The good and the great

When the tiles in our bathroom started to fall off, we were not too pleased.  When water from the bathroom started leaking into the roof of the kitchen located on the ground floor directly below, we were further disappointed, but an ample application of silicone sealant seemed to hold back the tide for a while.  However, when water came spouting out the kitchen light fittings during a storm, like an inverted fountain, I started to think the jig was up and that – notwithstanding I have always found the sound of running water soothing and it really was quite a pleasing effect with the water backlit by the ceiling lights, a more meaningful intervention was necessary.  (Q. Is it dangerous to stand in a puddle of water that is formed by a continuous stream of water coming off an active electrical fitting?)

The problem was, getting the bathroom renovated was not in the budget, and with both my wife and I having busy jobs, we didn’t need the distraction.  For quite a while I maintained the pretence that I would save money and project manage the renovation (how hard could it be?), but eventually my day of domestic reckoning came at a hastily convened family conference.  I was awarded ‘C minus’ for effort and ‘E’ for achievement and the task was justly but ruthlessly taken from me by my exasperated wife and delivered to a bathroom renovation company.  “Et tu, Brute?”

As many recent leaders of the Labour or Liberal parties will tell you, when you are deposed in a coup, you have to start plotting your return to the top job straight away.  And that usually begins with vowing not to be a “spoiler” and then white anting and discrediting your successor at every opportunity.  So, inspired by the nation’s leaders and with a dark motivation in my heart, I sat down to a meeting with bathroom company guy to talk about how they were going to deliver a successful and timely renovation.  Now, being a faction with only one member, I admit I may have lacked the breadth of input to find holes in his approach, but I was begrudgingly impressed that all bases seemed to be covered.  Nonetheless there was still a little bloke with horns coming out if his head and holding a fork sitting on my shoulder telling me that they were talking a good game but the ‘walk’ and ‘talk’ would not match.  I bided my time and waited for them to reveal their weaknesses (Cue menacing sound effects)

Fast forward a few weeks, and the following words came willingly from my mouth as the final touches were being completed to our fully renovated bathroom, “thanks so much Phil, we are very happy with the result and we will happily act as referee for you”.  Bloody hell…. how did that happen?

I reflected on it then, and reflect on it now, as it was an uncommonly good experience and a somewhat surprising one.  I found myself looking the lessons to be learned. 

The expected attributes of success were certainly there; all the trades people that came on site were pleasant and performed high quality work.  Communication was good and people turned up when they said they would.  Where there was complexity in the work, such as the intricate tiling pattern, they put some extra time it lay it all out in our garage and make sure it would work in practice.  We could tell they cared about the outcome.

As professional as the people were however, they were not the difference between the good and the great.  What we saw in the initial meeting, and what was reinforced each day of the project, was that this firm had made a significant investment in process, and that it served all stakeholders in the project. 

For us, as the client, the initial comfort was in the clarity around the scope of work and what we needed to do and by when.  Also, the attention that was put into applying protective coverings to the carpets and plaster corners that they had to pass over or by as the came and went on site was a welcome surprise.  When it become evident that a variation or two in the planned work would enhance the outcome, they readily adapted to it, without missing a beat.

For the tradies, they had certainty as to when it was their turn on site and they arrived to workplace that had been thoroughly cleaned  the night before and where all necessary materials and fittings were waiting for them.  All the design drawings and decisions were agreed with us and were displayed on the walls of an adjoining room, so if any of the trades was unsure about a detail, the information was readily to hand. No one’s time was wasted, and everyone seemed happy in the service. 

So was it a case of:

Good people

+ a plan

+ coordination

= good result?

No.  I think that misses the “more than the sum of the parts” effect and the compounding of outcomes, and that the equation is more like:

Good people

+  a plan

+  coordination

+  vision

+  values

+  introspection

+  repetition

= process

+  more repetition / introspection

=  culture

and that results in excellent and continuously improving results.

My contention here is that good plans and coordination can still live in one or two outstanding team members and can equally leave the organisation with them.   Whereas a proper process is documented, reviewed and enhanced in an ongoing cycle that drives both continuous improvement and adaption to changing circumstances.  Crucially, when written down and repeated, it not only becomes an intellectual property asset of the firm, it drives a culture that can and will survive the loss of key people.  When born of good process that is well documented, good culture ultimately lives in everybody in the firm and embodies the cumulative experience and wisdom of all that have contributed to “the way we do things here”.  It also means that clients like my wife and me are left with a strong sense that our experience can be the experience of someone we refer, regardless of whether they are looked after by the same team members.  It was that feeling that lead me to offer to be a referee.  In a word of mouth industry, that’s gold.

Can the small financial services business I co-founded learn something from a bathroom renovation company?  Absolutely! 

Can focussing on our processes, informed by strong values and honest introspection help us to drive outstanding culture and client outcomes?  I think it can.