As we began 2023 I met an existing client of over 8 years to discuss our objectives for the coming year. An exceptional Leader whom I respect greatly, and whose team has always delivered World-Class Standards. This isn’t an unsubstantiated or aspirational claim. This is a three times a year, independently audited, international peer comparison, FACT! Consistently scoring above 90% in these audits, they recently achieved (an unheard-of) 97.5%. On only one occasion during our time together did they receive a score below 90%, which was for them, a devastating 86%. All this against the backdrop of an international peer average of circa 70%.
Don’t be misled into believing that a “Dream Team” that churns out consistently exceptional results like this, is an easy team to be a part of, nor that leading such a team is a breeze. They’ve had lots of challenges along the way. These sorts of results require a huge commitment from everybody involved, and the standards demanded can be exhausting. So much so, that just 70% of the workforce is able to consistently meet these high expectations. The other 30% require constant training, monitoring, and often, replacing. This puts huge stress on the management team and on the performing workforce. So are they Successful? They are when their Audit Score is the metric used. But are they really?
The Challenge?
Well, that depends on your perspective. For the past 8 years, the score derived from the 3 annual audits, was the only real metric. So by that metric, yes they were successful. But over the past 18 months, there has been a shift in focus. There was a realisation that despite the outward appearance of success, the people involved “didn’t feel successful“. At least, not beyond the 24hrs after the audit results were announced. The rest of the time they felt under constant pressure. Staff retention was below average and this had a real impact on everyone. The pressure on training, supervision, and maintaining standards by staff underperformance was immense. They tried lots of different ways to make things better, from staff treats and appreciation days to more patience around training and increasing salaries. But none of these made any significant impact. Now staff retention and creating a more pleasurable and happy workplace, with less stress and more enjoyment, have been given center stage.
The Solution?
Sometimes you need to assess if “the juice is worth the squeeze”. Their focus on the minutia, which only an expert auditor would be able to spot, delivered unrivaled results, placing the business above all others. The attitude was – “We must achieve above 90% in the audit first, that’s non-negotiable, and then we can try to improve the other areas”. The “Audit Score” did set them apart, but in who’s eyes? The benefit of their, “best in class audit score” to the paying customer, was negligible. Upon review, the tiny details that set them apart only really served the “Rating Agency” as a differentiator. It is adding no real value to the business’s bottom line, or to its customer satisfaction scores. The attention and focus they gave it, wasn’t worth the “return on investment”. Meanwhile, the pressure to excel in their audits was actually the root cause of other issues.
Their approach for the coming year is to broaden the metrics. To hold the Audit as “important”, but not so important that it is their sole focus. Staff retention, creating an enjoyable working environment, reducing stress, and reducing the need for constant basic training by being more tolerant, will now also be measured. Agreeing to accept a slight dip in their audit score, to create space to increase other metrics, it is hoped will benefit the staff, business, and customers alike.
Seeing the wood for the trees.
In order to see a broader view, you sometimes need to take a step back. Being ultra-focused can cause “Scotomas” (Blindspots), which can make it impossible to see other issues. If you or your team are struggling to make performance improvements in a particular area, take a step back. What is it that is taking up much of your time and focus? Is the juice worth the squeeze? Often the reason we are unable to improve our performance is that we are overly focused elsewhere. When our arms are full we often need to let something down to be able to lift something different up. By no longer being excessively focused on the Audit Score, my client hopes to create more space. Space for the team to give equal importance, time, and effort to the areas that have caused real frustrations over the last 18 months. Where might you be overly focused? Where might your team’s effort turn out to be not worth the squeeze? Remember, in order to lift something up, most of us will need to leave something down. Where might you need to take a step back to facilitate a broader perspective? Good luck 😉
To learn more about Leadership & Team Development go to https://focus2succeed.ie/ or contact me @Damian.Shields@focus2succeed.ie
