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“If you pit a good performer against a bad system, the system will win almost every time.”
Geary Rummler’s words ring true in today’s fast-paced work environment.
When looking at the inability of a team to meet expectations, organization usually start – because it’s the easiest thing to do – by focusing on the lack of the Team Member’s performance. But what if the real cause of poor team performance is the system they are forced to work in?
To be clear, Rummler’s quote isn’t about absolving individuals of responsibility to meet expectations. Rather, it underscores the limitations of Team Members to perform when forced to work within a “bad system”. Even a dedicated Team Member will, eventually, become frustrated, stressed out, and disengaged when faced with systemic roadblocks like these:
- Inefficient Processes: Redundant steps, bottlenecks, unclear workflows.
- Poor Communication: Siloed departments, lack of transparency.
- Inadequate Resources: Insufficient tools, training, or support.
- Lack of Clarity: Ambiguous roles and unreasonable expectations.
- Entrenched Status Quo: A culture resistant to feedback and innovation.
When Team Members are constantly battling these issues, they’re spending valuable time and energy trying to develop a work-around that allows them to navigate the road blocks a bad system places in the way of them getting their job done as effectively and efficiently as possible. instead of focusing on meeting expectation by performing their work in an effective and efficient manner.
The Solution? Systemic Change.
It’s time for organizations, when faced with poor Team performance, to, before blaming Teams, to shift focus to systemic improvement by recognizing that systems that have been in place may no longer be appropriate because of changes in the marketplace or the composition of their post-pandemic work force. This can be done by:
- Analyzing and Optimizing Processes: Identify bottlenecks and root causes of performance issues.
- Designing Effective Systems: Creating well-designed systems that streamline workflows, facilitate communication, and provide adequate resources is crucial for enabling high performance.
- Empowering Employees: Empowering employees to identify and suggest improvements to systems fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
- Fostering Collaboration: Break down silos and encourage collaboration across departments to improve communication and information sharing.
- Provide Adequate Training and Support: Equip employees with the knowledge and resources they need to succeed within the system.
By understanding their systems serves as a powerful determinant of individual and team success, organizations need to shift create a harmonious interplay between their Teams and well-designed systems. Only then can organizations unlock the full potential of their Teams and achieve sustainable success.
I could be wrong…but I’m not.