Poor performance might reflect systemic issues

Q: We?re having trouble getting our staff to perform the jobs they were hired to do. They seem willing, but after a few weeks on the job it?s apparent they are not going to cut it. Is it them, or is it me, or is the U.S. work force becoming weaker?
A: You?ve either hired the wrong people for these jobs, or, you?ve hired the right people and you?re managing them wrong. This can be very hard to answer truthfully.
First let?s assume you have been hiring the wrong person. Two of the most skipped tasks in the hiring process include testing for behavior and assessing skill sets. I?ve written in the past about using behavior profiling to help hire the right person for the right job. The tool, www.pdpworks.com, is proven to be 95 percent accurate in predicting an applicant?s behavior. In addition to using PDP, I would test their skill sets to make sure they really have the tools to do the job. These two steps will help in hiring the right talent.
Second, you may have hired the right person but you?re managing them wrong.
Perhaps your systems or processes need to documented and then improved. If you?re going through people like water through a sieve, something has got to be wrong. I would start by flow-charting your key processes. A flow chart can help illustrate the steps in a process. By visualizing the process, a flow chart can quickly help identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies where the process can be streamlined or improved.
Flow-charting uses symbols that have been in use for a number of years to represent the type of operations and/or processes being performed. The standardized format provides a common method for people to visualize problems together in the same manner. The use of standardized symbols makes the flow charts easier to interpret, however, standardizing symbols is not as important as the sequence of activities that make up the process.
You can use a flow chart to:
? Document processes and the interrelationship of process steps.
? Identify actual and ideal paths for the product or process.
? Identify problems and potential improvements.
? Document entire process assemblies with all components.
I recommend that you flowchart some of the following areas:
? Labor-intensive processes
? Delays
? Review cycles
? Paperwork
? Duplications
? Omissions
This is not a small project, but it?s a long-lasting fix to your problem. Here are some flowcharting tips:
? Chart the process the way it is really occurring. Do not document the way a written process or a manager thinks the process happens. If the desired or theoretical process is charted, problems with the existing process will not be recognized and no improvements can be made.
? Note all circumstances actually dealt with. If the operations described on the chart don’t happen as charted all the time, note the exceptions on the chart.
? Important assumptions and details should be noted on flow charts such as special training or assumed knowledge, special procedural requirements and time limitations, to ensure awareness of all these issues when analyzing a process for changes.
? When process improvements are time-based, collect data on the standard or typical time it takes for each step in the process, and note each time on the flow chart at each step. The time information can be used to set priorities for time reduction efforts so that the largest contributors to the overall cycle time are more easily recognized. This same tip can be applied to other measures such as complaints, costs and defects.
? Test the flow chart by trying to follow the chart to perform the process charted. If there is a problem performing the operation as charted, note any differences and modify the chart. A better approach would be to have someone unfamiliar with the process try to follow the flow chart and note questions or problems found.
n Include mental steps in the process such as decisions. These steps are sometimes left out because of familiarity with the process; however, they represent sources of problems due to a possible lack of training or information used to make the decision that can be inadequate or incorrect if performed by a different person.
Besides the detailed description of the process flow, the process flow description should also list measurements. These are the measurements that should be reduced by analysis and improvements to the process.
1. Look at the process flow description summary.
2. Study the list of operations in the process to see if the number of steps can be reduced by eliminating operations.
3. Look at the number of transfers.
4. Examine the reviews or inspections listed.
5. Investigate delays.
6. Compare tasks to persons doing tasks.
7. Review the distances between operations.
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Windsor resident Russell Disberger is a founding member of Aspen Business Group, a Northern Colorado-based specialty consulting and venture capital firm. He can be reached by e-mail at russell@aspenbusinessgroup.com, or at (970) 396-7009.

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