Just this week I had located a previous co-worker that I had lost touch with for the past 10 years. We started out discussing what’s changed in our personal lives (how old the kids are, etc.) before we transitioned into discussing our current roles in the Quality world….their job function focused on Continuous Improvements (CI). I had asked them if the management where they currently worked embraced improvements or if they resisted change altogether. I’m sure you guessed the response….management was very resistent to change! Why change when we’ve always done it this way??
I can’t help but feel that companies that recruit for Continuous Improvement positions but don’t let their people do their job, create these positions to appear progressive in the eyes of the public (i.e. their customers)….it’s all about perception. They actually put more effort into resisting improvements than it would take to implement and benefit from them! You’d think that in this economy, management would embrace any improvements opportunities that saved time and money….I guess old habits are sometimes hard to break.
If you find yourself in the same position, here are some survival tips until you can find a better work environment:
- Do as I do and not as I say. Pay attention to what management says and does….if there’s a conflict between the two, then follow their actions and disregard what they say. If you ignore the disparity and do as they say, you’ll become very frustrated and management will begin to label you a troublesome employee.
- Make recommendations that quantify savings. Go ahead and make recommendations regarding improvements that quantify time, resource, and money savings. This way management can understand the benefits….don’t always assume it’s obvious! If management decides not to move forward with your recommendations and is unwilling to provide an explanation, don’t take it personally. Think of yourself as an independent consultant making recommendations….your company can either hire the consultant and take their advice or not.
- Document, Document, Document. Make sure that you document your recommendations so that when your mid-year or year-end evaluation occurs, you have evidence that you’ve taken the initiative to identify improvement opportunities.
- Re-evaluate your career direction. If in the end, you find that the resistance is too much to endure, start looking for a new job….but make sure you interview your prospective employer about their continuous improvement (CI) culture (e.g. CI initiatives from the previous years….what were the successes and failures, etc.). The stock answer is to say that CI is embraced….look for evidence that backs up their claim.
Are continuous improvement opportunities embraced or resisted where you work?
