Talking-in’ and ‘talking– out’, continuous...

21 March, 2013© S A Partners © S A Partners 2013

‘Talking-in’ and ‘talking–

out’, continuous

improvement


• Welcome

• Webinar will last approximately 1 hour

• We will invite you to complete 2 Polls

• Q&A session

Our Webinar


Kevin Eyre

• Managing Consultant

with S A Partners

• Expertise in Business

Improvement and

Leadership Development

• Visiting Lecturer at

Cranfield University

• Director of OCL-VoicePrint

Welcome!


• Why this research?

• Our hypothesis

• Our goal

• Our research

• Our findings

• Applying our research

Agenda


• Our on-going commitment to understanding

sustainability

• Our historic and current focus on ‘the people

dimension’ of Lean and Business Improvement

Why this research?


• Business improvement can be talked-in to

existence, but is very often talked-out of existence

Our hypothesis


• We notice two highly significant factors:-

– Managers tend to avoid the type of conversations that

deliver good process control

– Managers tend to limit a culture of improvement

because they often propose solutions rather than inquire

for them.

Our hypothesis


• To explain what it is necessary to do, to talk-in

continuous improvement

Our goal


S A PARTNERS RESEARCH 2012-13

METHOD No. MANAGERS

Psychometric profiling using OCL –VoicePrint

250

Close Observation during coaching simulations with ‘pen and paper’ exercises

Over 250 observations

Close Observation during intensive 1-2-1 coaching skills development sessions

Over 400 hours (50 managers)

Our research


To

admonish

To

advocate

To

inquire

The modes or

voices To

critique

To

diagnose

To

articulate

To

challenge

To

probe

To

advise

• An innovation in the field of personal diagnostics, providing a bridge between traits and competences

• A statistically robust model with predictive properties

• A resource that facilitates learning and development more usefully than ‘type’ categorisation

‘Measuring our tendencies towards interaction with others’

Our research


• Managers tend to avoid the type of conversations

that deliver good process control

The first of our findings


For example

“He saw that Fred handled the cog incorrectly, but ignored it. Why was that?”


Seeking control(to identify and control variation)

Seeking standardisation(to process requirements to maintain

the standard)

Seeking sustainable improvement

(beyond the current standard)

A significant transition point at which managers may well ‘talk-out’ improvement rather than ‘talk it in’

Our findings - good process control


• Gathering evidence through three lenses:-

1. Sensitivity to occasion – how well do managers spot

the occasion when conversations about good process

control are needed?

2. Tendency – how well disposed are managers to hold

the conversation about process control?

3. Skill – how good are the skills of managers in holding

conversations about process control?



Our findings - good process

control – ‘sensitivity’

‘Recent efforts have concentrated onstabilising processes in an area of criticalimportance to your customers. A part of thenew way that ‘work works’ is for a TeamMember to execute one particular operationconsistently time and time again. Variationwill increase costs and adversely affectcustomer satisfaction. As you walk the floorone morning you notice non-conformance onthe part of the Team Member. Furthermoreyou notice that the relevant Team Leader hasprobably also spotted that non-conformance.You see him stop and watch the TeamMember for a few seconds. Then you see himwalk away. You feel disappointed by theactions of the Team Member and angry atyour Team Leader.’

• Managers are generally able to interpret these types of situations for what they are

• Managers report that they recognise these types of situations in the real world


• The focus of ‘the right’ conversation is towards the ‘controlling or correcting’ voices but managers report ‘admonishing’ as lowest preference


control – ‘tendency’

To

admonish

To

advocate

To

inquire

The modes or

voicesTo

critique

To

diagnose

To

articulate

To

challenge

To

probe

To

advise



control – ‘skill’

Avoiding

Punishing

Ambivalence

“Do not prop door open”


Summary of FindingsThe lens Level of

CapabilityThe evidence

Sensitivity Moderate Interpretation of written conformance situations, direct observation and participant report

Tendency Low Voiceprint reports ‘admonish’ as least preferred voice for managers generally

Skill Low Testing in workshop situations shows under or over assertiveness as general practice





the standard)



A significant transition point at which managers may well ‘talk-out’ improvement rather than ‘talk it in’

because they prefer to avoid the conversation and/or are poor at delivering it



• How good are managers in your organisation at

holding conversations that deliver good process

control?

Poll


• Managers tend to limit a culture of improvement

because they often propose solutions rather than

inquire for them

The second of our findings


For example

“Well Kathy, mixed results I see with ‘blue’ trailing badly. I think you need to arrest the decline and invest heavily cutting your spend on ‘red’. But that’s only a suggestion: what do you think and do you like my coaching?...and why does your chart match my scarf?”




the standard)



A second significant transition point at which managers may well ‘talk-out’ improvement rather

than ‘talk it in’

Our findings – propose solutions

rather than inquire


• Gathering evidence through three lenses:-

1. Sensitivity to occasion – how well do managers spot

the occasion when coaching conversations are

needed?

2. Tendency – how well disposed are managers to

inquire?

3. Skill – how well do managers inquire?


rather than inquire



rather than inquire – ‘sensitivity’

Coaching Opportunity Used Style

Date Subject Coachee Level Goal command instruct train facilitate mentor coach counsel therapy Remarks10-May-12 2012 Personal Objectives for

Ruud olde HanofErica Mgt Help Ruud do SMART 2012

Personal ObjectivesDuring inquiry Ruud reviewed that the issue was not that he is not capable to do SMART Objectives. Prior performance review left Ruud insecure and worried. As a result Ruud had lack of trust in both HR and Line Manager.

11-May-12 2012 Personal Objectives for Ruud olde Hanof

Michael Mgt Help Ruud do SMART 2012 Personal Objectives

During the meeting with Michael, Erica challenged Michael to take the lead and resolve any issues directly with Ruud.

15-May-12 US Supplier ExtendedEnterprise - Lean Coach Support

Dave Vasquez Lean Coach Understand context of Inalfa Extended Enterprise and what possible next steps are

I inquired about what was going on currently with Extended Enterprise. It helped to gain background information. I tried to offer some advice and then challenged Dave to go back and facilitate alignment between the functional Line Manager, GWS Sponsor and the supplier.

15-May-12 Improved Product Realization Plan (PRP)Ford C 489, CD 391 Wagon, BMW F15 Gate PRP Deliverables Preparation

Steve SchonarkFrank KuipersTodd Suttles

Program Managers

Coach Program Managers to prepare for successful Gate Approval

I have used the Toyota Kata style coaching during the weekly visual board reviews. As a result the Ford CD 391 Wagon and BMW F15 Gate C was fully approved in June.On going work with C 489

‘Analysis of ‘coaching learning log’ reveals the extent of missed opportunities. Habit, the tendency to

assume that telling or suggesting will work, means that ‘the moment’ is lost.’


• The focus of ‘the

right’ conversation -

towards the

‘exploratory’ voices

- the angle which

only about 5% of

people fully use


rather than inquire – ‘tendency’

To

admonish

To

advocate

To

inquire

The modes or

voicesTo

critique

To

diagnose

To

articulate

To

challenge

To

probe

To

advise



rather than inquire – ‘skill’

Telling Suggesting Asking

‘The weight of observable interaction – it’s helpful but sub-optimal’


Summary of FindingsThe lens Level of

CapabilityThe evidence

Sensitivity LowManagers often report ‘missed opportunities’ to coach outside of highly cued situations

Tendency Low -Moderate

Voiceprint reports about 5% of people with preference towards exploratory voices

Skill ModerateHighly cued workshop coaching simulations still elicits high levels of telling and suggesting and a limited repertoire.


rather than inquire


• How good are managers in your organisation at

inquiring as opposed to proposing solutions?

Poll


• “There is nothing as practical as a good theory”

Kurt Lewin

Applying our research


Managers can learn to talk-in

improvement…

Sensitivity

Tendency Skill

…where they

make the right

range of

investments…


Invest in ’skills’ development


Managers can build the range or repertoire of their interactional style through close coaching support and frequent practice. Two hours of intensive coaching will raise skill levels noticeably in conformance, coaching and other situations


Invest in ’tendency’

Managers can learn to understand their tendency for interaction. VoicePrint illustrates the uniqueness of each individual’s way of relating and provides the foundation to build or de-emphasise necessary voices in relation to situation faced


Invest in ’sensitivity’


…start from a different place

Read context better and…


Managers can learn to talk-in

improvement…

Sensitivity

Tendency Skill

…where they make the right range of investments and where they institutionalise these


• In June a Case Study on how to create the

conditions for ‘talking-in’ business improvement:-

– How to institutionalise

– The benefits of so doing

• Learning

• Performance

• Engagement

Our next webinar…


• Take the opportunity of a heavily discounted half-day in-house workshop.

• Our June Webinar provides a case example of ‘institutionalisation’. Join us for this.

• Stay in touch; Connect with me on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/kevinceyre

or contact me at [email protected]

Thank you for your participation!

http://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinceyre

mailto:[email protected]


‘Talking-in’ and ‘talking–

out’, continuous

improvement

Talking-in’ and ‘talking– out’, continuous...

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