unit22
Skillsoft
1431-100k
Page 23
Skillsoft
1431-100k
Jim: Lead Role
Eva: Lead Role
Marcus: Supporting Role
Bob: Supporting Role
Rosa: Supporting Role
M: Male Speaker
F: Female Speaker
Vo: Voiceover
[MUSIC]
[PHONE RING]
Eva: So, what exactly is the problem?
Jim: Processing our payroll is taking too many resources, too much time and too much money.
Eva: I’m not surprised.
Jim: I’ve been chosen to lead a taskforce to look at our payroll process.
Eva: You’ve got some work ahead. Solving problems and making decisions is an important process that a lot of people really don’t think out. They jump to solutions and miss vital pieces of the process and often end up with suboptimal outcomes or failed outcomes, creating rework, stress and confusion within the organization.
Jim: That sounds interesting. I’m all ears.
Eva: Well, first off, it’s very important to keep an open mind. As the saying goes, if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything becomes a nail.
Jim: [LAUGHS] Okay, I have an open mind.
Eva: I look at problem solving as a six-step process. [MUSIC]
One: define the problem. What exactly is happening that needs to be fixed, modified or improved. The more clearly the situation or item in question can be identified, the easier it is to know what a viable solution might look like. Two: analyze the problem by doing a gap analysis. Define today’s state, and then define the future desired state. This shows you where you are and where you want to be. Three, develop solutions. Meet with stakeholders and brainstorm all the ideas you can. Remember, there are no stupid ideas. You need to encourage everyone to think as if the impossible is possible. Four: evaluate the different ideas. Conduct a force field analysis that will help you identify the drivers and barriers to reaching your future desired state within each solution. Use the low-hanging fruit analysis to weigh the potential of each option as well as the impact it might have if implemented. Five: choose the best solution and implement it. Design an implementation strategy to guide your execution. Create action plans, timelines and chart measurable results that you wish to achieve. Develop a contingency plan just in case things don’t go as planned. And six: follow-up and evaluate progress.
Jim: That’s all there is to it?
Eva: I know it seems a little overwhelming at first, but it’s really not so hard. Hey, do you mind taking a little walk with me?
Jim: Sure.
[BACKGROUND CONVERSATION]
Jim: Do you think that problem solving and decision making are the same process?
Eva: Well, they go hand in hand because there are points of decision making throughout the problem solving process. And, really, they should go together, because if you make decisions without a problem solving foundation, that’s when things can really blowup in your face.
Jim: [LAUGHS] Well, I’ve had that happen, actually.
Eva: Also, don’t think of this process as something you do solely when something is broken. You can modify, fix, alter or improve a condition to get from the current state—whatever that is, to the future desired state—whatever that is. Some businesses that are functioning quite well try to stay ahead of the game and use intensive problem solving processes to determine what their next step will be before they find themselves in reactive mode.
[LAUGHTER]
[MUSIC]
Jim: Wow.
[PHONE RING]
Eva: Right. I have my own problem to solve right here. I have to decide whether to copy everything and get it into our database or whether to store it all offsite. But right now I have to get at some records, and one of these boxes…
Jim: So, how have you approached this problem or situation?
Eva: Well, first, I have to define the issue. All of these records are not high-value data, but every now and then we do need to access them, and we can’t right now.
Jim: Plus, you’ve got an unusable room.
Eva: Exactly. Step two: I analyze the problem by doing a gap analysis. The state of things today is clutter and chaos and inefficiency, and it’s only going to get worse. Contrast that with the future desired state.
Jim: But you can have all of these records instantly accessible through as databank, and you’d have a usable conference room, too.
Eva: Exactly. See, that’s the gap. From where we are to where we want to be. And to be successful, I have to close that gap. So, then I did step three; I brainstormed solutions. Now, remember, this is where you come up with all the possible ways that that gap can be closed.
Jim: You can assign someone the job of scanning all these documents.
Eva: Or we could hire an outside service to do it.
Jim: Or you could store them somewhere else, also.
Eva: Right.
Jim: Or you can just throw them away. I mean, if the data on them is not that important.
Eva: Those are all viable solutions. See, you just come up with all the ideas you can to solve the problem and move yourself from point A to point B.
Jim: So, what did you decide?
Eva: Oh, I haven’t decided anything yet. I’m still in the middle of step four, which is evaluating all the different ideas.
Jim: Is that when you do a force field analysis?
Eva: Exactly.
Jim: Okay.
Eva: Here, let me hand this box down…
Jim: Oh, wait, let me help you with that.
Eva: No, I’ve got it.
[NOISE]
Jim: What was that? Are you okay?
Eva: I’ve dislocated my shoulder.
Jim: Are you sure?
Eva: Yeah, I’ve done it twice before.
Jim: Can you walk? What should we do?
Eva: I don’t think I can walk.
Jim: Well, we’re not messing around with this. I’m calling 911.
[MUSIC]
Eva: This stupid. I’m going to be fine.
Jim: Yeah, you’ll be all right, but it’s better safe than sorry. Hey, listen, I’ve identified the problem—I mean, for the issue—and, listen, I think the second step is analyzing it, right?
Eva: Exactly. Gather information, talk to people, check files, call suppliers.
Jim: Okay. I got that. All right. Can I call you if I have any questions?
Eva: Sure, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.
Jim: Okay. You take care of yourself, Eva.
Eva: Thanks, Jim.
[SIREN]
[MUSIC]
Vo: Problem analysis points to the relevant information and leads the way to the root cause of the problem.
Jim: Hey, Marcus. Yeah, it’s Jim. Yeah, I’m on the payroll taskforce, and I need to gather some information concerning our payroll system. Do you have some time this afternoon?
[MUSIC]
Jim: Okay, I can see that, I can see that. Now, in your opinion, what is the biggest reason why we have so many of our payroll checks that are cut for the wrong amount?
Marcus: Look, Jim, payroll is not the only thing we do over here. I mean, we handle benefits, claims and everything else. So, to be honest, we’re not completely focused on that task.
Jim: Well, how many of your people…
Vo: You’ll most likely be working with a group during the problem solving process. Whenever a group or team is formed, it’s good protocol to clearly define the rolls of the team members, including what methodology will be used in the decision making process: democratic or consensus.
[MUSIC]
F: You know, have you guys thought about what kind of decision making process we want to use?
M: I was thinking we should decide by consensus.
Jim: That works for me.
F: Me, too. As far as team leader goes, I nominate Jim
M: I second that.
Jim: Okay. Then, well, I think we should be ready to present our recommendations let’s say two weeks from today. And I thought I’d go ahead and get started on the gap analysis, if that’s cool.
[MUSIC]
Vo: Doing a gap analysis is a critical part of problem evaluation.
Jim: Our current state is that our payroll process is seriously flawed. Marcus reported that he just doesn’t have enough people to do the job right. A lot of mistakes are made, from incorrect deductions to employees being underpaid, and it takes valuable time to fix those mistakes. Our future desired state is that we want our payroll to be done efficiently and cost-effectively, with no drain to our core business. Now, how do we go from point A to point B?
[MUSIC]
Rosa: So, what time is Janet coming in?
F: Not until 8:00.
Rosa: Okay. We’re going to need somebody to cover...
F: Who?
Rosa: Anybody. Just check with all the nurses and see who can stay. Thanks.
Eva: That sounds good. It sounds like you’re doing everything you need to. It seems like you’re ready to take the third step.
Jim: Well, I think so. I mean, I’ve done the gap analysis and pretty much identified where we are and where I think we need to be.
Eva: Now you’re ready to develop options that could possibly close the gap and take you from the current state to the future desired state. What’s important here is to free think, brainstorm anything and everything that comes to mind. Sit down with your team and just come up with any ideas you can. Don’t self-censor, and don’t throw anything out.
Jim: Okay. That sounds good. Hey, thanks, Eva.
Eva: Well, good luck with it. Bye.
Rosa: Sounds like you’re handing out some good advice.
Eva: I seem to be doing a lot of that lately.
Rosa: I couldn’t help but eavesdrop. I’m in the middle of trying to solve my own problem here at work.
Eva: What’s going on?
Rosa: Oh, our nurses are overworked. They are burnt out, and they are not happy about it. And it’s a problem we have to address because it’s only getting worse.
Eva: Well, it sounds like you’ve already identified the problem.
Rosa: I think so.
Eva: The next step is to analyze the problem. What exactly is the current state and what is your future desired state?
Rosa: I think I’m going to sit down and write that out.
Eva: That’s a good idea. And, if you need anymore help, I’m not going anywhere.
Rosa: Oh, thanks. Oh, and I wanted to let you know that Dr. Reaves looked at your X-rays, and he’ll be in this afternoon to go over them with you.
Eva: Great, thanks.
Rosa: Okay, you’re welcome.
[MUSIC]
Rosa: The current state is that nurses are working mandatory overtime, and that breeds resentment, decreases retention and increases the risk of making mistakes. The desired future state is that everyone will work a flexible schedule with the amount of hours that suits them best. When people are on the floor, they are fresh and rested.
Vo: After you’ve analyzed the issue, you’ll move on to the third step. This is where you develop options. The best approach is to state all possible alternatives without evaluating any of the options. This helps to ensure that a thorough list of possibilities is created.
Rosa: So, what are the best ways to fix this problem?
F: We could try to get the hospital to adjust the nurse-to-patient ratio, so the nurses will have a lighter patient load.
Bob: That’ll be the day. Sorry, I’m supposed to prejudge. We could dramatically increase the pay for our nurses. That would lure some over to us from other hospitals.
Rosa: What do you mean by dramatically?
Bob: Say, 20%. That would put us on the same pay level as Saint Joe’s.
F: We could use more nurse’s aides. There are a lot of tasks that they could perform that would lighten the load of our nurses.
Rosa: Okay, those sound like two…
Vo: Remember to take notes and record everyone’s ideas.
M: So, we can treat your shoulder conservatively and run the risk that this is going to happen over and over, or we could put a small pin in your shoulder, and that should mitigate any problems you might have in the future.
Eva: I notice you said “should.”
M: There’s risk in any surgical procedure, and, long-term, there are some problems that could develop with that pin, but that only happens in a very small percentage of cases.
[MUSIC]
Eva: So, I need to make a decision.
M: I’m afraid so.
[KNOCK]
Jim: Hi.
Eva: Hello?
[LAUGHTER]
Jim: This is for you, from all the folks at the office.
Eva: Well, how sweet of all of you, and thank you for bringing it over yourself.
Jim: My pleasure. You know me. I thought it was a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
Eva: Uh-huh. Okay, have a seat [LAUGHS]. So, where are you?
Jim: Well, are you going to eat that Jell-O?
Eva: Not a chance. Have at it.
Jim: Okay. Well, we’ve done the first three steps. Okay, we’ve identified the problem, or the issue, as you might like to say. And we’ve analyzed the issue. And my team and I have brainstormed, come up with a lot of possible options.
Eva: Good. So, the next step is to evaluate all those options.
Jim: You mean pick one?
Eva: No, I mean study each option to determine which one will most effectively help you reach your future desired state.
Jim: What’s the best way to do that?
Eva: Well, I found it very helpful to do a force field impact implementation difficulty analysis.
Jim: Whoa, right over my head.
Eva: Okay. [MUSIC] Well, let’s start with the force field analysis. That let’s you see what forces you’re up against as you move the problem to the future desired state. It also helps you establish a priority to the things you’ll need to do.
Jim: Okay.
Vo: A force field analysis helps you examine each option from a number of different angles. First, what are the forces that will support the successful implementation of the approach, and then what are the forces that will block the implementation? I call those the drivers and the barriers.
Jim: Okay. We’ve brainstormed some good solutions here. Now we have to analyze each one in depth and determine which one will most effectively help us to reach our desired future state.
F: Well, let’s just go over them one at a time.
M: Well, it sounds good to me. Let’s start.
Jim: So, if we go with the option of outsourcing our payroll, what’s going to be the main driver to make this happen?
M: Well, we already know that Mary Hamlin [ph] wants a significant change. She’s going to support us 100%.
Jim: Okay, then, well, what will be our biggest barrier?
F: Well, everyone in the payroll department, for starters.
Jim: Well, no one is going to lose their jobs. We’ll be reassigning people.
[MUSIC]
Vo: Next in force field exercise, you determine who has control over the barriers to reaching your future desired state.
F: You know, Mike Simpkins [ph] is the guy who can make this a huge transition.
M: Now, he could make it very difficult.
Jim: Absolutely, absolutely, we’re definitely going to have to focus on him.
M: You know the person that…
[MUSIC]
Eva: So, after you’ve done your force field analysis and you’ve identified the drivers and barriers of an option, it’s important to next determine the business impact and implementation difficulty.
Rosa: Why do all that work if you’re not even sure you’re going to use that option?
Eva: Because it’s all that work that let’s you really see if that option will be successful.
[MUSIC]
Rosa: That makes sense.
Vo: I call this the low-hanging fruit analysis. It helps you discover which of your brainstormed options has the highest probability of success—a high impact to the business yet a low drain of resources. First, you identify the business impact on a scale of low, medium and high. After that, you chart the level of difficulty to implement, again, on the same scale.
Rosa: Exactly. So, let’s go over each of our potential solutions and evaluate them at these two levels. Okay. So, if we hire additional nurses, it is going to have a very high business impact.
Bob: But an equally high level of difficulty.
Rosa: So, that’s a high level of business impact and a high level of difficulty. Then we’re going to go down to our matrix, and we’re going to plot that right here. That’ll be number one. Next potential solution.
F: Expanding our nurse’s aide program would have a medium impact on our business.
Rosa: I agree with that.
Bob: But the difficulty of implementation would be low.
Rosa: Yes, I can see that. All right. So, option number two is going to have a medium business impact and a low level of difficulty. So, we’re going to go to go down to our graph, and we’re going to plot that right here, and that’ll be number two. And that option is what we call a low-hanging fruit.
[MUSIC]
Vo: Identifying your low-hanging fruit helps you to go after things that are higher impact but low in terms of difficulty to implement, which helps drive your toward a solution.
Jim: And finally, the last option that we have here is to outsource our entire payroll operation.
F: As far as the business impact, it would be huge, high impact all the way.
M: It would help us reach our future desired state, which is that we never want to think about payroll.
Jim: True, true. But as far as the level of difficulty, would you guys agree that it would be low.
F: It seems about right.
Jim: Okay. All right. There we go. Now, that’s all of our options. Now…
[MUSIC]
Vo: This takes you to the fifth step: choose an implement your solution. Leverage all of the research and analysis you’ve done, weigh the pros and cons of each solution. Can the barriers be overcome? Are the drivers robust and in place? Is the solution achievable, and does it have a significant business impact?
Jim: That’s good [AUDIO DROP]. Now, based on everything we’ve looked at, I think that a smart choice for us is to outsource our payroll.
M: I agree.
F: Me, too.
[MUSIC]
Vo: If your decision making methodology is by consensus, then you’ll all have to support the decision and no one will question or speak negatively about the outcome. Consensus decision making means everyone makes concessions and agrees to stand united and speak as one voice. If your methodology is democratic, then you’ll need a majority.
Rosa: It looks like we’re going to recommend a stepped up nurses aide program. Sorry, Bob.
Bob: That’s okay. I still want to be involved in the implementation.
Rosa: Great. We’ve got a lot of work to do.
[MUSIC]
Vo: Put together an action plan and implementation strategy of exactly what you’ll do to implement the new solution. What resources will you need? Who will be responsible for what? You’ll need to explain your decision to those who are involved and/or affected.
F: Let’s talk to Evergreen and see if they can supply us with some more aides.
Bob: They’ve been pretty reliable in the past. No need to find someone else at this point.
Rosa: Well, we’ll be needing to interface with three different…
M: Thank you.
Jim: Hey, Eva.
Eva: Oh, hey, Jim.
Jim: Hey, you’re already back.
Eva: Yeah, well, I missed you guys so much I just couldn’t stay away.
Jim: We missed you, too.
Eva: So, how’s it going?
Jim: Pretty good.
Eva: You must be on to step six by now?
Jim: Well, we’ve implemented the solution, and now we’re just kind of kicking back and monitoring things now.
Eva: Well, don’t kick back too much. The stuff where you follow-up and monitor results is critical.
Jim: Yeah, it is.
Eva: Hey, can I show you something?
Jim: Sure.
[MUSIC]
[SIGH][LAUGHTER]
Jim: So, you made the decision.
Eva: Why yes I did [LAUGHS]. I talked to a lot of different people, and almost everyone agreed that we needed to preserve and have access to that data, so I realized it was that need that was my main driver to reaching my future desired state.
Jim: So, what’s the barrier?
Eva: No money. But I determined that Jake Garson [ph] was in control of that barrier. I felt he could be swayed if he could hear from all the people who needed access to that data. I also knew it was important to find a very cost-effective way of doing things, so I found a company that came in way under all the others. I had a different person call Jake each day to lobby for my solution, and then when I presented him with the numbers, he went for it.
Jim: [LAUGHS] Good work.
Eva: Nothing to it [LAUGHS].
[PHONE RING]
Jim: This is Jim?
Eva: Hi, this is Eva?
Rosa: Eva, I wanted to let you know that we started using more nurse’s aides, and it does seem to be taking some of the pressure off of our nurses.
Eva: That’s wonderful, Rosa. Now it’s important to monitor everything very closely, so you can make sure you really do close that gap.
Rosa: I am. But how long do I go before I can realistically decide whether a goal has been met?
Eva: Well, that varies with each situation. It’s actually something that should be spelled out in your implementation strategy. What do you think?
Rosa: I think we can probably tell within a few months of implementation.
Eva: Well, that sounds good. Good luck with it.
Rosa: Thanks again, Eva.
Eva: Sure. Bye-bye.
Jim: Okay, all right, thanks. Everything was going so smoothly.
Eva: What happened?
Jim: Well, Mike Simpkins is saying he’s not on board anymore.
Eva: Why?
Jim: Well, it seems as though some jobs had to be eliminated, and he made that a deal breaker.
Eva: Well, things will go wrong as you monitor the implementation of your solution. That’s just the way it goes. You have to be ready to modify along the way.
Jim: What now?
Eva: Well, I think it’s time to go with your contingency plan.
Jim: We don’t have a contingency plan.
Eva: Well, I may not have stressed the importance of that enough. A contingency plan is like having a spare tire; it’s all a part of addressing things proactively. When you’re going through the monitoring stage, you have to be prepared to make adjustments.
Jim: Well, I guess Greg, Julie and I need to get busy on a contingency plan ASAP.
Eva: Okay. But, before you do, let’s review everything you’ve done so far.
[MUSIC]
Vo: Step one: you defined the problem. What exactly was happening that needed to be fixed? The more clearly your problem can be identified, the easier it is to know what a viable solution might look like. Two, you analyzed the problem by doing a gap analysis. Define today’s state, and then define the future desired state. This shows you where you are and where you want to be. Step three, you developed potential solutions. Gather everyone around and brainstormed all the options you can. Four, you evaluated solutions. Conduct a force field analysis. This helps identify drivers and barriers to reaching your future desired state. Also, with the low-hanging fruit matrix, you charted [ph] the business impact and difficulty of implementation. Five, you chose and implemented the solution. Design and implementation strategy to guide your execution. Include a contingency plan that you can use if anything goes wrong. And six, you followed up and evaluated your progress. Remember to monitor things closely so that you can accurately tell if the gap has been closed.
[MUSIC]
Eva: Hey, Jim.
Jim: Oh, hi, Eva.
Eva: How’s it going?
Jim: Well, we ironed some things out, and we’ve got Mike Simpkins back on board again.
Eva: That’s great. But you don’t seem to happy. What else is going on?
Jim: Well, I’ve got to figure out why the company is spending so much on waste disposal.
Eva: It looks like you’re the go-to problem solver and decision maker around here.
Jim: Well, I could use some coaching, but I just don’t want to monopolize all your time.
Eva: Oh, no worries. In return, the next time you see me try to pick up something heavy, stop me.
[MUSIC]
Jim: [LAUGHS] That sounds good. Hey, listen, do you have a moment right now?
Eva: Sure.
[END OF RECORDING]
Transcript prepared by
Rogers Word Service
919-834-0000 1-800-582-8749
www.rogersword.com
