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Creating an adaptable learning organization is one of the most impactful things you can do for your business.
It's not just for the big orgs.
Here's what I'm thinking about with my plumbing company:
It's not just for the big orgs.
Here's what I'm thinking about with my plumbing company:
Excessive call-backs destroy our productivity and hurt our credibility.
We watch this metric closely to identify techs that need more "love." Any decent plumbing co does.
But there's more to be gained here.
We watch this metric closely to identify techs that need more "love." Any decent plumbing co does.
But there's more to be gained here.
We dig in on the cause - could be anything:
-Stress at home impacting focus
-Straight-up carelessness
-Lack of a specific skill
-Schedule pressure
-Improper equipment
-Stress at home impacting focus
-Straight-up carelessness
-Lack of a specific skill
-Schedule pressure
-Improper equipment
Different options for remediation:
-Training specific to the call-back trend
-Benching the tech and having him do ride-alongs with others
-Throttling his schedule back
-Scheduling him according to his competencies
-Training specific to the call-back trend
-Benching the tech and having him do ride-alongs with others
-Throttling his schedule back
-Scheduling him according to his competencies
But what about mitigation?
What about ensuring the entire organization learns from our mistakes?
2x cross-discipline examples to pull from here:
What about ensuring the entire organization learns from our mistakes?
2x cross-discipline examples to pull from here:
1a. In USMC, I was always impressed w/ the EOD community's approach to shared learning re: the ever-changing IED threat in a combat zone.
1b. IEDs are inexpensive to create and quick to adapt.
-Command-detonated vs. victim-operated trigger mechanisms (is someone controlling it or do you have to step on it?)
-Volatile or stable explosive compounds
-Metallic or non-metallic
-Single device or chained
-Command-detonated vs. victim-operated trigger mechanisms (is someone controlling it or do you have to step on it?)
-Volatile or stable explosive compounds
-Metallic or non-metallic
-Single device or chained
1c. EOD techs seemed to all be connected despite being at different outposts - sharing photos, descriptions, and trends.
They were an adaptive learning organization - fueled by the reality of routinely getting up close and personal with novel IEDs.
They were professionals.
They were an adaptive learning organization - fueled by the reality of routinely getting up close and personal with novel IEDs.
They were professionals.
2a. My wife is a surgeon-in-training.
Her dept - and many others - holds a Morbidity & Mortality (M&M) conference every month.
Surgical complications experienced by the team that month are presented to the group and discussed in detail.
Her dept - and many others - holds a Morbidity & Mortality (M&M) conference every month.
Surgical complications experienced by the team that month are presented to the group and discussed in detail.
2b. Sometimes (often?) the surgeons are at personal fault for these. They missed something. They made the wrong decision.
But it's not a courtroom - it's a learning environment. It's a chance for exp. surgeons to weigh in and junior surgeons to learn the easy way.
But it's not a courtroom - it's a learning environment. It's a chance for exp. surgeons to weigh in and junior surgeons to learn the easy way.
2c. The complications are presented by the surgeon involved.
The one cardinal sin in these conferences?
Not taking responsibility. Trying to pass the blame.
The one cardinal sin in these conferences?
Not taking responsibility. Trying to pass the blame.
Back to plumbing, mirroring these practices is a worthwhile pursuit.
Still a work in progress, but I think it could look like this:
Still a work in progress, but I think it could look like this:
Call-backs get marked as such in our dispatch SaaS.
To close the call-back, a form is required to be filled - pictures, description, cause, remediation.
What was missed in the diagnosis?
What wasn't properly repaired?
What tools were used?
To close the call-back, a form is required to be filled - pictures, description, cause, remediation.
What was missed in the diagnosis?
What wasn't properly repaired?
What tools were used?
Key here: Our culture needs to consider BS'ing the form to be a more egregious offence than the call-back itself.
CYA hurts the team via decreased learning.
CYA hurts the team via decreased learning.
Form outputs auto-send to all-hands Slack channel in real-time. Also compiled into a report to be reviewed by the entire team together on a recurring basis.
Review focuses on improvement, shared learning, and prevention - not shaming. We're building tribal knowledge.
Review focuses on improvement, shared learning, and prevention - not shaming. We're building tribal knowledge.
Involved technician presents, but crucial that leadership shepherds discussion and tone of meeting.
-Can't tolerate passing of the buck
-Can't tolerate meeting devolving into firing squad (plumbers can be ruthless re: the craft)
-Can't tolerate passing of the buck
-Can't tolerate meeting devolving into firing squad (plumbers can be ruthless re: the craft)
Findings inform upcoming training, tool purchases, brand preferences, new techniques, service pricing, and more.
We become an organization who can say with confidence that we value quality workmanship, continuing education, and technician development.
We become a team that can provide consistent, quality service - not just a group of technicians.
We become a team that can provide consistent, quality service - not just a group of technicians.
Interested in how this has been / could be applied in other SMBs. Let's hear it!
Thoughts from @joshuamschultz @realrookieceo @Mitchblackmon @WilsonCompanies @SamtLeslie @laughridge?
How have y'all approached this? Or how could you?
How have y'all approached this? Or how could you?
