Footprints before blueprints

The other day, I was facilitating a session for a team of people who are located around the country. This was the first time they’d been together for 10 months. It soon became apparent that there was tension in the group — and that much of the tension was directed at a decision the team’s newest member had made.

The new team member was responsible for co-ordinating supplier and purchasing arrangements. Within two months of being on the job, they had changed the system and the new process they set up had created confusion and delays. In the view of the other team members, the new processes had taken autonomy away from the sites, and had damaged critical relationships with local suppliers. This, in turn, meant the supplier arrangements now lacked flexibility, and good will was waning. The team members felt they were bearing the brunt of the site employees’ frustrations. During a break, two people told me - “They were only in the job five minutes, and they didn’t even consult us.”

In their desire to stamp their mark, the new team member hadn’t respected a few principles of how to successfully establish oneself in a new job. The first principle is to understand the footprint before developing a blueprint — to be aware of factors such as: How have we reached this place? Why are current practices the way they are? How and why were past decisions made?  What works in gaining influence in this organisation?  What advantages do current practices offer?

A second principle is to work on areas which cause stakeholders the most pain. The team readily recognised that although the old process was a bit cumbersome, it worked. Their main frustration with the new team member was that it wasn’t even the most pressing area to be sorted, and now it had been made even worse. It may feel too obvious to make it a separate principle, but if you are going to make changes, it is very important to consult with those affected, and to not work in isolation.

 

Have you spent enough time understanding the footprint of YOUR role?

Do you know what is causing your stakeholders the most pain?

 

Photo: Dave Heere on Unsplash