The Need for Follow-up | Tools for Team Leadership: Delivering the X-Factor in Team eXcellence

We have now covered the four "A's" your team needs to systematically apply its problem-solving and decision-making skills. To ensure the completion of the action plan and to help reinforce the continuous use of the team's problem-solving process as a business practice, two follow-up steps are required: assessment and appreciation . These steps also help shift a company culture from that of playing "CYA" blame games to that of continuous improvement and learning.

EXERCISE 22

Step 4 of the 4-A Plus 2 Model: Action

Directions: Record team members ' responses to document the use of the action step of the model.

Brainstorm a list of the actions that might need to be taken to implement the alternative chosen in step 3.
- Etc.
Identify the steps that will be taken to implement the strategy/solution. For each step, specify who will do what with whom by when and how. The team should attempt to ensure that every member plays a role in the implementation of the solution/strategy.

Assessment

While it is important that your team develop a detailed action plan for implementing its carefully chosen solutions, you still need to find out if the solutions had their intended effect after the implementation. The first follow-up step is assessment. Again, have team members start by expanding their thinking; use exercise 23 as a guide. Have them brainstorm all the metrics that could be used to verify that the root causes of the problem have been eliminated or at least significantly reduced. Metrics obviously vary depending on the nature of the problem being addressed. At least four categories of assessment metrics warrant consideration:

EXERCISE 23

Follow-up Step 1 of the 4-A Plus 2 Model: Assessment

Directions: Record team members' responses to document the use of the assessment step of the model.

Brainstorm a list of all the data that should be tracked to help determine whether the problem has been reduced or eliminated. Also brainstorm a list identifying the methods that could be used to gather this evaluation evidence.

Reactions

Results

Cost-Effectiveness

Learning

Methods for gathering evaluation evidence
Specify:
- Which data will be tracked, and when
- Where they will be posted
- Who is responsible for gathering which portion of the data
- Which method is to be used to gather each portion

Reactions. First, help them identify what they would expect to hear if the problem were successfully resolved. Are your customers happy? Are workers pleased with the strategy employed? Has the solution increased or decreased stress levels? How are people feeling about the actions taken?
Results. Did the actions result in improvements in production? In quality? In delivery time? Did they reduce accidents? Absenteeism? The metrics once again depend on the problem addressed, but they should also be tied to your team's scorecard. Chapter 10 will provide many ideas about what to include on a team scorecard.
Cost-Effectiveness. Next, your team needs to find out whether the solution was cost-effective . What were the costs associated with the implementation of the solution? What were the direct and indirect benefits of the results? What dollar figures can be assigned to these benefits? Basically, your team needs to find out if it was worth it.
Learning. Don't forget to include some assessment of what was learned through the team's problem-solving and decision-making efforts. What technical knowledge was gained through the analysis and implementation? What did team members learn about themselves , their teammates, and other functions in the organization through the four steps of the problem-solving process? What business knowledge do they have now that they didn't have before? What have they learned about what it takes to work as a team?

Before leaving the assessment step, team members need to narrow the scope of the metrics to be used. They need to make some decisions and commitments. Which metrics for reactions, results, cost-effectiveness, and learning would best prove or disprove whether the problem has been resolved to a sufficient degree? Who will gather the data? What methods (e.g., surveys, interviews, observations, company records, etc.) should be employed? When should the data be gathered? Are there any previous records that can be used to verify that current metrics indicate improvements? Help your team focus its assessment plan so that it verifies whether progress is being made and that it can be executed without too much extra work.

Appreciation

Systematic problem solving requires discipline and hard work. Problem solving will drain your team members' energy unless you provide heartfelt appreciation for their efforts and the results. If all this hard, systematic work is taken for granted, it is likely the team will burn out and/or become complacent. To activate this second follow-up step, use exercise 24 to get your team to brainstorm the names of all the people who helped further the problem-solving process. Team members should have an opportunity to recognize teammates who made a difference. They should also use this step as a means to build better diplomatic relations with managers, union officials, staff professionals, skilled tradesmen, customers, and any other organizational members who helped the team during the various steps of the problem-solving process. Providing recognition is typically enough, but your team might want to brainstorm symbolic rewards it would like to provide the key helpers. Hats, T-shirts, key chains, gag gifts, food, certificates, and many other low-cost items can make the celebration of collaboration more special.

EXERCISE 24

Follow-up Step 2 of the 4-A Plus 2 Model: Appreciation

Directions: Record team members' responses to document the use of the appreciation step of the model.

Brainstorm a list of all the people that in some small or large way helped your group in any way throughout the problem-solving process. Who helped you become aware of the problems that your team might want to deal with? Who helped define the problem that you worked on? Who provided data that helped you analyze the causes of the problem? Who helped you pinpoint the chief cause of the problem? Who provided ideas regarding alternative means of resolving the problem? Who helped you choose which solution would be recommended? Who helped with the implementation of the solution? Did anyone play any indirect role that helped your team fulfill its role as a problem solver?

Etc.
Specify who your team will reward and/or recognize for the help they provided. How will this reward or recognition be provided? By whom? When?

Etc.

As has been emphasized in all steps of the 4-A Plus 2 problem-solving model, don't let your team merely speculate about whom they want to express their appreciation to, and how. Make sure they complete this last step by deciding on a focused and doable plan for who will contact whom, when and with what. Bring closure to successful problem-solving efforts but generate the energy needed for more rounds of it.