find a way around. It took maybe a minute to push through the brush, along the trunk line, where I found a lower section. I climbed over and continued running, leaving that once-insurmountable barrier in the dust. So what the heck happened? Why did I bow to the barrier those first two times? And what does this tell us about our workplace barriers? For starters, the fallen tree was totally unexpected. After years of running in those woods, I had grown accustomed to every natural feature. It came as a shock to see an enormous tree lying on its side across the usually peaceful path – and the surprise seemed to fill all my thinking, to the point where I didn’t even consider going over or around. The second time, it had more to do with repetition. I had turned around after the first encounter, so I did it again without thinking. It seemed like the path of least resistance. That third time, I was no longer surprised by the sight. Nor was I so reflexive about turning around. I took time for a better look, studying the tree and terrain to check my options. The trunk seemed to get thinner on the right, and the brush seemed passable. So that’s where I went. Problem solved. Perhaps you’re pushing for some sort of change at work, but you’ve encountered...
Read MoreThe case for data-driven curiosity
When it comes to working smart, a little bit of research can go a long way. You don’t have to be a full-on scientist by any means. But if you want to improve how work gets done, you’ll want to conduct the occasional inquiry. It can be simple, informal, even fun. And it’s likely to be illuminating. My 19-year-old daughter is working as a math tutor this summer. The learning center is across town, and she can take two different routes to get there. Wanting to minimize her drive, she put on her inquiry cap. She started taking the different routes – and used her phone to record the number of minutes for each trip. (You can see some of her data in the photo.) After a couple weeks of testing, she conclusively knew the fastest route. How can this inquisitive approach help you at work? Let’s say your work group gets needed information from an incoming form – but half the time the information is incomplete or inaccurate. So you and your colleagues construct a simple test. As the forms arrive, each of you keeps a running tally of the information fields that have errors. After two weeks, you combine your check-sheet data to create a single Pareto chart that reveals which fields are causing the most problems. All of you had your theories. Now you have data and a convincing picture. You know where to focus in order to improve the quality of incoming information. None of the above requires you to be the next Marie Curie or Isaac Newton. Simply be curious. Seek out data and facts. Organize the information so you can draw conclusions. Then use the insights to power improvement. By Tom Terez •...
Read MoreThe power of positive questions
When it comes to workplace improvement, what’s better than good ideas? Good questions. By posing good questions on issues that matter, you can engage colleagues, deepen their thinking, and find common ground through dialogue. You’ll even come up with better ideas, powered by all that additional brainpower and experience. Here are seven sets of questions – waiting for a brave person (you) to start the conversation. Engaging your mind When was the last time you got so caught up in interesting work that you lost track of time? What were you doing? What was it — about the work itself, how you were going about it, its connection to a greater good — that made this such an engaging activity? Seeing results When you want to see the results of your work, what do you look at? How do you know that your effort is having a positive impact? If you could wave a wand and instantly create a more meaningful system for tracking results, what would it look like? Tackling problems What is your biggest challenge at work? What makes it so tough to address, and what is the great opportunity that lies within? How would you go about pursuing this opportunity if you had none of the workplace barriers that seem to exist? What creative approaches might make the difference? Serving customers When your customers talk about your organization behind your back, what do you think they say? Who has the highest praise, who is most critical…and why? What are they really saying? If you were in your customers’ shoes commenting on the work you do for them, what would you say? Achieving unity and diversity What gets greater emphasis in your workplace, unity or diversity? If it’s unity, does the pursuit of oneness prompt people to downplay their differences? If it’s diversity, does the workplace ever feel like a loose collection of conflicting styles and agendas? How can unity and diversity gain strength from each other? What can be done to achieve both of these workplace imperatives in maximum measure? Giving and getting respect Johann von Goethe said, “The way you see people is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become.” How does this play out in your workplace? What could be done right now to make respect one of the workplace’s greatest strengths? Acknowledging the elephant Is...
Read MoreWhat new tools are forgotten in YOUR garage?
When you learn new ideas and gain news tools, you put them to work, right? Yeah, so do I – or so I thought. When spring sprung last year, I went to work planting a new flower garden. It took several sweaty hours to break the ground, clear the weeds, till the soil, and build an edge. The tools I used didn’t help. Most were old and worn out. Even my trusty ten-year-old Garden Weasel fell short when one of its bladed wheels broke apart. Three hours turned into six. The sun climbed higher. The day got hotter. Eight hours in, I decided to save the planting for the next day. That’s when it hit me. As I returned the old tools to the garage, I spotted new tools leaning against the back wall. Yep, I had a full set of brand-new tools. They had been given to me as a gift several months earlier. Why hadn’t I used these new tools in the first place – instead of slogging it out with the old ones? Great question! I had forgotten they were there. I didn’t see them when I got started that morning. I reflexively went to the old ones in their familiar location in the garage. Your garden-variety excuses. The next day, I used the new tools. The work went great, and I finished the job in three hours. The flowers took root and began brightening the yard. But I’m left wondering: What else of value is in my possession but not in use? What other new tools can I put to work? What techniques have I learned recently that I should at least be trying? What newly learned ideas call for deeper exploration and discussion with colleagues? We all have new and better tools, techniques, and ideas. Let’s make sure they don’t get forgotten in the back of our garage. By Tom Terez •...
Read More90 minutes to better ideas and easier consensus
The next time you work with a group to generate improvement ideas, don’t do anything until you get these items: butcher-block paper, tape, sticky notes, fine-point Sharpie markers, and sticky dots. These items can work wonders. They’ll prevent one or two people from dominating the discussion. They’ll enable even the quietest in the group to unload their ideas. They’ll allow everyone to see all the ideas at once. And they’ll help the group contract in and move toward consensus in terms of which ideas to pursue. Yes, those basic office items can do all that! Here’s the step-by-step process for putting them to work: • Before the session, cut a long section of butcher-block paper and tape it to the wall. (If you don’t have butcher-block paper, tape up adjoining flip-chart sheets.) • When the group is together, give each person 12 or so sticky notes and a marker. • Clarify the the prompt that people should have in mind when generating and documenting ideas. It’s typically phrased as a question. Examples: “How can we increase satisfaction among our walk-in customers?” “How can we ensure that applications come in with all needed information the first time around?” “What can we do to strengthen communication across departments?” It’s important that everyone in the group understands the prompt before proceeding. • Now, put on your team facilitation hat. Instruct everyone to write down their ideas in response to the prompt. This is to be done individually, in silence, with each person writing each idea on a separate sticky note. (With 12 notes per person, each will generate up to 12 documented ideas. If you feel that more ideas per person are likely, supply more notes, being sure everyone has an equal number.) • Encourage everyone to be sufficiently detailed in their writing, so that a person reading each sticky note will fully understand what is meant. • Emphasize that people should avoid talking with other team members while doing this. It’s intended as a silent activity at this point, to be done individually. There’s plenty of time to talk about ideas later on in the process. • Let the room stay quiet while individuals write their ideas. • When everyone is done, instruct team members to leave their seats, walk over to the stretch of blank paper on the wall, and randomly tack up all their sticky notes – while maintaining...
Read MoreYou’ll never believe who can HELP your change efforts
If you like to bring new ways of doing things to your workplace, you probably get frustrated by people who resist change. It’s tempting to push forward and leave those folks in the dust, but you know what? When the dust settles, they’ll still be there — and their resistance can harden into cynicism, apathy, and worse. So do the opposite. Reframe your view of resistance. See it as an opportunity to engage. Instead of avoiding your change-resisting colleagues, or ignoring them and hoping their resistance will somehow go away, spend more time with them. Ask questions. Listen closely. Hear their questions. Engage in dialogue. Try to understand their perspectives. Don’t try to sell them or bribe them to win short-term support. Rather, take time to uncover their underlying concerns. Together, look for ways to address those concerns when developing the changes and how they’re rolled out. Some people will still resist. But some of the skeptics will become genuine supporters and even partners in the change. They’ll bring all that extra brainpower and the emotional fuel to go with it. Their actions will even influence their friends who are still holding back. We won’t sugarcoat any of the above. It’s not easy and it can take more time. But it’s often the key difference between sustainable change – and the flash of temporary change followed by a return to the status quo. By Tom Terez •...
Read MorePay attention – and you’ll find plenty of positives
Birds are unlikely teachers, but I have to confess, they’ve taught me a big lesson in paying attention. It’s a lesson for all of us who want to see the positive things that are going on at work. It began last spring, when a pair of robins moved into our yard. Our family kept tabs on them and enjoyed their presence. Then I bought binoculars. Then I started to go on birdwatching hikes in nearby woods. Then I downloaded a birdwatching app. Then I began learning bird facts and bird songs. Then I began to track my bird sightings. In case you’re wondering, I’m no newcomer to Mother Nature. I’ve been enjoying walks and runs in the woods for years. But when I’m outdoors now, it’s different. My awareness is deeper. I see more. Background sounds have moved up and become clearer. I’m just a novice birdwatcher, but the moment I start walking on a trail, I can’t help but hear the birds. In some cases I can identify the type of bird and what it’s communicating. When I use binoculars to get a sustained close-up view, it’s like I’m seeing birds for the first time. My biggest thrill so far was watching a Baltimore Oriole, aglow in late-evening sunlight, giving a free concert from a top branch. All of this has reminded me to be more attentive – not only in the woods, but also in workplaces and elsewhere. When you start looking for something, you’re going to find it. The more you look, the more you’ll find. And the more you learn about what you’re finding, the more you’ll appreciate it. So start paying attention with greater intention at work. Watch for those interesting, instructive, and inspiring actions that are unfolding in the workplace around you. Watch for the good work. Watch for the great service. You’ll be amazed by how much you see. By Tom Terez •...
Read MoreDon’t let big words bog down your communications
If you’re a fan of clear communication, the sign in this photo is going to bug you. Look at those four words at the bottom: Wash produce before consumption. Produce. Consumption. Really? The sign-writer should’ve written the way people talk: Wash fruit before eating. Now, it’s not a big deal when big words end up on store signs. But when they’re consistently used by organizations in their external and internal communications, they can confuse and frustrate and fail to get the intended point across. Consider this paragraph from a government brochure on winter safety tips: Timely preparation, including structural and non-structural mitigation measures to avoid the impacts of severe winter weather, can avert heavy personal, business and government expenditures. Experts agree that the following measures can be effective in dealing with the challenges of severe winter weather. Fortunately, the agency rewrote this paragraph and the rest of the brochure. The new paragraph is concise and clear: Severe winter weather can be extremely dangerous. Consider these safety tips to protect your property and yourself. Want to bring new clarity to your own communications? Here are tips we can all put to work, whether we’re writing a memo or revising a form or producing something bigger like an instruction guide or brochure: Before you write anything, get clear on the point you want to communicate. Use shorter words, sentences, and paragraphs. Click here for a massive list of recommendations. Write like you speak. Avoid jargon, legalese, and acronyms. With longer writing, use headings and lists. Organize the information so it’s easy to follow – by putting the most important info at the top, or by providing a sequenced list. Use active voice. No: When your application is received, you will be contacted by a customer service rep. Yes: A customer service rep will contact you when your application is received. Put your writing through this readability calculator. You’ll learn all sorts of things, including the grade level that’s needed for a reader to understand what you’re trying to say. By Tom Terez •...
Read MoreWhen problem solving is like pulling teeth
Thanks to a rock-hard bagel and a chipped molar, I’ve become a zealous advocate of root-cause analysis. You’re familiar with the concept: Problem-solving works best when it starts with a deep dive to find the causes of problems, which are much different than surface-level symptoms. Root-cause analysis is common sense, but it gets short shrift in most workplaces. When trying to solve problems, many people skip the analysis, make assumptions, and rush to solutions. That’s what happened with my chipped molar. My dentist took a look, judged the tooth to be okay, sanded it down at the corner, and sent me on my way. Two weeks later it chipped again. The dentist took another look, installed a crown, and predicted a long and happy molar life. But a month later, pain set in. This led to a root canal and pain relief, followed two months later by pressure sensitivity that was more subtle but ongoing. That’s when the real fun began: a year-long series of trips to see my dentist (four times), an endodontist, a second endontist (second opinion), a gum specialist, and an oral surgeon. Most were left scratching their heads, but two of these people took an activist posture right away, recommending that I have the tooth “removed” (their word). It’s one thing to talk about root-cause analysis in the work context – and something else entirely when we’re referring to literal roots, when they’re in our jaw, and when there’s talk of yanking them out. So I was pleased beyond description when the oral surgeon took a much different approach, coming across more like Sherlock Holmes and less like the Terminator. He was all about analysis. He took his time. He reviewed the case file in detail. He ordered up a special x-ray to get a better inside look. He ruled out an infection. He took photos of the gum, sending them to a colleague for an expert opinion. When he called me a week later to discuss his findings, he got right to the point: “Extraction has a certain degree of finality. So let’s not rush into it unless we absolutely have to.” I couldn’t agree more. “You report that the pressure sensitivity is moderate. My recommendation is that we take no action for about ten months. We’ll see whether the symptoms evolve, which might give us more insights. And we can get another x-ray...
Read MoreThese 7 simple questions will transform your meetings
If you’re tired of the same old slow-going meetings, crack open these 7 questions. Ask them each time you have a meeting, keep at it for a month or two – and we guarantee your meetings will be time better spent. What will we accomplish? State a clear intended outcome for every meeting. “Decide on…” “Create…” “Brainstorm…” “Reach agreement on…” “Determine…” “Establish a timetable for…” If you have multiple agenda items, do this for each. If there’s no tangible end in mind, show mercy for your colleagues and skip the meeting. Why is this important? Link the intended outcome to some larger project or goal or other purpose. If there’s no real connection, then revisit the “what will we accomplish” question. You might need to refine your intended outcome – or maybe you need a couple one-on-one conversations instead of a multi-person meeting. When will this meeting end? Set an exact time, and stick with it. If the meeting request specifies an end time, affirm it when the group convenes. This might sound like a statement of the obvious, but the truth is, too many meetings go on too long because there’s no carved-in-stone end point. What proven practice will make this a better meeting? Pinpoint something that you or someone else did that made a past meeting more successful. Put this practice to work at the current meeting. This is the surest way to improve your meetings steadily over time. As the meeting winds down: Did we accomplish what we set out to accomplish? Circle back to your intended outcome for an important reality check. If necessary, do some meeting triage to decide how you’ll make the most of your remaining meeting time. What are our next steps? On a flipchart or whiteboard, list all upcoming action steps decided upon during the meeting – along with who will do what and when. What will I be sure to do for the next meeting? Maybe it’s a “do” based on something that went well. Maybe it’s a “don’t” from something that fell flat. Either way, this question is all about getting smarter and making good use of everyone’s time going forward. By Tom Terez •...
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