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Typically, when an organization wants to make large, dramatic or fundamental changes in the way they operate, and they have trouble or simply can’t do it themselves (due to lack of available personnel, not enough expertise, or whatever), they usually call in a consultant.

Now, I’m going to go out on a limb here (sound of limb cracking ominously) and say that generally speaking, all consulting engagements consist of the same basic steps. It generally doesn’t matter if it’s a financial institution or a manufacturing facility, a new customer service initiative or an improvement in process throughput; they’re all the same.

So what exactly are these mysterious steps? I thought you’d never ask!

Step 1: Visualize the Future

Most consulting gigs begin when a client identifies some condition they’d like to change, typically followed by a vision of where they’d like to be in relation to it. This vision may be prompted by financial considerations, operational issues, or possibly the CEO’s attack of indigestion. (The truth is, there’s almost always room for improvement.) Whatever the case, the client has presumably given it some thought and decided they want to move from one condition to another.

It’s important to note; that future state is likely a bit nebulous at this point. That’s because it hasn’t been completely thought through yet (hence, the need for help). But at least there’s a vision; that’s the starting point.

Step 2: Perform an Assessment

Once the consultant becomes involved, the first thing they usually do is assess where exactly the client is (in relation to where they want to be). In accordance with the vision as it currently stands, the assessment usually consists of a series of interviews with appropriate personnel, along with the collection of pertinent historical data.

This provides that critical point of reference (the “you are here” spot). See, no improvement is possible without knowing where you are first; it’s just the way it is. This is also where specific elements that must be changed get identified. These are usually called Key Progress Indicators (KPI’s), and will be the means of measuring progress later during the implementation.

Step 3: Conduct a Gap Analysis

OK; once the KPI’s are identified, the idea is to define the differences between the future state of each KPI and the current state. That gives you the “gap”. Now the client knows exactly how much improvement is required, and the consultant can build a plan that will (if they did their job correctly), get them there.

It’s important to identify all the KPIs that are pertinent to the expected change; no more and no less.

Step 4: Create an Implementation Plan

The implementation plan is a detailed list of steps required to move every KPI from point A to point B. Unfortunately, this is where most consulting gigs come to a grinding halt (sound of grinding halt). For instance (assuming the plan is a good one), making the change turns out to be bigger than the client thought at first (a not unusual discovery) and they become nervous about expending that much money, time, or resources.

There may also be other factors at play as well; outside influences, uncertainties in the market, etc. Alas, way too many implementation plans end up as a nice set of binders on a shelf somewhere, gathering dust instead of doing what they’re supposed to do: foster improvement.

Step 5: Implement the Plan

Finally, the plan now created gets put into place. A famous quote comes to mind here: “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.” Although often attributed to Patton or Eisenhower, it was actually Helmuth von Moltke who is first credited with the saying (although I’m sure every commander since time began has had a similar thought!)

In any case, no truer words were ever spoken! The thing to remember about implementation plans is they must be detailed enough for easy execution, but flexible enough for modification when necessary (notice I said when, not if).

Step 6: Monitor and Correct as Needed

Although called a “step” this one is really a continuous action. Once implemented, presumably conditions have improved to match the future envisioned at the beginning and detailed during the project. However, it’s important to keep an eye on things since there are always a few (or many) things that get missed and/or need to be “tweaked” a bit.

Think of it as a “living program” that goes back and constantly compares the KPI’s to make sure the improvement is “permanent”. Eventually, the future state becomes second nature, and then it’s time to start thinking about yet another improvement… and thus, the beat goes on.

C’mon, Make It Personal

You know, what’s really amazing is these steps aren’t just for big corporations; they can be almost universally applied to any growth or improvement, whether you’re dealing with a large organization or (and here is where it really gets good) a single individual (that’s you!)

I know, I know; there’s bound to be a few skeptics out there. And right about now you may be sayin’ to yourself, “OK, Mr. Smarty Pants, can it really be that easy? What if I want to… write a novel? Or learn to fly (an airplane, that is - if you want to learn to fly like Superman, well, you’ll have to check with Jor-El), or otherwise change my life in large, dramatic and/or fundamental ways?”

Well, first of all, please note that I did not say it was easy! Simple - maybe - but in consulting, as in life, execution is everything. Second, I’m here to tell ya; you absolutely can use these steps to accomplish pretty much anything that’s actually, you know, possible. (However, if you want to do something that’s genuinely not possible, it’s like I said: you’re on your own, Bubba!)

About the only prerequisites to move yourself from point A to point B are 1) the desire to make a change, and 2) the motivation you’ll need to stick with it until it’s done.

So how would you implement a major change in your life? How would you translate those steps above into something useful for you? What would you add or change?

(Image credit: A friend of mine dropped this comic on my desk some time ago. It’s from a Dilbert desk calendar, but I have no idea what the date is, although the year appears to be 2003. Or 2005. Or maybe 3002.)

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OK, I have kindofa weird question for you. A conversation with a friend got me to thinking about it (that grinding noise you hear). But bear with me, there’s a method to my, er, madness today.

Have you ever considered that you might be a robot?

Apparently there’s a relatively new TV show called The Big Bang Theory (storyline: two nerdy physicists sharing an apartment have their lives disrupted by a beautiful new neighbor) in which this very question comes up. (Extra special bonus points: How many stereotypes can you identify in that show’s storyline?)

First, you may need a little background.

The question above is a reference to a recent and somewhat silly movie I, Robot (starring the amazingly versatile Will Smith). Well actually, to be more accurate (something we always strive for here at the Zone!), it refers to the wonderful series of books and short stories written by sci-fi author extraordinaire, Isaac Asimov.

Oh, I guess the movie was all right as a good non-gory, mildly interesting action/sci-fi thriller. But as is typical with Hollywood, it had very little, if anything, to do with the original book. Ah, well, c’est la vie (which is Hollywoodspeak for don’t bother us with facts!)

The thing is, in this story all robots have built into them something called the Three Laws of Robotics. These laws are hard-wired into every robot, thereby providing complete and utter confidence that robots would never cause harm to anyone, thus:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Anyway, back to the TV show.

Four friends are sitting around one evening when out of the blue, one of them asked another the above question. The response, after a moment of incredulity, was a resounding denial, naturally. But the fellow persisted.

“I don’t know; let’s think about this for a minute,” he said. “Have you ever intentionally harmed a human being?”

“Well, no,” he replied.

“Has there ever been a time when you failed to do something, and someone was hurt?”

“Of course not!” was the indignant answer.

“Have you ever willingly allowed another human being to come to harm?”

The guy looks at him in exasperation. “I would never do that!”

There was silence for a minute. Finally, the other three nodded their heads to each other and said to the guy, “You know, I think you just might be a robot.”

Whereupon the guy gets up, walks over to his questioner, and whacks him on the arm! “Nope,” he says smugly, sitting down again. “Not a robot.”

OK, by now you’re probably asking yourself, “Self, what the heck does all this weird talk of robots and laws and stuff have to do with me?”

Well, first of all, how long have you been doing this “talking to yourself” thing? Maybe you should seriously consider getting professional help!

Anyhoo –

Has anyone ever gotten the wrong impression of you? Was it something you said? (I didn’t mean it - honest!) Something you inadvertently did? (I didn’t mean it - honest!) Maybe it was even something you, um, er, wrote? (Eek! Kinda hard to take that one back, isn’t it?)

Well, my fine feathered friend, if this has ever happened to you, then don’t just sit there and stew about it (forming a sortof, er, you stew - yuk!) No way, Jose! Let Dr. Bob give you the solution to what ails ya!

Hey, this is not the time to sit back and mope around, my friends! Nope, you want to think of it as a call to action! It’s actually quite simple, and can be summed up in only three little words:

Prove them wrong!

Even more extra special bonus points: Has it ever happened to you? What happened, and what did you do to correct the situation?

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Speaking of assumptions (click on this link: Too Slow for His Own Good), here’s a great story that illustrates how we all make assumptions, pretty much all the time.

Mrs. MZM’s niece is a rather petite woman who could be described as a self-reliant person with a very can-do attitude. As a matter of fact, I’ve always admired her pragmatic approach to life.

A few years back she and her husband decided to join the countless hoards who have decided they wanted to own and ride motorcycles, so he of course bought a Harley, while she got a Honda Shadow. As I said, she is petite, so even though the Shadow is already somewhat low-slung, she still had to have it lowered 3 inches so she could comfortably hold it up while standing at a stop sign.

As for riding gear, well, they went all out; they bought the leather pants and jackets, three-quarter helmets (thank goodness they weren’t stupid!), riding boots, leather gloves – the whole kit. Adding to this image were their wrap-around sunglasses, the bandannas they wore on their heads under the helmets… oh, and his long beard.

Man, they looked like a couple of real desperadoes by the time they got fully suited up! But overall, I gotta say they made a pretty cool pair.

One fine sunny day she decided to take a quick trip up to College Station, Texas (home of Texas A&M University!) to pay her son a visit and show off the new bike. So she saddled up the Shadow and took off for the day, timing her arrival at her son’s place of work (they build farm trailers) so they could have lunch together.

Her son was inside with some of his co-workers when one of them noted the interesting phenomenon of Small Woman With Big Shadow (it has a sorta Dances With Wolves ring to it, doesn’t it?) pull up and park.

“Man, get a load of the tough-looking chick on this motorcycle,” the fellow called out.

Guys being guys, they all immediately crowded up to the window to check out the, uh, motorcycle.

Her son stepped back in horror as sudden realization sank in, and in a shocked voice cried out, “Hey, that’s no chick – that’s my mom!”

OK, the question we should be asking ourselves is not whether or not we’re making assumptions – and let’s face it, we all do it, all the time. And, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. No, the real question is, what’s the risk? Or, to put it more accurately, what’s the risk of those assumptions?

Huh? How’d we get from assumptions to risk? Hey, glad you asked!

See, in the engineering field, we often talk about controlling risk. There’s always a safety risk of course, but there are plenty of other, sometimes more subtle risks as well, such as construction risk (what if that crane isn’t available?), financial risk (what if market conditions change?) and start-up risk (what if you build something and it flat doesn’t work? Believe me, it’s happened!)

Well, the way we control risk is to identify the underlying assumptions made during the planning phase of the project, and then figure out ways to respond just in case things don’t quite go as planned. That’s basic risk management. And by the way, this is where bringing multiple brains to bear (follow this link: Keep Thinkin’ Y’all…) really comes in handy.

What’s really great is we can do the same thing in our everyday lives! Instead of acting on our assumptions of such-and-such about so-and-so, for instance, what if we learned to manage the risk instead?

What do you think?

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Doggone! Aarrgh! Spit! P’tooi! (And what the heck: let’s throw in a Rats! while we’re at it.)

(Insert deep breath here.) OK, I’m better now. Have you ever had one of those days?

I’m an engineering project manager by trade (he said), so managing the zillions of details typically required during the design and construction of a project is pretty much par for the course. You’d think I’d be used to it by now, but there are times when, no matter what, things just seem to go wrong.

Let’s just take ONE example.

On this particular project, one of the tasks is to add a fairly large platform to the top of a pair of existing side-by-side horizontal tanks. Now, our normal procedure would be to find drawings of existing equipment so we know what we’re dealing with, particularly with regards to dimensions, materials of construction, etc.

Naturally, there were no such drawings available for these two tanks. So we did the next best thing – gather information directly from the field. Translation: a field hand goes out and measures the things with a tape (it’s not the most accurate technique – have you ever tried to measure something HUGE with a small ruler? Take it from me, it ain’t easy!)

Luckily, all equipment is required to have a name plate with critical information on it like pressure, temperature, wall thickness, etc. Of course in this case (and you knew this was coming, right?) there was nothing about the material of construction used. So we did the next best thing (actually, by now we’re doing the next, next best thing).

Well, sometimes, ya just gotta guess, you know? In engineering parlance, we did a S.W.A.G., which means scientific wild guess (I’m deliberately leaving out the A-word because this is a G-Rated blog).

Alas, and darn. We guessed wrong. Ah, well…

So what do you do when things just flat go wrong? Are you prone to follow the sage advice commonly known as (although I have no idea why) the Mongolian General Prudential Rule: “When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout”?

Um… perhaps there’s another way to cope.

So, if you find yourself in a pickle because too many things are going wrong and you’re having trouble getting a handle on things, well, here’s a few basic tips to get you started toward a solution. I call it the 7-Up Solution. (Note: feel free to add more of your own tips in the comments.)

1. Own up – First of all, when you’re dealing with clients who are paying you, like, real money, the first thing you absolutely must do is admit there’s a problem! (Sounds like the first step to an AAA meeting, doesn’t it?) Everybody faces challenges every day – some are self-inflicted, but some aren’t, but you gotta get that sucker into the open before any solution can even begin!
2. Open up – (It’s something like “don’t try this alone” .) Break out of the “I’ve got to solve this myself” mindset. The truth is, when a big challenge lands with a thud on your doorstep (sound of resounding thud), the more brains focused on the problem the better. (You might want to read yesterday’s post for a few quick thoughts on synergy and how different viewpoints can help.)
3. Look up – Now, it’s true that as a Christian, I can always ask God for help when things get overwhelming. But what I mean here is that chances are, if you have a boss, mentor, or some such higher-up, they may have possibly been in this exact situation before. It sounds simple, I know, but in the midst of the storm, we sometimes forget to ask them!
4. Tally up – See what resources you have available to solve the problem. By resources, I mean people, but there are also other information sources to tap as well, such as previous projects with similar situations.
5. Divvy up – This works great when you have a team working with you: divide the challenge into sections that can be conquered separately. The “divide and conquer” method works well when there are several pieces to the problem.
6. Giddyap – (Sorry, couldn’t resist that one. Hey, I am a Texan from Texas.) Once you’ve uncovered a few solutions, pick the best and move on! Don’t waste a lot of time feeling sorry for yourself, or looking for someone to blame. Save that for the “lessons learned” session. Time’s a wastin’ friends – get on with it!
7. 7-up – Now that you’ve figured out what to do, and you’re workin’ the solution – give yourself a break, have a seat, and take a load off; heck, fire up the computer and read Middle Zone Musings! Reward yourself with something quick (I personally like diet 7-Up; hence the name of this step). ‘Way to go, pardner, you done good!

There you have it, folks, the 7-Up Solution to problem-solving! Now it’s time for steps 7b-d: Feet up, pull hat over face, and commence the snores!

Cheers!

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Have you ever wanted to be so remarkable that people, when searching for someone with your particular expertise, will always think of you? (Like being the first Google search result, but in the person’s mind rather than on the net.)

Last night Mrs. MZM and I watched an old Sherlock Holmes movie (Dressed to Kill, 1946, starring Basil Rathbone as The Man). Three ordinary-looking music boxes were at the center of the plot; they were supposed to be picked up at an auction by the Crook and his beautiful Female Crook accomplice. Unfortunately the Crooks were late and the boxes were purchased separately by three other people. (Don’t you just hate it when that happens?)

Anyway, as the story progresses, the venerable Mr. Holmes (accompanied by the�inevitably bumbling�Dr. Watson) must track the boxes down before the Crooks do, while at the same time figure out what’s so special about them. It soon becomes apparent that each one contains part of a single message, and all three are needed to decipher it.

One of the boxes was picked up by the young lady proprietor of a gift shop. The Female Crook has already managed to acquire two of the three boxes (by murder, cheating and stealing, oh, my!), and this one contains the remaining piece of the puzzle. But when she arrives at the shop, she is told a gentleman had just purchased it.

A delicate inquiry as to who the gentleman was causes the proprietor to give her a card with the purchaser’s name on it. (Pregnant pause while the audience is left, momentarily, to wonder whose name is on the card�- but we know, don’t we?)

What caught my attention about the scene, though, was the card itself. (Heaven knows it certainly wasn’t the *yawn* movie.) The card was plain, white, and had just two words on it: Sherlock Holmes. (Sound of short, dramatic organ riff climax.)

Now, think about that for a minute (no, silly, not my pathetic attempt to render the background music�- think about the card). What exactly is supposed to go on a business card anyway? Name, address, contact information, perhaps a web site�- all kinds of things find their way onto business cards these days. I wouldn’t be surprised if the danged things don’t start singing jingles before too long! In fact, I can hear it now:

(Sound of player piano with kazoo accompaniment)

Hello! My name is Bob! It may come as no surprise that I’m lookin’ for a job!
Your company and me- we’ll go together like a steak and corn on the cob! (Sound of piano being smashed by angry listeners)

Yikes! Can’t you just see millions of people going on a crusade to stamp these things out? Er, but I digress.

Anyway, as I said, here’s a guy whose card breaks every rule in the book! No address, no phone, just a name. So what could possibly make this card effective? Uh-huh, you know, don’t you?

Well, just the fact that literally everybody knew who he was (THE Sherlock Holmes, famous detective), where he lived (221-B Baker Street, of course�- it’s in every single book and movie), and what he could do for you (solve mysteries, don’cha know). Those two words told the entire story.

He was so remarkable a what he did, there was no other identifier necessary!

So there’s the goal, folks. What can you do today that will make you that remarkable?

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Today’s Endless Innovation points to Fortune Magazine’s series of Q and A’s from readers to various “cool thinkers”. The current Q and A article is with management guru Jim Collins, but the next one will be with Donald Trump. If you have any questions you’ve been dying to ask The Don (and we’re NOT talking “briefs or boxers” here, friends – but if that’s your burning question, then you’re stranger than I am - and may Heaven help you!), then now’s your chance!

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I don’t know, maybe it’s just me. It seems like I’m always running across articles, blogs or whatever related to the difficulties of fostering teamwork in the workplace. (Well, maybe running implies too much exercise. For the sake of honesty-in-blogging, I should really say clicking.) I could point you to a veritable plethora of ‘em (like my new word? found it on my word-a-day toilet paper), but why bother – you’ve probably seen more than I have already.

So it was with a sense of resignation that I followed yet another article link (oh, joy, another one) uncovered by the vast MZM research department, this one sent in by a friend of mine, Dennis McMullin, Director of Marketing at OYO Geospace. I should have known better.

(For those of you who don’t know him, Dennis has a way of spotting the odd, the unusual, and the profound that constantly impresses me. I’ve known him for several years now, and he never ceases to amaze me. Thank, Dennis – I’ll have that ‘muga muga’ now.)

At the UK website Management-Issues, Kevan Hall has an article titled “Drowning in Co-operation” that is, shall we say, a somewhat different take on teamwork: he thinks there’s too much of it! Well, you would expect a different point of view from a guy from another planet – and with an unusual title, to boot. (No really – it’s the second line of his biography – he’s the “corporate ‘manger’ from Mars.”)

(Now forgive me here, but I’m going to assume you’ve clicked on the link and read the article. Oh, go ahead, it’s not that long.) His premise is based on what he calls four key management myths: 1) It’s all about teamwork, 2) Communication is the answer, 3) We need to be in control, and 4) Corporate values hold the company together.

My first thought was, calling these things myths is rather inflammatory. After all, these are basic tenets of businesses everywhere. But then again, maybe there’s something here after all. Let’s try throwing them against the wall and see what sticks, shall we?

It’s all about teamwork. Kevan thinks there’s too much of it because his survey found too many people are bogged down in meetings and other team functions. But I can’t completely agree with the conclusion there’s too much team work. I think the symptoms indicate something else, like “learn how to conduct meetings”. I mean c’mon, people, this is basic! The fact that meetings aren’t productive has nothing to do with the validity of meeting, and everything to do with properly trained meeting facilitators.

Actually, in my own work environment (I’m an engineer), our meetings pretty much all run well, accomplish the intended goal, and deliver valuable face (and/or phone) time with each other and our clients. But then again, maybe in the engineering world, where all work, as Tom Peters would say, really is project work, that’s just the way it’s done. I’ve never worked in an environment where teamwork is the problem Kevan describes.

Communication is the answer. In a similar vein (how come no one ever says “in a similar artery?”), I don’t think communication is the problem, either. It’s improper communication that caused that manager to say he had a “lack of communication”. Now I agree this is a common problem for most people, but it’s really not that hard to resolve. Most of the time a quick scan is enough to tell when an email is worthless (a second or two, perhaps 5 at the most). So that kills oh, 10 minutes, tops, for an average 200 to 250 emails. That leaves you plenty of time to spend on the ones you really need to concentrate on. C’mon, ya big wuss! Quit whining and move on.

We need to be in control. All right, having beaten up on Kevan for a few paragraphs, I’ve got to give him this one. It’s probably true that many managers have a problem letting go – that’s what managers do, after all: manage. But he makes a good point about trust here. Once again, I point to my own work environment as a model for this. We trust each other to do the job we need to do, when it needs to be done, and I haven’t been disappointed yet. (I’d like to also point out with all humility it’s also why our client alliance is ranked #1 among similar industry alliances. Thank you. Thank you very much.)

Corporate values hold the company together. Well, they would if everyone in the company embraced them (and if they are good values to begin with). Again, I’ll agree with Kevan as he focuses mainly on teams that work across cultures and geographical boundaries. After all, as companies grow these days, it’s hard - no, impossible - to stay local anymore. But this can become a make-or-break issue for a company, in that if the corporate values change too much – well, you might just end up as a different company. There’s an equilibrium to these things that companies have to manage, or they’ll end up failing in the marketplace while other, more agile companies take their place.

Kevan concludes with this statement: “The answer is not working harder with the old skills but implementing faster and simpler ways of working.”

Fine, as long as you don’t throw the baby out with the bath.

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