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The Daily Check to Great Performance

Managers have the very important job of
guiding their teams to meet – and try to exceed – a certain level of
performance.  For an organization to
fully realize the benefits of the process, system, and behavior improvements
that are implemented as part of Trindent engagements, managers must actively
lead their teams both through and after the change implementation.  

In past engagements , Trindent has observed clients who lacked a process to track, review or enforce team productivity and targets, and in these situations, the first recommendation we made was the introduction of a daily schedule check.  In this end-of-day meeting, managers were coached to implement a “result, schedule, people” oriented framework as an ideal way to have short and concise result-oriented discussions with their teams.  This allowed managers to have ongoing visibility to team performance, and a quick way to ascertain the causes of underperformances and how to correct them to get productivity back on track.

Let’s look at the daily schedule check, and
the three components that make it effective and concise.

Results

The first component of the daily schedule
check is for staff to update their manager on what was completed that day.  This initial part of the update is important to
enable managers to determine how members of their teams are performing, and whether
goals and targets need to be adjusted going forward.  If a high performing employee continuously exceeds
their target, they may need more challenge, and can also potentially be utilized
to train or mentor lower performing team members.  Conversely, if a low-performing employee
continues to fall short of their target, being able to see their daily results
gives their manager ongoing visibility to poor performance and an opportunity
to investigate the underlying issues of the performance in order to quickly resolve
it and turn it around.  

Schedule

In the schedule portion of the update, team
members report on tasks that have been started but are not complete.  This allows a manager to gauge variance
against expected results, and determine whether their team has a handle on the
situation given that variance.  Some
amount of variability is normal in any role, but continuous variance in results
is a signal for the manager to step in and discuss options to remedy the
situation in order to enable staff to once again reach their objective.

People

The people section of the update is to discuss
any employee-related obstacles that are preventing the meeting of objectives.  For team members, this is the perfect
opportunity to share updates about a subject that’s usually difficult to bring
up.  This is also an important component
for managers, as it’s their responsibility to resolve issues with any employee
performance that may be affecting the output of others.  

Conclusion

“Active management should be a day-to-day activity highlighted by simple feedback given more frequently – feedback is less effective as time elapses between performance and feedback.”

With this simple framework – results, schedule,
people – managers can use the end of day schedule check to effectively manage
employee performance and provide support when variances occur.  Its daily cadence allows for ongoing
visibility to results, and gives managers to ability to quickly make
adjustments and changes so that variances don’t become the norm. 

by Trindent Consulting

The Importance of ‘Last-Mile’ Business Reporting Tools

By Adrian Travis

Last mile business reporting tools are the reports we use to manage business performance at the front lines. Reporting typically fails to go the ‘last mile’ because it resides in dozens of different systems, requires manual creation and editing, or just isn’t disseminated to the right people. This results in the department being starved for actionable information. Many end-users also don’t have the right access rights or ability to see the upstream and downstream implications of how other departments interact with theirs. So often our clients cannot unlock the value of their ‘enterprise’ system investments because there isn’t a standardized version of business performance that goes the final mile. Often the data is housed in several systems.

Here are some tips:

It’s unrealistic to have one system tell you everything 

Modern businesses have many systems that aren’t talking to one another and this isn’t going to change anytime soon. There’s always a need for business intelligence tools that help to join the dots. Most ERP systems are great repositories for data, but are poor at displaying actionable information.

Make it frequent

If you’d like to manage the detail and understand the business, you need a good refresh rate on your data. Too often clients prefer to take the easy way out and report on an indicator monthly, and then the information is stale, or it’s impossible to speak to the history of what occurred. I recommend daily or weekly on every indicator you could possibly imagine.

Make it visual as well as numerical

Reports are going to lose roughly half the population’s interest if they consist of just a set of numbers. When colors and trendlines and graphs illustrating performance to tolerance are included – it vastly increases the adoption rate and managerial comprehension of the tool.
Determine who sees it – like anything, information needs to be directed at the right person accountable to the indicator. For example, financial indicators irrelevant to the floor-level manager or supervisor might not be meaningful. As well, executives are likely to want a different span of information than a manager or director immersed in a departmental process.

Don’t fool with it

Often client organizations are guilty of changing the targeting and the indicators on a monthly basis or making them up as they go along. Ideally your business indicators should be static and fundamental so that staff knows what to expect, and what the targets and tolerances are going to be.
Don’t measure everything – it’s best to refine and curtail key performance indicators so that they remain… well… KEY.

Assess business indicators as either pass or fail

There’s no ‘yellow’ indicator in business, otherwise you are unwittingly lowering the bar to the lowest ‘yellow’ number acceptable. In our world at Trindent, it’s either Green or Red.

The report itself is useless, it needs a human being to talk about what happened and what’s being done to recover. Too often we as executives expect the report to do the talking, but a critical leap in business understanding is achieved when people recognize business challenges proactively and come to the table ready to discuss why it happened and what they’re doing to fix it. Similarly, I’ll use a few pictures to illustrate what happened to in the aviation world over the last two decades, as it’s near and dear to me. On the top is what we refer to as a ‘six-pack’ of analog instruments, and on the bottom is a modern, ‘glass’ computerized flight deck that brings a plethora of information to the pilot in real time. I first flew the aircraft at the top in the 1990’s – the second picture is from a flight I took earlier this month.

What you’ll agree with is that neither of these reporting tools are useful to an aviator if the pilot doesn’t maintain a diligent scan of what the tools are telling him/her and make the right judgments and decisions promptly at every phase of the flight. I thought this was a great analogy and illustration of what good reporting looks like and how human beings are still fully required.

by Trindent Consulting

Working Losses And Controls That Boosts Your Bottom Line

For
a long time, the realities of the Oil & Gas industry could be summed up in
one word – unpredictability.  Recent
events in the oil market have once again proven how volatile the industry is.  

In this environment, every stream of financial benefit into the bottom line gives oil & gas companies an upper hand.  Trindent Consulting specializes in identifying a great number of these streams and channeling them into a one multi-million-dollar flow, one that is carefully metered, proven and accounted for.   

Just
Meter It

Anyone
involved in the oil & gas industry understands the significant role that custody
transfer meters play in hydrocarbon loss.   However, drilling down to get to the root of
how these losses are caused requires the professional experience and insight of
a hydrocarbon loss control consultant.

In
searching for the causes of hydrocarbon loss, every small detail becomes significant.  Are API standards being strictly followed
while meter proving?  Are standards and
processes in place to ensure that every out of tolerance instance is captured,
identified, and solved for?  Are there tools
are in place to identify and address non-standard procedures?  Are meter factors being tracked and used? 

These and countless other elements of hydrocarbon transfer make the difference between a good performance and an industry best practice one.  And that variance between the two can often be measured in millions of dollars.

The Right Approach Makes all the Difference

The path to maintaining high standards of hydrocarbon measurement is through a systematic and disciplined approach.   Hydrocarbon measurement is a complex set of system tools and specific behaviors which, if properly deployed and utilized, will allow the process to attain superior performance.  The right combination of processes, system elements and behaviors creates the right formula to arrive at accurate metering and curbing losses.

However,
setting up and maintaining that perfect formula requires significant resources
and the correct insight, as well as a structured approach to implementation.  With the sheer volume of variables involved,
making this attainable requires the help of specialists.  Trindent Consulting has worked with some of
the largest organizations in the industry to always deliver on its ROI promise. 

Click here to read more about how Trindent
asses custody transfer meters, and multiple areas, for significant savings opportunities.

by Trindent Consulting

Using Observations to Identify Outdated Processes

The previous issue of the Outdated Process series was dedicated to the challenges inherent in identifying outdated and inefficient processes.  

One simple but powerful tool to tackle this challenge is the use of process observations – a systematic exercise where consultants observe a process (or some part of a process) as it is being performed by an employee, with the purpose of gaining insight into the structure of the process, evaluating its effectiveness, verifying its standards and volumes, and validating whether it achieves the intended value creation.

Observations can be extremely effective because a properly conducted one will always find something about a process that can be done better or more efficiently. But what is the best way to set an observation up?

Observations Can be Effective

Observing operations is one of the most powerful exercises an organization can undertake, and for executives it is one with a high rate of return.  Post-observation feedback that Trindent has received from our client executives after delivering our findings, includes phrases like “eye opening”, “I had no idea!”, and “I should have done this long time ago”.

Observations are at the heart of in-depth analysis when working towards business process improvements, and are frequently the only way to obtain information about a process.  No system or report can adequately capture behaviours or performance variability.   Observations should always be one of the first steps to identifying and streamlining outdated processes.  

Obeservation, however, will not yield much insight
into a process if it’s not set up correctly. 
Observations can be effective, but only if they’re done right.

When Observations are Effective

There are several conditions that need to be met for
an observation to be effective in identifying process flaws:

1. They need to be targeted.  A properly conducted observation should
   generate a lot of detail about a process, but if the attention of the observer
   is divided between multiple processes, that level of detail will invariably go
   down. The rule of thumb should always be that one person should observe one
   process at a time.  If multiple processes
   need to be observed, they should be very similar in scope.
2. They need to be structured.
    In order to yield insight, observation
   must be done in a structured manner and follow whatever the framework of the
   process is.  Simply recording what is
   being observed isn’t enough.  The process
   needs to be actively assessed and the observer needs to be aware of what they
   are looking for.
3. They need to be designed based on an analytic
   approach.  The choice of
   what to observe, when to observe it, and what needs be recorded should be dictated
   by an analytical approach, such as the proprietary framework for process
   analysis that Trindent Consulting uses in their engagements.
4. They need to be recorded.
    The wealth of detail obtained from an
   observation needs to be recorded in a structured manner so it can be analyzed
   in combination with other observations related to the process.  Failure to record the right details can
   significantly diminish the value of the exercise.
5. They need to be sufficient in number.
    There should be enough
   observations performed to get a good understanding of the whole process under
   investigation.

Ensuring that process observations are optimally set up to capture the insight required for a proper analysis, will bring the maximum return on your consulting investment.  Click here to read more about how the Trindent Consulting approach to effective process observations can assist your organization.

In the next issue of this series, we will explore why
processes cannot be analyzed separately from the systems and behaviours
associated with them.

by Trindent Consulting

How to Successfully Navigate the Case Interview

Interviews are always nerve racking.  With a strong desire to put your best foot forward, you can end up putting your foot in your mouth instead. Everyone has done it at one point or another, walking away thinking “wow, that was bad”.

The case interview, a standard step in the hiring process
of any consulting firm, has an added element of stress.  Not only is your background and character
being scrutinized, but so are your problem identification and solving skills.  Remaining focused and being clear to let your problem
comprehension and concise analysis shine through can be difficult in this situation.

However, as intimidating as a case
interview may seem, there are three simple ways to detach from the stress and instead
approach at the entire process logically in order to succeed.

Practice

A case interview is no different than any
other interview in that you need to present yourself well.  However, it does require a much different
approach to preparation.  When warming up
for a fit or a character interview, you polish up on the basics, rehearse
responses to standard questions like “why do you want to work here” or “tell me
a time you failed and how did you respond”, and generally prepare to speak to content
you are well versed in.  But in case studies,
you don’t know in advance what content you’ll be asked to cover. 

So, the
first step to preparing for a case interview is to polish your responsive analytical and problem-solving
skills by taking advantage of the myriad sample case studies available online.  Practice how to separate the stimulus from the
question, how to break down the problem, how to identify what information is
missing, and how it should be gathered and synthesized.    

Do Your Research

Your next step will be to research the
company’s terminology. 

Study their website and their LinkedIn page,
and read any publications you can find in order to learn what their “language”
is.   A quick perusal of Trindent’s website and LinkedIn page,
for example, will show a treasure trove of vocabulary and expressions that make
up the standard language we use every day. 

Why is this an important step?

Remember to Adapt

Because during the interview, knowing the company’s
nomenclature will help you understand the case, read your interviewer’s queues,
structure your responses to fit the company mold, be concise in your answers,
and hit the right points rather than explaining around them. 

It will also allow you to adapt your style
to match that of the interviewer.   It
may seem like a small thing, but the case will be presented using the company’s
language, so pivoting to using their terminology will not only help you
understand it better, but will also allow your interviewer to easily follow
your thought process as you talk through the solution – all of which will
translate into higher scores.

Being well prepared for a case interview takes
a lot of time, but it also takes a great deal of stress out of it, and sets you
up to succeed in your next steps of your consulting career.

Click here to
learn more about the exciting opportunities available at Trindent Consulting
today.

by Trindent Consulting

Active Management and the Challenge of Change

Management Is a Spectrum

Active management lives in the healthy
middle of a spectrum which has anemic absent management on one side and
suffocating micromanagement on the other.   

Absent managers fail to adequately interact
with their staff, and provide little in the way of guidance, mentorship, or
feedback so employees are left unsupported and rudderless.  Micromanagers, on the other hand, closely control
every aspect of their team’s work without allowing input or initiative, leaving
employees feeling untrusted and demoralized. 
In both cases, team cohesion breaks down and turnover goes up. 

Active management avoids the pitfalls of
these two unsustainable extremes.  Active
managers implement best practices like regular meetings that set expectations,
celebrate wins, and reinforce positive behaviours.  They create clear guidelines, set aggressive
but achievable objectives, and listen to and support their employees while getting
out of their way.

Poor Management and the Fear of Push back

While an active management style is by far
the most effective one, many organizations are unable to find the balance
between absent and micro-managers to fill their leadership ranks.   

A common concern among employee-facing
leaders is getting pushback on their management style.  They fear being perceived as either absent or
micro-managers, and the moment either is mentioned, tensions rise, and managers
swing to the other extreme without taking the time to find a middle ground.

How, then, can an organization effectively
implement behavioral change management to bring in an active management style
across all its departments without creating pushback among its workforce?

Comparison is Relative and Change Takes Time

Critical to the success of any initiative to
implement active management is the fundamental understanding that employees are
used to the management style currently in place.  The existing style may be good, bad, or ugly,
but whatever it is, people are accustomed to it, and people are inherently
uncomfortable with behavioural change.   

And because comparison is relative, the
difference between perception of the “before” and the “after” may be
startlingly inaccurate.  For example, in
an organization tackling an absent management style, employees will undoubtedly
experience an increase in management involvement in their daily routine.  Compared to their “before”, this may be
perceived as micromanagement rather than a pivot to a healthy active management
style.   And a move away from
micromanagement to active management may leave employees feeling like they’ve
been left unmanaged and set up to fail.

This is a common threat in the early implementation
phase, but one that can be avoided if managers remember it’s their
responsibility to demonstrate the benefits of active management, and to lead by
example with patience and perseverance.   Change takes time, and nowhere more so than
within the context of workplace behavior and culture.

Adoption Requires Structure and Consistency

If leading by example is key to successfully
implementing active management initiatives, it’s also critical to remember that
behavior takes some time to normalize, and consistency is integral to that
process.

Things like adherence to an agreed schedule
and cadence of meetings become extremely important.  Being on time and active listening sets the
tone and expectations for staff who look to their leaders for queues.  By taking the lead in embracing change,
setting a consistent tone, and allowing enough time for the process to take
root, leaders will create an environment where their staff will not only adopt
but embrace the change.

The first step is always the hardest, but
persistence is the key.  Done correctly, that
persistence pays off and the benefits become apparent.  Change is frequently an unpleasant experience,
but with correct leadership, teams can be guided past their skepticism.

For a valuable overview on the benefits of active management, read our article Converting Strategy into Action.  Trindent’s unique approach tackles the most challenging issues facing change management and standing in the way of implementing effective management styles.

by Trindent Consulting

Refinery Maintenance: Defect Elimination

There
is a famous quote, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but
expecting different results.”  By this
definition, it is senseless for a refinery to all allow major equipment to fail
the same way multiple times.  These types
of failures can lead to expensive production stoppages and result in unplanned
overtime, both of which come at a higher cost than Preventative Maintenance.

At Trindent Consulting we believe in using Risk Based Decision Making to support Defect Elimination – also known as Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA).

Defect Elimination is a process to identify the root cause of a failure, determine efficient ways to prevent the failure from reoccurring, and implement those changes.  But not all Defect Elimination programs are created equally, and there are key guiding principles that can greatly enhance the outcomes of the program.

• Find the Balance – Once set up, a Defect Elimination program can be a powerful tool; however, it can also be a great burden. It can be tempting to try to use the program to prevent every failure, but this can result in misguided analyses and diminished returns.  A proper Defect Elimination program will have thoughtfully crafted criteria for investigation selection and prioritization.  We can help you find that balance.

• Accountability – Your employees are hard at work, and Defect Elimination programs can seem like an unwanted distraction and disruption to the normal flow of work. Creating the proper RACI matrices and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) can streamline the process to become status quo. Without the proper accountability, momentum for the program may vanish.  We know how to implement changes in a sustainable manner.

• Common Understanding – The foundation for any strong process is the underlaying system that enables the change to occur in a consistent manner.  SOPs are the backbone of a Defect Elimination program.  The proper SOP can facilitate the learning process, set clear definitions with terminology, improve the analysis process, and enable the optimal outcome.  SOPs create a common understanding that allow for a process to be repeated and reproduced in a consistent and reliable manner.  We know how to build strong foundations.

• Right Tools for the Job – Using the right system tools,
  methodologies, and frameworks makes the overall program more efficient and
  drives results. Using incorrect tools can make the process burdensome,
  cumbersome, or altogether ineffective.  We
  have methodologies, frameworks and system tools that can be quickly tailored to
  your needs.  Using best practice templates
  expedite the execution timeline - allowing for quicker execution and savings.

To learn more about how Trindent can Make it Happen in your company, reach out to our team on LinkedIn or through our Contact Us page.

The author of this article, James Greey is a Senior Consultant at Trindent Consulting

by Trindent Consulting