Action Planning and the Continuous Improvement Process
The circular process depicted below involves measurement, the selection of
issues to be addressed, planning and implementing interventions, and measuring
again in order to assess the effectiveness of the interventions. NBRI assists
our valued Clients with measurement (Survey Research) and issue
selection (Root Cause Analysis). The Root Cause Analysis eliminates the need
to spend countless hours on issue selection. Then, we train our
Clients' employees and management teams to be able to identify and implement
the best solutions to improve their particular Root Causes. This is the NBRI
Continuous Improvement Process. The diagram below illustrates the simple yet
powerful process which has been perfected through our partnerships with our
Clients over the last several decades.
Steps Three, Four, and Five of the Continuous Improvement Process are known
collectively as Action Planning. Action Planning begins when Steps One and Two
are complete. The Root Causes should always be the first focus of
attention. This provides the greatest benefit to the organization in the
shortest amount of time. Targeted interventions to the Root Causes often
result in improvement in over half (50%) of all survey items!
To determine which interventions are best, action planning teams comprised of
three (3), five (5) or seven (7) middle-management employees should be
established, and each team given one Root Cause (survey question). The action
planning teams are responsible for collecting recommendations for improvement
from other employees regarding their particular Root Cause.
Employees are encouraged to speak with co-workers, spouses, and
others. Employees may also search the internet, library, and other resources
for best practices or methods which others have used to address their
specific Root Cause issue. This is an opportunity to keep employees involved
in the Continuous Improvement Process, to demonstrate management's commitment
to act upon feedback (survey responses), and it is an opportunity to have fun
by offering awards for recommendations that are implemented.
Within one week, action planning team members are ready to discuss their
findings with their teams. Each member brings with them their 'long list' of
recommendations to improve the Root Cause assigned to them. These lists are
de-duped, so that the team then has a single long list to consider. The first
vote on each item of the long list serves to identify recommendations which the
team members can unanimously agree: 1) should be discarded, and 2) should be
put on the 'short list' to go to Senior Management for approvals. The team
members then debate and defend, discussing the remaining items individually in
an effort to gain consensus regarding their disposition. A limit of five
minutes per recommendation may be imposed. At the end of the meeting, which has
a hard stop, and is typically not rescheduled, the final vote takes place, and
the majority rules on any additional items to be placed on the short list.
The action planning teams filter and present the innovative and valuable
employee recommendations for Senior Management's consideration. Recommendations
from the action planning teams should be given high priority, and approvals
from Senior Management should be provided swiftly, normally within one week.
Implementation should also occur quickly, and each team should monitor the
change that occurs and modify their plans, as needed. NBRI provides action
planning training (single session at no charge with every research
project), facilitation of the action planning process including action
planning, implementation, monitoring, and reassessment, when requested to do
so. Pulse surveys, involving a small sample of the Employee or Customer
Base, and a small subset of survey questions can be performed quickly and
cost-effectively to ensure that implemented recommendations are having the
desired effect.
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