by Michael Ward
Introducing Michael Ward
As a management consultant specialising in the construction industry Michael Ward undertook the Graduate Diploma of Ontological Coaching because he could see that an ontological approach to construction projects could offer significant benefits. He had been aware for many years of the significant waste that occurred in billion dollar projects, however this waste was not always recognised.
Michael emphasises that unrecognised waste is invisible waste. Utilising his learning in the Graduate Diploma of the indispensable importance of effectively making and managing of commitments for organisational performance and workplace morale, Michael has very successfully supported project teams with the Commitments Wall process.
Invisible Waste
Waste is so common in construction projects that it can be invisible to the participants. Some examples of common occurrences of waste are:
planned labour and plant resources do not arrive as expected
documentation authorising compliance for labour and plant incomplete
labour is delayed whilst all pre- commencement requirements are completed
insufficient components are available for installation requiring revisit for crews
rework in fitting or placing
rework of completed work to repair defects or omissions
requirements for paper forms and records when electronic processes are available
limited administration resources result in bottlenecks delaying production
procurement errors and delays
workforce resource planning does not allow for leave, training and similar factors limiting available resources
design documents do not communicate requirements clearly for work crews
plans are not aligned and effectively communicated
Unfortunately, on a day-to-day basis these common occurrences are accepted as ‘normal’, rendering the waste invisible and frequent occurrences do not trigger remedial actions. The measurement to identify the value being lost is not in place. This may limit the response to local efforts or resignation by those directly affected that remedies are organisational and beyond their capacity to rectify.
Collaboration, coordination and trust are essential if projects are to be completed on time within budget. This necessitates high quality conversations and the successful making and managing of commitments, which include the essential conversational practices of:
careful listening
checking for shared understanding
the constructive use of assessments/opinions
the skilful application of requests and promises
the effective use of moods.
The Commitments Wall
The Commitments Wall is a process that builds performance-based reliability through:
provision of clarity in relation to individual commitments
a collaborative forum where tasks being committed are discussed and “determined ready for completion”
use of visual management to highlight the commitments made
review meeting to assess performance
posting charts with metrics that highlight the performance trends
driving continuous improvement through root cause analysis of reasons behind tasks not being completed
From our attendance at the regular weekly progress meeting following the initial presentation and discussion around the Commitments Wall process the following has consistently been observed:
the team appears motivated and is committed to do well
the team are open in their conversations and there is a spirit of collaboration
team members bring differing levels of experience and involvement with the project
there was a strong level of support for the commitments wall initiative
there is an opportunity for more definitive ownership of tasks
there is an opportunity for defining milestones
there is a willingness to pursue higher levels of performance
there is a belief in the team that higher levels of performance can be achieved
the language used reflects a “will do” and not a “wish”
each meeting now has a clear agenda and a process that leads to commitment to act
The Commitments Wall in action
The Commitments Wall provides the common reference point for all team meetings. The photograph provides an example of a Commitments Wall in action, with different groups within the project posting the various tasks they are involved in and when they commit to complete their tasks. This ensures all aspects of the project are visible to the entire project team, providing the opportunity for clarification and discussion about the progress of different components of the project and the project overall. This includes conversations about commitments that have not been met and are past their deadline for completion.
The Commitments Wall allows for structured conversations. Leadership is crucial to ensure that moods remain positive, that constructive conversations for performance and clarifying different understandings occur on a regular basis and that meetings are well conducted.
The Commitments Wall meeting structure is pivotal to the success of the project and this is outlined below:
Step 1. Review last week’s commitments
Each individual in turn reviews their tasks and the outcome
Tasks are assessed as complete or not complete
Where not complete an assessment of “Why” to establish the root cause
Completed tasks re marked with a “Green” dot
Not complete tasks are marked with a “Red” dot
Step 2. Metrics
The metric is % task complete / tasks planned
An excel graph is constructed to provide the results over time
Step 3. Next week
In turn each team member describes and posts on a post it note the tasks committed for next week
The team member will ask other team members in relation to precedent activities confirming input information will be available and precedent tasks will be completed
Step 4. Meeting leader
Meeting leader leads discussion in relation to the tasks posted to confirm:
that the posted tasks are aligned with longer term program
issues arising for immediate and future action have been identified.
Closing comments
There are significant cost savings on offer for project teams who introduce processes and measurements to improve the reliability of workflow through enhanced communication, planning and focus. Measuring the cost of waste caused by breakdowns in reliability may provide the motivation. Some basic tips to ensure the success of the Commitments Wall process are:
make the Commitments Wall attractive;
bring positive energy to every meeting;
encourage and enable other team members to do well; and
be relentless in pursuing excellence through improvement and innovation.
Michael Ward works with Alchimie as a consultant and executive coach and he can be contacted at michael.ward@alchimie.com.au