Getting people on Board, changing culture.

[DennisD]

I have found that the best way to introduce a ‘new way of doing things’ is to automate the process as much as possible so that users are ‘doing less things’. If you can replace a 10 step manual process with a one button automatic process producing equivalent or better results, who can argue? Now, if you replace a 10 step manual process with a 25 step manual process, I’ll be the first in line with torch and pitchfork.

Case in point: the 3DSwamp.

[MJuric]

Case in point: the 3DSwamp.

Are you trying to tell me you’re not onboard with the 3DSywm platform?

[Roasted_By_John]

Part of my current position is implementing various continuous improvement ideas, efficiency improvements etc etc.

That being said I’m fully aware that the only way to truly make any changes like this is to have the people involved onboard and or even excited about the changes.

At present, pretty much company wide, there is a culture of “this is the way we’ve always done it” combined with “We’ve done that before and it didn’t work” mentalities. Sadly in some cases some of things I’m trying to implement have been tried before but in pretty much every case never was implemented properly, never followed thru with, etc etc.

The issues I try to focus on are.

1. Try to get input from the people involved and make sure that their ideas are seen and implemented if at all possible. If not possible give a full detailed explanation why we can’t/Won’t/shouldn’t Implement that idea.
2. try to compliment people when they do get involved, come up with good ideas etc.
3. When possible and relevant make sure that the people that will have to deal with the changes are in fact the “Experts” on the subject and that they should speak up with any concerns with proposed changes and if possible suggest their own changes.

For the most part the response is luke warm at best.

So I’m wondering what peoples input is on how to get people onboard, willing to change etc etc. As a “Manager” or “Supervisor” what have you done that seems to get people excited or interested in changes. What makes people close of an become unwilling to change or get involved? As an employee when faced with “Oh no not this again they are trying to “Improve” things again”, what got you excited about the change or at least willing to give it a realistic effort to try and make a change?

That is always a tough call - but I would put all the iotas on you, as a supervisor/manager, it is your job to create a winning team. You should evaluate the people that you are in charge of, so they can be placed in the proper position. I always liked to use the “Baseball Team Analogy” - don’t put the pitcher in the back catchers position, etc.

What I have done already is to create a sample system and have the employees feel free to express ideas for the system setup, don’t hurry that process, it may take a bunch of small meetings.

[DennisD]

Are you trying to tell me you’re not onboard with the 3DSywm platform?

I am included in their focus group. We have a video meeting every two weeks. They are listening and they are making some very positive changes. It is very late in the game for all of this. It should have started in earnest two years ago, but they didn’t. They didn’t even start to really pay attention to this group until all hell broke loose at the beginning of April. So now they are working hard to implement things that should have been there all along. All of it is made more difficult by the platform that is forced on them. I visit the site maybe once a day on the hopes that some of these changes are starting to show up. I am there for all of two minutes before I gladly leave before my blood pressure goes up too high. I really do care and really do want a good forum there.

The good news is that they are listening and they are making some good changes.

The bad news is that it takes a long time to implement, so some of these good things we won’t see for a bit. I am not at liberty to say any details about what or when.

The extra good news is that they will be able to do some things that cannot be done on a regular forum and they should be real pleasers. But first things first, they need to get it to a functional forum before trying to give us sizzle.

[MJuric]

But first things first, they need to get it to a functional forum before trying to give us sizzle.

Yes. Putting lipstick on a pig is going to do no one any good in this case.

There are some very serious limitations with that site that need to be dealt with the worst of which is real estate. Posts just disappear to fast because each post takes up 1/3 of a page.

Until that is made substantially better it’s a practically unusable format.

[Glenn_Schroeder]

Yes. Putting lipstick on a pig is going to do no one any good in this case.

There are some very serious limitations with that site that need to be dealt with the worst of which is real estate. Posts just disappear to fast because each post takes up 1/3 of a page.

Until that is made substantially better it’s a practically unusable format.

Howdy matt,

I was going to fix that sentence above, but couldn’t. Can we get a strike through function?

[DennisD]

Yes. Putting lipstick on a pig is going to do no one any good in this case.

There are some very serious limitations with that site that need to be dealt with the worst of which is real estate. Posts just disappear to fast because each post takes up 1/3 of a page.

Until that is made substantially better it’s a practically unusable format.

Better use of the real estate is tops on the list.

[mike_miller]

Howdy @matt,

I was going to fix that sentence above, but couldn’t. Can we get a strike through function?

2021-05-18 13_52_45.jpg
[Matt] knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. -Matthew 6:8

(yes, that’s actually the reference.)

[MJuric]

2021-05-18 13_52_45.jpg
[Matt] knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. -Matthew 6:8

(yes, that’s actually the reference.)

Cool, didn’t even know we had one.

[matt]

Howdy @matt,

I was going to fix that sentence above, but couldn’t. Can we get a strike through function?

Yes. Putting lipstick on a pig is going to do no one any good in this case.

There are some very serious limitations with that site that need to be dealt with the worst of which is real estate. Posts just disappear to fast because each post takes up 1/3 of a page.

Until that is made substantially better it’s a practically unusable format.
image.png

[jcapriotti]

Maybe this should go in the quotes thread:
“People will resist change until the pain of not changing is greater.”

People in general don’t like you messing with their process which they have committed to muscle memory. So you definitely need upper management buy in with them actively pushing the management layers below. Most managers have KPIs they have to meet each year and these kind of projects need be factored in to move them to get their resources to focus.

[mattpeneguy]

That’s EXACTLY what I’m trying to avoid and exactly why it is imperative to get honest input from everyone in these groups. Often times looking at it one way misses something. Unless the people affected by the change speak up they end up “Feeling” like this is being forced on them and it will cause them more work.

None of that is the goal and the only way to avoid it is to have people speak up.

That doesn’t mean that “I don’t like it” can’t be over ridden because in some cases the person that ends up with the "Inefficient and unnecessary " workflow are only seeing it from one perspective as well and can’t see the added associated gains that may not be directly related to them.

Matt,
I have complete confidence you wouldn’t handle it the way it was forced on us. A group in another section that doesn’t actually use the DMS system for their CAD work set it up. So, there was very little if any user input. We ended up with a system where if you want to create a CAD file in the DMS it literally takes 19 steps (I think you and I have discussed that in another thread).
Just the fact that you’re on here asking for advice proves you are orders of magnitude away from the problem I experienced. I just put that in there to explain where the reticence to take up any changes may come from.

[matt]

Maybe this should go in the quotes thread:
“People will resist change until the pain of not changing is greater.”

https://dezignstuff.com/maintenance-mode/
https://dezignstuff.com/of-cad-clouds-and-ipads/
https://dezignstuff.com/maintenance-mode/
https://dezignstuff.com/jeff-ray-killed-solidworks-bertrand-sicot-embalms-it/

[jcapriotti]

https://dezignstuff.com/maintenance-mode/
https://dezignstuff.com/of-cad-clouds-and-ipads/
https://dezignstuff.com/maintenance-mode/
https://dezignstuff.com/jeff-ray-killed-solidworks-bertrand-sicot-embalms-it/

Interesting to hear them use the same quote in regards to the cloud (which after 10 years still hasn’t really happened). In my experience, users will tolerate a lot of pain to not change though. That “pain” is comfortable and familiar in a weird way. The unknown raises fear and doubt in way that causes a far worse perceived expectation of future pain. The mere possibility drives their avoidance and, for some, it is a powerful motivator to do nothing and in some cases to obstruct.

It’s like getting a shot for some people, the anxiety and fear is far, far worse than the actual shot…so which are they avoiding?