Especially for SME’s – 33: Time – Time and the only way to change results produced.

30 March 2022

SME 3: So true, this is how exactly it happens.

M. Lowe: That is why I said in whatever you do in your SME, your external customer should be the only SS in your mind and nothing else. Even your own unit comes second and a decision giving + to both is welcome; but there are occasions when you have to decide and act on things that give + to external customer SS1 and – to your own unit,SS2; and of course there are also other occasions when you have to put your foot down and reject those decisions and actions that give minus to your external customers even though they may give a short term + to your own unit.

SME 1: Can you give an example of that:

Mr. Lowe: Say your Qualtiy Assurance function rejects a piece that has to be delivered in that evening else there is a heavy penalty clause for the delayed delivery. Of course Production chief will be keen to ship it to meet his target and avoid the penal clause, but assume the Quality Assurance wants to make sure your unit’s image is not spoiled in front of your customer and in any case you don’t want to give a minus to your SS1. Here is a case whereby by refusing to pass the unit your QA is giving + to SS1 and SS2 also, though in the long term whereas the production chief wants to give a short term + to SS2 and a clear minus to SS1. As CEO, if both of them approach you to resolve the conflict at their level of chiefs of functions, you have to put your foot down and back your QA chief.

SME 2: What if we choose a wrong SS in our mind?

Mr. Lowe: That is exactly the problem: In the above example, the SS in the mind of the QA function chief was external customer and the SS in the mind of the Production chief was SS2. Even such a mistake can be suicidal. Now to answer your question insert your wrong SS in the chart and see what happens to the result. It is a disaster. And this chart tells us one more critical thing : If we want to change the result we are getting today, there is only one thing we have to change and that is what?

SME 2: The super system in our mind. If we try to change anything else which you have clearly put as being out of control and automatic, it is a gross waste of time as the end result will be a disaster.

Mr. Lowe: So that is why I talked about Super systems in time management as the first step.

SME 3: Is there a guideline as to what is the right SS that we have to put in our mind?

…..contd.