Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/985736
6 | May - June 2018 | www . machinerylubrication.com AS I SEE IT direction of the desired target state. But don't stop there. A Body in Motion Stays in Motion e best way to sustain change is through more change, or rather a continuous state of change. is is also known as continuous improvement. To a large extent, the continuous state of change must be the new normal. After all, change is happening every- where at an increasing velocity. When the rate of external change exceeds the rate of internal change, disaster is imminent. So, let's look at the forces that influence a sustained state of change. What forces cause or resist backsliding and a return to the past? I'll start with a few frictional forces that try to return us to the old business as usual. The Ground Is Always Shifting ere are several internal and external factors that disrupt common practices. Technology is huge, but there are also process changes, new tooling, staff turnover, new suppliers, aging assets, policy changes and new assets, to name just a few. You must be adaptive to change and stay well ahead of it. A Stubborn, Aging Workforce Baby boomers are retiring in droves, but many remain. I'm a baby boomer. e aging workforce can find it difficult to learn new methods and adapt to change. It's not their fault. ey hold dear to tribal knowl- edge and the conventional practices that they've used for years. Management Revolving Door The very best managers are usually those who embrace and champion change. ey are also the ones who are quick to get promoted. eir replacement wants to stake a claim too and may undo some of the successes of the previous manager. With each management change comes new risk and the possibility that the pendulum will shift in the opposing direction. Change of Ownership These days compa nies a re bought a nd sold like trading chips. In a few cases, a change in ownership can have a strong, posi- tive impact. Sometimes business culture improves, and there may even be new investment in growth and productivity. In other cases, the merging companies are consol- idated, and dismantled business units are sold for parts. Business Culture Issues is is its own category, but it also is a subset of each of the previous four categories. Culture starts with a strong, relentless, participative leadership. It has a massive impact on job satisfaction, productivity and the financial success of any business or organization. Conversely, a rotten business culture spreads like an infectious disease and can under- mine all improvement efforts. Now let's discuss some ways to make change an irrepressible, sustainable force. How do you get an organization to a continuous state of change and then put it on cruise control (constant forward motion)? What are the driving forces to achieve this that are real and reach- able by most organizations? ere are many, but the following are some of the best: Anchor Change to Business Objectives Change should never be pursued willy-nilly. It should be tied to a master plan and anchored to over- arching business objectives. Change should be understood with support and buy-in at all levels. It should never be command-driven in today's business culture. Standardized Work Work should be done to a consistent and optimized state of quality. is seeks to balance the benefits from work performed (or not performed) against the costs and risks. Basically, change should be a modernized engineering spec- if ication to achieve the desired optimized state of maintainability, availability, reliability, productivity, safety, operating costs and environ- mental protection. Training E duc at ion a nd awa rene s s training are critical. Competence makes us comfortable. Ignorance does the opposite. Of course, we must teach the specifics of how tasks should be performed, but greater value often comes from under- standing why. e mere fact that education is being provided drives home much of the message of why. People have a basic human need to Anchor Change To Business Objectives Driving Forces Current Target State Sustained State of Change Resisting Friction Standardized Work Training The Ground Is Always Shifting Stubborn, Aging Workforce Previous State Periodic Reassessments Kaizen Management Revolving Door Business Culture Issues Change of Ownership Figure 2. Overcoming dynamic friction to sustain change