Over the holidays, my six-year-old granddaughter asked me to help her braid her baby dolls hair, so that they would be ready for Christmas. Sure, I said, not realizing how many baby dolls she had at my house. This was going to be quite an undertaking but certainly doable.
We each took our first doll and began to braid. As we were chatting, I noticed that she was not talking as much and that she wasn’t really braiding but watching me with a perplexed look on her face. I asked her what was wrong and to my surprised she responded, “I can’t braid like that and now the babies are not all going to be ready or look the same.”
I immediately realized that I needed more information to complete the “Baby Doll Project” which is what I had labelled it in my mind.
Step 1. Clarity – I asked her how would you like the braids to look. Her response:” Like yours but I can’t do it like that, so you get to do them all.” Not the answer I was hoping for, so we moved to step 2.
Step 2: Determine the technique/methodology. I taught her how to under-braid and she showed me how she used the over braid technique. We then took one doll and applied both techniques.
Step 3: Agreed on the outcome: We decided that some dolls would have over-braids, some would have under-braids and two would have pony tails
Crisis averted, and we were back on track to have the baby dolls ready for Christmas.
We can all identify with “The Baby Doll Project” experience, where the goal, technique and outcome were not aligned or clearly defined.
There are many hidden barriers to productivity. It can be in the way we communicate, different techniques or not understanding the desired outcome or success measures. Other hidden barriers may manifest itself through unconscious bias, generational differences, personal accountability or low engagement. The impact of hidden productivity barriers include low morale, missed deadlines, low productivity, employee attrition and ultimately a direct hit to the bottom line.
In the ‘Baby Doll Project” I was able to identify the hidden barriers by first being aware that there might be a problem. How aware are you of the changes in your personal or organizational productivity? This month I invite you to monitor your environment and mitigate barriers to productivity.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss with you and support you on achieving maximum productivity. This year we have rolled out a new offering – our Situational-on- the Spot Coaching Program designed to provide coaching to assist you on real-time work situations, requiring immediate resolution. Remember, I am a resource for you. Don’t hesitate to contact me.