I always hear the same phrases when I sit down with business owners to discuss
working together. Here are some examples of what business owners have to say:
- “I don’t understand who’s doing what?”
- “Communication is poor.”
- “My employees are overworked.”
- “I don’t have a clear understanding about what is going on in my business.”
- “I’m concerned about not making enough money to keep the doors open.”
These are some of the issues businesses struggle with. My answer to overcome ‘struggle’ dilemmas, is always the same: “Employees become more engaged when work is made visible. This one action, more than any other, leads to improved process, project management, and overall business performance, which helps a business’s ability to make money and generate cash.”
I discovered this premise the summer of 1989 when I read Edgar Schein’s book, Process Consultation. A few paragraphs clarified the five underlying assumptions of the Visual System of Work (VSOW) and led me to the work I do today.
Underlying Assumptions
- Every business has opportunities for improvement.
- Identifying and improving those areas will help the business work better.
- When actual observation and concrete data are used to evaluate the business (rather than relying on people’s perceptions), solutions emerge to help the business work better.
- All members of the business must collaborate to analyze data and generate solutions for improving performance.
- When involved, everyone within the business will help to improve performance.
– Captured from Process Consultation: Its Role in Organization Development, by Edgar H. Schein
In 2001, while thinking about Professor Schein and how important his principles had been to my work, I called his office and made an appointment. Six weeks later, I was on MIT’s campus, waiting in the lobby of his office building. As the elevator doors opened, I got my first glimpse of this tall, distinguished gentleman with a perfectly groomed beard and twinkling eyes.
Professor Schein could not have been more welcoming or helpful. As we had lunch together in his office, he seemed intrigued that I was trained in Employee Involvement at Ford Motor Company and that one of my teachers was his prized student, Peter Block (Flawless Consulting). Dr. Schein was attentive, making comments and asking questions, as I showed him examples of my work. Finally, he pushed his glasses down on his nose and looked at me. He looked down at the documents, then back at me. “Who taught you this?’ he asked, tapping his finger on my work. “Who taught you this???”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “You did!” I replied. It was a wonderful moment because I realized Professor Schein had no idea how grateful I was for the crucial part he played in starting me on my life’s journey of helping businesses struggle less and flourish more. “You did!”