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Every year we learn more about how to be better at what we do so capturing those lessons and revisiting assumptions are a useful part of self development.
The ability to reflect on what worked, what didn't work and define what you want to do differently in the future is an essential part of the leadership role of setting direction.
End of year is always a good time to do this because it is a time when Leaders across the business will naturally focus on the future. Below is an approach to help leaders to tap into this instinct in a way that encourages sharing lessons learned, builds ownership to the need for change and aligns priorities for the coming 12 months.
Have Want Matrix
The Have/Want matrix provides a framework to support reflection and reassessment by Leadership and area teams to guide development of an improvement agenda that builds on success to date and delivers real business benefits.
Figure 1: Have Want Matrix
Consider each box of the matrix set out in figure 1 in turn and use post it notes to write down:
- What you want but don't have,
- What you don't have but want
- What you don't want but have,
- What you don't have and don't want.
You really do have to write down your ideas to ensure that they are fully formed. The mind tends to gloss over things that are difficult to do. The process of writing down each issue is a way of translating instincts into fully formed ideas that can be communicated to others.
In addition, the mind cannot focus on more than a few things at the same time so writing down ideas will provide a fuller insight into cause and effect.
The next step is to cluster the post it note issues under common themes to develop a statement of current status and challenges.
At this stage it is not always clear what steps to take to achieve that but by defining the question, you can begin to work on what the answer might be.
For that reason, there is real value in completing this exercise with cross functional representation to ensure that the issues raised are comprehensive and that the conclusions reached align priorities across the business.
The outcome is a common agenda of "Have and Want" issues that leaders can use to engage their direct reports with discussion about relevant improvement ideas and build ownership to action plans.
Contrary to the traditional simplistic cost down improvement focus, the goals are to engage all personnel with finding ways to save time and encourage shared learning by collaborating in testing out of new ideas in the real world.
How DAK Academy Can help
Decision making about future actions is complex and full of uncertainty. A good way to reduce the risk of poor decisions is to map out the potential options and agree signposts to confirm the route taken or the need to adapt the current plan.
DAK can design and facilitate working sessions to
- Support project or management team decision making with sessions to collate current knowledge about current status, gaps and priorities,
- Set out practical options and illustrate improvement tactics benchmark diagnostic frameworks based on the improvement journeys of well respected and award winning organisations
- Engage stakeholders at all levels in plan the plan activities to deliver business improvement goals,
Check out our Performance Management for Manufacturing Leaders working session. The details are for an online workshop but the content can be used as part of a face to face working session.
