Workplace ER: Diagnosing workplace ailments.
Symptoms: The same execution errors are made over and over again.
Diagnosis: Two main causes:
Debriefing processes require refinement, and/or
Core processes aren’t fully documented, or detail is missing.
Treatment:
Debriefing processes: every significant task your organisation performs should conclude with some kind of analysis…in Air Force fighter squadrons, we called this analysis a ‘debrief’. It doesn’t matter what you call it, but analysing execution is an important part of an organisation which desires constant improvement. Mistakes will happen, and it’s important to discover why…do behaviors need to change? Was the plan inadequate? Did execution let you down?
Core Processes: By documenting all core processes within your business, you save significant time when performing repeated activities. Planning is much simplified, execution is from a known 'playbook', and delegation becomes easier as everyone works from a ‘common sheet of music’. Your core processes document can be easily amended when required; a critical part of a ‘constant improvement culture’.
To avoid repeated errors, document your core processes, and debrief everything.