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Initiative Overload - Which Way Do I Go?

Is there a maximum number of initiatives and roadmaps that one organization can handle at one time?

Have you ever worked in an environment where it seemed like each department had multiple improvement projects being pushed all at once?

Is there an over arching methodology that would allow all improvement initiatives to be placed under one umbrella so it would be easier for everyone who worked in the company to understand the methods and goals?

Do the people pushing these separate agenda's understand the effect on the plant floor?

Posted by Terrence O'Hanlon on Jun 4, 2010 4:31 PM EDT

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mahmoud abuali

Date Posted: Aug 12, 2010 at 5:32 PM

without a strategic plan that links all initiatives to a common goal, the situation is chaos. our experience at alpha is that 5-9 initiatives is enough, especially when each initiative requires dedicated resources, considering that resources are always limited/

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falcon16

Date Posted: Jul 13, 2010 at 2:05 PM

wefrahm
I have to admit that I was pretty far down the management chain in those days. My immediate concerns were more focused on personnel issues and training. I do remember that there was great emphasis on making sure people understood the need for change or improvement. This was hard to take or understand for a lot of folks because they had been doing the job just fine up till then and they couldn't understand the reasons for change. This was also a very unsettling time for many of us following the first Gulf War. Senior leadership was implementing dramatic changes in the major command functions and many people were questioning these changes. It was a case of people saying "if it ain't broke, why fix it". So there were a lot of different programs and initiatives that were being promoted and it was tough on some people

But as I said, I was not in a position at that time where I would have any influence in the direction we were headed. I do remember that there were frequent surveys, feedback requests and what I would consider now very simple methods developed for tracking progress. As I said, it was all very new. We're talking early 92 and 93.

Since then I've been fortunate enough to work for a company that does pay close attention to the effects that "initiatives and roadmaps" have on it's workforce. We have a long way to go but I can see that the progress is definitely measured and less ambiguous than earlier days. Benchmarking and KPI's have been easier to develop and deploy because we can look and compare ourselves to other similar industries.

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wefrahm

Date Posted: Jul 8, 2010 at 4:49 PM

Falcon16,

I know the DOD has a reputation for overreaching. To their credit, though, when they do it right, they set high standards. I learned RCM from Naval Air Systems and know the Master Chiefs in the room had volumes of stories, and a whole lot of pride and discipline.

A question for you, though. How those successful programs defined and measured? I expect your measurement criteria were fairly explicit and unambiguous.

Bill

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