Those who are considering implementation of a human error reduction initiative are often confused about HOW to do so in an effective manner. Oftentimes, under pressure to “get something going”, those tasked with implementation will gather info from the internet, books, colleagues and/or conference presentations, and will “take their best shot.”
Unfortunately, when it comes to gathering info about HOW to implement a human performance initiative, the majority of information currently available describes the “old school” top-down compliance-based approach. Additionally, there are still many consultants out there promoting techniques and strategies from years past.
If you are at the very beginning of implementation, have implemented and are looking for “what’s next”, or have a fully developed human performance or behavior-based safety program that is not delivering satisfactory (or stagnated) levels of performance, this section is for you.
NOTE: If you are new to the concept of Practicing Perfection®, and have not yet read “The Practicing Perfection Approach”, go there now.
Mike Blevins, retired COO of Luminant, recently offered his opinion of the Practicing Perfection® approach to attendees of the 2012 PPI Users’ Group Conference in Galveston, Texas: “This is the only human performance approach I’ve ever seen that is the whole deal. When you look at the total package of what Practicing Perfection® does, all of the components work together to create a complete system.”
The Practicing Perfection® approach provides a complete set of strategies, tactics, implementation methods and tools with which to:
For a full-sized downloadable version of this diagram, click here.
Determining Your Current Culture Gap
Before beginning any journey, it’s essential to identify two things: (1) your starting point (your current culture), and (2) where you want to get to (your desired outcome). This is critically important to the efficiency and effectiveness of your efforts, because as the Cheshire Cat warned us, “If you don’t know where you’re headed, any road will take you there.”
Your Starting Point
The Practicing Perfection® Culture Profile is the tool we use to identify your current challenges, opportunities, and strengths. The process involves gathering data through an online survey, conducting interviews, and completing observations. The information is then synthesized and analyzed, producing a Culture Profile that quantifies the error likeliness of your organization in five key areas:
Your Desired Outcome
Many organizations launch into human error reduction / human performance enhancement initiatives without clearly and effectively identifying WHY they are doing so, and WHAT their specific targets are. We assist our clients in answering these questions at the outset.
The difference between the starting point (where you are currently) and your desired outcome (where you want to get to) defines your Culture Gap. This insight is then used to develop your implementation flow path, including areas of current challenge, specific opportunities available and strengths to be capitalized upon.
Educate/Create
As indicated in the Practicing Perfection® Approach, a fundamental aspect of this method of transforming human performance is getting people to not only, “think different,” but also to “do different.” This is critical in order to move from compliance to discretionary effort, and do so in a manner that is sustainable.
The first stage of implementation therefore involves interactive education to expand team member and organizational context and develop a foundation of awareness and understanding, as well as creation of a Code of Honor™ for each natural work team.
We begin with Leadership Team Training, which is attended by all designated leaders (front line supervisors and above). This lays the foundation for sponsorship and role modeling from the top through the middle of the organization. The Leadership Team will create itsCode of Honor™ during Leadership Training.
Principle-Based Mentoring™ (PBM) includes a classroom phase and in-the-field coach-the-coach mentoring. This serves to fully develop the skills necessary to proactively recognize and reinforce desired behaviors in the field.
Next is Mastery Training, which is attended by ALL members of the organization (including those who attended Leadership Training). Organization members attend this training with the other members of their natural work teams. Each natural work team will create its own Code of Honor™ during this session, as well as identify a specific landmine (challenge) to tackle when they return to work.
Implement
New awareness and understanding must be coincident with, and followed up with targeted consistent and coherent ACTION.
Champion
A fundamental element of the Practicing Perfection® approach (and of achieving Viral Accountability™) is Peer Leadership. This is where worker ownership of the facility, the equipment, and the processes comes to fruition.
While the Code of Honor™ generates and reinforces a great deal of Proactive Accountability™, ownership, and Peer Leadership at the natural work team level, over time, human performance has proven as well as anything we’ve seen that across an organization…gravity works.
The Champion process involves additional training for a group of volunteers (solicited during the previous training sessions). This training, which is scheduled immediately following the final Mastery Training session, offers Champion Team members additional insights intoinfluence, as well as in how to promote and support human performance across the organization.
During this session, Champion Team members will brainstorm and develop plans for their first project(s), thereby beginning an essentially immediate process of reinforcement.
Sustainability has typically been one of the greatest challenges associated with reducing errors and elevating human performance. By taking advantage of basic human and organizational characteristics, the core of the Practicing Perfection® approach has been designed to develop, support and capitalize upon behavioral and cultural elements that last.
Whether to “do it on your own” or to hire external expertise is an important question to answer if you are serious about taking the human performance within your organization to the next level.
Two important questions to ask if considering implementation on your own-
(1) Do you have the available bandwidth to develop, implement, and follow-up successfully? In other words, do you have available resources and expertise?
(2) Do you (or members of your organization) have the necessary skill set? It takes tremendous passion and enthusiasm, combined with excellent presentation skills to capture workers’ attention in a manner necessary to achieve sustainable results.
At PPI, one of our primary roles is helping organizations achieve and sustain Next-Level Human Performance™. Over the past eight years, we have assembled the finest team of human error reduction professionals on the planet.
Our Directors and Master Facilitators are experts at understanding the nature of specific cultural and human performance challenges, and in crafting and delivering implementation in a way that captures the workforce and delivers desired outcomes.
This being said, we actively promote a partnered approach of implementation, where we help you develop internal bench strength. We do this through our PPC Certification Program.
For more information about the PPC Certification process,click here.
If you would like one of our Directors to contact you so that you can gather more information about how Practicing Perfection® might be best implemented within your organization, please contact us.