Kill Complacency - We see, yet we are blind

John P. Kotter, in his article "Kill Complacency ....." expressed elegantly the dangers of complacency and urged organisations to "create a sense of urgency and crisis before a real disaster strikes". The undersigned (this author), in his observations and researches of many organisations, probes deeper into the state of complacency mindset and examines the many day to day scenarios that condition present paradigm - we see, yet we are blind.

There is no doubt that many management want to do things better, as expressed in the Vision or Mission or Value statements, investment in time and training to acquire better tools / knowledge for the organisations etc. The sincere intention is there. This approach also explains the proliferation of many management fads : TQM, ISO 9000, Reengineering, Benchmarking, Value-Based-Manageemnt etc.. These are signs that management do not want to be complacent. However, in spite of above, many writers / observers still conclude "complacency" "work hard but not smart" "fire-fighting" "see the tree but not the forest".

Many of such organisations have a few CHANGE mechanisms in place. These change mechanisms include "Employee suggestion scheme, ESS", "Quality circle Teams" "ISO 9000" "Articles, Circulars, Magazines to staff". These mechanisms are considered relatively easy to implement. The consideration of "easiness to implement" is actually a sign of complacency behaviour as analysed in the following cases.

Current Paradigm - We see, yet we are Blind.

The above mentioned change mechanisms involve in one way or another, greater participation by the staff. The participation are in the form suggestions, presentation of their Quality Circles discoveries, quality audits etc. The management committee, line mangers etc. see them all, yet the blindness is evidence.

In the case of Employee suggestion, there are three elements : a) observations by the staff b) proposed solution and c) benefits justification. The management reacts and acts as judges focusing on b) and c) with acceptance (award) or rejection. A great opportunity is lost for not examining on a) observations from staff about defects, potential problems, complaints, areas of improvement. Most of these observations are clues of the little little deficiencies of the organisations. The wisdom of "sadikit-sadikt, lama-lama menjadi bukit" is ignored. They are rejected due to poor solution / benefits offered. The ratio of rejection to acceptance is usually high.

Similarly, the many Quality circles from the shopfloor review more and more the defects, deficiencies of the work processes. Similar treatment by the management is made : to judge their presentation at convention, and not analyse the cause and effect relationship of the findings and future direction of the organisation. One organisation, after ten plus years of such activities, is considering banning Quality circle presentations that review too much quality problems of the company at external convention. Quality audits as per ISO 9000 suffer the same fate. Each finding or non-compliance is preferred to be treated as an isolated case, to be corrected and fixed without further examining the rest of the iceberg body, i.e. remove the tip of the iceberg only but not the body.

As per John P. Kotter's article, "put more honest discussions of the firm's problem in company newspapers and management speeches. Stop senior management happy talk". This is similar to Dr. Deming urgent message to management "stop the exhortation in the form of slogan, cartoon message, articles to the shopfloor, the top management must understand the profound knowledge first". It is the blindness of many management that still think quality is shoopfloor problem, in spite of the sincere intention NOT to be complacent.

We Don't need to create Crisis - the crisis is already Here!

Differing from John P. Kotter's opinion : "create a crisis...", this author is convinced that crisis is already here in many organisations, there is no need to crease one. Tracing back those companies that face great disasters, there is similar pattern of the behaviour "we see, and yet we are blind" in the early times before the disasters.

Once the management understand profound knowledge as per Dr. Deming, with disciplined in process and system thinking, the crisis embedded in the body of the iceberg can be uncovered. The management will only be delighted and grateful to the many many little clues given by the employee in the form of suggestions, Quality circle PDCA discoveries and Quality Audits.

Not to be complacent means we are not blind any more.

End